Computer processor question

[cnsranch]

Thinking of getting a used laptop for the shop - would be used almost exclusively for Designer.

What size processor and RAM do I really need?

[atauer]

CNS,

The system requirements should be listed in the FAQ on our website. It really depends on the computer OS you are going to be running on the computer.

[cnsranch]

Alex -

Not to sound like a smart a**, I know what the requirements are, what I want to know is what do I need to be satisfied with performance -

i.e., processor speed, etc.

[atauer]

It depends on what your OS is going to be. If you are going to be running just the Carvewright software, the system requirements that we show are plenty enough for what you are wanting.

[cnsranch]

Thanks, Alex

[HighTechOkie]

The simple answer....the fastest/most money will allow. I have tried a few times to get an answer out of LHR on this, and no one will give a straight answer. The biggest limitation with a laptop (especially older models) is their weak graphics processors and OpenGL performance.

For a Windows XP machine, I would say 256MB ram will get you by with no other programs running (antivirus/antispyware etc.) Otherwise 512MB is a minimum. If you ONLY use it for Designer...you might be able to get away with a lite(custom stripped down) version of XP or 2000. The less crap running in the background means more resources available for Designer and a more pleasant user experience.

I recently built a new pc with a Core 2 Duo 8400, 4GB ram and an ATI HD3870 graphics card. I was using a P4 2.4Ghz, 512MB and a Geforce FX5200. Definitely a jump in performance, but I'm not able to attribute it to any one component. I do plan on softmoding the HD3870 to a FireGL V7700 to unlock opengl performance caps on gaming cards. I'll let you now when I get around to playing with that as to how well it effects performance.

Rob

[www.go3d.us]

I recommend window xp, 1g or 2g of ram and 80g of hard drive would be fine, intel or amd dual core cpu, qua core is better but it not available for laptop yet, and most important is the video card ram must be at least 256mb, 512mb is the best.
Hope this help.

[Bubbabear]

I am mostly with go3d. Ram is dirt cheap right now. You will probably need an antivirus because you will most likely get it on the net to get updates for designer and maybe even Dl some of the patterns you find with it directly. But I am a ram fanatic.

[Deolman]

It doesn't matter which version of windows you are running - Microsoft Operating Systems thrive on memory. The more memory you can put into the PC the better it will run. A slow PC with lots and lots of ram will generally show better performance over a faster PC with minimal ram. Ram is cheap now - put in as much as you can afford. If you can't afford it now, put in larger modules to leave open slots for future expansion. If you are making it a dedicated PC and you want to speed it up, look at this web site:

http://www.blackviper.com/

The author is basically a gamer and he knows how to speed things up. By using a flash drive instead of a network you can turn off a lot of services. Just be sure to have an anti-virus program running on the other PC you are getting your files from.

[Bubbabear]

Very good site Deolman I sure wish we could get Leo LaPort and the whole gang from tech tv back again

[Wid T]

+1 Bubbabear

Leo hangs out here http://www.twit.tv/



Wid T

[Billions]

Maybe consider a new or used MacBook or the higher performance MacBook Pro. No need to worry about viruses, great OS. Intel processor so if you needed to install Windows you could. Any MacBook would have a powerful-enough processor. The new ones start at $999. Used, you could probably get one on Ebay for a few hundred less, and I just checked and saw MacBook Pros around those prices too.

[Jeff_Birt]

MacBook Pro. No need to worry about viruses, great OS.


A bit off topic but...
While I know lots of folks who love their Macs, saying there is no need to worry about viruses is not quite accurate. While the evil, scummy, lower than dirt virus writers do target Windows due to its 90+% market share, EVERY OS is at risk for viruses. So, if you love your Mac, please take proper precautions. Last I heard the latest OS.x was shipping with a rather lame virus protection program that was enabled and a really good one that was turned off by default. It would be worth looking into.

I don't like seeing good people loose their data due to this scumbag virus writers.

[twiceretired]

I would consider at least 2gig of ram, any dual processor over 2gig, MAC, or PC, I run both and like the MAC the best. My PC running XP got unstable, lost everything, now using VISTA Pro, and saving files to DVD or CD (RW), the cause of my problem was the HD. Got my MacBook Pro on Craigslist $900. But, be very careful a lot of scammers, don’t buy unless you can visit and see the item. I was almost scammed by someone from England

[Billions]

Jeff: always a good concern. However, there has not been a real virus threat on OS X since it started shipping in 2001. There is little need for virus-checking software because there are no viruses. The difference is not only the lower marketshare causing a smaller target; it's also because OS X is more secure and requests permission from the user before allowing installations or major changes to occur - you're alerted if some software is trying something. This may sound like a naive stance, but it's not: so far, nothing on OS X for eight years - it's quite secure and has the track record.

I also keep a regular watch of the Mac websites to see if anything is brewing. Now, I also have a lot of friends on Windows that run very tight ships and have no virus trouble, so I would say it also has a lot to do with how you manage your computer. It's like the Carvewright machine itself, in a way: you can avoid a lot of aggravation by cleaning it regularly and thoroughly.

This is not to say things like software incompatibilities or errors don't occur, or that a piece of software that you install won't cause trouble with others. And maybe if you're running Windows on a Mac perhaps someone could write something that could attack the Mac hard-drive partition from the Windows side, but I haven't heard of that yet either.

I haven't had a virus on my Macs since back in the OS 8 days, over 10 years ago. I'm a long-time computer user, since my first Apple II+, and now on my 11th Mac, with a Windows PC thrown in for gaming. I'm trying to say I wouldn't suggest that Macs avoid trouble with viruses unless I really stood by it.

[HelpBot3000]

Very good site Deolman I sure wish we could get Leo LaPort and the whole gang from tech tv back again

I miss Martin Sargent too :(