Laptop Recommendations
I have a desktop pc which I use for photo editing. I’ve been wanting a laptop in addition for some years for the purpose of being able to photo edit when away from desktop. My plan would be to have Photoshop/LR, On1 and Nik Software all installed so would need fast processor and spec that could handle all that and working with large RAW files. As for storage I would simply plan to put some photos on portable drive for editing on laptop so wouldn’t plan to store my mammoth photo library on laptop.
Ideally I’d love a MacBook Pro but since Mac is incompatible with PC for transferring and editing files to and fro I would need a Windows laptop. Colour accuracy is massively important to me (as well as speed and reliability, etc.) and I want something good enough for pro photographers. I’m hesitant too as I’ve owned 2 laptops some years ago and both kept getting faulty and failed after a year or so and I vowed never to get another laptop!
Is there anything that can almost match a MacBook Pro?
Ideally I’d love a MacBook Pro but since Mac is incompatible with PC for transferring and editing files to and fro I would need a Windows laptop. Colour accuracy is massively important to me (as well as speed and reliability, etc.) and I want something good enough for pro photographers. I’m hesitant too as I’ve owned 2 laptops some years ago and both kept getting faulty and failed after a year or so and I vowed never to get another laptop!
Is there anything that can almost match a MacBook Pro?
I have a Medion laptop which I am extremely happy with. You will have to Google it as I have never seen them anywhere for sale only on the internet. But if you put 'Laptop recommendations' in the search box at the top of this section there are a lot of threads on this topic.
I have a spyder so it is calibrated fairly regularly which I believe is the best way to manage colour on any monitor.
There's much more competition in the Windows laptop market, there's a battle between the big players to not only produce Macbook beating Windows laptops which many now do but to also beat each other on price.
Some are now half the price of the equivalent spec Apple. Have a look at these and the likes of these models
Some are now half the price of the equivalent spec Apple. Have a look at these and the likes of these models
Guy I know who runs a printing firm bought one of these , they aren't cheap, but they have a mouthwatering spec.
They are built by Dell to a very high standard and backed by the firm's renowned service.
The i7 processor is the 8th generation one and runs like lightning at 4.6ghz. You get 16GB of very fast RAM and a fast 512GB SSD. The colour gamut is wider than standard and is very accurate (hence my printer friend buying this)
The screen resolution is higher than any Macbook at 3840 x 2160. Photographs look incredible on it. Light as a feather, thin, lush. Great brand with great support... Dell Ultrabook
They are built by Dell to a very high standard and backed by the firm's renowned service.
The i7 processor is the 8th generation one and runs like lightning at 4.6ghz. You get 16GB of very fast RAM and a fast 512GB SSD. The colour gamut is wider than standard and is very accurate (hence my printer friend buying this)
The screen resolution is higher than any Macbook at 3840 x 2160. Photographs look incredible on it. Light as a feather, thin, lush. Great brand with great support... Dell Ultrabook
Thanks for these suggestions, Chris...I had considered the XPS 15...it’s definitely on the shortlist but reviews seem mixed with quite a few reporting tech problems and failure. There seems to be a higher number of these with windows laptops than with macs but I guess that’s the way it goes. I’ll do some more research on the Asus ones. I’m getting my desktop pc fixed and upgraded to Windows 10 next month so will discuss laptops with the computer shop and maybe see if they can sort out a second hand one.
I wouldn't trust the unverified reviews - where Amazon's records don't show the reviewer as having ever purchased the product they are reviewing, I don't know if it's fanboys trolling or people who work for rival firms but if they aren't a verified purchaser I discount their review.
There's too many bad actors and there are people who buy things but who don't understand how to use them . Look at the 1 star Apple reviews here
There's too many bad actors and there are people who buy things but who don't understand how to use them . Look at the 1 star Apple reviews here
Good point, Chris. I'm aware of the Amazon reviews and the validity of reviews in general. I also know 2 people with Macs- one a top photographer and one not, and both have unending techy issues with their machines also. I still wish I didn't gone with Mac from the beginning 20 years ago but I wasn't into photography back then. Mind you I do think Apple has gone downhill since we lost Steve Jobs.
Jobs was a perfectionist and a dictator. There was no voting system at product meetings 
Many successful bosses run their companies like that, Richard Branson, Alan Sugar etc. - no democracies.
I don't think Jobs was primarily motivated by money, I think that he wanted to create the best possible products. He refused to produce something which didn't work perfectly, was a compromise or a kludge. I think that Steve Jobs wanted to be able to hold his head high in Silicon Valley more than he desired a huge bank balance.
Today's Apple are like a luxury brand company, I'm thinking of those who charge hundreds for sunglasses or like the high end car manufacturers who rip off their customers by charging £100 for an oil cap.
Apple have turned procedures, that Jobs put in place to ensure uniformity, standardisation and compatibility into ways to screw their customers out of the maximum money for upgrades, repairs and accessories.
Apple alienated their professional gfx designer type user base by dumbing down software (such as the once much-loved Final Cut Pro) and scrapping pro level products (like Aperture).
Apple had once led the desktop publishing boom but did not bother to cater for those loyal users who wanted native software for the web publishing revolution. They gave productivity users Boot Camp as they switched to becoming a phone company with a network of high maintenance luxury stores.
The stores used to be good, kind of place where you went to play and not to buy, where your grandmother could take her faulty iPad for a quick fix so that she would not miss out on Facetime with the grandchildren. Now they'll do a rip off non-repair as seen on 60 Minutes etc.
Those places just burn cash, Apple has plenty of cash for now. But it's sitting there losing value instead of being spent on developing new products or diversifying into new markets and giving them the Apple treatment. What does an iPhone do that one didn't do 7 years ago?
It wouldn't surprise me if Tim Cook's Apple dies. Unthinkable? Yes but only in the same way the demise of Nokia and Blackberry was.
Google and Microsoft both make rival hardware, they've got search and software businesses to back up that hardware. Apple's got a watch and a telly thing.
Many successful bosses run their companies like that, Richard Branson, Alan Sugar etc. - no democracies.I don't think Jobs was primarily motivated by money, I think that he wanted to create the best possible products. He refused to produce something which didn't work perfectly, was a compromise or a kludge. I think that Steve Jobs wanted to be able to hold his head high in Silicon Valley more than he desired a huge bank balance.
Today's Apple are like a luxury brand company, I'm thinking of those who charge hundreds for sunglasses or like the high end car manufacturers who rip off their customers by charging £100 for an oil cap.
Apple have turned procedures, that Jobs put in place to ensure uniformity, standardisation and compatibility into ways to screw their customers out of the maximum money for upgrades, repairs and accessories.
Apple alienated their professional gfx designer type user base by dumbing down software (such as the once much-loved Final Cut Pro) and scrapping pro level products (like Aperture).
Apple had once led the desktop publishing boom but did not bother to cater for those loyal users who wanted native software for the web publishing revolution. They gave productivity users Boot Camp as they switched to becoming a phone company with a network of high maintenance luxury stores.
The stores used to be good, kind of place where you went to play and not to buy, where your grandmother could take her faulty iPad for a quick fix so that she would not miss out on Facetime with the grandchildren. Now they'll do a rip off non-repair as seen on 60 Minutes etc.
Those places just burn cash, Apple has plenty of cash for now. But it's sitting there losing value instead of being spent on developing new products or diversifying into new markets and giving them the Apple treatment. What does an iPhone do that one didn't do 7 years ago?
It wouldn't surprise me if Tim Cook's Apple dies. Unthinkable? Yes but only in the same way the demise of Nokia and Blackberry was.
Google and Microsoft both make rival hardware, they've got search and software businesses to back up that hardware. Apple's got a watch and a telly thing.
Quote:
Ideally I’d love a MacBook Pro but since Mac is incompatible with PC for transferring and editing files to and fro I would need a Windows laptop.
This is not true.
Files are interchangeable.
The only proviso is that when using a separate hard drive or memory stick before use it needs formatting to FAT 32. You can do this on Mac PC's.
Either Mac or PC read FAT 32 formatted drives and sticks.
