Why Laptops And Not Pc's?

[Key2 0]

I was just wondering why people use laptops instead of a PC. A dedicated small-form PC and a flat-panel screen isn't going to take up much more room than a laptop, plus you can fit your choice of internal souncards. When things go wrong, or you want to upgrade, a PC is much easier to work on. I can build a pc, but not a laptop. I just wondered why laptops were the weapon of choice (isn't that a song?) for most dijital DJ's.

 

John

[Paul Smith 0]

There are some DJs on here who do use a PC and there are many advantages (some of which you've already pointed out).

 

Personally I choose the laptop route for convenience, less to take and plug in, less weight etc. I'm just about to upgrade my laptop and I will once again look at the PC vs Laptop angles so look forward to reading the view-points of others.

[Jason v G 0]

From my own experience a laptop is as Paul pointed out a lot lighter and quicker and easier to set up. You simply open it and press a button and voila you're ready to go. With a PC you have to carry in the tower (or rack), the screen, then keyboard, mouse all separately, whereas a laptop is one unit. Also if you're just playing music (pcdj, ots , bpm etc..) most affordable laptops will handle it very well, mine is a pentium 4 mobile series that I got off fleabay for about £200, put a bit extra memory in and of you go.

 

I have however upgraded my otsdj package to include the video module and now use a custom built pc in rackcase. Obviously for playing and mixing video a much better processor and videocard are needed. My gig PC has a core 2 duo e6600 processor, 2 gig of 800mhz ram, a saphire radeon x1950 pro graphics card, high end motherboard etc.. This kind of spec wouldn't be found in a laptop.

 

To use a PC for mobile use you really need to look at building it into a rackcase, these offer a lot better protection for a mobile pc than a tower and a rackcase will lie flat not stood up like a tower, out of sight so to speak.

 

So if you're planning on playing just music then a laptop is probably the quicker, easier, lighter, and more affordable choice. If you're going down the video route then to get the spec needed a PC is probably the better option.

 

[Gary 0]

Both laptops and PCs have their own tedious potential points of failure.

 

Laptops have very small dimensions and therefroe very small internal apertures for airflow - which is one of the reasons that heat is an issue for many laptops - especially when the internals are being driven for hours and hours solidly, rather than just intermittantly as most applications would do - hence various attempts at laptop cooling pads, fans and other remedial products.

 

Likewise PC's aren't ideal for mobile usage either, although they have better airflow than lappys. Several components within a PC are modular - indeed most PCI cards for example - are only held in with one screw - a couple of speed bumps and a cattle grid or two could say bye-byes to a memory module (heard about that happening to a DJ two weeks ago), or a PCI sound card.

 

Neither laptops nor PCs are really ideal for DJing- but somehow, some models have been luckier than others at lasting this far.

[TonyB 0]

Laptops are fine for DJ use and heat is not a problem. They are used in much more challenging environments than at a disco and I have seen a demo of an IBM laptop being run over by a truck and it still worked so they are generally pretty robust as they are designed for on the road use.

 

I know lots of DJ's that use laptops (about 12 off the top of my head), all different makes, and none of them have had overheating problems or any other problem come to think of it. Todays processors are designed to run cooler and reduce the power they need according to demand. Running just a DJ program doesn't create a lot of demand on the processor so they tend to run pretty cool.

 

The overheating problems occurred with older laptops, 4 to 5 years ago. Most around today are fine.

 

I, as many others, find them to be an ideal tool for DJ use coupled with the professional DJ software that is available today.

 

 

[KrazyKaz 0]

Personally, I use a laptop for DJing. I've not had a problem with it.

 

Couldn't imagine taking a desktop out (all the extras etc., tower, keyboard, mouse etc.)

 

To replace a laptop hard drive is not difficult, but I do have an external as back-up.

 

Being married to a computer engineer has it advantages!!

Edited July 23, 2007 by KrazyKaz

[High Fidelity 0]

For me it's the laptop for weight and convenience.

 

A spare PSU and the usb soundcard are permanantly fitted in the rig, so for setting up all I have to do is lift the lid of the rig, plug the PSU and usb connectors into the back of the laptop and off I go.

 

All my music is stored on the internal hard disk (which I upgraded to a bigger one), though I have a copy of it all on a usb hard disk which I use with the backup laptop.

[Mattaious 0]

I run a laptop, just as i only used it for Music,

However with events coming up im considering using a desktop pc based system .

Where can i get hold of a rack mount unit for a pc?

Ive got a PC tower in the garage 2ghz thingy i got off freecycle, currently running windows xp.

Ive got a spare Rack mount case just wanna put the pc in that,

 

Any ideas?

 

[Jimbo55 0]

I used to use rack mount cases, normally 2u costing in excess of £130. Built like the proverbial brick 'outhouse' and weighing about the same and very strong. But it did leave another problem obtaining half height dual graphic output cards. They are available but so far as I am aware limited capabilty if advanced graphic capability is required.

 

I now use a micro atx Tower case costing £28 from my local computer fair. This includes a 400w psu and two 50mm case cooling fans. I use double sided tape to stick the case to a rackmount shelf unit which makes the case exremely ridged and less likely to flex. My laptop acts as a backup.

 

Jim

 

 

[buskersball 0]

I used to use rack mount cases, normally 2u costing in excess of £130. Built like the proverbial brick 'outhouse' and weighing about the same and very strong. But it did leave another problem obtaining half height dual graphic output cards. They are available but so far as I am aware limited capabilty if advanced graphic capability is required.

 

I now use a micro atx Tower case costing £28 from my local computer fair. This includes a 400w psu and two 50mm case cooling fans. I use double sided tape to stick the case to a rackmount shelf unit which makes the case exremely ridged and less likely to flex. My laptop acts as a backup.

 

Jim

 

I too use a PC with laptop back up...probably psychological but I feel more confident with the PC. If anything should come loose I can just whip the side panel off and have a look, plus I have two hard drives, one for music and one just with Windows and BPM studio on (plus a karaoke program)

 

Its also so much easier changing hard drive (and hard drives are a lot cheaper and bigger). To be extra sure I always carry an ipod fully loaded.

Seeing it takes well over an hour to set up, and you're at the gig for six or seven hours, an extra couple of minutes setting up a PC is nothing

 

[rictic 0]

almost the same as buskerball. pc for rig at the mo, laptop too for backup. but as busker 2 hard drives,one for workin one for storage. also i have many many cd's. i love the pc/laptop route as i can set a play list and go for a smoke or whatever.radio mike ,do yer spiel from the loo if ya know whats on next lol.

[Key2 0]

I think I'm still looking at pc as my main play out, although when I first started thinking about a new career as a digital dj, I didn't know about the DJ Licence thing. :omg:

 

I can't see why the case on a pc should be any less protection than a flightcase, and as Buskerball said, it's quick and easy to slide the side-panel of a case when necessary. Not so sure it would be that easy if it was rack mounted, but I'm sure there are reasons why people do rack-mount their PC.

 

Any recommendations on an internal soundcard?

 

Thanks

 

John

 

[Award Entertainment 0]

I was just wondering why people use laptops instead of a PC.

John, for me it comes down to two words; UPS and Interchangeable.

 

UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) is something I believe your PC would need in a mobile DJ application. If the power goes out, someone trips over a cable, or a sound limiter switches you off, with a laptop the battery kicks in seamlessly and allows you to locate and fix the problem, or perform a graceful shut down. UPS devices for PCs are heavy and a bit clumsy, plus hardly anyone actually gets around to buying one.

 

Interchangeable. If your PC does have a problem (either hardware or software), you're stuffed. With my laptop, I just press play on the emergency MP3 player, unplug the faulty laptop and plug in my backup. Nobody is any the wiser that I've had a major calamity. I've not had a problem with laptops and OtsDJ (which I use) is incredibly stable.

 

With laptops I can use one laptop for ceremony or cocktail music with one of my Bose systems and the other Bose is set up in the reception room ready to go with the other laptop on my console. Total versatility and simplicity.

 

http://www.disco.co.nz/images/DSC00797.jpg

[UKHero 0]

Interesting thread this. Its great to see so many people using a PC or Laptop to play there music on and saying how good they are and having a posative vibe on them. Infact only one complaint about laptop or PC use for disco and by some one who does not use one for there gigs lol...

 

I as most of the regulars on here know use a laptop for my gigs its the best playin' format for me as I have a 10 Chn sound card and have Otsdj, sports sound pro, audition and note pad running all at the same time.

 

I can play from otsdj, on one fader of my mixer or sports sound pro from another giving me in affect 3 playback machines. I can make notes on notepad and can record all or components of the show on audition.

 

I have upgreaded my ots to use the karaoke module and when doing a karaoke show i record the person singing on audition then instantly play some of it back (on another fader directly from audition so a fourth playin option) when they finish this makes for a great atmosphere and people enjoy it...

 

I have also in the past recorded inserts and played them in later. I also use my laptop for RSL's from time to time as well as shop promo days where it plays music from 8:00 till 17:30 and find it the perfect tool for the job.. Infact on one RSL we used it to provide overnight cover from 10pm to 6am for a whole month it never missed a beat.. No heat problems crashes nothing...

 

Now tell me can a HDC or CD player do this?? For me it is still the best form of playin available not the cheapest but the best.....

 

Nik

 

[brianmole 0]

I was just wondering why people use laptops instead of a PC. A dedicated small-form PC and a flat-panel screen isn't going to take up much more room than a laptop, plus you can fit your choice of internal souncards. When things go wrong, or you want to upgrade, a PC is much easier to work on. I can build a pc, but not a laptop. I just wondered why laptops were the weapon of choice (isn't that a song?) for most dijital DJ's.

 

John

 

Well, everyone has missed a crucial point here - a laptop is made in a factory environment with proper ESD controls. Some PCs are as well, but once the ignorant user or retailer has opened it to insert a sound card for example, the system has been compromised. ESD (Electro Static Discharge) damage is not immediately apparent, and research shows it is responsible for about 80% of computing failures. Just attaching a wrist strap is not enough to protect the kit from ESD events when you work on them, and some people even believe that 'grabbing the chassis' is protection - wrong.

 

So in answer to your question, if I were to use a computer in a mission critical function such as DJing, I would not trust a PC, I would trust a Laptop more as it would not have been opened since it left the factory.

 

Of course, this all applies to any electronic device you are working on, not just computers....

 

[Jimbo55 0]

A crucial and valid point Bian. Not everyone takes enough care when building a Home Brew PC. Certainly the way some compnents are handled at computer fairs makes me squirm! Memory, Processors, MB, are all rountinely grabbed without the proper protocol. Handing such parts Without anti static bag to someone else is a classic static dishcharge route. :nono:

 

Jim

[Dukesy 0]

Both laptops and PCs have their own tedious potential points of failure...

 

Neither laptops nor PCs are really ideal for DJing- but somehow, some models have been luckier than others at lasting this far.

Have operated a Sony Vaio laptop (multiple use) for more than five years with little complaint but have had issues with external hard drives.

The model of the laptop is getting on so may consider upgrading to a more sophisticated 'modern machine' if that can be said in computer terms these days - they keep changing!

 

 

 

 

[Key2 0]

Have operated a Sony Vaio laptop (multiple use) for more than five years with little complaint but have had issues with external hard drives.

The model of the laptop is getting on so may consider upgrading to a more sophisticated 'modern machine' if that can be said in computer terms these days - they keep changing!

 

You know what they say? If it 'aint broke, don't fix it!