We're shopping for a laptop for use in the field, and are llooking at a Dell that has an Intel® Core™ Duo

processor T2700 (2.33GHz/667Mhz) with a 100 or 200 GB HDD,  2 GB, DDR2-667 SDRAM, and

an NVIDIA® Quadro FX 1500M, 256MB graphics card. In addition, we want an external 500GB HD

and a San Disk 1 GB Cruzer Micro USB Drive.  Is that a good idea?  My pressing question is whether or not to include a DVD

burner in the mix.  It seems to be gilding the lily to include it, on one hand.  On the other, I understand

that the battery life for micro drives is micro.  That could be a big problem because we are usually away

from electricity in the field, shooting horses.  Any advice would be very helpful.  This is the first time

I've planned DAM for the field, except for taking along a battery-run DVD burner that ate all of my

images.  

TIA, Yvonne Muller

It helps a lot in making my choices!  Thanks so much Snah and John.  You have made a very big difference.
Yvonne

My electrical engineer friend thinks that you all must have thought that the laptop would be my only computer.  Is that what you thought?  I'm sorry if I made it seem that way.   I want to check with you all because I'm not so sure that you did think that.  My imaging work is done here in my studio.  I shoot in the studio less often than on location, in fields and swamps and beaches and deserts.  I really need the laptop to manage the days images on location.
Yvonne

Ahhh, thank you, John!!  Now I understand why no one really wants a huge drive in a laptop. Yes, I'll check it's DVD burning capability.  I've already had a horrible time with a battery run DVD burner.  A third of my images were burned hidden, some were retreivable, some not, at least so far.  I'd tried to get away w/o a laptop by using it...*very* ineffecient.
I appreciate your help.
Yvonne

Marc,

Thank you so much.  I'll go for 2GB with a 2.5MHZ CPU, if I can.  That would be best, right?

I'm looking forward to getting everything organized.  Wow!

Yvonne

Thanks so much Pierre and John.  That's what I needed to hear.
Yvonne

Hi you all,

I'm new here.  I've been a photographer for only a few years, a painter much longer.  I've lost control of my huge pile of images and now I'm learning DAM.  I'm looking forward to perusing the DAM forum.  I have one question right now, though.

A friend, a retired electrical engineer, is helping me select a laptop.  He has asked me how much memory I need.  I've figured out how much PSCS & Bridge take, more or less, but haven't an idea about iview media pro 3.  I'm just in the process of learning...I haven't even installed it yet.  Can anyone tell me how much memory to add to my bottom line for iview media pro 3?  Thanks in advance.

Alternately, if anyone would let me know which laptop(s) you've had success with, I'd be very appreciative.  This is clearly something that I'll grow into.  Quickly.

Regards, Yvonne Muller, Bellvale Photography

Hi you all,

I'm new here.  I've been a photographer for only a few years, a painter much longer.  I've lost control of my huge pile of images and now I'm learning DAM.  I'm looking forward to perusing the DAM forum.  I have one question right now, though.

A friend, a retired electrical engineer, is helping me select a laptop.  He has asked me how much memory I need.  I've figured out how much PSCS & Bridge take, more or less, but haven't an idea about iview media pro 3.  I'm just in the process of learning...I haven't even installed it yet.  Can anyone tell me how much memory to add to my bottom line for iview media pro 3?  Thanks in advance. 

Alternately, if anyone would let me know which laptop(s) you've had success with, I'd be very appreciative.  This is clearly something that I'll grow into.  Quickly.

Regards, Yvonne