BebuLamar

I don't know the Mac seems hard to use.

PHRubin Loc: Nashville TN USA

Even 'tho LR crashed, it didn't contain your photos. LR makes a table of contents which is what you lost. The photos should still be on your hard drive.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

I would imagine so.

Dikdik Loc: Winnipeg, Canada

I don't know... I've never used one, but, I've heard they are easy. I've been playing around with computer hardware and software for over 30 years, and used to program in half a dozen different languages. I'm at home with PCs.

gmccaleb1

I thought so, too. I took it to several people who should have known where to find them, but were unsuccessful.

terryMc Loc: Arizona's White Mountains

Laramie Loc: Tempe

People here always complain about Windows users butting in on Mac threads. OP, if you decide to purchase a new laptop, check Dell.com, or hp.com or Lenovo.com, and local stores. Get as much storage, RAM, and processor as you care to afford.

Dikdik Loc: Winnipeg, Canada

A bit of a caution with Dell. I picked up an XPS 15, and it's excellent. I ordered it with the smallest M.2 drive with the intention of using my own M.2 drives. I was informed this would void the warranty. Not a problem. I did a benchmark of the system when it arrived. I replaced the M.2 drive with two Sabrient M.2s and had to modify the BIOS to recognise the excellent graphics chip it had and not the processor graphics. The original M.2 was terrible... I've thrown better stuff out. Those two changes doubled the benchmark results. When it was fixed, it's an excellent laptop and one of the best screens I've come across. It's a touch screen, but I don't use it for that.

Capn_Dave

It seems to me that there is more going on than Lightroom crashing. Lightroom does not store photos in it. All it has is a database which contains a thumbnail of the image. You can completely remove Lightroom and your photos will still be there. If nobody can find your photos either you accidently erased the folder containing them, moved the folder containing them or your drive is crashing.

Red6

Whatever happened to your computer it sounds like it is time to update. Like cell phones, technology moves fast and an 8-year-old computer can be past its prime. I know some will say they are using a computer 10+ years old etc, but using older technology can be unreliable and you may be missing out on some things that it just cannot do.

As far as a new one, there are a lot of good choices. Laptops are nice if you travel but are more expensive than desktop machines. There are newer desktops that are fairly small and are often more capable than laptops of equal price. If you are not going to process photos while you travel then get a good desktop and use a cheaper laptop for email etc when you travel. Lenovo, HP, Dell, and Asus are some to take a look at. RAM, solid-state hard drives, and a good video board are important. Check the specs of programs you intend to use and make sure these are the MINIMUM specs you need to meet. Nothing wrong with exceeding these specs if your wallet can afford it. It is hard to future-proof your purchase for more than 4-5 years.

As far as the PC vs Mac debate, that is a personal issue. I have both and in the past with older versions of Windows I would have sided with the Mac. In fact, I did, when Microsoft XP was out, I switched to a Mac but later switched back when Win 10 came out. Win 10 was and I think is as good as any Mac OS. I have not used Win 11 but people I know and trust are using it and say it is as good also. There will be some learning curve between WIN 10 and 11 but there is much similarity so there should not be much of an issue.

Saying the Mac OS is more intuitive and easier to use is a myth. It is easier to use ONLY if you are a new user and have never used any computer before. IF you are or have been a Windows user it can be MORE difficult because many of your file and folder handling conventions are different and the retraining curve for habits gained during using Windows can be difficult. I have used Microsoft machines for 20+ years at work and home and every time I sit down in front of a Mac, I have to rethink all my steps. It really slows me down for a while until I readjust.

Again, I have both Windows and Apple computers in my home and continue to use both, but once you are proficient in one OS, stick with it unless you have a need or desire to learn the other. I do both only because my wife also switched to the Mac years ago when I switched but then she did not want to learn WIN 10 when I switched back. So, I continue to support both systems at home.

coolhanduke Loc: Redondo Beach, CA

Macs appear to be the choice for photographers and graphic artists but it does not sound like that’s what you need. Not at what they cost. (Full disclosure, I’m a Mac user).
As someone suggested, check out Costco for an upper end laptop. Get the most RAM you can afford, the biggest SSD drive and fastest processor. That should accommodate the needs you describe.

jackpinoh Loc: Kettering, OH 45419

MacBook Air is the way to go. My daughter went through four PC laptops when she was in collage. Hinges broke, screens delaminated, keys stopped functioning, trackpad worked intermittently, etc. And those weren't inexpensive laptops. Since switching to a MacBook Air five years ago, she hasn't had a problem. I have used an M1 MacBook Air with Lightroom and Photoshop without any problems.

stevetassi

What does “break the bank” mean? Can you give us a $ budget so we can make a good recommendation?

Nikon1201

If you want to use Topaz , Topaz Labs recommends a video card comparable to the Nvidia RTX 3060 to handle their programs . Also depending on how many photos you have you Amy want a hard drive 1 TB or larger . Dell has on that’s meets these requirements for around $1200 . Always buy more because you will eventually need it .
The Topaz website will give you the requirements for their software.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

Re: lost photos
New computer or not, you should consider a good backup routine. At a minimum, 2 external drives. Cloud service is good if you need protection against large disasters. It all depends on how valuable your data are to you (and by 'all data' I mean every file on your computer, not just photos). External drives are primary backup, cloud is secondary. See the many many threads on backup for details. You should also consider backup software so that backup is automatic and does not require user intervention (until you need to restore something).

Re: Mac
There are fundamental differences between Windows and Macs. I used PCs for 40 years and just moved to Mac (plus Windows). There is an adjustment period required. Both platforms have advantages and disadvantages. If you're not particularly computer literate but have been using PCs for a while I would recommend sticking with what you know.

My last few computers were Dell and they performed well.