I’m considering getting a new computer. I’m not sure if should get a laptop or a desktop. I don’t perform live, but I might want something more portable. I use renoise, fruity loops, and cakewalk to record guitar. So I need something that can handle that.
Is this a decent laptop for what I need?
http://www.amazon.com/Pavilion-DV7-1020US-…682&sr=1-10
I heard alien ware is good. Is this true?
The most i’m able to spend is $1500
well, we really cant tell you should you go for laptop or desktop. It really depends on what you want and need. If you are not planning to move your comp around alot and take it with you here and there, then of course you should go for desktop. Desktops are cheaper, more powerful, more expandable, generally last longer and are easyer to repair. But if you need to carry your comp around, then of course the only accpetable choise is laptop.
If you decide in favor of a laptop, then i would advice you to buy a model with 3 years of warrenty. The ones with 1 year usually tend to break after that 1 year 
Also, i wouldnt recommend a HP Pavilion. Although the specs on the link you posted seem to be good, they tend to break rather quickly (as other “cheap consumer” models. As i said, 3 years of warrenty indicates more durable models. If you do decide to buy HP Pavilion then certainly get extended warrenty!!
alienware is for gamers with too much money
both have seperate advantages and disadvantages, if you can afford it get a laptop but it will cost more and need replacing quicker.
i wouldnt bother getting one with blue ray and you could get that spec alot cheaper without it,
Hp are good though… i have had a hp for the last 3 years and it did break… twice… but has been fixed both times with BRILLIANT service and i dont have extended waranty
will also save you money to get a smaller screen 17 is quite big for a laptop.
you could also consider getting a laptop and then a sepetate monitor keyboard and mouse and then plugging it in at home making it almost as useable as a desktop.
so to review, desktop will be quicker and cheaper. laptop might be more convenient if you have the money,
spec wise go for atleast:
2.0 ghz dual core (pentium not celeron)
4Gb ram (if you want to run vista)
hope that helps.
Good replies.
I would have to recommend Newegg.com for all your hardware needs. Fast shipping, competitive prices, and great service all around.
I myself have recently (July '08) purchased a Gateway M-1617 “Refurbished” laptop from Newegg and it cost me only $550. This is a top of the line laptop. Only thing lacking is the graphics card, which I don’t use much anyways because I only use my laptop for music production and art in Photoshop CS3.
Lappy specs are: Gateway M-1617 AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-58(1.90GHz) 15.4" Wide XGA 2GB Memory 250GB HDD Dual layer DVD Burner ATI Radeon X1270 NoteBook
It is still on sale here: here and still $550.
As you may think, I took a leap purchasing a refurbished machine, though in my opinion I did not. I had a 60 day warranty, where I could have purchased more time. Though within 3 years, any laptop will have issues one way or the other (unless you use your laptop once a year). :]
One con on my laptop is that the battery gets pretty hot. Remember on all laptops to keep the battery out from under covers or enclosed in case a heat problem. Mine only gets hot when I use 3D graphic heavy programs. Otherwise it’s cool when I photo or music produce.
Like trackernoob stated: “desktop [is] quicker and cheaper”. But all I use is my laptop and leaving my desktop to attract dust. I take my lappy with me everywhere almost; it’s light, it’s portable, and I can make beats or get on the net anywhere with wireless access.
If you go the laptop route, you may need accessories. I got a pretty sweet case/bag for it for $30 and a Microsoft mouse for $5. And if you’re into more storage, get any Western Digital hdd portable drive out there. I got a 500gb portable hdd drive for under $100. It’s brand name is Fantom, but it has a Western Digital hdd in it. I tried other hdd drives (ie. Maxtor, etc) and they usually fail on my within a year. My WD babies have outlasted 3 years and are still kicking! ;]
Newegg.com’s Refurbished links: here
Also check PriceWatch.com for offers. And if you can’t find a deal for you, wait a month or so and something will come up.
Hope this helps. I wish I had this sort of post when I was price hunting. That’s the worst part of buying anything expensive for me. Cheers!
First thing you need to ask yourself is if you’re one of those people who need a specific place to get in a creative mood. If this is your case then a desktop is your only choice.
In case you need to change locations to get inspired - get a laptop. But don’t make the mistake of getting a 17" screen one. You can’t carry a beast like this around. 15" or less.
I got a 17" laptop from work (HP Compaq 8710p), they are imo just as portable as a 15". They’re just a bit heavier when you’re used to a 15" (also HP), but there isn’t a big difference in portability. My 17" laptop offers a numeric keyboard though, that’s a plus when using Renoise.
Music making is all on my desktop though. I would need a power socket if I’d use my laptops for music for longer periods of time making it less mobile and I have a midi keyboard, audio interface and monitors. Moving that around the house just isn’t very convenient for me. I can’t imagine that I need to move it anywhere else either as I have no aspirations in DJ’ing or performing live.
So if you’re unlike me, you might want a laptop 
I use a laptop also and the pros/cons of using a laptop for me is as follows.
Pros:
You can make music anywhere. Bring it when you travel, on your vacation on boring family gatherings, or when you want to see music friends and make co-op projejects.
You can dock your laptop at your home studio desk and use an external screen if you want better resolution. Better keyboard and more connected devices.
Cons:
Make sure you get a lightweight o small enough laptop when traveling but keep in mind what specs you need, and what screen resolution you prefer.
If something on you laptop breaks that means you have to give the whole computer away to get it fixed. Stationary computers are somewhat easyer to fix yourself if something breaks or needs an upgrade.
That’s what I think at least
You could go for the new Asus C90P as a kind of compromise. I’ve got the C90S for a more than reasonable price, and with features like e-SATA and it’s user upgradeability, it’s proven to be a good workhorse during live music sets & 6-hour+ VJ gigs over the past year. This kind of performance obviously comes at a price, one being battery life - I wouldn’t expect more than 30 minutes when running strenuous software on it, and in my case the fans got pretty noisy if the temps got high. I ended up opening the laptop, re-applying some artic silver 5 on the heatsinks, now temps and fan noise have dropped a bit . It appaerently has ran with a quad core cpu in it too which I’m eager to try myself!
Anyhow, like everyonew else before said, nothing beats a desktop if you want a proper DAW, with the only con being portability.