what are my options?

[guntop]

I need to get a new laptop computer and am not sure exactly which ones i should look into.
what are my options for my using ableton and fl. Also, that's pretty much all i need ir for too.
so what would i need that would do those things well, has about 4 gb of ram, and doesnt have a whole bunch of extra stuff that i'll never use?

thanks so much for the help...

[leedsquietman]

Budget ?

Which audio interface/soundcard will you be using ??

Also cannot be Mac as the poster has FL Studio as well as Live (yes, I know about bootcamp/parallels and other emulation).

[guntop]

im using an edirol ua-1ex soundcard...

[leedsquietman]

FL studio is PC only unless you want to run a windows emulation program under Mac. I don't know how FL STudio will perform under Parallels/Bootcamp etc.

There aren't too many laptops with AMD chips in them and at present Intel chips perform better.

To futureproof yourself, (if you have enough budget) you should look at a quad core Intel processor such as an i5 or i7.

[guntop]

so if intel is a better bet than amd (which i have right now and seems to get very hot very fast all the time), what brand of laptop should i look into, or does it not matter at the point?

[leedsquietman]

Don't worry so much about brands. If you can get something NOT made by a big box manufacturer (i.e. HP, Toshiba, Dell, Sony, Lenovo, Acer etc) and afford a more bespoke system built as an audio laptop, that is a better but usually costlier option. I don't know where you live but in the U.S. this would include things such as ADK or Rain (Sweetwater only make desktops). http://www.adkproaudio.com/laptop2.cfm.

Otherwise, if you wipe the HD install and reinstall windows and the drivers again from scratch, you at least avoid the plethora of crap that comes bundled with the big box manufacturers. And I use a Dell XPS 15.4" laptop which works just fine. You will need to do a bit of tweaking with Control Panel and run the DPC latency checker (free download) to fine tune your system a bit.

Macbooks are easier to set up, but more costly than PCs, they have an advantage (apart from the ADK laptops which can run a Texas Instruments chipset for FW with an optional expresscard to FW adapter and run latencies as low as 64 on RME interfaces etc) in that their firewire chipset is better supported (although still not great).

Fruity Loops will not work in a Mac unless you run some type of emulation software such as bootcamp/vmware/parallels etc and I don't know how this would affect it.

[guntop]

what do you mean by wiping out hd install?
would that mean when i reinstall windows i select the custom option, or am i way out in left field in my understanding of this?

[leedsquietman]

just reinstall windows if you get a big box manufacturer PC as soon as you get it to wipe all the extra programs and needless background services that install on boot.

[guntop]

if i were to get an audio laptop, would i still need an external card to cue?

[McQ714]

just reinstall windows if you get a big box manufacturer PC as soon as you get it to wipe all the extra programs and needless background services that install on boot.

+1 on this... nothing wrong with an HP laptop. look into a custom made G62T series. you can build a computer with the same specs as the new 15" macbook pro for about $1300. well under the $2400 price tag of the MBP with i7 dual core CPU. it'd be a powerhouse of a laptop. that particular series looks similar to MBs also. or you could get an HP envy for about the same price as the MBP that would blow away the MBP in a shoot-out.

[guntop]

just reinstall windows if you get a big box manufacturer PC as soon as you get it to wipe all the extra programs and needless background services that install on boot.

+1 on this... nothing wrong with an HP laptop. look into a custom made G62T series. you can build a computer with the same specs as the new 15" macbook pro for about $1300. well under the $2400 price tag of the MBP with i7 dual core CPU. it'd be a powerhouse of a laptop. that particular series looks similar to MBs also. or you could get an HP envy for about the same price as the MBP that would blow away the MBP in a shoot-out.

this seems like alot more complicated proceedure than i think i can do?
what are the steps?

[McQ714]

are you serious?

you can understand how to use a program like Live or FL but you can't go to a website and decide what components you want the company to include in your purchase? have you ever purchased anything online? you're pulling my leg, aren't you? it's not much different than going to a grocery store and picking out the best ingredients for the meal you'll be cooking that night... or are you a boxed meal kind of guy?

[beats me]

iPad!

[McQ714]

iPad!

yes dumbass because the iPad will allow you to run both Live and FL... i think the glowing half-eaten apple on the back of your computer is completely blocking your ability to see the reality of how stupid you sound sometimes!

if you're not going to help the guy and give some advice that's actually worth the time it took you to reply to the thread, then what's the point of wasting your time by replying to the thread in the first place?!?! do you get off on it? does it excite you to be an ass?

[guntop]

no it's just that im not knowledgable with computers, if i were i wouldnt be asking for help in a forum...
so my problem is not knowing what exactly i would need to pick. i'm not sure what the receipt needs therefore i cant get the ingredients at the store.

my options i think so far are either, adk 1Q AR

or maybe an HP with an intel dual core (to which i'd customize, but since ive never done so, i'd like some tips, i3 or i5 or i7, kinda just that really) is 320 gb hard drive adequate, should i consider one up?

yes...no?

do i need tne TI chipset?
btw, thanks everyone for the help, really appreciate...