Which laptop would you recommend for a mechanical engineer student?

lightweight laptop for video editing image

aero

I want to be able to surf the web, stream videos, listen to music, write papers, run CAD programs, and do some graphic editing. I don't do any gaming or any of that!

Obviously I'm looking for the best bang for my buck when it comes to a fairly small, lightweight, reliable, and fast laptop. I prefer windows 8, and if I'm going to get one, I want it to be as up to date as possible. I'd like to stick to a $500-600 price range tops, but I could save up some extra if it's worth it.

Also, do you have any recommendations for the best free or affordable CAD programs or other programs that could be useful for mechanical engineering?

Answer
If you're doing mechanical engineering you'll need to be well knowledged in Solidworks, AutoDesk Inventor, and AutoCAD, and I'd be surprised if a $500-600 laptop could run any of them WELL. They could probably all get by, but actually using the programs effectively on a budget laptop would be difficult.

If you're a student, look to see if you have any student discounts with AutoDesk, as that gives you access to discounted versions of Inventor and AutoCAD.

What are important specs when buying a laptop that will replace a desktop?

Darren B

I am trying to stay under or around $1000 and still run like a desktop. My wife and I are getting a Nikon D80 Digital Camera for Christmas and we also download a lot of music. We are not into gaming, however we would like to be able to watch and burn DVD movies. What are some suggested specs for a Laptop to run like a desktop and also be able to do the above things listed?

Answer
How to Buy a Laptop: 15 Tips You Need to Know
The choices can be dizzying and expensive. Here's a practical guide to what you needâand what you don't. Click around for the inside essentials on the consumer notebook computer, then scroll down to find out what you need on your budget.

No longer the expensive business-traveler stepchild to the desktop PC, the laptop is more affordable and comes in more varieties than ever before. Thereâs a laptop for every possible lifestyle â practical daily drivers, lightweight travelers and entertainment powerhouses. The key to buying the machine you need is knowing whatâs what under the hood.




What do you get for your money?

BUDGET
$600-$900

Processing: Single-core CPU (Intel Celeron M, Intel Core Solo, AMD Sempron, AMD Turion 64) and a graphics processor that shares system memory
Operating system: Windows Vista Home Basic
Screen: 12 to 15 in.
Connectivity: USB, VGA video, Ethernet, 802.11g wireless
Good for: Web surfing, basic word processing and e-mail programs MIDPRICED
$1000-$2000

Processing: Dual-core CPU (Intel Core 2 Duo, AMD Athlon 64 X2) and a graphics processor with 128MB to 256MB of on-board memory
Operating system: Windows Vista Home Premium
Screen: 15 to 17 in.
Connectivity: USB, DVI or S-Video, FireWire, Ethernet, 802.11g and Bluetooth wireless
Good for: All basic and small-business applications, plus video playback EXPENSIVE
$2100 and up

Processing: Dual-core CPU (Intel Core 2 Duo, AMD Athlon 64 X2) and a graphics processor with at least 256MB of memory
Operating system: Windows Vista Ultimate
Screen: 17 to 20 in. (Some ultralight laptops, however, have sub-10-in. screens.)
Connectivity: USB, DVI or HDMI video, Ethernet, 802.11g, Bluetooth and cellular wireless
Good for: Gaming, video editing â and pretty much anything else



1. RE: How to Buy a Laptop: 15 Tips You Need to Know
great reference

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What kind of laptop is ideal for an artist on the run?

lightweight laptop for video editing image

J

Something that is capable of running good photo-editing software, or maybe even video editing software. It could be something lightweight or cheap. What kind of software do you recommend for photo or video editing?

Answer
I suggest either a MacBook or MacBook Pro. Visit apple.com for details on the specifications of those computers. All MacBooks & MacBook Pros come with iPhoto, iMovie and iDVD to allow you edit photos, movies and videos right out of the box. Those are very good programs to start with. Most people in the art, video, photography and design industries use Macs. Macs were designed for artists!!!

The MacBook is the mainstream level laptop, and it gives you a better bang for your buck. The MacBook Pro is the professional laptop line, and it's more expensive. But it has a dedicated graphics card, larger screen and a larger hard drive, which can come in handy for video and photo editing. But which one you get depends on your budget and aspirations. If you plan to do this stuff professionally, I say go with the MacBook Pro. If this is just a hobby and you want to save money, go with the MacBook. Also, today's Intel-based Macs are all capable of running Windows as well (but you have to supply your own copy of Windows). Macs run most graphics software very smoothly. I have a MacBook Pro and I haven't regretted buying it, it's an amazing computer!!!

If you don't want to get a Mac, I suggest checking out the HP or Dell brands. I have had good experience with both.

Final Cut Pro is also a good video editing program, but it's a bit more expensive and has a steeper learning curve. But I believe Final Cut Pro is what the pros use. There are some other good ones as well, here is a site with a breakdown and comparison of features: http://video-editing-software-review.toptenreviews.com/

For photo editing, the industry standard is Adobe Photoshop. It is expensive, but if you plan to do this professionally, look at it as an investment into your future.

Another good photo editing tool is Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, it's cheaper than Photoshop and I think it's very slick. Also, Lightroom was developed specifically for professional photographers. So it's worth checking out!

What laptop would you recommend me to buy?

James

My uses for the laptop will be mostly surfing the internet, writing papers, editing photos, videos, listening to music.

The only preference I have is that it is lightweight. My old laptop was quite heavy and I'm usually always carrying it around campus.

Price wise, I'm not looking to spend more then $1,000.

Answer
The Pavilion dm4-1160us Enertanmint Notebook Is Great!

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