First of all, realize that with a notebook, as with any lcd screen except the newer, high end models, you are giving up the ability to color calibrate your monitor. Not that important for editing for the web, but it will make it harder to get the colors you want in prints.
That said, I think the most important thing is to get enough real estate on the screen for the modest size screens you’ll have in a laptop. I would advise an 15" SVGA+ . The native resolution is 1400 x 1050. Be sure, however, that your comfortable with the smaller text size of the high res screen. There is also an even higher res screen with native 1600 x 1200, but most people find that text is too small. If you are not aware of it, you have to run lcd’s at their native resolution or you’ll give up a huge amount of clarity.
After that, a reasonably fast processor is adequate. Be sure it’s a mobile processor. Some manufacturers put desktop processors in notebooks. The heat is a real problem. As said, probably and P4M or centrino about 2 gig or better. I’d stay away from a celeron, though it wouldn’t be deadly if price becomes a real factor
Get lots of memory. 512 mb min. 1 gig would be better.
I disagree that you need the hottest graphics card. The fastest graphics accelerators are more used for multi-media processing and especially for games, where the display needs to be changed constantly. For photo editing, the requirements of the graphics card are modest.
Get a fair sized hard drive, and a cd-r. Be sure it has USB2.0 since down the road you’ll need more hard drive space and can then get a USB 2.0 external hard drive.
For $1500 you should be able to do pretty good. Check the usual suspects for specials (Dell, HP etc). You might also want to check out abs computers (
http://www.abspc.com/) – a lot of photoshop users like their desktops. I just ordered a desktop from them, but I’ve heard no feedback on their laptops.
HTH
MarkR
Remove clothes to reply by email
"Modern cyberspace is a deadly, festering swamp, teeming with dangerous programs such as "viruses", "worms", "Trojan horses" and "licensed Microsoft
software" that can take over your computer and render it useless." Dave Berry
"DennisD" wrote in message
I could really use some help here. I’m in the process of buying a new notebook computer it’s primary function will be for digital imaging (PS
7).
I will take it into the field but not that often. I’m getting hung up on processor type (Pentium 4 vs. Centrino). Could anyone recommend a notebook in the $1500 range or point me in the right direction.