RECOMMENDED LAPTOP FOR MBOX1 ?

[OHARDEE]

I HAVE AN MBOX 1, CAN ANYONE RECOMMEND A REASONABLY PRICED LAPTOP THAT I CAN USE TO RUN IT? I HAVE A DESK TOP PC BUT NEED SOMETHINNG FOR ON THE ROAD. IDEALLY £500 TOPS, NOT BOTHERED IF IT CAN'T RUN TONNES OF PLUG-INS THO, i'LL BE MIXING AT HOME

THANKS

[spkguitar]

First, if you are posting about the Mbox, you are posting in the wrong area. This is the section for Pro Tools MPowered, the software that runs on M-Audio hardware.

Apparently, the "M" in the names confuses a lot of people.

Next, a £500 laptop? Running Pro Tools? You will be hard pressed to find something compatible.

Personally, and I know that people always balk at this, but the best laptop for running Pro Tools under Windows XP is the Macbook (yes, the Macbook running Windows XP).

[TheHenchman]

Sorry Spike guitar, but you are wrong.
The HP nc8430 is a kickass laptop that runs quite nicely.
And they can be found on Ebay with warranty for Under 500 pounds.

Pretty much the same specs as a macbook pro, for alot less money.

[spkguitar]

Well, you know what they say about opinions... there are as many of them on the internet as the other things, and everybody has one; me/mine included.

Opinions really can't be wrong. It is my opinion that the macbook is the best laptop for PT/PC currently.

You have yours, I have mine.

[TheHenchman]

Well, you know what they say about opinions... there are as many of them on the internet as the other things, and everybody has one.

Mine isn't an opinion, but a fact.
I own an NC8430, and it runs great.

I also have been working out of various facilities here in LA, and one of the facilities is all PC.
I have have way, way less problems and crashes on the PC than I have on the Mac's.

Again, not opinion, but fact.

[sunburst79]

I have have way, way less problems and crashes on the PC than I have on the Mac's.

Got both here (Mac/PC) and have had WAY more problems with OSX than Windows, You would have a hard time convincing the Mac users of that XP is more stable though.

Nothing in Windows update has "broke" Pro Tools either - at least as far back as I can remember. The Service Pack 2 issues were a PACE driver problem.

Biggest drawback of XP is the lack of 64 bit support and the 4GB limit.

Having said that I would recommend a base MacBook since Windows laptops seem to be such a hit or miss proposition. It would be nice if Digi qualified some new notebooks..... and some new chipsets and processers while they were at it

[TheHenchman]

Biggest drawback of XP is the lack of 64 bit support and the 4GB limit.

Having said that I would recommend a base MacBook since Windows laptops seem to be such a hit or miss proposition. It would be nice if Digi qualified some new notebooks..... and some new chipsets and processers while they were at it

This is a single file limitation. Meaning, if you want to record a single fiel that's larger than 4 gig.

For around $800,- you can get the nc8430, which has a 17" screen, and a 3 year warranty,and really is close to the equivalant of a Macbook pro.

You can't even get a 13" Macbook with Applecare for that.

[sunburst79]

Actually I'm talking about the 2GB OS/2GB applications memory allocation split. The 4GB limit of all 32 bit x86 operating systems. x86 64 bit is something 128GB max memory. While your never going to need 128GB with Pro Tools the application space is much larger and its unlikely you would run out of room.

About the best your going to get with 32 bit is 1GB for the OS and 2.7 for applications if you use PAE switching.

You could have a 4GB file but theres no way your going to fit it all into RAM. (thank goodness for disk streaming)

My point was OSX has much better memory addressing since its 64 bit.

The last I checked the Digi approved laptop list was about a year and a half old. Some newer qualified laptops would be nice.

[spkguitar]

It's also a fact that the MacBook works extremely well for using Pro Tools on Windows XP.

So, how exactly am I wrong? Are you referring to the "hard pressed to find" comment?


While you may still be able to find old stock of the nc8430 on the web, the HP website states clearly "The following products are no longer for sale" and includes the nc8430 (all 4 different models... of the same laptop... which model did you say was working? Tested all 4 different models? Guarantee that they are all working?).

[TheHenchman]

It's also a fact that the MacBook works extremely well for using Pro Tools on Windows XP.

So, how exactly am I wrong? Are you referring to the "hard pressed to find" comment?


While you may still be able to find old stock of the nc8430 on the web, the HP website states clearly "The following products are no longer for sale" and includes the nc8430 (all 4 different models... of the same laptop... which model did you say was working? Tested all 4 different models? Guarantee that they are all working?).

Dual Core model is workign 100%.
You said that the BEST laptop for running pT's is a Macbook.
And I again, I say you are wrong. It's not the best. It's just one that works.
If you want the best laptop for the money, you cannot beat the NC8430.
Period.