Which Laptop Is Best?

[Forster 0]

Hey,

 

I'm new to the forum but here goes...

 

I've been doing semi-temporary/mobile Disco's for a while now using CD's and now I think is the time to switch to using a Laptop. I understand the pro's and con's of Laptop's Vs. CD's and have read round the subject but there is one detail which I am unsure of, which Laptop to get?

 

It would be a dedicated Laptop for Disco's and never linked to the internet. I have read a few Computer magazines but all they go on about is gaming performance and internet speeds. I need to know, which Laptop is best for DJ'ing?

 

My budget is £500 tops. I'm looking for one with a standard keyboard (no "special buttons" or half sized enter buttons), loads of memory, strong, not too bulky, runs on XP and is most importantly... reliable.

 

Also, which DJ software is user friendly and reasonably priced? Any past experiences would be welcomed.

 

Thanks!

 

Forster

[MintyDave 0]

Hi Forster

 

firstly welcome to the forum, i hope you find answers to everything you need. dont be afraid to ask anything as none of us know everything!

 

Laptops - i use an acer extensa with intel core 2 duo processor and 1gb ddr ram with Xp home. For me this machine has performed flawlessly for 18 months. I had it rebooted with xp (few tweaks to run more smoothly) instead of the oem and still use it online for itunes and updates only.

 

The standard £400/£500 laptops are certainly powerful enough with 2gb ram being the norm, however its the OS that may be an issue. Windows 7 is out but i cant personally vouch for any dj software that may be compatible. I dont like vista and was lucky enough to get an xp based machine. there are some very experienced computer users on here and they may be able to offer more insight.

 

you may also need a multi channel soundcard to benefit from 2 channels to enable cue'ing etc.

 

software wise there are various options and some you can get free with controllers etc. I use virtual dj - cost me £170 for the full pro edition and i love it. Reads i tunes and the interface is so easy to use, does video and karaoke etc. The Numark branded version (cue) comes free with some numark controlers and you can download a demo which will work for a month. I have used pcdj and traktor in the past.

 

Anyway thats me, im sure you will get more replies very soon

Regards

Dave

[Teez 0]

Quite a few of the DJ websites including the American ones rave on about the Macs.

 

If they're as reliable with DJ'ing as they are in the design industry I don't think you can go far wrong. I use a Dell notebook only because I had it spare.

 

I'm new to this digital dj'ing myself but I would say that a CD/laptop combination means that you have backup should aything go wrong (especially for MDJ's).

 

If you are laptop only I think all the eggs in one basket is a risk.

 

IMHO

 

Teez

[Dukesy 0]

Laptops are great - but were not specifically designed for the type of work we do, so let's just think about what you may also end up spending out for first, as this can actually help you make a decision on your laptop!

 

You'll likely end up buying a controller interface as a mouse pad and keyboard just isn't practical enough to DJ with, although this largely depends on the type of DJ'ing you want to do! I'd set-aside a controller/mixer budget (£150 - £300).

 

If you don't purchase a controller/mixer with built-in sound card, consider adding a dedicated sound card (£80 - 150) such as a gigaport or something along the same lines.

 

If you purchase 2 external drives, then set aside between £60 - £90 each. Ideally, these should have a power supply, but I've seen external drives run off a laptop (USB 2.0) fine, playing videos!

 

Already, the budget (above) indicated totals between £210.00 to £420.00+.

 

So let's see what you can get laptop wise for around the £300.00 mark. You'll need a laptop with USB ports (minimum 4 in my opinion) plenty of memory and lots of HDD space, especially if you only purchase one external HDD.

 

I'd consider something like the SONY VAIO VGN-NR32L/S. It has a 15.4-inch screen, Pentium Dual Core (1.86GHz) and 2GB RAM. I believe this can be expanded to 3GB for around £30 - if you really need to!

The HDD is 200GB. Overall, the machine has a good spec and positive reviews. Prices have dropped considerably for these, now available from around £365 new, so I'd hunt around as last year, these were close to £600.00

 

The laptop will be shipped with Vista, but if you intend to just DJ, then it would be worth downloading the latest Vista Service Pack which removes a lot of rubbish! DJ software compatibility issues with Vista are not mentioned that often, but I'd check which version of PCDJ has 'problems' if you intend to buy.

 

I've not heard of any problems with Vista and Virtual DJ, but there always might be something out there, so worth perusing the DJ software forums first, just to see what issues have been encountered and resolved.

 

You could probably buy a laptop, 1 x external drive and a good controller/mixer (with built in soundcard) for perhaps a little under / over £500.00, but it doesn't leave much budget for DJ software. Oh yes, I forgot! If you buy a good controller/mixer, this usually comes bundled with software, so if you buy something like a Hercules controller, I think they ship with Virtual DJ.

 

Problem solved!

 

Alternatively, you could probably stick with a laptop and 1 x external drive for under £500.00 but a controller will make life a lot easier for you to do your DJ'ing.

 

If I remember rightly, the controllers draw power from the USB, so if you was thinking of flight casing the system (more expense, but worth it!), then the only power sockets you'll need will be the laptop and maybe a powered HDD, not including a CD player which you might want to bundle in for peace of mind!

 

Hope this helps.

[DJTREV 0]

Can I just say that that post by Dukesy puts everything into perspective regarding digital Dj'ing for me.

 

Thanks.