First time poster here. I’ve done a few searches around the forums but haven’t come across anything that could help me, so figured I’d post it up.
I want to sell my PC and move my entire setup to a Laptop. The question is… which laptop?
I’m currently using a custom desktop PC to run Traktor Pro, coupled with a VCI-100, all running out to a Presonus FireBox. (I really wish I went with USB now…)
I’ve noticed that Laptops that come with 6pin Firewire can be a pain to find.
I’ve checked out the Presonus website with reference to it’s Firewire hardware compatability etc. I’m sure to stay away from NEC, nForce4 and ATi 9000 chipsets etc. Although sometimes it’s hard to tell what sort of chipset a Laptop may be running.
I know that I don’t exactly need a certified chipset to get the FireBox running. But i’d still like to find a laptop that isn’t going to run into problems left right and center.
Money isn’t a major issue. But I live in Japan so my choices are Sony, Lenovo, Apple, Panasonic, Toshiba, Asus, Acer.
I’m looking for something which can become mobile if needs be. ie; I don’t want a Workstation laptop. Basic requirements would be:
Screen size between 13-15inch.
Intel Core 2 Duo.
Supporting at least 4GB RAM.
Firewire 6pin (self-powered)
If any of you guys out there run your stuff on a laptop (especially if it includes a FireBox) I’d be very interested to hear what you have got. Or what you would suggest.
I’m a Windows user and have no plans on migrating to OS X.
However I find a sick sort of humor in buying a MacBook and loading XP/Vista onto it. Their hardware certainly seems solid.
But if I can find a Laptop that does the same business without the Apple brand price markup… i’d go for that easily.
Its not the hardware that you need to be solid - 99% of our computer musicians are usually caused because of driver problems.
Use the internet to research any DPC latency issues that you may have when choosing your computer. By researching this the chance the laptop you buy will be completely useful for making music will be dramaticly reduced. Idealy you want to find a system that solidly sits with around 30 → 50 units of DPC latnecy.
Out of those manufacturers i would probably choose toshiba, but it doesntly really matter that much as long as you research each computer on a model to model basis which you should be doing anyway.
if you want compatibility, i’d say go mac. i might be biased but seriously apple does the plug’n’play thing RIGHT. i’m not sure i’ve ever installed a driver..
Thanks thus far. I wasn’t very clued up on the whole DPC issue. Fascinating!
Tough thing for me is that most of the laptops I am able to get my hands on are just a little bit different to the Western equivalents (as I said, I live in Japan) or in some cases, they only exist here.
I really have no way of checking for myself whether any of the models (from any manufacturer) will give the desired performance or not.
Understand the suggestion to go Mac, it does seem easy. But I really can’t convert myself to use OS X as my primary OS. My girlfriend has a MacBook and I tear my hair out everytime she has a problem with it, or asks me to do something on it.
If I got a Mac I’d be loading XP or Vista onto it. And as BentoSan mentioned, it seems like a lot of it comes down to drivers. XP/Vista drivers on Mac hardware may be even dodgier than a regular laptop.
Haven’t had many problems when using my mac as a Win-machine. Drivers provided by Apple were top-notch, even when Boot-Camp was just released.
I did switch over more and more to OS X, until using it more or less exclusively nowadays; but that’s just personal preference.
The build-quality is simply better on the macs. Plus the value the laptop has down the line won’t deteriorate as much as normal laptops.
For Traktor I’d say especially go with OS X, it’s much less hassle than Windows. Perhaps you can go to a local reseller or Apple-Store and ask if you can test out the Firebox with a Macbook there, simply to see if it fits your needs.
this is the problem i always run into with trying to inform people about macs, they are very hesitant. it’s true, OSX is a completely different interface and just basic way of computing that many people who have been using PCs all their life just aren’t willing to learn.
but trust me, it’s SO worth it. apple makes quality computers, with quality parts (for the most part). so realiability isn’t really an issue. i really do urge people to take the time to learn how to operate a mac. most people i see that do, don’t go back to the pc. not trying to hijack this into a mac v. windows thing but i really do think the macbook pro is becoming somewhat of an industry standard among a lot of digital dj’s.
but yeah, it all comes down to personal preference.
Just go with mac, it’s barely a migration these days and everything will plug in and work. I’ve run all my gear on bootcamp and it all works fine too. Seems kinda weird running everything in bootcamp, like your anti apple, but you’re not because you have gone out and got a mac so therefore you’d probably just look like a knob.
Save yourself the hassles. but hey, whatever. I won’t lose any sleep. My setup has been pretty flawless and I have thrown everything at it…not literally.
I have used win and mac equally for years and years. Mac is my personal preference too. Go to your apple store and try one out for half an hour with out an sales people round. Girls are stupid, well the ones that aren’t on this forum anyway.
Would that be the 15" or is only the 17" sufficient?
Think of it as a long term investment Bento- my 1st gen. MacBook Pro with a meager 2 GHz Core (sans the “2”) Duo is selling for 800 Euros on eBay. I do not understand why, but that’s the going rate. Which is 40% of the original price from 2006. It never seizes to amaze me, but prices on Apple-Hardware are not part of the same space-time-continuum that applies to normal computers.
I second the “It simply works.”-opinion; I made the same observation coming from a very well working XP-configuration. My current OS-install has survived 2(TWO) hardware-generations, something Windows simply cannot do without SERIOUS hacking.
even if you find a 6-pin firewire on a laptop doesn’t mean it will have enough juice to powerup the firebox. in fact, the mac laptops that have 6 pin firewire need to have the firebox plugged into the wall wort during startup because the firebox uses more energy on startup.
if you don’t go with mac, then the firewire chipset on the notebook is going very important in determining if you have problems with the firebox (really any firewire audio interface). I would try to find one that uses the T.I. (texas instruments) chipset or the via chipset.
Thanks for the replies guys. I am sensing an overwhelming shift towards the Macbook Pro over here. haha. In all honesty i was quite seriously considering it.
But I’m not quite there yet…
I drained my brain researching all the possible laptop models I could get last night. And I came down to these two finalists:
Laptop 1: Apple MacBook Pro 15inch 2.66ghz Firewire chipset: TI or Agere. This is my real concern about this Mac. Here is a Apple forum thread which discusses that some versions of the MBP have a cheaper Agere firewire chipset instead of the better Texas Instruments chipset. The former giving less-than-desirable Firewire performance.
It actually has a 9pin connection, so I’ll need a convertor for it, but at least (with the whole Firebox power hack thing) it would run on Bus power eventually. Usability: Yes I’ve heard all the arguments about OS X being a clean and easy OS to use etc. The fact of the matter is that a lot of what I do, a lot of the programs I run, require Windows architecture. I’m a little stubborn. If I got an MBP, I will certainly be dual-booting into XP/Vista. And I ain’t starting a war here! It’s just my overwhelming preference for Windows that keeps me searching for other options. Also: One mouse button? Please. I need two on that damned touch-pad!
There is also a significant lack of Docking station for the MBP. Meaning I’d have to plug in Display, Firewire, USB and Power everytime I want to rest it and get on with some DJing. Massive hassle.
Laptop 2: Sony VAIO Type S - VGN-SR93YS. Firewire chipset: This is a Japanese model laptop. But it should mirror the Western “Type SR” series. I found a website which claimed that the SR used a RICOH firewire chipset. On further study I found that the RICOH chipset sucked with the FireBox, but it can be a mixed bag. The posts talk about dodgy 4pin - 6pin adaptors, and apparently the issue can vary from system to system. A bit confusing… but I could always grab an ExpressCard or PC card to do the job.
Port is a 4pin i.LINK job. Meaning I’d have to get an adaptor. And I’d also need to run the Firebox on dedicated power all the time. To be honest that’s a complete non-issue for me. Another power connection is like adding a another piece of fruit to a fruit hat. Useability: Windows. I have Vista at the moment, so the pre-installed Japanese OS should be easy to get rid of. Two mouse buttons. Huzzah!
I can also get a Docking station for it. I have a TV which I run as a secondary display. This would allow me to have most of my cables plugged into the Dock (everything except the Firewire cable) for when I need to do DJing. This is a pretty big thing for me.
Final Analysis: The MBP should have a more solid Firewire Chipset, but has more every-day use hassles involved with it. Admittedly not all my time is devoted to DJing. When I’m doing everything other than DJing, watching videos or gaming, the laptop is going to be on my lap, on a couch somewhere. Having to plug in cables everytime I want to use it for more “serious” things, seems like an awful hassle.
It’s a neat package, but I worry about how it will work as my everyday machine.
The VAIO has a more flakey Firewire Chipset, but is much more convenient for every-day use. I could track down a Firewire PC card/ExpressCard to bypass the apparently dodgy RICOH chipset. I’m also going to have a fun time getting drivers off the Japanese website, however maybe some of the western SR drivers will work for me. I already have an ultra-portable Japanese Panasonic laptop which runs and English OS and uses Japanese drivers with no issue. Maybe it won’t be so bad.
yeah, i have a MBP + firebox setup and i haven’t had any major issues.
as for the single button on the trackpad…in OSX you can configure the trackpad itself to be a right click when pressed with two fingers simultaneously. personally i use a logitech usb mouse (need that scroll wheel for my intense traktor playlists ;P.
Oh yeah, don’t get me started with that one-button-trackpad thing; I know very well how you feel, it was the same with me.
For me the Trackpad worked out pretty well, especially when I’m on the road. The other times I use a mouse/trackball of my choice.
What I’m quite sceptical about is the new trackpad sans button. I really don’t know if I could work with that; I never was one for the touch-click-thingy.
On the OS: Think about OS X as being a nice toy you can play with on your own time, while using Windows. Was the same with me. If you like it, you can use it- otherwise you can stay simply stay on Vista.
The issue with the dock is very true, but I must say, I never used a Dock even when using a Lenovo… I don’t find it much of a hassle, simply attach 2-3 connectors and continue working.
Thanks Tigris. Yeah I’ve always been a fan of tactile clicking. None of that tapping business.
To be honest a lot of it is coming down to the usability of the laptop in my current (and I suppose future) living arrangements.
I don’t have a desk per-se. It’s more of a couch with a screen on a low table, and wireless keyboard/mouse. Which means that when I sit down to browse/relax on my new laptop, I don’t envisage myself resting it on the table and hunching over it, i’d much prefer it to be sitting on my lap.
But when I want to watch a movie, DJ, music it up, I’ll definitely need to have it hooked up to all the right connections. And that can happen quite frequently.
With all that in mind, I just feel as though it would be a pain to plug in power, display, firewire (especially if I have to do the power trick everytime) each time I want to change the purpose of my laptop.
A dock seems like a lot of sense in that case. Might pop down the shops and have a look at my two potential candidates before going any further.
Believe me, after 3 years of Japanese commercials, I consider anything else to be Oscar-winning material. I’m sorta suprised they are still making Instant Kiwi ads. Have I been away from home that long?
On topic however… After researching my brains out, I think it’s going to have to be the MacBook Pro 2.66GHz.
I think the Sony Vaio S and the Dell XPS Studio 13 are both be pretty sweet setups. Fast, and even smaller than the Mac. They also cost a little less than the Mac.
But at the end of the day I just can’t get any bearing as to the reliability of either Sony or Dell.
Laptops are so finnicky. Different models under the same maker could be total opposite ends of the quality spectrum. And I just don’t know enough about the reliability history of either of the Windows alternatives. Plus they will come pre-installed with Japanese OSes so I’d have to rebuild them anyway, that’s a hassle within itself.
My setup has been pretty flawless and I have thrown everything at it…not literally.
