Actually, it would be somewhat more correct to say that I’m looking for a new computer system in general. My current tower is a Pentium 4 (2.66 GHz, 1 GB RAM, 512 MB Radeon HD3850) and my current laptop is a Powerbook G4 (1 GHz, 1.25 GB RAM, 32 MB nVidia GeForce Go 5200). They’re both old systems (both date to around 2003 or 2004, in fact), and while the Pentium 4 still holds its own for most things, the Powerbook is definitely getting long in the teeth. It still serves well for most things, but I notice that it’s slowing down as the months and software versions roll on.
Actually, the Powerbook is moving at the same speed as always; it’s the applications that are slowing down; later (more modern) software versions tend to be just a wee bit more resource intensive than previous versions, and more developers are beginning to simply drop support for the G4 series of processors in favour of Intel-exclusive applications. The last G4s were released in 2005; it’s already been over three years since Apple switched from PowerPC chips to Intel chips.
The most recent and relevant example of software evolving beyond the capabilities and hardware of the Powerbook is, unfortunately, my favourite piece of software: Adobe Lightroom. Version 3 of Lightroom will run reasonably well on my Pentium 4, apparently…but the Mac version only supports Intel-based Macs.
I suppose I could just get by on the Pentium 4, rather than investing in new hardware. But then, I don’t usually have a lot of time to sit down at home and work on photos. More to the point, in my day-to-day routine and career, I tend to lead a fairly “mobile” life, one that rather lends itself to (and is suited by) the use of a portable computer. There’s also the matter of my plan to return to school in September, to become a teacher. I am reliably informed that having a laptop — and then one that can run Windows, unfortunately — is practically a requirement (in this province, at least).
At the same time, I’d like to find something that can run OS X, Apple’s operating system, as well. Granted, when we’re talking about non-Apple hardware, that requires the use of hackint0sh tools…but that’s a length I’d be willing to go to.
So I have been looking at…possibilities. Which is actually a lot more difficult than I would have expected. The main concerns I have in selecting a new laptop are battery life and LCD quality; I’d like to find something with decent battery life and a screen that offers a decent contrast ratio and good colour. It’s this latter point that’s often problematic, especially when one is looking for a laptop — most laptops tend to have…er…sub-par screens.
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Tags: Adobe, Amazon.com, Apple, Asus, Asus G51, Asus UL30, Asus UL30vt, Asus UL80, Asus UL80vt, ATI, Core 2 Duo, CULV, Dell, Dell Studio XPS 16, G4, GeForce 9400M, GeForce 9600M GT, GeForce G210M, hackint0sh, Intel, Intel GMA4500HD, iPod Touch, Lightroom, MacBook, MacBook Pro, Macintosh, nVidia, OS, Pentium, Pentium 4, Powerbook, Powerbook G4, Radeon HD 3670, RGBLED, Windows