hi oneman,
i do do some online gaming(using my brother-in-laws old alienware lappy) but its software more importantly that i want it to mess around with, so its both you might say,
things like
Ulead 3d cool,
swish,
photoshop cs5,
i want to start to learn how to..... with animation/3d and as much other graphics software as i can, so any pointers into good software/tuts would be appreciated,
so am i being over eager with wanting the best in gaming laptops??
as i thought that it would be better to get the best for the graphics and all round performance????
are there other laptops more suitable for what i want to play with????
thanx
Problem with laptops is that as somebody else mentioned cost to performance ratio is never going to match a desktop.
You got to think about screen size. Bigger screen is going to be nicer with to use with higher resolutions and bigger keybaord. Plus you are more likely to get the higher end gfx cards. But the flip side is weight and battery life, even if it comes with a 9 cell or above battery. If you are looking at anything bigger then a 17" then I would not consider that very portable so effectivily consider it a desktop replacement, something you are not going to use much on battery alone.
If you are after high end performance then consider a SSD drive but be aware that it will add considerably to the purchase price. CPU wise, i5 would provide plenty of grunt, 4GB of RAM is not going to break the bank. Aside from those, wireless-N, bluetooth, card readers, plenty of USB (v3 is starting to appear now), eSATA, etc are pretty standard. You could get an internal SIM card if that interests you. Firewire seems to be on the decline and of course HDMI for connecting to big screen and blu-ray if that is off interest.
Some models have docking stations if you want to leave your stuff at home connected without needing to plug and unplug everytime. Also try and get one were the connections are not on the back, I have seen too many laptops with broken power connectors due to way people use them. Also you may find a lot of high power laptops get too hot to use on your lap if that is how you want to hold it.
If you are looking at 17" or less then generally looking at lower resolutions (most likely HD resolution) so gfx won't be pushed so hard. Battery life will be better and you will be able to lug the thing around. If you are looking at 15.4" or below then make sure you try the keyboard as layout can vary from vendor to vendor. Persoanlly I like the layout HP uses and I have come across some Dell layouts where I am forever pressing the wrong keys.
Some people love macs, personally I am no fussed either way. I think you pay too much compared to wintel laptops. If you are into gaming then either get one that is multi boot with Windows or make sure the games are available the Mac.
Brand wise, yes the Sony is good and stylish but I find overpriced. I personally would look at HP or Dell XPS if you have the budget. Acer is good middle of the road, nothing too flashy and resonable built quality. Dell seem to have improved after sales which was a issue and off course you can customise them if you want.