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I'm looking for recommendations for a laptop for Robbie (sounds like a good swap). Budget around £350, main uses word processing and Lightroom.
I'm thinking something like a Core i3 machine with 15" screen 4gb or 8gb RAM and >= 500gb hard drive. That seems do'able within that budget but would be interested to hear from people who have machines like this and use them for photos.
Cheers
Ian
Past OAP age when I bought a Dell 1545 laptop for my grandaughter. Price then almost £500. After 6 months I decided to have a go and have self taught myself. With the laptop I have since used a Lexmark printer/scanner/copier. I have scanned photos to the laptop, and also printed photos from the laptop using the printer menu.
Since then I have bought an Epson V500 scanner, which scans negatives and slides, also photos. (The Lexmark could only scan photos), and have used the Epson without any problem.
The Lexmark 'all in one' was bought for me by my wife when she bought me a compact digital camera, HP and along with a Hewlett Packard PhotoSmart printer. The camera and the HP printer also connect to the laptop without problems.
As regards Lightroom cannot advise - no nothing about that. Word processor ? I would think that is a basic in all computer laptops.
We bought a Samsung laptop for Chloe, our 11-year-old for Christmas.
It doesn't have the i3 processor but it does have 6gb. RAM and a 600gb. hard drive, Windows 7 Home edition and a 17" screen.
I've installed Microsoft Office Professional 2010, available for about £8.50 (really!) via Microsoft's 'Home user programme' if you know someone with an appropriate email address.
There are no heavy duty photo editing programmes installed because she doesn't need them but I'm sure that it would cope admirably with Lightroom (and probably CS as well)l if I was to instal them.
The laptop cost £300.00 in Argos.
Bren.
At last a subject where I know what I am talking about! I was a systems analyst in the Printing / Publishing industry.
Up until very recently I have been using a PC Tower with Pentium dual 2.8Gh with 3 Gb Ram and a 160Gb Drive, running XP issue 3. It was cutting edge when I bought it 6 1/2 years ago. I changed it because I wanted to run Lightroom 4, which doesn't run reliably under XP. It still has had no problem running P/shop plus several other apps simultaneously. I don't own a D800 though 
Also I don't play games.
The question is, how long do you intend to own this new laptop. The higher the spec, the longer it will do the job. I have just bought a Mac 3.1Gh, 16 Gb Ram,
1 Tb Fusion drive. Far more than I need now, but I am thinking ahead another 6-7 years.
Your spec will be fine today especially with 8Gb Ram, but what about tomorrow?. The one thing you have not mentioned is screen size. I'd hate to go back to 15" screen for photographic work. Have you considered a desk top where you have a greater choice of screen sizes and where they always look better value for money?
Go for 8gb not 4, it'll mean upping your budget though. This is a blinding laptop, has i3 with 8gb RAM, USB 3.0, half a terabyte internal hd, Win 8 64 etc etc
Thanks for the responses.
I have used a laptop for photo editing for some time without problem. Our ageing desktop departed this mortal coil recently and my wife fancies the freedom of a laptop. We will still have the large screen when necessary for heavy work.
Obviously the bigger the screen the better but Robbie doesn't want anything too big or heavy.
Jester thanks for the info about MS Home User I'll certainly check that out, we are still running 2007
Thanks for the links, I'll check those out.
what about the hp pavilion g6-2230sa
refurbished from pc world great spec and all for £329.99
8gb ram, usb 3, 750 gb hardrive,windows 8 etc
Quote: PC world clearence offers are great value, I saved alot on mine 2 years ago, full garrentee
I would second that. I bought an Acer with i5 processor, 500Gb HD, 8Gb Ram, Windows 7, from them last year for £350. Shop soiled & missing a button from the keyboard but the switch still works.
Runs Elements 8, Audition, & Proshow Gold without any problems.
Handles our AV shows without flicker or judder & some of them are very big file sizes.
Quote: what about the hp pavilion g6-2230sa
How does that AMD chip compare to the Intel i5?
This one is a contender at the moment.
I see you've increased your budget somewhat. In that case consider this For handling large high resolution files from DSLRs the more memory the better
Thanks Chris. We've decided on the Samsung as the processor has a bit more punch, easier to upgrade RAM after. Mine is an i5 with 6gb and I've never felt the need for extra.
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