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freakin_rican
02-16-2012, 12:43 AM
i will be buying a new laptop please help out and tell me whats the best for what i want to do with it mobile gigs weddings parties etc..... i will be using a numark ns7 with vdj!!!! i have no preference so any info or input would be appreciated thanks in advance i dont want to spend no more than $800 hopefully that will be enough!!!!!!!

Unknown DJ
02-16-2012, 03:05 AM
This will do what you need it to do:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834230130

What screen size do you want?

DJ Scotch
02-16-2012, 06:58 AM
I am being very honest to you Macbook Pro is the way to go. Yes it's expensive but it will last you long and will not freeze. Dell, HP, Toshiba, Sony all sucks and they all freeze not matter what softwar/hardware interface you use.

I used all of them and now I am using Macbook Pro. I am never going back.

KLH
02-16-2012, 08:08 AM
^ I've used Windows forever because I know how to keep it clean for DJing.

The secret is to decide if you need to do "everyday" usage with the laptop. If so, get Mac OR dedicate a partition on the Windows laptop to exclusive DJ use. If you don't know what that means, then get a Mac.

-KLH

YoungSoundz
02-16-2012, 08:43 AM
Save for the MBP, thats what i ended up doing and I think its worked really well for me, I also use it for my work at college.

freakin_rican
02-16-2012, 12:10 PM
this will be a dj only laptop no web surfing no pictures video or games or quickbooks crap like that strictly vdj and serato itch i prefer 17inch screen but 15 will do...

DJ Scotch
02-16-2012, 01:46 PM
this will be a dj only laptop no web surfing no pictures video or games or quickbooks crap like that strictly vdj and serato itch i prefer 17inch screen but 15 will do...

In that case go with Either Dell or Toshiba. Pretty standard.

Djmike209
02-16-2012, 01:53 PM
This is question that is open to user preference.
Mac guys will say mac. PC guys will say PC
Chevy Guys are going to say Chevy....well you get the point.

Do your Homework Figure out what you need.
You are paying for the brand name. Most of the parts inside are the same
Seagate, or WD Hard Dirve
Crucial Memory
Intel Processor i5 or i7 or AMD

Best buy always has great deals. I picked up a Lenovo W series laptop. i7, 500GB HD, 4 Gb memory. Nice screen. long batt life.

Dont skimp on the warranty. Get the accidental coverage if you can. My gig laptops get beat up!

Good Luck....hmm feel like I gave said this before

Mike D
02-16-2012, 01:54 PM
Something to consider... get a Mac Mini, keyboard, mouse, screen.... 500GB of reliable service, throw in a case and you'll be right around $800, maybe a little over. This is what I'm doing this year, mostly because we're all Apple. In my experience, PC's suck. Yes, I use them for things other then just DJ'ing which is no doubt part of the problem, but the bigger issue I have is that typically PC's crash in 2-4 yrs, and you have a major system upgrade in that period usually as well, which is typically costly and a PITA. Mac's on the other hand cost $29 and will upgrade themselves. To me, it's a no brainer.

Anyway, it's an idea, hope it helps, gives you something to think of.

freakin_rican
02-16-2012, 03:08 PM
Something to consider... get a Mac Mini, keyboard, mouse, screen.... 500GB of reliable service, throw in a case and you'll be right around $800, maybe a little over. This is what I'm doing this year, mostly because we're all Apple. In my experience, PC's suck. Yes, I use them for things other then just DJ'ing which is no doubt part of the problem, but the bigger issue I have is that typically PC's crash in 2-4 yrs, and you have a major system upgrade in that period usually as well, which is typically costly and a PITA. Mac's on the other hand cost $29 and will upgrade themselves. To me, it's a no brainer.

Anyway, it's an idea, hope it helps, gives you something to think of.

right on brother thanks for the info this is going to be a tough one to figure out i never used a mac and i hear some people say if you never used one dont bother but it cant be that hard is if i do decide to go with a mac what should i get will a regular macbook do the job will those white or black ones be ok im not trying to spend 2000 on a laptop where is the best place to buy from

Unknown DJ
02-16-2012, 03:12 PM
Something to consider... get a Mac Mini, keyboard, mouse, screen.... 500GB of reliable service, throw in a case and you'll be right around $800, maybe a little over. This is what I'm doing this year, mostly because we're all Apple. In my experience, PC's suck. Yes, I use them for things other then just DJ'ing which is no doubt part of the problem, but the bigger issue I have is that typically PC's crash in 2-4 yrs, and you have a major system upgrade in that period usually as well, which is typically costly and a PITA. Mac's on the other hand cost $29 and will upgrade themselves. To me, it's a no brainer.

Anyway, it's an idea, hope it helps, gives you something to think of.

How the hell does a mac upgrade itself??? and what will you do when someone accidentally pulls the plug?

I use my Windows PC for everything including DJing twice a week at a pub and beat the crap out of it.

People just really need to know how to use there equipment.

shawno
02-16-2012, 05:07 PM
this will be a dj only laptop no web surfing no pictures video or games or quickbooks crap s.

That is a critical step in keeping the system stable and virus free. Not going on the internet will keep you from having to run anti-virus software (which sucks up system resources and cause system slow downs). Also remove all the bloatware and crap that comes pre-loaded.

Most important, keep backups of all music. A common quote we use in the I.T. field is "It's not if a hard drive will fail, it's when it will fail"

Unknown DJ
02-16-2012, 05:15 PM
Not going on the internet will keep you from having to run anti-virus software (which sucks up system resources and cause system slow downs).
"

Then how do you download new music.

Dix
02-16-2012, 05:31 PM
I use two Toshiba's. Never had a problem. I also like HP's.

The biggest thing you want to look for is minimum of 4 gigs of ram. I suggest 6 or 8 gigs or ram. Get at least 4 usb ports. Again the more the better on those cause a lot of things plug into your computer there.

danthedj
02-16-2012, 05:48 PM
LOL. "windows computers just freeze up".

Mac isnt better than windows (as i post this from my mac). Mac is more simplistic to use. It is better for people that just cant figure out how to set up outlook, install things, etc. Mac has been drifting toward the iOS platform for a few years already. The point is to keep it simple for those that dont know any better. You have an app store that most people will never go outside of for apps. So its a walled-garden that keeps things happy.

Get a windows computer. Run good (even average) internet security. Dont go on porn website or anything that represents illegal activity. USE COMMON SENSE. You'll never get a virus, and generally wont slow down much. Sure, every 2-3 years windows computers can be cleaned up with a clean install, but they're still plenty of power for the money.

If you cant handle keeping internet security up to date and also aren't able to keep yourself from using illicit websites and unknown programs then get a mac. OR if you have a very large budget (it doesnt seem you do). Otherwise, in your budget, get a windows pc and you will be FINE for djing.

As for specific windows computers, Im a fan of Lenovo, Asus, even Toshiba. Some have no problems with Dell or HP but I think you get your moneys worth out of Lenovo or Asus. Check the Lenovo Outlet for GREAT deals on the Thinkpads which are business grade, instead of consumer grade. They'll physically last the longest.

Hope this helps! :tup:

shawno
02-16-2012, 06:00 PM
Then how do you download new music.

A second computer or a second bootable hard drive with anti-virus installed.

Dix
02-16-2012, 06:20 PM
Then how do you download new music.

I down load my music on my desktop which has anti-virus software then transfer them to my laptop via a 16 gig thumb drive.

mostapha
02-16-2012, 06:29 PM
Mac isnt better than windows (as i post this from my mac). Mac is more simplistic to use. It is better for people that just cant figure out how to set up outlook, install things, etc. Mac has been drifting toward the iOS platform for a few years already. The point is to keep it simple for those that dont know any better. You have an app store that most people will never go outside of for apps. So its a walled-garden that keeps things happy.

The OS X drifting towards IOS is complete and utter bollocks. I get afraid of that as well from reading Apple's marketing literature just about every time a new OS X version comes out, but it's still insanely easy to disable their BS "features" like Dashboard and Launchpad. I still wish I could completely disable the dock, since I don't use it. But it's just a tiny bit of video ram that it wastes, and it's really unobtrusive set as small as it can be and auto-hidden. And quicksilver still exists, so all of the UI stuff I hate is replaced by a simple, low-resource app.

As to being simple and marketed towards people who don't know what they're doing, OS X still comes with a real shell and Developer Tools includes compilers and interpreters for basically everything. It has a better, more configurable firewall. It has a better file system. And when something breaks, there's always a way to fix it other than reinstalling from scratch. I've upgraded since then, but I haven't reinstalled my system since I bought my SSD (the day I bought this MBP). My old Macbook got reinstalled once, when I gave it to my girlfriend, in the 3 years I owned it. And that was only because I'd cannibalized it's hard drive and the SSD that replaced as soon as I knew the new MBP would run everything well.

Now, the phrase "windows power user" kind of makes me laugh, because you just plain don't have the control over your system that OS X (or anything with a real shell) gives you. But, I'll concede that if you're a power user on a platform, you should probably use that platform. I'm a linux power user, and OS X gives me basically all of the benefits of a linux system, plus the ability to run real software and not having to worry about weird-ass driver issues, at the cost of not being able to choose my window manager and money. Totally worth it.

I also think Macs are just plain better than windows PCs in every way, but if I weren't using this computer for music, I'd switch back to linux in a heartbeat.

Basically…if I could own 3 computers, one would be a Mac Pro running Pro Tools HDX, a second would be a MBA for DJing, and the 3rd would be my daily use computer…and it'd be a PC running linux.

I also admit that I'm not normal. I hate mice and avoid them as much as possible. I use vimperator in firefox so that I don't have to touch the mouse to browse the web. I remember names of applications and can launch them faster with quicksilver than a dock or any menu system. I don't know what Logic's icons look like because I never click them. And whenever I need to move files around or anything like that, I use a shell and sometimes bash or perl scripting. My experience of computers is not normal for 2012. I do real things and like the way I work.

The first time I installed linux, it was like the sun coming out on a rainy day: I started just doing things instead of constantly fighting with a UI that I had always hated.

OS X lets me do that while running real software.

Where there's a shell, there's a way. And Windows hasn't had a real shell for ages.

So, I think it boils down like this:

If you have a strong preference based on anything other than budget or ignorance, follow your preference.
If you'd call yourself a windows power user, use windows.
If you want to use a real computer that can also run real pro-level software, buy a Mac.

Jonno Soccio
02-16-2012, 06:55 PM
I am being very honest to you Macbook Pro is the way to go. Yes it's expensive but it will last you long and will not freeze. Dell, HP, Toshiba, Sony all sucks and they all freeze not matter what softwar/hardware interface you use.

I used all of them and now I am using Macbook Pro. I am never going back.


Don't listen to this, it is extremely bad advice especially seen as the OP said he was on a budget.......
You may have had bad experiences with PC's Scotch but you are generalising.

Yes Macbook Pro's are fantastic and arguably better for DJing and production than a "crappy" PC. I would buy one in a heartbeat if I had the cash. But...

I gig regularly with Traktor Pro on a battered 3 year old £400 Dell with 3GB. I use the same machine for all internet browsing and personal use and have done no optimisation whatsoever. It has been riddled with viruses, it has been dropped many times and it has been chewed by a dog. It has never crashed and never EVER freezes. Traktor runs like a dream on it. I honestly don't see how it could run any better. Maybe I have been lucky...

I can't give recommendations for the best lap-top but your budget is more than enough for a decent PC with plenty of RAM to run ANY DJing software.

The bad advice above could end up leading people to overstretch themself on a £1500 laptop they want but don't need. If you've got the cash get a MBP. If you haven't DON'T WORRY!

DJ EZBeats
02-16-2012, 07:12 PM
I really think its all just a matter of personal opinion, like someone said earlier, the interior parts of the laptops are exactly the same. The difference is solely in the OS. Some like macs some like PCs, some like ketchup, some like mustard. There are advantages of both and disadvantages of both. I personally think macs are over rated. You can get MUCH more out of a PC in the price range of a basic mac. Like others have said, all you need is standard anti-virus and your good to go. If your stupid on any OS, whether it be mac or PC, it's going to fail. Treat your laptop correctly, and it will do the same!
As for recommendations, I have always liked HPs and haven't ever had problems. Try these:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834158212
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834158156
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834157837

freakin_rican
02-16-2012, 10:45 PM
Try these:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834158212
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834158156
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834157837[/QUOTE]

thanks i will look into to these...i have a hp now and it is not acting up crashing and all that i added 4 gb of ram it has 2.3 intel I3 and runs serato with no problem and vdj but me and my wife share this laptop so i need to get my own...

Ntertainment
02-16-2012, 10:45 PM
The only advice i have is think of how big of a screen size you need, I bought 3 13" macbooks and i sometimes wish i had at least one 17" because it can be hard to see everything on the screen in ITCH. I make it work and for saving $1300 i would gladly do it again.

mostapha
02-16-2012, 11:07 PM
I'm actually weird. If I used more stuff on screen, I could see wanting a bigger screen, but 13" is the largest I can see carrying. I'd prefer an 11". If they made an 11"MBP, I'd buy it tomorrow and sell this one…and just use my nice, big screen at home.

fueledbymusic
02-16-2012, 11:20 PM
I been using a PC since the beggining of time. I rarely have problems with them. Im good at using the computer. That helps. One thing to point out. Apples do cost 3 times the money. For instance when I was shopping for a laptop last year. I seen the Sony, Dell, and toshiba, all about $600 each with 500+gb harddrives and more than 2 gigahertz. And then I seen the apple that is equivilently to those for about $2100. I say, no thanks. Ill get the $600 one.

Jonno Soccio
02-17-2012, 06:28 PM
I am being very honest to you Macbook Pro is the way to go. Yes it's expensive but it will last you long and will not freeze. Dell, HP, Toshiba, Sony all sucks and they all freeze not matter what softwar/hardware interface you use.

I used all of them and now I am using Macbook Pro. I am never going back.

Apologies man, just realised you gave me some good advice on my speakers...

peterwo2e
02-17-2012, 06:54 PM
I am being very honest to you Macbook Pro is the way to go. Yes it's expensive but it will last you long and will not freeze. Dell, HP, Toshiba, Sony all sucks and they all freeze not matter what softwar/hardware interface you use.

I used all of them and now I am using Macbook Pro. I am never going back.
don't fool this kid, you want to be honest you have to research. mac's do and have freeze mac's do and have crashes. so lets be realistic here. rican your budget is good i work with the lenovo edge with serato. and also use vdj for videos, the cost about 450 bucks give or take it will handle vdj with no problem. if you could get a mac then do so is more music friendly maybe easier to work with if you know nothing about computers. good luck.

DjDisArm
02-17-2012, 07:00 PM
make the investment, and buy the macbook pro.. 15 inch mbp here.. all day

Unknown DJ
02-17-2012, 07:17 PM
Look at what NASA uses:

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/images/content/72573main_DCP01998m.jpg
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/news/releases/2001/01images/laptoppix01/laptoppix.html
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a263/jaydeesan/tb-nasa/2-nasa-tb.jpg
http://forum.notebookreview.com/panasonic/28081-look-what-they-use-nasa.html

http://nasawatch.com/archives/2011/10/lenovo-thinkpad.htm
l
"Lenovo ThinkPad laptops have played a critical role aboard dozens of NASA space shuttle missions since 1995 and are currently used by astronauts in critical operations onboard the International Space Station."

Keith's note: This is not exactly accurate. Lenovo completed its purchase of IBM's laptop division - the original manufacturer of ThinkPads - in 2005. Only in the past year or so have these original IBM-manufactured Thinkpads on the ISS begun to be replaced with laptops manufactured by Lenovo. One recent example is this photo showing "a new [Lenovo] T61p laptop to replace the previous A31p as OCA Router in the Joint Station LAN/Local Area Network (JSL LAN).". Also, a ThinkPad flew on a shuttle mission in 1993 several years earlier than Lenovo claims.

If it's good enough for NASA well you get the point.

bumpyjonas
02-17-2012, 07:37 PM
I use a MBP as my primary but have a Dell Inspiron has my backup. However I have used the Dell for years no issues prior to purchasing my Mac.

DJ Scotch
02-17-2012, 09:25 PM
Apologies man, just realised you gave me some good advice on my speakers...

No worries bro, I respect your input and point against my post. Its all good. We are here to help, learn and teach. Cheers!!!

KLH
02-17-2012, 10:34 PM
Forget MacOS. Screw Windows. Run Linux and be a hardcore beat riding maw fokka. Those other OSes are for pansies. Be a real DJ and get the DJ distro.

When you figure it out, let us know so we can do it too.

-KLH

freakin_rican
02-18-2012, 12:13 AM
i have a lead on a macbook pro im trying to get for $500 on craiglist with os lion...hope its good enough

Mike D
02-19-2012, 07:56 PM
right on brother thanks for the info this is going to be a tough one to figure out i never used a mac and i hear some people say if you never used one dont bother but it cant be that hard is if i do decide to go with a mac what should i get will a regular macbook do the job will those white or black ones be ok im not trying to spend 2000 on a laptop where is the best place to buy from

They don't sell regular MB's anymore, just Air's and MBP's. Air's only have at max 256G hard drive, something to keep in mind when building and only have 13" screens tops. That's really why I was looking at a Mini and a separate screen. Gives me the storage of a MBP but price of a refurb MB unit.

Mike D
02-19-2012, 08:06 PM
How the hell does a mac upgrade itself??? and what will you do when someone accidentally pulls the plug?

I use my Windows PC for everything including DJing twice a week at a pub and beat the crap out of it.

People just really need to know how to use there equipment.

You buy the upgrade thru the App store, it installs itself. Pretty simple. And that's the biggest reason to buy Mac's. They work, they're easy to get to work and they generally due what you want without having to know how to program a computer. I use PC's at my day job, in the time I've had my Mac at my DJ job we've replaced every unit in our office at least once. That's really all I need to know.

also..... "know your shit and know you're shit".... it's kind of like knowing when to use their, there or they're. Just a tip.