Hi everyone. I am looking for a laptop to take on location to shoot tethered. I am a Mac person all the way. Cost and budget dictates looking to a PC.

Here is my problem. All if not most have the glossy screens (PC that is). I tried one but was impossible to work with. I calibrated but it had a false contrast and depending on the angle the file would look dark, light etc.

I found a Dell with a matte screen for around $900.00. Does anyone use a PC laptop if so which one do you use?

If budget allowed I would buy the Powerbook but around $2000 a bit out of my budget.

How about a MacBook? They're between the two, actually only about $100-200 more than that Dell. If you're a Mac person, you may be frustrated trying to use a PC in the field. Buying PC versions of Photoshop, et al will make the PC much more expensive anyway.

Tony your right once I add Photoshop. The issue I have is the Mcbooks come with the glossy screens I think. As far as PS on the PC I would use the Canon Professional software for the tether even though the software is a bit to be desired.

Check Apple Refurbished laptops. You can often get the same model, or one previous generation, for around half price. Apple Refurbs are refurbished by Apple, and carry the full one year warranty.

If you're going the PC route, look at a Lenovo (formerly IBM). They use matte screens exclusively on their laptops, because the glare of a glossy screen makes them hard to see in many lighting situations. The ThinkPad line of computers is hard to beat. I recommend the T61. They're currently priced from $714 on their web site.

There's more than just Photoshop to consider in software. Especially on Windows you'll need utilities and virus protection if you do any internet work.

MacBooks are unfortunately limited to glossy screens, but MacBook Pros are available with matte screens. As Gordon suggested, check the refurbished units, but also take a look on eBay. You can often get some nice deals from reputable sellers. There are a lot of clearance sales on now too since new models were recently introduced. I recently got a MacBook Pro for several hundred less than it was selling for just a month earlier.

I second the Apple refurbs, which are basically new units.
Just got a 2.4 ghz model and installed two 2 gb sticks from another vendor.
Do pay attention to the description as glossy screen models will be specifically noted.
If no mention, it is the matt screen model.
Current models are usually available but the turnover is fast.
This has to be weighed against prices on new units with rebates from Amazon, which can be close to the same price as a refurb, but this usually happens with MacBooks or iMacs, not Macbook Pro models.
There is always that chance new models will be introduced soon after you buy, but there is no end to it when you start playing the guessing game.

What Joel says. The "p" variants of the Thinkpad T60/61 series have the best screens and quicket chipsets. They're much more durable than any Apple laptop and are one of the most stable Windows machines you can buy for any price.

I have a thinkpad T61p that I use tethered on location and it is fast,been stable and has a great matte screen.

quote:

Originally posted by RD3F:
[qb] http://www.dpreview.com/news/0808/08081204thinkpad.asp [/qb]

$3500, according to PC Mag

Impressive! Depends how you configure you it, you can spend way more or a bit less than that (do you really need internal raid and a graphics tablet?).

Looks like a great, unique product though. I was really worried that when Lenovo bought IBM's PC division that they'd tear it up and just brand their own crap.

Instead, they're just managing the same group of people who made the Thinkpad line a legend. They're still designed in Rochester and supported from Atlanta, and they just keep getting better. Lenovo was building them for IBM anyway so not much change there, though they cut back on on warranty stuff to keep the costs down. My current one was the first T series brought to market after the buyout, well equipped for $1500, including a full 3yr warranty and 24/7 tech support.

KWSmith,

I worked at IBM and then Lenovo for a total of 10 years before switching to photography full-time. I was in the corporate design department. I can verify that ThinkPads are still designed by the same people that designed them for IBM. However, ThinkPads are (and have always been) designed in Yamato, Japan, not Rochester. The manager of that group is Tom Takahashi. You can read about him here: http://lenovoblogs.com/designmatters/?page_id=50

There is also design input from the design team at the Lenovo Corporate headquarters, located in Morrisville, North Carolina. The VP in charge of the design group in North Carolina, David Hill, was my manager. He has a blog, for those that are interested: http://lenovoblogs.com/designmatters/

The inventor of the notebook computer, Richard Sapper, is a German industrial designer that lives and works in Milan. He is still involved in the designs of Lenovo notebooks, too. You can see a video interview of him here: http://lenovoblogs.com/designmatters/?p=202

Thanks for the correction, and for the links! Fascinating...and encouraging.

Apple would do well to come up with products this good, they aren't even remotely close right now. Love their desktops but their notebooks are overpriced junque, IMO. I say that with a brand new one sitting here next to me.

Now excuse me while I go scrub my hands and put on surgical gloves on just to install some apps on it for my girl.

Here's the PDN review of the Lenovo W700 mobile workstation. Looks too big for me -- I'm an international travel photographer.

http://www.pdnonline.com/pdn/prodtech/news/article_disp...ontent_id=1003837951