I dunno if this is the right place, but I'm a professional musician---starving as is typical.
And I need a new Win7 laptop for musical use in live performance... as a replacement for a workstation. (What we'd call a 'Rompler'.)
I currently use an old Korg. It's getting to the end and I was about to look at a newer version, but then I realised that this is 2011, plus I already have all the extra licenses/software I need from my studio to do this if I simply connect a MIDI controller and an external USB/Firewire audio interface.
I have no need for anything beyond stereo recording or output. Just need it to be reliable. The other 6 days a week it will be used to browse the web and do e-mail and that's about it. Maybe -any- of the current ones will do what I need (my current laptop is 7 years old and runs a P4 so I'm totally out of touch with what's au courante.)
In desktops, the main thing that really matters for (most) music apps is a 7200rpm drive. Graphics is irrelevant and in fact, most guys I know steer clear of anything with a fan.
I had to be in Office Depot today and found this:
http
/www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2369674,00.asp?tab=Specs
For prox. $500 out the door (well... $550... and then a $50 mail rebate). And I keep lookin' for a timebomb, but so far I don't see one.
7200rpm drive? Check
Core i5 processor? Check.
Super lightweight? Check.
5hr battery life? Check.
4GB DDR3 RAM (upgradable to 8) Check.
No firewire or USB3, but I really only need USB for MIDI in and audio, right?
For use strictly to web surf... and as a glorified Rompler, what can go wrong?
I ask because I haven't actually -opened- it yet. Just waiting to see if there's anything obvious I've missed that's a dealbreaker.
Thoughts? THANKS IN ADVANCE!
---JC
And I need a new Win7 laptop for musical use in live performance... as a replacement for a workstation. (What we'd call a 'Rompler'.)
I currently use an old Korg. It's getting to the end and I was about to look at a newer version, but then I realised that this is 2011, plus I already have all the extra licenses/software I need from my studio to do this if I simply connect a MIDI controller and an external USB/Firewire audio interface.
I have no need for anything beyond stereo recording or output. Just need it to be reliable. The other 6 days a week it will be used to browse the web and do e-mail and that's about it. Maybe -any- of the current ones will do what I need (my current laptop is 7 years old and runs a P4 so I'm totally out of touch with what's au courante.)
In desktops, the main thing that really matters for (most) music apps is a 7200rpm drive. Graphics is irrelevant and in fact, most guys I know steer clear of anything with a fan.
I had to be in Office Depot today and found this:
http
/www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2369674,00.asp?tab=SpecsFor prox. $500 out the door (well... $550... and then a $50 mail rebate). And I keep lookin' for a timebomb, but so far I don't see one.
7200rpm drive? Check
Core i5 processor? Check.
Super lightweight? Check.
5hr battery life? Check.
4GB DDR3 RAM (upgradable to 8) Check.
No firewire or USB3, but I really only need USB for MIDI in and audio, right?
For use strictly to web surf... and as a glorified Rompler, what can go wrong?
I ask because I haven't actually -opened- it yet. Just waiting to see if there's anything obvious I've missed that's a dealbreaker.
Thoughts? THANKS IN ADVANCE!
---JC
Facebook
Twitter