Recommendation for a Laptop PC

[scott1988]

Hey all!......wanted to give a real recommendation and/or endorsement of a product I've been using for a while.

I'm not an expert with computers but know my fair share. Although I won't have as much knowledge as Big Beat, MixPro, or some of the others on here when it comes to video or DJ software on PC's or laptops, I want to give an endorsement of one that I've been using for almost a year now with almost NO issues (except those created by me) and HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

Again, for your application, this may or may not work for you but for me, it was the best $$$ I've ever spent on a laptop to date.

Last December I purchased an Acer 15.6" laptop (because my other PC was getting fixed and now keep as my backup) with 2 gigs or RAM, 160 HD, Intel Pentium dual-core processor T-3200 with 2.0 ghz processor, 667 Mhz FSB (front side bus) 1mb L2cache, up to 732 MB mobile intel graphics media accelerator 4500m. Model #5735-4774 and operates under Windows Vista (insert vulgarity here......but it works)

I am an entertainer and/or DJ and professional singer by trade and use this laptop every single day and have it running almost non-stop every day. The software I use for my music and videos is Virtual DJ Pro and the reason I use it is because it's pretty darn simple for the most part. I don't have any midi controllers or external devices at this point and simply use the laptop keyboard to control the functions of the software. I don't even use an external mouse and just use the touchpad. For other software, I use a karaoke software called Sax-n-dotty to run when I do bar events, private parties, or other performances because again, it's simple and easy to use and works.

The reason I recommend this laptop is simple. It's been a workhorse for the money. I bought the laptop and an Acer 23" LCD monitor from Best Buy for a total of $500.00. That's right, $500 for both the laptop AND the 23" LCD monitor. Now granted, the laptop was on clearance at the time and the monitor was an "open-box" item but I was able to talk them down from $600 to $500 just because they wanted to get off the items. Even at $600, it still would of been a good deal for both items but anyway.....

I also recommend this laptop for many other reasons but I'll only mention a few others. I have dropped this laptop unfortunately a couple times (not hard, but hard enough to breake and crack the case in a couple spots) and even used it while typing by a campfire and not realizing that the case on the rear of the screen was getting so hot that it started to warp a little (oops.......idiot). It kept on ticking.......

The only thing that has happened functionally with this laptop that has been an issue is the power cord and the jack on the computer itself because of the constant plugging and unplugging 6 to 8 times a day. About 4 months ago, the power box on the cord was going bad and started to have a bad connection with the jack on the computer. So, I got a new one sent to me (which fixed the bad connection issue) but because the connection was so poor before that, in time, the jack on the computer wore out. Plus, now my battery life is about 5 minutes sometimes because I think the poor connection caused shorts between the jack and the power cable terminal. Being the handy technician I am, I took the laptop apart and fixed the jack myself for the time being by removing the jack itself and prying some of the terminals back in place. Plus, I found out that the case inside the laptop had broke a little (from being plugged in and out so much) where the jack is so I had to use JB weld to hold it in place. (I highly recommend JB Weld too by the way) The jack is only $16 (with shipping) to replace and I'll order one soon. Or because the warranty is up in a month, I may finally send it in to have it replaced before the warranty expires and use my backup laptop during this time.

Anyway, last but not least is the other main reason I like the laptop: It works and rarely crashes. I didn't say "never" because it has gone down before but luckily it was only during 1 show for 2 minutes and not during a point where it was crucial. It was during a very slow time and no body even noticed. Plus, I've now got a $15 mp3 player hooked up to my mixer board in case of this unforseen mishap. So luckily, in 1 year, I've only had 1 real issue to really speak of. The other times it may have shut off or restarted were due to viruses and other software issues that weren't the computer's fault. My own.

I use the two software's (Virtual DJ Pro and Sax-n-dotty) simultaneously on this laptop and they both require video to be displayed so it takes up a good amount of processor power and other things. However, I am thankful that you can't tell that it has any issues with the videos and both softwares being open at the same time. It plays the videos and graphics very well with no skipping or hesitation or poor video quality. The quality is awesome. Unless, there is a video issue which again, is not the computer's fault. Not to mention, occassionally, I'll open a few other things that I use throughout the night as well at my shows from excel spreadsheets and word documents and pictures and such. So what I'm saying is, I make this little pony work. And work it does.

Now, again, I'm not saying it will work for everyone but for the money I spent, it was well worth it. $350 to $400 for a pretty darn good laptop is great for me. The only downside to the laptop is that it does NOT have very good video out capabilities by only having a VGA output and as a result, I have to use an adapter for other video sources which is still good. Plus, it only has 3 USB ports and when I'm doing a show, I usually have all 3 of them used up without an extra one. I use 1 port for my external hard drive, 1 for the video box adapter, and 1 for my USB audio interface for my mixer board. It would be nice to have 1 more to have for a back up for other things like picture downloading from my digital camera or live feeds from my video camera but oh well.

Recently, on Black Friday, I was going to purchase the laptop that Best Buy had on sale as a backup for $197 because it was basically the same everything in specs to my Acer except it was an HP (Hewlitt Packard) and ALSO had an HDMI video output. Now granted, this isn't an S-video or composite video out but HDMI is the way to go if you can. Plus, it still had at least 3 USB ports. The updated Acer model for this year only has 2 USB ports so it's actually giving you 1 less port than the previous year's model.

To end my little endorsement, I will say that I will probably upgrade to 4 gigs of RAM just to feel a little more confident about the speed of some of the things that I'm doing with my karaoke software but to this point, 2 gigs is doing just fine even with Vista. I have an HP with a 17" monitor for my backup laptop and it only has 1 gig of RAM and Vista (which takes 1 gig in itself supposedly) and I can't really tell the difference once the videos are running but as soon as you try to use the 2 software's simultaneously with other programs open, it does want to hesitate every now and then. Not much and not often, but just enough to notice that 2 gigs would be enough. I've switched the RAM from one computer to the next and it took care of the issue.

So, if anyone's wondering about Acer brand computer's, I HIGHLY recommend the one that I use.

[bigbeat]

Glad to hear that you have something that is working well for you. Funny you talk about the ACCER laptop. There was a story recently about the top 5 laptops guaranteed to FAIL within the first three years and ACCER was at the top of that list, followed by HP & DELL. Sounds like you got very lucky and have a very solid unit. I bought my wife an ACCER laptop for Christmas last year and it died twice with a bad power supply & hard drive. To this day, it 'turns off' unexpectedly & randomly.

Compaq, Toshiba & Sony were at the top of the RELIABLE list for affordable PC laptops. Alienware ranked at the very top of the best PC laptops but were also listed as the most expensive with average prices between $3000-$4000.

The program "VIRTUAL DJ" is awesome! I use it for professional mobile events and the Serato Scratch for my club & mixshow events. Virtual DJ is extremely solid and reliable with tons of features.

[ministry]

macbook pro. enough said !

[scott1988]

Yah Ministry, I agree.

Well, just recently it is now turning off unexpectedly for some reason but I'm almost willing to bet it's a virus issue and not a hardware issue. I could be wrong but if it's a hardware issue, I wouldn't be surprised if it was related to the power issue I had in the past. Again, due to the fact that I abused it, it would be my fault.

The point is, I haven't treated this laptop well at all and it keeps working it's little tail off. Sure, for $800 to $1000 I would probably get something a little better but as far as reliabilitiy goes, I don't know. I think sometimes it's a crapshoot. For less than half that, I've got a great working laptop for the most part. Sure, I would rather have a Mac but we can't all be like Ministry & have "nice" things......(lol).

Cheers

[bigbeat]

Originally Posted by ministry

macbook pro. enough said !

Agreed...... I own a macbook pro and have never had any issues but not everyone can afford one or wants to make the switch. I was reluctant at first until my last PC laptop froze up 3 times during an important event. Enough was enough! I never look back!

But, the topic was about PC laptops and therefore I put in my feedback. Ironically, "Alienware" which is the top ranked PC laptop for reliability & performance is owned and made by DELL which is ranked as one of the worst laptops for reliability and performance. Strange!

[Dman]

these days you don't need a top of the line one do you? even entry ones are powerful

thought about a notebook? being a DJ the portability would be a big plus

[ministry]

and im working on a way to get my iphone to open my garage. it already can let me view my security cameras !

[bigbeat]

Originally Posted by Dman

these days you don't need a top of the line one do you? even entry ones are powerful

Wrong...... It's not about the 'power'. All current laptops have the speed, power and storage space. What i'm talking about is RELIABILITY. The circuits, mother board, drives, etc. If you buy a "cheap" laptop, it won't last long. It WILL break down, die or start work have issues.

You get what you pay for.......... Especially with electronics.

[KeystoneDerby]

One big issue Ive been seeing is brightness. Some new lower entry models have low brightness so that when you are on battery mode, or outside its VERY difficult to even see the screen.

[Dman]

Originally Posted by bigbeat

Wrong...... It's not about the 'power'. All current laptops have the speed, power and storage space. What i'm talking about is RELIABILITY. The circuits, mother board, drives, etc. If you buy a "cheap" laptop, it won't last long. It WILL break down, die or start work have issues.

You get what you pay for.......... Especially with electronics.

I'd say that is a pile of BS, for instance some big name brands are notorious for their poor reliability so you are actually getting worse reliability while playing more.

Yet my IBM X30 (the one I'm posting from right now, just as an example) I bought for about US$200 a couple of years ago and it is still going strong

[scott1988]

I agree BigBeat and I wish I had the $$$ to buy a more "reliable" laptop but the reality is you can sometimes (in my case) get lucky with a laptop at half the price and sometimes even a 1/3.

I want to move to a Mac but again, I can buy 2 (maybe even 3) PC's at $300 to $400 each and still be the same as 1 Mac. Now granted, back to the reliability issue, a PC is NOT as secure or safe as a Mac (I'll admit), which is why you would want a Mac but if you can stand some of the annoyances of a PC, then you can get 2 or 3 of them for the price of 1 Mac. It sucks that it is this way but currently it is.

Of course, if you have many issues, then this conversation is void and you would switch to get your stuff straight but again, "luckily" I haven't had too many to speak of.

I guess I'm comparing my situations to other DJ's or entertainer's situations that have a computer crash every week or 2 weeks. I don't thank god. Now if I do, then I'll have to figure something else out but I pray that I can get by for another year.

Although, after a few weeks of letting this damn post sit, my laptop is now having the "shutdown" issue that was discussed earlier. I thought it was a virus like I mentioned but apparently it's not. I've got a few weeks left of warranty and another laptop to use so hopefully I'll get it taken care of.

It's fun you know. It will work for 2,3 or 4 hours straight and then shut down out of nowhere. Then, I restart it and it will stay on for 8 or 10 hours straight again. Go figure. I think it's getting hot but as I mentiond earlier in the post, I think that it's a battery issue from the bad connection of the jack from months back.

Again, luckily for me, it wasn't during a show or a period in the show that was busy. Either way, I'm still happy with the purchase despite the "few" issues I've had. I never expect everything to be perfect, even if I was to get a Mac. I'm sure even they fail every now and then too.

Happy Dj'ing.

[Jallen0]

Originally Posted by scott1988

Now granted, back to the reliability issue, a PC is NOT as secure or safe as a Mac (I'll admit), which is why you would want a Mac but if you can stand some of the annoyances of a PC, then you can get 2 or 3 of them for the price of 1 Mac. It sucks that it is this way but currently it is.

Can I assume that you don't DJ for money, that it's not your job?

I only say that because the first time I had failures in a nightclub full of people dancing because I only bought a $300.00 PC would be the last time I spun in that nightclub.

Telling a room full of people to "Hang on, I need to reboot my PC" is not an option for me.

[bigbeat]

I had a PC laptop where the screen would go blank at random times. I took it to a PC shop and they couldn't figure out the issue. Only that was most likely the laptop itself. This was a $3500 Sony Vaio! It was just over a year old (passed its warranty) when it started having these problems. The only way I could reset the screen was to completely reboot the computer. Imagine having to reboot a computer during an event!

I immediately gathered up the funds and bought an entry level Macbook ($1100) which I used for almost 2 years. In that time, it never froze up, stalled or had operating issues of any kind. When I turned it on, it was fully operational within a minute or less.

When I started getting into video DJ'ing, I upgraded to a macbook pro. New but on clearance to make room for the next newer model. I paid only $1500 brand new. 2 years later, I'm still using this laptop and it has NEVER FAILED. Even after dropping it several times. Runs perfect, fast & flawless. I have no plans to upgrade my laptop in 2010. Maybe just upgrade the HD in the unit I have now.

With PC, I had to get a new laptop every 1.5 years or I had issues.

ONCE U GO MAC............ U NEVER GO BACK!! :-)

[scott1988]

Originally Posted by Jallen0

Can I assume that you don't DJ for money, that it's not your job?

I only say that because the first time I had failures in a nightclub full of people dancing because I only bought a $300.00 PC would be the last time I spun in that nightclub.

Telling a room full of people to "Hang on, I need to reboot my PC" is not an option for me.

Yes, Jallen I do this for money. And just so you know, I appreciate your comments and concerns and respect them.

Luckily for me, the only couple times I've had an issue, was not during a DJing event and at a different event that did not require non-stop music or "air-time" because it wasn't a DJ show and then the other one was a private event I think. As I stated, I have a backup mp3 player and extra laptop ready anyway just in case of an issue so no, I don't have to tell people to "hold on" as you say. If anything, people just assume it's a bad mix. Anywho.......

Even if I spent $4000 on a supposedly "bullet-proof" laptop, I would still have a backup because you never know and I don't trust anything. That's just me though.

Now, I don't do regular big clubs like you may or BigBeat, Mixpro, DJ Brian or others do, so when it comes to "Djing" for crowds of 1000 or more on a regular basis at prestigious nightclubs that require constant beatmixing of a couple hundred songs for 5 to 6 hours on end, I don't. If I did do these on a regular basis, I would invest more money into different equipment. Not to say that the shows I do aren't as important as a "high-exposure" nightclub, but they're not what you may be "assuming" so the equipment I have works great. As I've stated, I've only had a couple issues in a year and they haven't been during an important time in an event. You're right if you say "anytime" would be a bad time and I won't disagree. Nobody wants that and crowds dont deserve that. Even you have to admit, that this is pretty damn good to not have any issues or only a couple in a year.

But still, even as BigBeat stated, you can't "guarantee" perfection even while spending more money for equipment. Sometimes "crap" happens.

Anyway, my point of this thread was to make a recommendation of a laptop that was and is pretty damn good for the $$$. I admitted I would like to have a couple Mac's for shows but simply put, I don't. I hope to get there soon but for now, what I have works pretty damn good.

Cheers bud

Oh yeah, BigBeat, thanks for putting in your "input" even though you have a Mac. Yes, the point was to discuss something that worked for me and hopefully will work for others. I also knew that Acer had a bad rap and I was worried when I got it. Originally, I bought it as a "backup" laptop but I ended up using it as my main computer for all my events. We could start a whole debate about PC's vs. Mac but that's for another time on a different forum about computers.

===FYI===
As I mentioned, my laptop is on constantly virtually everyday. I don't just do weekend shows, I do weekday events and other things as well sometimes during the day and night. Even though I probably shouldn't, I use this same laptop for bookkeeping and getting on the internet at home or anywhere I may be just to pass the time or do other things. So other than when I'm sleeping, I use this laptop and it's consantly on. I don't know how often you have your laptop's running but I'll assume it's not as much as mine. Maybe but I'm just going to "assume" not. I don't use a protective case for my laptop and it gets beat up all the time. When I drive to my shows that are anywhere from 1 to 4 1/2 hours away, I watch movies on it or arrange music videos, or type up spreadsheets (yes, while I'm driving) so like I said, this sucker gets used. Again, although not a Mac, it was $$$$ well spent.

[Jallen0]

Very good points Scott1988, no harm meant.

You are right about not guaranteeing perfection, all you can do is minimize it. IN my case, since I play 100% video I use Serato on a new MBP. I also use my Pioneer DVJ-X1's as my controllers and my timecode disk actually has videos on it, all wired up so that if my computer fails I can literally change to another video in less than 10 seconds.

No system if foolproof, but I believe that you should do everything you can to minimize potential issues and just "keep the party going".

[scott1988]

None taken at all Jallen. I know you weren't taking a stab and I know the important thing is to "minimize" issues and nobody wants a "showstopper" (literally) whether you've got a $200 or $5000 computer or piece of equipment but, things do happen unfortunately from time to time. "Dammit anyway!"

But now you're making me think about a different subject (even though I have no idea why) so I'm gonna start a new topic.

[grpubboss]

not to hijack the thread scott,what would you guys recommend for a in house system laptop or pc,as l am starting from the bare walls after the fire.I used a system from mixpro which was fine,and will be running virtual dj (we are doing video music mainly and karaoke).l would like to have 4 small speakers and a sub for 1200 sq ft any recommendations for that would be great also(active/powered preferred)

[Jallen0]

What is your budget for the speakers, and do you need any EQ / compressor / limiter (thinking Driverack 260 here) and do you need a mixer as well?

[grpubboss]

Originally Posted by Jallen0

What is your budget for the speakers, and do you need any EQ / compressor / limiter (thinking Driverack 260 here) and do you need a mixer as well?

Justin,l would like to be around 4500-5000.00 for 4 speakers and a sub,all powered preferably.l had 2 yorkville nx55p and 2 active behringers for fill ins.l also need to get a new mixer(denon 500x,and controller and cd players all denon l was using last time(dn4500)

[Jallen0]

Contact Rob at www.djsupply.com. Tell him that I sent you and he can get you a system that will work for that amount. I am partial to EV speakers myself.

The Denon's are good, however I like Pioneer much better. Look at the Pioneer 5000 mixer for your place. It has fantastic zone control. Also, this might be overkill, but look at the new CDJ-900 (or 2000 if you really want to go crazy). Any visiting DJ would love to work on this system.