I've been using the same Toshiba laptop since 2007 when I first jumped on Serato. It is time for an upgrade though.

same here and its been great but its time for an upgrade

I currently use a Toshiba. Never had any problems with my set up. Used to have a MacBook. Ehh it was alright. All about user preference.

It jus kills me to hear some ppl really diss the other pc laptops just because its not a mac. I have satellite radio in my car and i was listening to shade 45, and one of the dj's made a sarcastic ass joke about how hes never used a pc with his serato, and never would and started laughing and shit very sarcastically. I was jus thinkin to myself dude my toshiba runs way better than my macbook and its way older.

I actually just picked up a Toshiba on Cyber Monday. $700 and it has a faster processor, more memory and a bigger HD than a comparable Mac Book Pro and costs a hell of alot less. Most of the time what I see is that people that have no real knowledge about computers just automatically get a Mac because that's what they see the majority of people using

The problem with Toshiba gear is, the 1st run uses the best parts available. Every run after that gets worse and worse. If you are getting a Toshiba, you SHOULD ask what batch it is. Getting a new lappy next week and VERY afraid to buy a Toshiba. On another note, The new Samsungs have MOST of the same parts they made for Apple in them (hence the latest lawsuit by APPLE). Hope I helped someone. If you have ANY opinion on Toshiba laptops either way, please post so I can make a more educated decision.

i had a pc but moved to an macbook pro just to have that glowing apple!

oh and lit keyboard looks very sexy

i had a pc but moved to an macbook pro just to have that glowing apple!

but i do use both pc and mac so i dont judge anyone

i had a pc but moved to an macbook pro just to have that glowing apple!

The only negative i have about toshiba computers is that they get "WHITE HOT" and overheat under heavy use.

I personally witnessed that a couple times on their 2004-ish Pentium-4 laptops...haven't the newer models gotten any better though?

Those Pentium-4 chips were furnaces in laptops...

I did for like 3-4 years...wasn't bad, was reliable 90% of the time, maybe even 95% of the time. But of course, those 5% experiences stand out the most.

What are you rocking now R-Tistic?

Mac Book Pro, 13 inch with the highest specs possible. 750TB Hard drive, 8 GB Ram, I think 2.4 Ghz Processor. Toshiba was solid when you ONLY used Serato...but try to record, or use the internet with it, etc etc and it was choppy.

My laptop is strictly for ScratchLive. I have a desktop for the studio and my old laptop that I used to use for my gigs is now my regular day to day laptop

True but..

A laptop just for ssl is not really necessary..

I used my toshiba for 3 years without any issues with Serato or VDJ. I still have it fully set up and use it as my backup DJ 'puter. I did have to dual-boot it to run XP though - Vista is unusable for DJ work. I'm thinking about doing a reformat soon and throwing Win7 on it, along with a RAM upgrade. I currently use a Macbook Pro 17, I5 - no issues with that in Serato or ME.

true but...
that's how I've always done it ever since I first got SSL. I like to keep all my stuff seperate. Desktop in the studio, laptop for SSL, laptop for my regular day to day business. The same way I have multiple DJ setups... 2-1200s and TTM-57 in the studio, 2-1200M5G's and TTM-57 in a coffin for mobile gigs, 2-1200s and TTM-57 in flight cases for clubs/bars where I have to bring equipment.
It's not necessary but it's my choice to do it that way

I'm using a toshiba satellite with Windows 7, never had any problems when I was using it. Still want a mac for producing, and so I can dedicate a laptop completely to music and DJing.

I have run Scratch live on just about all the major computer manufactures with good results since serato came out in 2004.
(THE GAME CHANGER)---->2008 SERATO introduces serato Itch. It became apparent very quickly the windows pc's did not run itch with the same stability as it did Scratch live. This is the reason windows pcs became obsolete (to me). Now i Only use Mac because of its stability and reliability on both platforms.

Macs are for hipsters, your mom, and DJ's.

That's just a result of poor programming..

My Mac Powerbook G4 is jus about done... Was looking at Toshiba Satellites cuase I recently installed it on my GF computer cause I was curious. Everything seems to be working as it should.

My Q, any suggestions on which *satellite* to get? What are best specs? Best 13" Toshiba lappy?

Thanks in adv!

Bless up!

PS --- gonna be using it for *strictly* audio Serato only!

do you still believe this to be true today ?

Yes. Thinks about it if, other DVS's are stable on windows and they do the same tasks as scratch live, where does the fault lie? With the OS or with the programmers?

I've been using a Dell Inspiron 1500 (Windows XP) for a few years now with Serato and Video-SL. No issues. (Video-SL is limited however with only basic mixing, but videos play smoothly.) I would like to upgrade to a Mac for video purposes, but the DELL has proven itself stable since the earliest versions of Scratch Live.
My buddy uses an HP and has had no problems either. I also know other local DJ's who swear by their Macs.

It's all so confusing... I'm just glad it works.

Ive used a toshiba laptop since 2006 running serato, zero issues, very happy. I feel it is time for an upgrade though. Im running version 2.2, darent use a newer version incase my satelalit wont run it!

I am about to purchase the DDJSX Controller and I have a Toshiba Laptop Pentium 4, loaded with Windows XP. I want to use this unit and I'd like to know if Serato will work successfully with this computer? This unit has been used very little and I don't see the need to by a Mac unless it's absolutely necessary. Can someone give me your experience using Toshiba please?

go download serato dj on your toshiba ...... bring laptop where your going to buy the SX and test it out if all functions work...... you will know the answer if it works.

The Toshiba laptop I purchased in 2006 just to have at the hospital when I stayed with my father before his passing. Is there anyone currently using a Toshiba Laptop who can give me more updated information about using it with Serato?

That's a great idea! Sorry I didn't see your response before I made another post.

ok i think you laptop is way under spec for the sx.

i think the min spec is dual core.

but i think one of the i5 or i7 better proccessors

Thank you

macpro

i have just purchase a new Toshiba laptop and i was wondering if it can run serato dj smoothly is a 500 gb ,ram is 4 gb and its Intel celeron with 2.39kg

You bought that NEW? Damn, you got GOT. Take that back, get your money and try again.

can it run yes or not

With a few Windows tweaks... probably. As long at it meets the minimum specs. Been running SSL on a 2007 Dell on XP for... well you can do the math... years now.

It should be able to run the problem is not running serato the problem is the stability of it.. anything can run right about anything these days. however, in this case just be advised that Toshiba can be a powerfull computer. but the fact that is windows base. you will be putting a gig at risk of crashing or mayor slow downs and lags.

I've been using Windows laptops for years with never a crash or slow down. The computer is a tool. Use the one that does what you want and need.

I guess the problem with me it's been that I am a VDJ and when it came to double video processing and sound windows didn't cut it properly and video lagging and Audio was constantly out of sync so that was the big issue !! When I used a macpro for the purpose the difference was like day and night. !

how can i tweek

Watchwww.youtube.com

Oh wait... you said tweek, not twerk. Sorry.

tweak lol

Just do a google search for "tweaking" Windows (whaterver version you have) and you'll find tons of advice. Probably your best bet is to open the "Services" menu and Disable or set to Manual any services that are not required for Serato. Things like Print Spooler and Error Reporting Service can be turned off. Also, keep your hard drive defragged on a regular basis (about once a month) and you should be fine. If you are doing video, then you might want to read the threads on video support - that might be a different animal with graphics cards and such. Windows machines will run Searto Scratch Live and Serato DJ just fine if set up properly. I do have a Macbook now, but still use my Dell as backup. Both work well for music - Mac only for video now. :)

This is all good advice. But like Reflex said, video is a whole different ballgame so be mindful of this if you decide to try it out. It's possible to get a Windows laptop to work well with Serato Video but it can be a hell of a battle.

You can also check out this in depth optimization guide from Serato for Windows based machines.

serato.com

I'm a PC head to death and use a Toshiba laptop with ScratchLive but if you're gonna do video even I would suggest getting a MAC. The problem with PCs are that so many different manufacturers make the components in any one brand of PC but with MAC the hardware is proprietary so there's less of a chance of having issues due to hardware incompatibility. Just my 2 cents

Why is it people will spend big bucks on controllers and turntables, cdj's , etc. etc, but won't spend the money on a decent laptop?!?!

I just don't get it, I mean dam come on already! If your goin to be a digital DJ the laptop is the HEART of your setup! Without a decent machine you can't really do shit!!

Quit being cheap and go get a machine that's as powerful as you can get and if Alls you can afford is a celeron or dual core then just keep saving cause those won't cut it in the long run. Spend the money now spend less later........

I run two Toshiba laptops (17") and I have run Searto on both, but use both VDJ7 Pro and VDJ8Pro now. I have had them for over 3 years, they were basic machines (i3) and 4GB, with 520 HD. No special sound or video cards.

They are DJ only computers, never on the NET unless I do software updates, and NEVER on the NET while at a venue.

I had my IT scrub all programs off of them which I do not need to run the basic system and my DJ/music programs. They have never had a hickup.

I think keeping them off the NET while gigging and limiting the online time spent for updates have kept them clean and me happy.

I have other computers to do all the other online stuff that needs to be done. I had an older/expereinced DJ and IT tech tell me, if I never have them online while DJing I will never have an embarrassing moment, so I listended!

The most expensive isn't always the best.

IMA go out on a limb here an say" decent laptop" were the key words here. decent would be that nice comfy place between cheap and most expensive.

I use an hp Elitebook 6930p. 2.4GHz Intel core 2 duo with 4 GB of RAM. I've recently upgraded the HDD to 500 GB, and it's running 64 bit W8. The hardware is over 5 years old, but still runs the most recent Win OS with no trouble. Apple/OSX is stable and very reliable hardware/software, but the gap has closed significantly recently with the i3, i5 and i7 series of Intel CPUs being used in Windows hardware. SSDs are another game changer, and it's now possible to get MS based hardware that it easily on a par with Apple, but for a fraction of the cost. It's a question of personal taste, but unless I was doing something far more hardware/software intensive than playing music/videos, I'd always go with Windows. To be honest, it's a shame Serato doesn't run on linux. Just my two pence.

It's not about how powerful the hardware is, it is about how the code interacts with the hardware. The PCs are usually higher spec hardware (for a lot cheaper price) but the very nature of Windows working with everything causes problems with certain hardware. This makes it a crap shoot that any specific PC will work good with the software. Two equally high spec PCs, one could run Serato & video flawlessly, the other might have constant issues. Serato is written for OSX first and it can be tailored to the limited hardware Apple uses. They don't have that option for the Windows version.
They already do make a version that runs on a Unix variant - that would be Mac OSX - which is based on BSD. I think a true Linux version would only be effective if it was a custom build for a hardware embedded version of Serato - which I think this will all be going to at some point.

I think that would have been true with Windows XP (recently) and Vista, but Win 7, 8 and 8.1 are vastly more stable imho. A lot of the video/graphics problems seem to stem from the use of Nvidia and ATI graphics hardware/drivers. Serato is super stable on my hp laptop, and runs the same way on an i3 17" Toshiba satelite pro running Windows 8.1 as well. My hp laptop isn't listed as being Windows 8 compatible, but runs it flawlessly with Vista drivers for my hardware.

These are hardly high spec requirements for modern PCs/laptops.
Windows:

Intel processor, 2.0 GHz Core Duo or better (See Note 1 & 2)
2 GB RAM*
1280 x 720 screen resolution
Windows XP with Service Pack 3 or higher
Windows Vista with Service Pack 2 or higher
Windows 7
Available USB port (USB 2.0 required for SL 2, SL 3, SL 4, Sixty-One, Sixty-Two & Sixty-Eight)
*If you have a large library, you will benefit from having more RAM.

do you guys think it would work smoothly on a windows 8.1 with
2.13 Intel core celeron and 4 gb ram

I think your celeron is going to struggle, but as long as you don't have a myriad of software running processes in the background, it might fly? Try serato dj intro, and see if you can get hold of some equipment to run it on?

serato dj intro is for beginners.

I know. You're just using it to test your hardware with the serato software? Admittedly all the functionality of the full version isn't included, but you'll get an idea if your laptop is up to the task of running the software.

hey got my controller and the celeoron processor works nice computer dont frezz

hi i wanted to knw how to make mix with a mice so i can make live mix plz help do i need any other equipment??

You may need a cheese to make a mix with a mice.

Happy to hear you don't have to buy any new hardware!

I'm not sue what you mean? If you've got a controller (depending on the model), you shouldn't have to use the mouse to mix?

"Intel celeron"

Isnt the celeron processor on the lower end of processors?

hey yes celeron is on the lower end processor and it works nice with the controller and the serato proggram.

no wat i was asking is how can i make live mix with a mic that u talk in

What kind of a controller have you got dj ice1234? You can plug a mic into most of them?

i have a reloop beatmix 4 and it does not work

Are you using the full serato DJ software, or serato DJ intro? Have you installed the drivers, and if you have, have you turned up the mic volume? youtu.be

I didn't even realise Celerons still existed, to be fair though...I'd expect they'd match the Core2Duo's that used to be the high end.

yes i have the full serato version and yes celeron still exist

Hello I was wondering if anyone can help me out.
I mainly MC but have been learning to DJ using a Vestax VCI-400 controller with a friend of mine who DJs with a MacBook. Recently we set up my laptop (Toshiba Satellite #C855D-S5357) with Serato DJ and I looked up the min. requirements for using Serato DJ and it was a little confusing. My processor is AMD Dual Core E-300 APU with Radeon(tm) HD Graphics 1.3ghz. I think 300gb hard drive. DDR3 4gb RAM but I upgraded to 8gb RAM.
The other night, I played for maybe 5 mins before Serato DJ starting crashing. Yesterday I played maybe 20 mins before it crashed. Restarted the program and I played for about 1 hr and 30 mins with no problems until I decided to use all 4 decks the CPU meter got more red.. but never crashed. Today I played for about 45 minutes, CPU got red here and there but didn't crash. I have 3 gigs this coming weekend and I'm afraid it will decide to crash again.

Debating on purchasing a new laptop this week strictly for DJ'ing. As much as I would like to, I just can't afford a MacBook right now. Looking for suggestions for best PCs out right now to use Serato DJ, besides a MacBook.

Any advice someone can offer, who have been through this..
Please no rude comments. I'm just a beginner to DJ'ing and this has been very stressful dealing with all this and trying to get ready for this weekend's gigs. Thank you.

That's almost certainly the cause of at least some of your problems. Serato has never recommended computers with AMD CPU's, and neither does most pro-audio software for that matter.

Thank you. I already assumed my processor was to weak for it. I also did read on a site that as long as a laptop has at least 1.6ghz, it should be fine.. and of course I'm below that with 1.3ghz. But I don't know too much about computer hardware.. I'm trying to have my computer nerd friend advise me on a new laptop, it would be easier if he was a DJ as well, that knows about Serato DJ.
So Intel is the way to go? Any recommendations?
Thank you for responding, DJMark.

Yes, absolutely.

I also know you said "you can't afford a Mac", but check out the "refurb" store (full Apple warranty etc): store.apple.com

If for whatever reason you feel married to Windows (look up "Stockholm Syndrome" LOL), at least stay away from the cheap crap and get something decent from Asus or Lenovo.

I'd agree that AMD is probably your issue, and also the E3 processors are pretty low end (about equivelent to a pentium if I remember correctly)

How does Dell compare to Asus and Lenovo?

I suppose I can also check out refurbished Mac, however whatever I get needs to be soon, so I can take care of my 3 gigs this coming weekend.

If I had to pick my choices would be:

#1 - Lenovo
#2- Asus
and I'd probably look at HP before dell.
Toshibas just tend to have way too much bloatware on them I find.

Does that mean I should stay away from anything Pentium?

This is what's shown for Serato DJ Min specs.

i3, i5 or i7 32 & 64 bit: 1.07GHz+
Core 2 Duo 32 bit: 2.0 GHz+ 64 bit: 2.4 GHz+

I would love to get something better than minimum, if I can afford it.

Friends who keep up with such monstrosities things tell me that both Dell and HP have gone down in quality/reliability/support over the last 5 years or so. It's a reasonable bet that their cheaper machines are more likely to have issues. The HP laptops I've seen recently in Costco and Best Buy

That godawful sea-hag/former California gubernatorial candidate/evil bitch Meg Whitman is reason alone to stay far away from anything HP.

I started to say that the HP laptops I've recently seen in stores appear to have very poor mechanical integrity.

I'll also have to admit to being spoiled in that regard by MacBook Pros, which have mechanical build quality that is light-years ahead of anything else offered anywhere.

If you are going to use this new laptop for strictly DJing, I would recommend any Macbook Pro from 2010 upwards. You should be able to find one within your budget. Not that you can't use Windows, but it is definitely more hit and miss if you are going to get a hardware/software combination that will be crash free. Most audio software is designed for Mac first and tends to be more stable on that platform.
Personally, I hate paying the Mac Tax (and like Windows) but if you're playing out professionally you should get what works best.

No laptop and 3 gigs booked for this weekend ? I wish you all the luck but you should read this, it was written with people like you in mind.....serato.com

Now my proactive advise would be......

If I were you, in the same situation with 3 gigs booked within 3 days, knowing what I know today along with some financial limitations.......there is only one logical choice.

A Mac, why ?

Because macs, unlike windows pc's have a long documented history of being vetted aka proven to work well and sometimes even flawless with serato. So for example, you could choose ANY mac as old as 2008 and someone here could immediately provide information as to if that mac will work for you and the version of serato used. This just is not likely with windows due to the million and 1 configurations multiplied by bands.

You never stated your budget but I would assume it falls within the limits of a "Vetted" older used mac or a fairly current refurbished mac.

My "Main" Mac is a Used 2011 macbook Air with a price tag of $400 and it runs flawlessly.
So my point is, yes you can afford a mac.......But can you afford to gamble on an unproven pc with 3 days left ? Tic-tok....:)

your are going to get PC users upset! just saying…lol


may mac is working flawlessly every week ,more interesting is i sold my pre unibody mac 4gig ram 2.4 core 2 dual 250 5400rpm hard drive ……..the guy is using it every week running serato dj 1.6…………..FLAWLESS!!!!! i did wipe the hard drive & did a fresh instal of mavericks ,i don't know if that made any difference? !!!!!!!!!!!


but his OLD mac is working GRAET!!!!! JUST SAYING!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyone with a shred of logic will just deal with the simple realities and get on with their lives. People getting all emotional about computers is just plain stupid.

Obviously a much more limited number of hardware/software variations, plus the fact of the OS being coded/tested/debugged specifically for those limited number of hardware variations, is going to produce a more predictable/stable end result.

The fact of Apple's hardware/mechanical build quality being in a class of its own is just a nice bonus.

So after taking DJMark and Laz219's comments into consideration (Everyone else who commented after, I never read until just now.) and checking with a few DJ friends, and also my computer geek friend (who prefers PC/Windows), It's down to Asus or MacBook Pro. I went to best buy to find out about these new laptops that are out today and did actually find a new MacBook Pro I liked, but price tag was a couple hundred more than I can spend. Again, I am on a tight budget and everything in my account is going towards bills, gas, and groceries. So I'll be using my credit card to purchase. After today, I'm willing to go for something as much as $750! Most likely going with a MacBook Pro and my computer geek friend is helping look for the best deals right now. We found 2 good used/refurbished 2011 i5 MacBook Pros online a website for a store location near his work between $700-$800. Tomorrow I'll be searching for others as well, but hope to get one by tomorrow (Tuesday) night.

Thank you to all who commented on my post. I will let you know what I end up getting. :)

whenever someone is debating between a mac and pc as you are I will generally advise them to get the Mac in order to maintain the best of both worlds. Macs are designed to natively run window as well with no hacking required. You will then have the option of running windows and mac at the same time or separately with no issue.

This was a no brainer for me because I still wanted (preferred) windows for my day to day computer activity but I required MAC for djing.

pdidy check your PM, i'm trying to find that mic you use

Well I am now the owner of a MacBook Pro! Had a busy day taking care of things...drove an hour away for a job interview and visited an old co-worker/manager. Finally got home after 7:30pm and after 5 mins got in my car and drove another hour to pick up one of the MacBook pros I saw online. I got a pre-owned 2011 13 inch MacBook Pro Intel i5 Core Processor 2.3ghz 320gb hard drive with the Mac OS X 10.7 Lion operating system. I also got a 2yr extended warranty. Hoping this is all I need and works well.

Thank you for everyone who commented for my post. I hope you folks can help again on my next issue. :)

you don't plan on mixing video I.E mix emergency or serato video/video SL are you

He never mentioned video in any of his posts (and certainly couldn't have been doing it with any success on his previous hardware), so why bring that up now?

Actually ME would probably work fine for him as long as he stuck to SD videos.

bluesilver: good luck and have fun. My suggestion would be to do a clean install of Mountain Lion, which was overall a better OS release than Lion.

because we ALWAYS recommend a mac with a second graphics card for doing video


have you done a video set with a 13" MBP for video?

Yep but if someone makes absolutely no mention of an interest in video (after multiple posts) and is not posting to the "Video" forum...and is obviously on a budget that precludes buying a Mac with a discrete GPU anyway....why bring that up?

I guess one could also wonder why, if you're that concerned with video, why you didn't ask that question earlier...



In 2009 or 2010, yes...one time when I had to use my backup...and my backup at that time was a 2008 plastic MacBook. It worked quite decently...with Mix Emergency. I suspect a 2011 MBP would work quite allright, with SD videos and 640x480 or 480p video output and little/no effects use and careful vetting of transition types.

i never saw his earlier post so i wouldn't know that…..i just want him to be well informed

not get to a gig do video than say he's having problems doing video with the new mac he just got

Thank you very much, I'm quite excited. I'll be transferring my music onto it later today and installing Serato DJ and hope all goes well. I'm gonna wait for a little bit before upgrading the OS. I bought it thinking it was 10.5 Leopard, because that's what it was advertised with, but yeah its actually 10.7 Lion. A little later on though, I may just upgrade to 10.9 Mavericks I believe. ..and now I guess 10.10 Yosemite just came out.

..and no Joee, I don't plan on doing video.

than you are all good, enjoy the mac

something that you can do in the future to improve performance are add more memory & a solid state hard drive
eshop.macsales.com

eshop.macsales.com

You should be fine there...note that Yosemite is not yet supported for any Serato software yet.

What I would suggest (and what I do, with either a new computer or OS/software update) is after getting your music onto it (and re-analyzing all of it), run your system in "autoplay" as long as possible (like overnight) and jump on the decks from time to time (like when you get up and hopefully find things still running okay).

That way, you'll be able to detect any issues ahead of time, and hopefully do your first gigs on the new computer with some reassurance that things are stable.

So I have completed my 3 gigs this weekend.. Friday and Saturday. It went very well and my MacBook Pro is awesome. However, during my time downloading some requested songs before my 1st gig, I may have downloaded something I shouldn't have. Opened a file I download from some random site I thought was giving me a free mp3. Now I have a few pop-ups here and there. :/ Other than that everything is good and my 1st gigs were very successful! :)

hi guys super new here...well i have a 06 macbook and it got me throught a clouple of gigs...but soon i will own a new satilite fusion my mac did not have even 1 gb of mem...and was just old as fuck..serato dj intro will work with my toshiba??...let a brotha know

email me if im not on please..all input is welcome..lol except negative and mean.lol
icantfindmybowtie@gmail.com

Serato DJ intro should work on windows, I think.

What are the specs of the toshiba?

it has 4gb of momory as compared to my 512 mb of memory on my 06 macbok..whic i was told thats why i would have lags and weird slows downs in my seta....so embarrasing o would just make a playlist on my phone and ....ughhh so not cool...but it kept the crowrd happy...im still very new at this..im happy with my serato...just wanna use it and not have delays and fuck ups...i should got my puter tomorrow...and i will let you know more specs tomorrow...but its a toshiba satilite fusion 2 in 1 15.6..it turrns into a tablet and is a touch screen...super cool and has more than what i need...long as i can run my serato and mixer..(numark mixtrac pro) and have my itunes..im a happy camper...ill check in with u tomorrow...happy sunday guys

4gb of memory is pretty minimal in 2015.

The main issue would be whether you have an Intel or AMD CPU. If it's AMD, you're very likely to see trouble. Not only with Serato, but a lot of other audio software.

What model of CPU?
What is speed/type of RAM: ex. DDR3 1600mhz
Does it have a graphics card or is it using Intel integrated graphics?
How old is the laptop?
What version of Windows is it running?
Lastly, what is model of Laptop?

toshiba raduis..2105 and windows 10...and it has 8 gb..i was mistaken... willl know more tomorrow when i get her