[stoney]

Wifey's business is taking off pretty well, with a lot of it being out-of-state. We now need a laptop that she can use for her design work, but still be light enough to travel with a baby.

System Requirements:
15"+ monitor
i7 processor
NOT a Mac
Able to run Adobe Creative suite (see below) without getting over clocked.

Intel® Pentium® 4 or AMD Athlon® 64 processor
Microsoft® Windows® XP with Service Pack 3 or Windows 7 with Service Pack 1. Adobe® Creative Suite® 5.5 and CS6 applications also support Windows 8. Refer to the CS6 FAQ for more information about Windows 8 support.*
1GB of RAM (3GB recommended) for 32 bit; 2GB of RAM (8GB recommended) for 64 bit
8.5GB of available hard-disk space for installation; additional free space required during installation (cannot install on removable flash storage devices)
1024x768 display (1280x800 recommended) with 16-bit color and 256MB of VRAM
OpenGL 2.0–capable system
DVD-ROM drive compatible with dual-layer DVDs
Adobe® Flash® Player 10 software required to export SWF files
This software will not operate without activation. Broadband Internet connection and registration are required for software activation, validation of subscriptions, and access to online services.† Phone activation is not available.

Not using Windows 8 (if possible) - There are currently some integration issues between CS and Win8.


She won't be playing games, although likely watching movies/Netflix/Hulu.

Not shockingly, I know nothing about these new fangled "PC's", so I need help here. Cost is no so much of an issue, as we can deduct it as a business expense, but I'd want to keep it under $1500 if possible.

Thanks.

 

[HAB]

Lenovo T530. I've had a couple of their T series laptops now and have been very happy with them. 15.6" display, Windows 7 Pro available, about $1200 with an i7 and 8gb of ram.

 

[stoney]

Thanks. How would this U series fit into the spectrum? Newer class?
http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msstore/pd//Lenovo-IdeaPad-U510-Notebook/productID.256043900

 

[HAB]

Solid, but the specs aren't as good as the T series I mentioned. If you think it's good enough then sure, save some money, but at a glance the processor and graphics card aren't as good, and if memory serves the T series is going to have a better battery too. I have to run right now but I'll take a better look when I get home.

 

[blackohio]

I assume since she wants a pc it's web design and having to test everything for bull**** IE functionality?

 

[stoney]

I assume since she wants a pc it's web design and having to test everything for bull**** IE functionality?

Actually mostly Illustrator. Dreamweaver so that she can update her website, but it was built by somebody else. She has a 100% PC background, so she doesn't want to re-learn the product.

 

[blackohio]

gotcha.

 

[HAB]

So one of the nice things with the T series is that they'll build you something with the specs you want. The U series not so much. Which is fine if you like the off the shelf options, but from what I can see, it looks like they're Windows 8 only, and as noted, they're not as powerful as the ~1200 T I put together. Probably a really good computer though. If the 7 vs 8 thing is a big sticking point, the T is the way to go.