Best Laptops for Pro Tools LE

[spkguitar]

Originally Posted by Nish

Here is your problem if this is your audio drive !
WDC WD3200AAVS-00ZTB0 (320GB, FireWire/1394/SATA300, 3.5", 5400rpm, NCQ, 8MB Cache) : 298GB (F:)

5400rpm should be 7200rpm...

Completely agree.

Originally Posted by Nish

This is not always true, at least in my experience it is not, I can mix a session or edit while browsing the web without a glitch)

Recording to a USB drive can be successful sometimes as well, but I will ALWAYS recommend against it.

On every system I have ever used that has a WiFi card, and on many systems that I haven't actually used, but helped online with, keeping the WiFi card enabled always eventually causes -6085 errors (sooner on some systems than others).

[Guitar Guy]

My system drive is 7200 rpm...I am not recording to this drive.
My firewire drive (MyBook Western Digital) is 5400 rpm. Do you really think upgrading my external drive to a 7200rpm will make THAT much difference? I can't even record one second with the 5400rpm...
Do you think a new external hard drive will fix the firewire underflow error I mentioned? Because it's asking me to remove items from my system firewire bus...that doesn't sound like an external hard drive problem to me. I mean, I'll buy a new one, but could it really help that much?

Nish:
How do I set my USB controllers to it's default windows drivers?
I am running Windows Vista 32 bit, not XP. The AVID site said that Windows Vista 32 bit only was supported. Should I try XP anyway?
I have already ordered another 2 gigs. Thanks for helping me guys, please continue to give input on anything you feel necessary.

[spkguitar]

Originally Posted by Guitar Guy

Do you really think upgrading my external drive to a 7200rpm will make THAT much difference?

Yes.

Originally Posted by Guitar Guy

Do you think a new external hard drive will fix the firewire underflow error I mentioned?

Yes.

Originally Posted by Guitar Guy

Because it's asking me to remove items from my system firewire bus...that doesn't sound like an external hard drive problem to me.

The external drive is on the firewire bus. And removing items is a suggestion to solve the problem.

Originally Posted by Guitar Guy

I mean, I'll buy a new one, but could it really help that much?

IMHO, yes.

Originally Posted by Guitar Guy

The AVID site said that Windows Vista 32 bit only was supported.

Where does it say that?

[Guitar Guy]

http://www3.digidesign.com/index.cfm...&itemid=37251\

It did not make the list of XP compatible computers...what do you think? Try it anyways? I have had better luck with XP in the past with other pc's...but they were desktops.

What do you think about this hard drive?

http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Other.../MEAQ7750GB32/

Yes? No? Do I need the 32mb cache or would I be ok with the cheaper 16mb cache?

[spkguitar]

Originally Posted by Guitar Guy

http://www3.digidesign.com/index.cfm...&itemid=37251\

Ah. I see.

Keep in mind that the current version of Pro Tools is the very last that will support Vista or XP. I would definitely recommend Windows 7 above both at this point.

Originally Posted by Guitar Guy

What do you think about this hard drive?

http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Other.../MEAQ7750GB32/

Yes? No? Do I need the 32mb cache or would I be ok with the cheaper 16mb cache?

That would be the drive I actually recommend. Go for the 32 cache.

[Hayesland]

http://www.wiebetech.com/home.php

Your link was one I considered however the wiebtech is the one I have for backup only! as it has a fan for cooling in which is huge.
You have a false sense of security without cooling and you might lose the hard drive.

Im surprised that your still messing with a 5400 rpm drive when you have already been educated about this previously.

I dont understand the Vista operating system. This operating system even with protools out of the picture was something I would never mess with either, as it was a complete failure for Microsoft and most people.

[Nish]

Originally Posted by Guitar Guy

My system drive is 7200 rpm...I am not recording to this drive.
My firewire drive (MyBook Western Digital) is 5400 rpm. Do you really think upgrading my external drive to a 7200rpm will make THAT much difference? I can't even record one second with the 5400rpm...
Do you think a new external hard drive will fix the firewire underflow error I mentioned? Because it's asking me to remove items from my system firewire bus...that doesn't sound like an external hard drive problem to me. I mean, I'll buy a new one, but could it really help that much?

Nish:
How do I set my USB controllers to it's default windows drivers?
I am running Windows Vista 32 bit, not XP. The AVID site said that Windows Vista 32 bit only was supported. Should I try XP anyway?
I have already ordered another 2 gigs. Thanks for helping me guys, please continue to give input on anything you feel necessary.

Your record drive definitely should be 7200rpm, no way around that.
For the usb controllers you go to system, hardware, device manager, universal serial buss controllers, choose the usb controller/update driver/install from specific location/dont search, i will choose.../next/ then choose standard enchanged controller. Anyhow I don't know if this is the same in vista though, all I know is that I installed vista once on some laptop and it the biggest crap OS I ever come across in my life.

XP still kicks ass for me (tweaked), though with the latest anouncement that pt 8.0.4 is the last xp supported version I would upgrade to windows 7 64 bit. with upgrade I mean buy an OEM version of W7 not an upgrade package though, otherwise you would be stuck with installing vista first every time you need a fresh install.

Good luck, cheers

[Guitar Guy]

Hayesland,

I did upgrade my system hard drive to a 7200 rpm after talking to you. I was unaware that the MyBook was only 5400 at the time. But here's the deal. I can't even LISTEN to a session on my USB Mbox micro drive with my new 7200rpm system hard drive. I'm really hoping you guys are right...that an upgraded 7200rpm external hard drive will somehow fix all these issues...it's a little hard to believe. I mean what would my EXTERNAL hard drive deficiency have to do with a USB Mbox micro listening device? I guess my last ditch effort will be to try XP. I'm growing weary...

[spkguitar]

Originally Posted by Guitar Guy

As far as windows 7 goes, I was unaware that Avid was officially supporting Windows 7 64bit. I guess it's not beta anymore?

Not since version 8.0.4 was released, no.

[jsp_1983]

It's been a while since I last looked at trying to get PT to successfully work on my hardware... Since looking again, a few things have changed - Win 7 64-bit is supported, the Mbox has been dropped and... Hardware compatibility seems to have been simplified - am I understanding that right?

The problem I had previously with PT running on laptops is that Digidesign's recommended hardware list was so out of date that I couldn't purchase any of their recommended laptops - assuming those particular models were available here in the UK.

So, am I free to pick up a laptop of my own choosing now, if I ensure it can connect to an Mbox 2, has enough RAM, an i5 or i7 processor and a 7200rpm HD? Or is it not as simple as that still?