Which one would you choose?

Get a Studio 16 XPS, with an RGBLED display, and 256GB SSD. Best screen you'll find on any laptop, and performance (with an i7) will outpace anything from Apple, for the money.
I bought one, and would definately recommend it.

Anvh asked
Simplest example is running anti-spyware and anti-adware removal tools; say about 2.5 - 3hours/week. Then run the virus-checker (another two hours). Then clean out some of the temporary files that windows seems to accumulate. Note that I do not run Windows 7 (only XP Pro). Then you may have to do a "restore" (load a backup of the system setup at an earlier date), just because an automatic update has mixed up a setting.
Macs - I switch on, they start, end of story.
Geoff

... and Defrag ...

There's a lot of advice in this thread, but if we suppose that a beginner comes along and looks a bit dazzled at it all, what's the simple down-to-Earth advice on laptop choice?

I'd say just buy the Sony with a 17" screen, as it is it runs Photoshop just fine and has a pretty good screen as well.

Danny it wasn't my fault now

Mac user who think Mac is the safest OS around and has the best security, really you should think again.

Apple has more holes than Adobe now, that truly says something link

Here Charlie Miller a security expert that has hacked the Mac several times at the Pwn2own contest explains why Windows is more secure than the Mac link
And that's not all the protection that's lacking link so as you read there is malware for the Mac. They do update the security once in a while link but still it's lacking compared to a real virusscanner link

About the kernel and separating data and code, from what I remember that isn't really true, they are not fully separate but are connected because it will other wise slow everything down too much.
Don't hang me on it yet, will try to find the article about it.
What you said was indeed the idea behind it but it wasn't practical so they changed things.

Will try to find the part about the Kernel and for the rest leave it with this, make off it what you think. It's your computer after all and not my worries.

Sadly they don't have the RGBled any more

I think that would be it John a Sony laptop, they look good value for the money bit will go for a 15" for portability.

Probably will go for a slightly lowered speced one with an i5 core and 4GB ram and with the money that I save will try to update the computer.

Macbook Pro is not really on option because it isn't practical to switch system and the lower speced Macbook are to low for what I want. Still will follow Danny's advice and try one out in the store, maybe it can still impress me enough to change my mind.

Edit: Actually will go most like for the VAIO F with 16,4" screen so you were right John

They still have that screen option listed on the Dell UK website. I don't think it shows up very often in retail outlets though.

When I click on the model it does say with stunning RGB-LED an d things like that but when you go further where you can adjust components in the Laptop you can's choice it because it isn't there.

Yes you can make scare stories about how unsafe windows is (especially XP), but the fact remains for any serious use, Ubuntu is hopeless. I know, I've tried, many times, and in the bin goes another CD after several wasted days...hardware support is a joke (especially ATI graphics cards), real software is a joke (i.e. something not cobbled-together by a disperate collection of people who all hate each other and walk away from projects half-finished - ironic that the only decent desktop Open Source software are things that are mostly developed for Windows now, like OpenOffice...).

Unix is great, but its still, after 20 years of trying, of no use to the majority of people for desktops. Its best hope was when Netbooks came out, with their limited hardware - but everyone just installed Windows XP instead in frustration...and now Netbooks are out of fashion, its tablets/surfaces such as iPad/Android, where the underlying o/s is completely irrelevant to users, they only care about "apps" and Flash... they certainly are not interested in trying to decide between KDE and Gnome, all they want is to change the background picture and uploading pictures to Facebook before playing games online. Oh yes, games. Better not mention them...

Anyway, the days of general purpose personal computers and desktop operating systems are coming to an end - and after 30-odd years of swearing at them in one shape or another, I don't think I'll miss them! Its no accident the biggest players with massive growth are Apple's and Google's various online-based offerings...

Don't mean to be rude here, but, really?? I'm surprised you have said this.

Just buy a P&S camera, it takes photos

Just buy a Lada, it has 4 wheels

Just buy a 14" telly, it has a screen

Just buy a 1 bedroom house, don't have kids.

Everybody has different needs and different reasons to make their choices, just because a 17' Sony works for you John, please don't expect it will work for me or anyone else.

Looked at it again and discover it has an amazing screen almost covering the sRGB gamut totally so that's very positive and it's portable so will try it out
here is a good review link

The only positive about the Sony F is the price, higher resolution but also bigger display but it's matt though, the HP envy is glossy that's one min point.

I fell for it again didn't I. You'd think I'd have learned by now.

Followed by :-

Why ask the question? Why raise the temperature again? Why start up the pointless Mac v PC debate AGAIN when you have no intention of buying one?

Thanks for wasting my afternoon.

Stefan, what exactly are you trying to prove? Once again you fire up a Mac versus PC debate for no good reason, quote dubious references and state opinions and questionable facts as gospel.

You had no intention of ever buying a Macbook, so why waste everyone's time?

Not big, not clever. Just by whatever you had already decided prior to making this thread.

Mods would be best just closing it down.

:

I don't actually have a Sony, but I can report that for Photoshop users it will do the job very well, and there's nothing to get excited about. I was looking to help any beginners who were getting confused by the mass of technical information. I'm not quite sure why you think this was directed at you in some way, because it wasn't.

It surely wasn't a waste, some of you have pointed me on things and to models I wouldn't have looked at normally.

The Macbook pro is now sadly out of the picture because I haven't realized the performance would drop 50% when you use Windows instead of Mac OS. Since most of the time it would run Windows and only for photography I would use Mac OS I can't bring it up to spend so much on it because it isn't worth it.
If I need to use a Mac from school I'll get a normal Macbook and will run Lightroom on it and use that for on the move and will spend the rest of the money to upgrade my PC.

The debate Mac VS Pc was indeed my intention because I wanted to know if Mac OS would make up in the difference in hardware and I've discovered that was the case.
From the few reviews I could find the Macbook Pro 15 preformed very well and comparable to something like the Dell Studio.

As for me not buying, this the school www.fotovakschool.nl and I would like to have a lappy before they school start.

Proof it
This my proof http://www.fotovakschool.nl/content/blogcategory/55164/666539/lang,nl/
And I must be really desperate if I started this thread a few months ago, maybe it was just to warm you all up for this thread and make it a big anti Apple thread???
https://www.pentaxuser.com/forum/topic/photoshop-alternatives-20443#comm220989
What I said to Tim (Thoughton) who asked if I was planning to buy a Mac.