ethnotronik wrote:Thanks for the response. I will look into a budget of 2-2.5k for a laptop for live set, multitracking, production and mixing on the go. If dell, as the competitor to apple, offers this at 30% less, I am hoping there will be more competition elsewhere. My desktop computer is at the storage for the past two years, and I am totally laptop dependent for everything audio related.
In my work day experience (as a Network Administrator) we typically only use Dell for servers and then only because of the (really good) warranties.
Otherwise, we have found both Lenovo and HP to make better products at this point in time. We typically do not recommend Dell (any more) as they have started cutting a lot of corners on workstations. We run about 85% Lenovo and and 15% HP (about 415 total PCs). The last few years HP having been building better units... IMHO.
At home, all the techs that work with me have ASUS units... I personally have an iMac, a Macbook, and an ASUS laptop. We all put more faith in ASUS motherboards than anyone else's. Once you get over the disposable/consumer grade low end ASUS specs and start to get near or over the 1000+ US dollars range, you start getting into some really nice computers. If I was switching from my iMac to a Windows laptop for audio, I'd look no further than ASUS.
I'd build my own desktop (with an ASUS motherboard).
just my .02
good luck with what ever you ultimately decide on. hope it is everything you need and more.
cheers