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DaC

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Hi guys, my mother asked me to check some notebooks for her.... well she'll use it for working... possible using CAD software, 3D environment, this kind of stuff... she is a designer of interiors.....

Well, but I don't know nothing about notebooks.... so, is there any good for it ?

Not too big and heavy..... maybe with a pro video card ? Gammer video card is okay too.
 
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MacBook. Bootcamp.
 
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Macbook Pro or VelocityMicro I would say.
 

DaC

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Well, it must be Vista or XP based.....
What about pro video cards ?
 

ktr

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Look for a Lenovo Thinkpad T series, or a Dell Latitude/Precision, or a HP 8series business notebooks. You want to look for a Nvidia Quadro, or an ATI FireGL. When going to lenovo's, dell's, or HP's website, make sure you click small business rather than home.
 
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DaC

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Look for a Lenovo Thinkpad, or a Dell Latitude, or a HP 8series business notebooks. You want to look for a Nvidia Quadro, or an ATI FireGL. When going to lenovo's, dell's, or HP's website, make sure you click small business rather than home.

well, this was the kind of information I wanted....
In fact I made a configuration at Dell website of a m4400 notebook..... around $2k...

Which would you recommend ? Quadro or FireGL ?
Is there already mobile FireGL based on 4xxx series ?
 
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ktr

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I would think that Quadro is more preferred on laptops.
 
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Well there was some news on the front site about a new Nvidia entry level Quadro for notebooks. Maybe you should look into that.
 

DaC

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Well there was some news on the front site about a new Nvidia entry level Quadro for notebooks. Maybe you should look into that.

I liked the FX770M, looks like a 8600GT for pro applications.... :toast:
This one should be more than enough for my mother.
 
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Well, it must be Vista or XP based.....
What about pro video cards ?
LOL!!!! You need to look up "Bootcamp"!
And she doesnt need a pro video card for the type of work you described. A MacBook can drive its own screen AND a Cinema 30" at the same time. That is more than she needs. She isn't rendering complex CAD work in real time at ultra-resolutions with 3D stereo imaging,e.g. card engine parts, or architectural drawings.

she is a designer
She = will prefer a Mac
Is a designer = 90% of design (non engineering) work is done on Macs

Tell your mum to come post on this forum herself. You are "filtering" the responses to fit your paradigm beliefs! :pimp:

PS. I get the strong impression YOU want to game on her laptop. LOL :roll:
 
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LOL!!!! You need to look up "Bootcamp"!


She = will prefer a Mac
Is a designer = 90% of design (non engineering) work is done on Macs

Tell your mum to come post on this forum herself. You are "filtering" the responses to fit your paradigm beliefs! :pimp:

The whole "mac is so much better at graphical stuff" crap is so outdated. Then again feel free to show me a source for the numbers you just gave and I'll gladly change my mind.


Either way, what programs does she use? She designs interiors... That IKEA application? Google Sketchup? Or actual CAD applications? Without knowing exactly what she uses nobody can recommend either a simple 3D card or a high end Quadro.

Currently we use HP 8510w's here, they have Quadro 570m's in it, they're nice. Far from the best though. They're relatively cheap machines as well.
 
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No-one is saying it is BETTER.

Just that in the "arts" industries, design and music, they are pretty much the standard. LIKE IT OR NOT (I dont) it is just how it is.
 
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Personal experience. Every single graphics design company I've owned, or visited, or music production studio I've walked into, has had macs.

I do hope you dont make a posting requirement on TPU that no personal experience, or no personal opinions, can be posted, but only objective facts corroborated by external data sources of at least 3 validated kinds, incl. ISO 9000 compliance and audit report on any published figures. :wtf:

Brasil might be different however.
 
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Personal experience. Every single graphics design company I've owned, or visited, or music production studio I've walked into, has had macs.

I do hope you dont make a posting requirement on TPU that no personal experience, or no personal opinions, can be posted, but only objective facts corroborated by external data sources of at least 3 validated kinds, incl. ISO 9000 compliance and audit report on any published figures. :wtf:

Brasil might be different however.

So now it's personal experience? Two posts ago it was "just the way it is". Quite a difference. In fact, the exact difference you just mentioned, personal opinion or objective fact.

As for posting requirement, I'm not saying anything as staff. It's rather pointless to suggest that I'm not allowing you to say anything. I'm simply asking for a source, as I'm not the kind of person that blindly believes everything everyone claims. Specially numbers like "90%". It's a shame you do blindly assume that because of my function here everything I'd say would be some form of moderation. It kinda takes away the option of having a healthy discussion.
 
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It's a shame you do blindly assume
takes away the option of having a healthy discussion.
Dan, you are welcome to whatever tone you chose. And whatever opinion. But it's your tone and manner that takes away healthy (and perhaps, polite?) discussion, not because I "blindly assume". The first quote I see as an insult. Your english is excellent, but is nonetheless abrupt.
 
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Dan, you are welcome to whatever tone you chose. And whatever opinion. But it's your tone and manner that takes away healthy (and perhaps, polite?) discussion, not because I "blindly assume". The first quote I see as an insult. Your english is excellent, but is nonetheless abrupt.

Well, if it isn't a blind assumption, what's the reasoning that you suggested I was in some way moderating/limiting your freedom of speech?

Either way, a healthy discussion is one where opinions are shared and arguments for those opinions are given. Personal attacks or crying because someone didn't so please and thank you are not part of that. I prefer to be direct and clear. You know now that I doubt that 90% and I need a source to take it seriously.
In return, you start making things personal by including my function on this website and making comments about that. That's completely irrelevant to any point made and quite a bit more insulting than telling you you blindly assume something.


Though this is getting off topic, if you wish to discuss this subject further feel free to contact me privately.
Let us wait for more information about the used software. Perhaps it is handy to know what hardware (desktop?) she uses right now and if it is sufficient.
 

DaC

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LOL!!!! You need to look up "Bootcamp"!
And she doesnt need a pro video card for the type of work you described. A MacBook can drive its own screen AND a Cinema 30" at the same time. That is more than she needs. She isn't rendering complex CAD work in real time at ultra-resolutions with 3D stereo imaging,e.g. card engine parts, or architectural drawings.


She = will prefer a Mac
Is a designer = 90% of design (non engineering) work is done on Macs

Tell your mum to come post on this forum herself. You are "filtering" the responses to fit your paradigm beliefs! :pimp:

I already used CAD and not complex CAD, just a draw class on my engineering course... well... I really could tell a BIG difference between a consumer video card I had (6800GT at the time), and the SPARC system...... any cheap Pro card will be better then almost (if not all), consumer video card for pro application, because consumer (games) and pro application are two very different things....

MAC OS is not for my mother, she ins't 20 years anymore, computer in her life is something new (about 8 years), it took a long time for her to be able to use windows XP and office packet with relative ability.... even upgrading to Vista will be a problem.... imagine MAC OS.

PS. I get the strong impression YOU want to game on her laptop. LOL :roll:

This one deservers a separated quote.
Man I ain't 18 years old anymore, for a long time. I like to game sometimes, and I use my desktop for it.
I don't live with her anymore for a long time.
Why in the world I would want to pay the extra for a pro card while I can get a much cheaper consumer card with the same specs ?????

- Sorry If I'm being rude... but be more careful before creating (even more, before saying), an oppinion without having sure about what you're talking..... People do a lot of it here in Brazil, that's why I like to come to foreing foruns, because usually people use better common sense before posting.



The whole "mac is so much better at graphical stuff" crap is so outdated. Then again feel free to show me a source for the numbers you just gave and I'll gladly change my mind.


Either way, what programs does she use? She designs interiors... That IKEA application? Google Sketchup? Or actual CAD applications? Without knowing exactly what she uses nobody can recommend either a simple 3D card or a high end Quadro.

Currently we use HP 8510w's here, they have Quadro 570m's in it, they're nice. Far from the best though. They're relatively cheap machines as well.

+1 MACs uses core 2 cpus now and nvidia cards, there's nothing special about it anymore.
Well... she's just starting her professional life work on that, she decided just some years ago to do this second graduation course and now she graduated...... But I guess she'll be using IKEA application, Autocad Civil 3D, Revit, this kind of app.... I really don't know how complex her work can get on this notebook, but if she'll be buying one already, it's better not to take too low on specs because I'm quite sure this notebook will last for at least 2-3 years with her...

No-one is saying it is BETTER.

Just that in the "arts" industries, design and music, they are pretty much the standard. LIKE IT OR NOT (I dont) it is just how it is.

MAC is POP and got some nice apps bundle with MAC OS, that is it......

So now it's personal experience? Two posts ago it was "just the way it is". Quite a difference. In fact, the exact difference you just mentioned, personal opinion or objective fact.

As for posting requirement, I'm not saying anything as staff. It's rather pointless to suggest that I'm not allowing you to say anything. I'm simply asking for a source, as I'm not the kind of person that blindly believes everything everyone claims. Specially numbers like "90%". It's a shame you do blindly assume that because of my function here everything I'd say would be some form of moderation. It kinda takes away the option of having a healthy discussion.

+1 The same thing I said.....
To say: "The world is this way", only embased on your experiences is quite limited...
 

DaC

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Let us wait for more information about the used software. Perhaps it is handy to know what hardware (desktop?) she uses right now and if it is sufficient.

Well, replied on the other post already...

Today she has this desktop:

P5N
E4300
8600GT 256mb
2gig ddr2-667

Like I said, I really can't tell how well this kind of configuration will handle what she'll be using.... because she hadn't started for real yet....

But I have an ideia of the use of the notebook..... she'll use it as "virtual showroom", so I guess it's not nice to show a 3D view and wait for the consumer card to render it.... real time rendering would be so much nice....
 
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Perhaps she should try out some software first, see what she likes best and then decide what hardware is required?
 

DaC

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Perhaps she should try out some software first, see what she likes best and then decide what hardware is required?

I guess this is the most sensate thing to do....
The problem is I live on the other side of the country and will only be there next month and well... she want me to bring this notebook for her..... Os I wont have a chance to use her computer.....
Maybe I'll use mine to check it....

Dell M4400 really looks like a great option.... with 2.2ghz/1066/3mb core 2 duo, Quadro FX 770M, 4gb ram ddr2-800, 250gb hd and others small stuff it's around $2000.00.... what do you thing, is this a good option ?
 

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Try out the software on a notebook with a decent NVIDIA/ATI IGP based notebook. Interior design 3D scenes are mostly wireframe / low-polygon / low-res texture based, I'm not sure if you'll need an expensive chunk of shaders.
 

DaC

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Try out the software on a notebook with a decent NVIDIA/ATI IGP based notebook. Interior design 3D scenes are mostly wireframe / low-polygon / low-res texture based, I'm not sure if you'll need an expensive chunk of shaders.

I'll do That, my friend that Shares apartment with me got a Mac Pro, I'll check if he can still this kind of stuff on his computer for me...
 

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The point is, don't go for expensive graphics when an integrated graphics by NVIDIA/ATI already met your software's requirement and runs it smooth. There is a string of notebooks coming out, based on the NVIDIA MCP79...usually advertised as "GeForce 9400 graphics" or "GeForce 9300 graphics". Such notebooks shouldn't cost over $700~900 (depending on the CPU). MCP79 has a very decent IGP for non-gaming 3D acceleration.
 

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Try out the software on a notebook with a decent NVIDIA/ATI IGP based notebook. Interior design 3D scenes are mostly wireframe / low-polygon / low-res texture based, I'm not sure if you'll need an expensive chunk of shaders.

+1 that sounds more likely to me, unless you feel the need to upgrade her PC rather than buy a whole new lappy...I mean, what with the new desktop entry-level cards and all..*shrug* just testing waters.

and on an earlier quote; I'm the only person on my graphic design course not on mac but only because the school already has them, and I bring my lappy.
and it loads the apps exactly the same, sometimes faster.
I'd consider 'industry standard' a moot point now that they're both the same internally.
 
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