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jk703

jk703

CEO of Anything and Everything, Everywhere
Pollywog
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Sep 17, 2012
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Hi all...

I am looking for a Windows based laptop, that will mostly be used for internets and Photoshop CC. What do you use? What brands should I look at? Any pointers will help!

I currently have a 17" MacBook Pro laptop, and sadly it is on it's way out. I don't want to change to a smaller screen, nor do I want a desktop. We have an iMac, and the boys use it for school.

I'm a bit bummed, but slowly coming to terms with this change. I feel a Windows based laptop will provide me the size I want, and the space/speed/reliability I need to run Photoshop and futz around on the web.

I have been looking at the HP Pavilion 17t, and another friend recommended me the Asus ROG G752. I was also led to believe the quad processor is better than a dual processor, and that I want at least 16 GB Ram.

I want this laptop to last as long as possible. If there is something that I should upgrade to the max now, please share that too!

Thanks!
:bk
 
jenn mccabe said:
good luck jenn, you know i'm a mac girl so i am no help ... but hope you find a great one.
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I have the sads. I want to stay with Mac... but, but, but... Plus, I haven't heard good reviews about the new MacBook Pro, either. :( Do you have a newer one or an older MBP?
 
i have an old MBP (like 5 or 6 years old now) - the kids use it to type their homework or take quick quizzes for school online. not much else. i use my iMac desktop and that's not what you want - to surf and hang out on the internet w/family in another room or on the go- i use my iPad now.

years ago i had that big 17" titanium one - i loved that size. and don't understand why apple dropped it!
 
I've always been an HP girl. I started out with a 17" years ago, and slowly have gotten smaller ones. I wanted lighter and more portable over a larger screen, and so far I haven't missed it in terms of scrapping. I'm a literal "laptop" scrapper - in a chair, on my lap - so the weight has been a huge deal for me. I splurged with my last laptop and got an HP Spectre - super light and it has a solid state hard drive, so no spinning motors, etc. My hope is that makes it more reliable, but we'll see.
 
Thank you, Julie! I'm mostly a lap scrapper too. My MBP is heavy probably, I don't know. I've only ever had this laptop... and 17" is usually on the heavier side I imagine. :giggle I usually have a pillow on my lap and the laptop tray since I use a mouse.
 
Yes on Ram. I find that with my HP, ps and lr run better at the same time with 16 over 12.
I have a touchscreen, and really don't use it at all. It makes the laptop heavier, and not worth it for me.
I do prefer the Intel laptop over the AMD laptop (we have both) . Part of that might be Windows 10. And they didn't update their drives as fast or well as Intel, so that was obnoxious.
My laptop was marketed as a gaming laptop.
 
bestcee said:
Yes on Ram. I find that with my HP, ps and lr run better at the same time with 16 over 12.
I have a touchscreen, and really don't use it at all. It makes the laptop heavier, and not worth it for me.
I do prefer the Intel laptop over the AMD laptop (we have both) . Part of that might be Windows 10. And they didn't update their drives as fast or well as Intel, so that was obnoxious.
My laptop was marketed as a gaming laptop.
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Very helpful, thanks Courtney! I'm really just a user, not crazy knowledgeable about computers, more the software, lol! Do you like your HP?

And... I will google AMD. I'm guessing that is the maker of the processor. I think.
 
I love my ASUS Jenn but I'm totally tech challenged and clueless when it comes to model/year/operating system .... thats why I keep my hubby around ;)
 
lol, thanks Amanda... that is good to know... since I really don't know the brand!
 
jk703 said:
And... I will google AMD. I'm guessing that is the maker of the processor.
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Yes. Sorry! Intel and AMD are big processor names.
I don't mind my HP. It has quirks that drive me nuts sometimes. But it's easy to upgrade Ram and HD, so I like that. My mom's Samsung laptop has outlasted every laptop I know!

I always recommend not choosing Dell. Last I dealt with them, you had to buy replacement parts through them, and it was more expensive than other companies. Hp you can buy parts on Newegg. Com or Amazon.
 
I have a 17" HP Envy 1TB HD, 16GB RAM Touch screen laptop running Intel i7 6500U 2.5Gz (and Windows 10). I love it. LOVE! (I've mentioned this in other posts, so stop reading if you know this lol: Bought this in like Aug of 2016. It replaced a laptop I got in early 2016 that just didn't like me but DH doesn't seem to have problems with it. Go figure!)
I sit on a pillow with my laptop on the coffee table to scrap, so the weight isn't an issue for me. I love the big screen size. Like Courtney, I don't use the touch screen very much. Why would I, when my mouse and the touch pad are closer? *shrugs* (Now, if this thing "flipped" or "folded" on the screen hinge so that I could use it like a tablet, then maybe I'd use it more. But that feature was like an extra $200 and I don't move my laptop that much.) This was the fastest laptop Best Buy had in stock before ramping up to the Real Gamer laptops, which, frankly, I didn't like the looks of the ones they had. And the guy said the difference probably wouldn't be too noticeable for me since I don't play any games. I do know I can run iTunes and PS CS3 at the same time while having an Internet page going (with multiple tabs, usually, lol). And this thing unzips or backs up to/pulls from EHDs so quickly! Like, so quickly that sometimes there isn't even a little "time elapsed" status bar, and I worry that I didn't actually move something, so I have double-check lol.
Oh, and another few things that it has that I really wanted: 4 3rd gen USB ports, an SD card port, and a DVD drive. Oh, and it has the number keyboard too. I like that for inputting eBay stats. :)
 
Thank you both so much! It' so helpful!

I don't know anything about Samsung and computers... I didn't know they made them!

I think that is the one that I'm looking at Sarah! I found a good deal on one, too!


@bestcee @Tree City
 
Jenn, @jk703, you know I love my 15" MBP. I'm the opposite of you - I started with a 13" MBP, upgrading to 15 a little over a year ago. While I'll 15" is huge, downsizing would be hard. I hope you find what you want soon.
 
I did a lot of research on laptops (was going to get one for my bday/christmas- then my son ended up spending a night in the hospital & the $$ set aside for my laptop went to pay his hospital bill- being an adult sucks sometimes!!)

Anywho- I will 2nd the poster who said something about gaming laptops- basically it's the extra RAM that you need with all our graphics we use in scrapbooking. BUT- you can basically build a similar laptop with out the 'gaming' tag & save $$. Also I wanted a Solid-state-drive for faster booting & such.

It really came down to as much Storage & RAM you can get with a upgraded graphics card for your budget.

Good luck! :)
 
I am no help, but this thread is really helpful to me. I'm shopping around right now for something, but haven't decided what. Right now I have a 15" Acer Aspire laptop, but I have it connected to another 23" display. I know I want something with 16GB RAM and a bigger display. I'd like at least a partial solid state drive and a great graphics card. I am now debating whether or not to get a laptop, desktop, or all-in-one.
 
Not all up to date on tech but for what it's worth, HP are better laptops (my 2 year old one) compared to the 3 or 4 toshiba laptops I had previously.
 
I don't have a laptop, but I have an ASUS like Amanda and I love, love, it! @amandac

It's a gaming system that my son and hubby both want to steal to play their games. LOL

It's been fabulous and I recommend the brand.
 
I am Dell girl, but HP is good, as well as Asus and MSI. Stay away from Acer, Gateway, and other cheaper ones. While their internals might last, things like keyboards, etc. will break quicker on the cheaper models. Like others have said, go for a "gamer" one if you can afford it. Always buy the fastest processor and as much RAM as your budget allows - rarely will you be sorry.

While the 17" are heavier, bigger, cost more, etc. they also give you more viewing area when scrapping. Something to consider if you are going to work with it on your lap and without a desktop (or second) monitor. Think about how and where you intend to use it.

I considered a touch screen but I actually touch the screen quite often without being aware of it. I found that out when playing with one in the store. It responded when I didn't intend for it to respond because I am toucher/pointer. Just as well, I like using a mouse and keyboard.
 
Thank you all so much! Good info, and so many little things I never thought of - touch screen, brands and SSD. I'm going to try to narrow it down. Since I'm spending less than a Mac, it kind of opens up the RAM and storage to higher levels.

Thank you all so much!
 
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