laptop recommendations for Mbox

[mrculpa]

Hello!

Our college's music department has been given funds to purchase a portable recording system. Since we already teach ProTools, the MBox is a logical choice, and since we're mostly recording live classical music performances with a stereo pair of mics, we don't need more than that.

I am looking for recommendations of laptop computers that:

1) Are available for under $1,500
2) Are reliable with the Digi hardware and software (chipset issues)
3) Have proven track records (as much as possible, considering that this product has only been available on PC for a short time)

If you have or know of a laptop model that would fit the bill for us, please be as specific as possible in describing it.

Thanks again for your help - I am a regular reader of the forum, and although I do not post often, I have learned a great deal from all of you. I am looking forward to your responses!

Forrest Wakeman
Assistant Professor of Music
Cornerstone University

[QuikDraw]

I don't have an M-Box yet. I don't know when I'll get one. I just picked up a laptop that I intend to one day use with the M-Box.

It's a Gatway 400S. It was the only brand-new laptop I could fine with a P4 (not Celron) and a genuine Intel 845 chpset (this is the 845MZ) that was under $1500. This machine should run the M-Box just fine according to the specs. I got it for $1299 + tax. That's $1400 out the door in California. Here's the specs:

P4 2.0GHz (400MHz front side bus)
Intel 845MZ chipset
256MB 200MHz DDR RAM (PC1600)
30GB hard drive (I assume 4200 RPM)
DVD/CD-RW combo drive
floppy
14" 1024 x 768 LCD screen
USB 1.1 (2 ports)
1394 (1 port - 4pin)
Ethernet 10/100
V.92 modem
Type II & III PCMCIA slots

Not a bad machine for under $1500. It does have one drawback though. It has 3 cooling fans. They don't run most of the time. 2 of them are fairly quiet. When the third fan comes on it's pretty loud. I definitely wouldn't want to record with a microphone in the same room unless the source was pretty loud. The fan only seems to come on if I'm in a room that's kept pretty warm. It's never come on except in my living room, which my wife likes to keep a little warmer than I like.

Aside from the occasional fan noise it's a pretty nice machine. Unfortunately, I don't have any cash left to pick up the M-Box. So I can't tell you that it will actually work with this machine. I don't know yet! But that was one of my intentions when I bought it, so I hope that it will work. It should, based on the specs.

Anyway, I hope someone will come along and give you some good information. I was asking the same question a couple of weeks ago, and no one came up with any tried and true, known to work with the M-Box, sub $1500 answers for me. I ended up with the Gateway because it seems to have the best bang for the buck (as far as Intel based systems are concerned).

Good luck.

Mike

[froyo]

Hello. There is a thread on this board that has exactly what you are looking for. You can also do a search and put the word laptop or notebook on the subject field and get more threads that way. Some are probably older, thus practically obsolete, so just stick with the recent threads. Also, you may want to consider going to ebay or ubid. You may get a balls to the wall Sony VAIO for under $1500. Good luck!

notebook recommendations

[froyo]

Hey sorry that link didn't work, I don't know why. The thread is called 'Mbox Notebook Performance Database'. As of Saturday in the AM, it's lower on the first page. Good luck.

[QuikDraw]

Here's that link in working form. I don't see a whole lot of info on sub-$1500 systems though. Not unless they're used. There's very little mention of price on that thread.

Mbox Notebook Performance Database

Mike

[froyo]

Hello. Hey Quikdraw how did it go on your laptop search? Did you get anything off the sites I mentioned? As I mentioned in a related thread by Quikdraw, I am not terribly well versed with laptops. However I did have some places to start in that thread, and some new ones here a friend of mine who is better versed on them relayed to me today. He said a company called Sager makes a pretty cool P4 2 Ghz plus laptop for under $1500. Apparently they also have a 30 day money back policy, which may be just enough time to test Pro Tools and find out if it will work. I had also suggested to try this in Quikdraw's thread with places like CompUsa, Best Buy, etc. He also told me of a web page called Techworthy where you can make comparison tables, including prices, on everything from Desktops to Notebooks and anything in between. Those may help.

www.sagernotebook.com
www.techworthy.com/comparison

And here are some of the links I had suggested previously.

www.pricewatch.com
www.redsubmarine.com
www.carillonusa.com

Now how about someone with some hands on experience chiming in here?

P.S. Quikdraw I realized after I posted that you had related your Gateway purchase up above. Keep in touch and let us know how it works out. Thank you.