Help Please: Laptop Recommendation

[VJ Devo]

Hello!

I am a new (probably the newest) member here, but I've known and been visiting this site for years now, and I must say, there is not another forum that would be at least half as helpful as this one.

To the point:

I've been VJ'ing with my cousin, Phantom, for 2 years now, but we always
used his laptop during shows, and now, there is this party coming within 1.5 month(s) and I am left with no pc laptop to use, because my cousin is away,
and will be in the next 3 months.

So I've realized, that no matter what, I either pack up my huge desktop PC, or finally register, and ask your help.
What PC (NOT Mac) laptop would you recommend me?
The capacity is the last thing I worry about, because I use
an external HDD of 800GB anyways.

I use Resolume 2.3, and prefer the laptop not to have an ATi video card,
because I'd most probably install Linux on it too, and ATi, as most of us already know,
is a bitch when you have Linux on your pc.
BUT if it's cheap, I don't care about the v. card.

Thank you!

With due respect:

Devo

[asterix]

Get a dell xps or mobile workstation
Most dells you can still get windows xp so you don't have to run shitty vista if you don't want too.

Specs >
> ram: minimum 2gb ram >
> hardrive: faster harddrive the better (7200 rpm or higher with high cache) - solid state won't be much use so don't bother
> cpu - get a higher speed dual core rather than a quad core
> size: thats a personal choice. My m90 weighs a tonne but the xps are reasonably light
> warranty: GET AND EXTENDED WARRANTY WITH ANY COMPUTER!!
> graphics: aside from free frame gl (if you're using it yet), you won't need a super high spec graphics card. Make sure it has s-video output!

[sleepytom]

Dell XPS M1530 - they come with vista but you can install XP on them if you don't want vista

[VJ Devo]

Thanks for the info, but I think the DELL XPS is quite expensive.
I found a laptop for only 250 bucks (50,000 HUF), with these specs:

Screen: 15.4" WXGA High Definition BrightView Widescreen 1280 x 800
Graphics card: NVIDIA GeForce Go 7200 256 MB
DVD/CD ROM: Super Multi DVD Writer (R RW) Double layer supported
WiFi: 802.11a/b/g
Network card: 10/100 LAN 3
USB: 2.0, 1
Video output: S-Video TV
CPU: AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-52 CPU (1.6GHz Duo Core)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Would you say I'd be fine with this laptop (the one I just described)?
Because I'm only 17, and don't have that kind of money, to buy a $1740 laptop (because that's how much the DELL XPS M1530 costs here in Hungary )

[sleepytom]

the AMD processors are not as good as intel core2duo. but as a starting laptop it will be fine i suspect.
The first laptop I had was a pentium 1 200mhz with an 8meg graphics card(!) It was second hand and i shared it with my friends - we VJ'd at loads of gigs with it and used it to edit DV video on (we had a pcmcia firewire card to go with it)

don't think you need the latest gear to start out on - get whatever you can afford and have FUN with it. VJing can be an expensive hobbie if you try to always have the latest kit. But you don't NEED the latest kit - i've seen people do great shows with just a few old slide projectors, a broken record player and a few bits of old smashed mirror.

[asterix]

It took me at least 5 years to get a laptop for vjing. Lugging around your tower doesn't really add too much more time or effort really (10 minutes in all extra). Why not stick to the tower for now - grab a good quality laptop later. $250 is pretty cheap for a lappy. It'll do the job but how stable it is and how long it lasts are the things that will make its value show.

[VJ Devo]

Originally Posted by asterix

It took me at least 5 years to get a laptop for vjing. Lugging around your tower doesn't really add too much more time or effort really (10 minutes in all extra). Why not stick to the tower for now - grab a good quality laptop later. $250 is pretty cheap for a lappy. It'll do the job but how stable it is and how long it lasts are the things that will make its value show.

Yeah, I know.. it doesn't really matter if it's cheap and has good specs, if it lasts for about a few months. But what the hell.. I hope for the best.
For how long have you been VJ-ing, by the way?

[asterix]

First gig was in 2000 I think. But I was developing audio visualisers (which was what I was into at the time) for alot longer.