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Help me choose a notebook for graphic design

post #1 of 19
8/29/05 at 10:41pm
Thread Starter 
My current notebook PC (Cyberpower Xplorer, see signature) is starting to fall apart due to heavy use, so I am now in the market for a new computer. The notebook I purchase will be used for print and web design and will be carried around frequently.

The new notebook MUST have an accurate LCD monitor. This is critical since I create a lot of printed materials. I would be very happy if I could get a screen as good as a Mac's. Seriously, I would just get a Mac, but all of my software is for PC and I don't want to buy everything all over again...

Can anyone here suggest any specific notebooks or point me in the right direction? This is what I'm looking for in order of importance:
  1. Accurate LCD display for print design
  2. 2 gigs of DDR400 or faster memory
  3. Long battery life
  4. 7200RPM hard drive
  5. DVD-R or RW burner
  6. Decent speakers that actually produce VOLUME and don't sound like tin cans

The video card is not XXXX XXXXXXXXX a concern to me, since I will be purchasing a desktop system specifically for gaming later.
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post #2 of 19
8/29/05 at 11:50pm
I would help you out but I'm having trouble understanding what you mean by accurate desplay.
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post #3 of 19
8/30/05 at 12:20am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hellfire
I would help you out but I'm having trouble understanding what you mean by accurate desplay.
Sorry about that, I should have explained this better.

I don't want a screen that oversaturates colors or has a contrast ratio so high that it begins to eliminate shades of grey. Also, the chroma phase/tint should reflect the actual colors of an image - not too green or blue for example.

The display on my current notebook is pretty good, but it doesn't display red levels accurately. A lot of stuff I printed in the past looked good on my computer screen, but came out too "reddish" when I printed it out. I don't have this problem if I design with a Mac screen, so I know its my notebook's display that is inaccurate, not the printer.
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post #4 of 19
8/30/05 at 12:24am
http://www.notebookforums.com/showthread.php?t=103672
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post #5 of 19
8/30/05 at 1:03am
Well im not that knowledgable (SE?) with screens but I cant help you out with a laptop that performs to your needs. The HP zd8000 looks like it will fit your needs fine. There is really no need for the 7200 rpm harddrive because many tests have shown that the 7200 rpm is an extremely small fraction better performing then the 5400 rpm one. The zd8000 also has 533 MHz speed ram which is very good. One downside to this notebook is its battery life, its not verry good. But you need performance for graphic design to render effects and what not. The zd8000 has a pentium 4 processor that is better then the Pentium M in rendering but the Pentium M shows itself to be better in gaming. You said you wanted decent speakers, the zd8000 has Altec Lansing gpeakers which IMO are exeptional. In short I think you would be saticfied with this laptop, its only con in your case is battery life but thats a sacrifice with performance.
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post #6 of 19
8/30/05 at 2:22am
A lot of the professional design software can have it's licence changed. I'm almost certain that Adobe has a cross licencing programme. You send your disks in and they send you the disks for Mac. If you'd like to get a Mac you should look into it.
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post #7 of 19
8/30/05 at 2:45am
I do a lot of graphics myself, so I understand your dilemma. From all the reviews here, the Asus z70v Refresh seems to have one of the best WSXGA screens out there. I'll confirm when my z70v actually arrives (tommorrow perhaps).

The Asus z70v seems to fit all your requirements.
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post #8 of 19
8/30/05 at 3:05am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Diviktory
I do a lot of graphics myself, so I understand your dilemma. From all the reviews here, the Asus z70v Refresh seems to have one of the best WSXGA screens out there. I'll confirm when my z70v actually arrives (tommorrow perhaps).
I've been considering the z71, but a lot of people seem to like the z70 better. Let me know what you think of your new notebook.

For good measure!
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post #9 of 19
8/30/05 at 3:26am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hellfire
There is really no need for the 7200 rpm harddrive because many tests have shown that the 7200 rpm is an extremely small fraction better performing then the 5400 rpm one.
Actually, this is not necessarily true; the only benefit during long file loads will be when he's actually opening or saving, and neither one will be a big deal. In this case, I would go with size over speed, since you'll receive equivalent speeds from both drives. However, the 7200 will definitely make a good scratch drive, which is another thing to consider.

If you're considering the Z71V, and you've got an issue with screens, I'd look elsewhere. Even if the sparkles don't bother you (they exist rather they bother you or not), the fact still remains that the screen is not all that super. The Z70Va has a great screen, but if you're looking for top of the line, Sony easily takes the bait. I'm not sure what hard drives they carry, or any of their speakers, but most of their S and FS models will last you a while in battery life, and all the laptops have fantastic screens. 2gb of RAM is really a standard already, and DVD+-RW are doing the same.
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post #10 of 19
8/30/05 at 3:31am
I am looking for something similar for my photography/publishing business.

I too need a good screen, specs to process large PS files and some RAW file batch pricessing. However I don't want a DTR thats too heavy for travel. I am looking into this from Acer:

http://us.acer.com/acerpanam/page4.d...&crc=923069118

Also Sager
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post #11 of 19
8/30/05 at 3:38am
15" Apple Powerbook perhaps?
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post #12 of 19
8/30/05 at 3:39am
PS Does anyone know how the Acer CrystalBrite screens perform?
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post #13 of 19
8/30/05 at 3:44am
Speaking of screens, I heard that Fujitsu's Crystalview is very nice. See here:

http://www.laptoplogic.com/news/03/11/2005/136/0/
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post #14 of 19
8/30/05 at 3:50am
The Ferrari 4005 is certainly a nice notebook; however, for a few hundred dollars less, you can get the Asus Z70Va which features literally identical specs. Plus, it uses DDR2, has a great screen, and is COMPLETELY customizable. With the Ferrari, you get exactly what's shipped, and that includes 1gb (2x512) of RAM that you can't change.

EDIT: Wow, completely forgot... I agree with the Powerbook suggestion! They've got fantastic screens!
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post #15 of 19
8/30/05 at 3:53am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Redmumba
If you're considering the Z71V, and you've got an issue with screens, I'd look elsewhere. Even if the sparkles don't bother you (they exist rather they bother you or not), the fact still remains that the screen is not all that super. The Z70Va has a great screen, but if you're looking for top of the line, Sony easily takes the bait. I'm not sure what hard drives they carry, or any of their speakers, but most of their S and FS models will last you a while in battery life, and all the laptops have fantastic screens. 2gb of RAM is really a standard already, and DVD+-RW are doing the same.
The Sony A series looks REALLY nice. However, I just can't seem to justify spending $1K for 2 gigs of memory

Going barebones and buying memory from Newegg would work fine, but I really like the dual battery feature on the z70Va... choices, choices...

EDIT: I would get a Powerbook, but again... for the cost of a 2 gig memory upgrade from Apple, I could buy a Cinema Display...
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post #16 of 19
8/30/05 at 12:11pm
I will look at the Asus Z70Va. Yes, I hear the Fujitsu Crystalview is a great screen but I like the AMD option. I also will look at doing some 3d CAD work as well.

I hope that the Asus screen is good for accurate color (I know the limits of notrebook screens compared to a good CRT) correcton, and photo work.
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post #17 of 19
8/31/05 at 2:07pm
There is no notebook that'll provide you with a built-in accurate display (as in colour & greyscale tracking) for print work.

None.

Your best compromise is asking about laptops in a place like at:

http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/index.asp

from pros who test, measure and use different displays for color critical work.

In fact, most TFTs are still no match for the best of breed CRT in terms of colour accuracy, gamut, grey-scale tracking and black level.

And the best ones that get close (or in some areas surpass) are over $3500 (TFT display alone).
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post #18 of 19
8/31/05 at 7:05pm
Is price a concern? For graphic design and CAD work, the Dell Precision M70 is one of the best systems out there. You said you don't care about the video card in your first post. I don't see how you can say that, as for graphic design, you need at least a decent video card. The Quadro in the M70 is probably the best card out there for this sort of work.
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post #19 of 19
8/31/05 at 11:05pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Freak4Dell
Is price a concern? For graphic design and CAD work, the Dell Precision M70 is one of the best systems out there. You said you don't care about the video card in your first post. I don't see how you can say that, as for graphic design, you need at least a decent video card. The Quadro in the M70 is probably the best card out there for this sort of work.
I agree that a good graphics card is important for design work, but I'll only be using my notebook for general print/layout design and web programming.

From what I've seen, most mid-range to high-end notebooks come standard with 128mb ATI/NVidia cards. Any one of these would be fine for my needs. If I need to run graphics-intensive applications, I can always just load it on my desktop.

Price isn't much of a concern. I'm willing to spend extra money for quality components, but I would like to keep the price of the notebook around $1800-$2500.
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