1. No, SL is a soundcard itself

2. expansion card in a computer that houses audio internal and external

3. All laptops with the required specs can run Serato. Mac the best......hmmmm No

Get Mac you will love it!

Minumum specs:

Mac

Intel 1.8 GHz Core Duo (2.0 GHz, Core Duo for SL 4) or better
2 GB RAM*
1024 x 768 screen resolution
OSX 10.4.11 or higher (See Notes 2 and 4)
Available USB port (USB 2.0 required for SL 2, SL 3, SL 4 & Sixty-Eight)

Windows

Intel processor, 2.0 GHz Core Duo or better (See Note 1)
2 GB RAM*
1024 x 768 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

fixed it....

: )

^^LOL!
(get a Mac)

(Good comeback - I quit - you win...)
But you typed it wrong...


: )

Im not gonna start





















































fanboy

Macs are damn good but if you know a few things about PC you can tweak it that would outperform a Mac all day and at half the price. My basic Toshiba blew away all my friends white Macbook and I payed less than $500 at the time. Apple's price per product is 80% for the name 20% for the physical

That's MAC fanboy to you sir!

rlv.zcache.com

: )

but the pc does not have the glowing apple and the light up keys :) thats what makes it sexy too

Price of a 13" Apple

us.toshiba.com

www.dell.com

That is SO VERY TRUE...

20% is the same hardware as PCs but the other 80% is EVERYTHING APPLE - a stable OS, above average customer service and support, years of research and development, bundled software, security of the software from virus, marketing and promotion to make you feel "good" about your choice of computer etc, etc, etc...

Yep other 80% is just the name APPLE (and what it stands for)

<c'mon guys I quit being a fanboy years ago - why y'all making me go back>

I've been a Mac stalwart for a couple of years and even I feel better after reading that...lol

Mac may be overpriced, but it's a stable overpriced piece of hardware and software.

I tell my enemies, whack djs, hobbyists, assholes and people who cant afford a MAC to get any windows pc with proper specs......DJS that I respect, I will ONLY advise them to purchase a Macbook Pro 2008 or better if they truly intend on taking this art form seriously......True Story.

You guys are all a bunch of idiots. Get what works for you.

And in case you didn't know, A MAC is a PC
PC = Personal Computer
So if you get a MAC you are getting a PC

P.S. I've been using a refurbished Gateway for the passed 5 years and never had a problem. The most I've done is upgrade the memory and add a bigger HD. Take care of your computer and you'll have no problem, regardless of whether you're using a MAC or any other type of PC

What windows pc model would you personally advise the op to use if you dont mind me asking ?

you are 100% correct but apparently the rest of the world does not care..... nor do they intend on changing what they choose to call it. Point is, you're preaching to an empty church.
Hey.... it is what it is, maybe time to let it go......

if ur just doing audio get a mac or pc. if you plan on doing video definitely get a mac.

and don't listen to idiotic mac fanboys. a pc can perform just as well and/or better than a mac for less.

and me, i'm just a neutral user of technology. i use the best tool for the job. i have a macbook pro, a dell latitude e6510 (which rapes the macbook pro btw) and an i7-2600k desktop that is running at 5.02 Ghz.

I would personally advise to get what is within our budget and complies to the specs of what you plan on using it for. I'm not a fanboy of any certain brand.

fair enough.....so what model do you use ?

GATEWAY E-265M
Windows XP
4GB RAM, 320GB HD

Pretty sure by now, The mods could put a few bots on here that just post these same comments over and over again to anybody that asks about which laptop to use and it'd be no different.

I have a macbook that I use purely for SSL because my PC got stolen and I couldn't be bothered thinking about it (had to go buy the replacement same day it got stolen)
I still use my other PC whenever possible and when it comes time to replace the macbook, unless I decide I want to do video, I'll be getting a PC.

I wouldn't use windows for video, but for audio I wouldn't really care. Once SSL is running there is 0 difference.

rob.nu

care to elaborate.

Apple Care is nothing to brag about. Their OS is not anymore stable than that of Windows. I have never once had a problem running Windows XP, Vista, or WIn7 with Serato while having other programs running in the background. The reason why there are zero viruses for Apple is because Apple is less than 12% of the wold of the consumer and commercial use for programmers to waste their time to write up a binary code to infect Macs whereas with PC they dominate in user numbers and are easier to write the code to infect the registry. Think of XBOX 360 and PS3. Two different types of chipsets where PS3 is a nightmare for game developers to create because Sony decided to use a different type of CPU engine to read games that are similar to that of the 360.

As for years of R&D, Microsoft and Apple came out around the same time in 1983-1985. Its just with PC you get more bang for your buck. The 2 laptops, the Qosmio and the M14x I showed as example up above proves that you can get a high end PC for the same price as a 13" MBP but with alot more features. Take care of any WIn based PC and it will be good to you. Like the Monster (cable) name, with Apple you spend hundreds more to brandish the name. My prediction is Apple may lose luster in the course of the years now that Jobs resigned, kinda of like how when Gates resigned and handed the reigns over to Ballmer. Microsoft just went downhill from there wit the marketing and the mass appeal.

PS Im typing all this on my 15" i5 Mac. You may wonder why the hell do I own one if PC is much more bang. I wanted to try something different and I love my Apple but Apple computers are not the apple of my eye and that Steve Jobs marketed the shit out of Apple to make you feel warm and cozy inside to the point he is the shepherd and all those Apple crazed people are the sheep thinking anything else not Apple is crap.

Mac OSX is way more stable than Windows.

Stable as in? Not crashing? Baloney. I have yet to have a crashed Windows based OS and I push these computers to the limits with overclocking. Im telling you wait till just one of you get a virus on a Mac, it wont be as easy as like a Win to rectify.

Chrisjin I understand you're passionate about windows but this IS not a mac vs pc debate.......... RELAX....It will be ok......lol

MAC Users = Computer wavies

:P

In a sense it is because the OP wanted to know which to get and why. Nothing wrong with shedding some light in the caves you Mac dwellers are dwelling in.

the op basically stated mac is the best an asked what windows pc would work. I personally dont no a specific model of windows pc that works well without requiring you to be a part time IT Tech with all the tweaking (BTW im an IT 9-5). This is why i asked DJ Dynamite - NJ what he uses. So far we have.......
dell latitude e6510
GATEWAY E-265M,Windows XP,4GB RAM, 320GB HD

This may surprise you but im actually a window user and prefer it over MAC. The only exception is when im using serato because then im 100% MAC. So im actually not a "Mac cave dweller" or fanboy.

i've had pc (Gateway NV55C03U - Win7), i have club spot 3 nights a week, practice 2-3 hrs on off nights, i don't do videos (did try & worked fine), use 57SL, works great for me. the tweaking evry1 talkin bout is minuscule -- give it a go :)

All good points but I have yet to find a windows computer that can run VSL like a mac. So that's my question... Is there a VJ out there using a laptop other than mac and runs fine?? (show of hands)

@ Chrisjin - just having some fun with you man, Computers are just another tool to get the job done - use what you like.

When I first came here (Spring 2007 i think) about 1/2 the forum was Mac bashing and using Windows, I just kept simply saying how my little iBook G4 worked great and was damn near trouble free and perfect. I would get into Mac vs PC debates and TRULY try and convince others how great Macs were until one day I said fuck this - I'm happy - fuck everybody else.

Around that same year, the forum (and a lot of the world) started switching to Mac. I didn't have to say it anymore, people that had switched simply spoke about their experiences, it was "word of mouth truth". No more Evangelist fanboy... (well except above - LOL).

Some guys here use those Stanton Turntables - I swear by 1200's - same argument - favorite tool for the job.

Walks back to the cave - sits in front of the pretty glowing Apple - "Me Happy"....

I'd use a pc if serato and mix emergency worked on one but they don't

The problem with PCs actually isn't Microsoft. It's the hardware manufacturers that load the systems with complete utter crap software.

A fresh install of windows on any of the current I3, I5, i7 processors will be on par with the Mac OS for audio. Apple has a ton more control of what goes onto the machines before the customer gets them so you do not see this issue. The PC companies put this software on because they get paid by the developers of the software, thus relating to cheaper prices to you and me. You just have to learn to remove the crap from a new machine, or preferably reformat it as soon as you get it (either way takes about an hour or so on a new machine). Most of the tweaks people do aren't even necessary once they remove the bloatwear that was slowing things down in the first place.

Windows 7 along with Microsofts free Security Essentials software has come a LONG way in virus protection. It has been quite a while since someone I have setup gas gotten any kind of infection.

Video, well hey you got us there.

I do not hate macs, I have a MacBook and a Dell lattitude that I spin with. Both work comparably. The pc is a bit faster, the Mac is a bit smoother if that makes any sense.

As for windows laptops that are decent right now, I'm digging the Dell inspiron R line. They run about 5-600 for a decent machine. Panasonic also makes some "business rugged" laptops that are reeeeeally durable ( my boss is a klutz) that aren't very expensive.

Hey guys how about questions 1 and 2 !!!!

Sorry to get off track...

ALL Serato Hardware SL1, SL2, SL3, SL4 - Rane 57 and Rane 68 is or has a SOUNDCARD built in. The way it works - any Serato hardware (listed above) unlocks the FULL FEATURES of the Scratchlive software when connected via USB to your Mac,

Unlike (older versions of) Windows - Macs have all the necessary drivers built into the OS and the Scratchlive software taps into the Macs OS so everything kinda works out of the box with the above Rane Hardware.

Can you Windows guys confirm - new versions of SL and Windows don't need to download drivers for each? (Thanks I live in a Cave)

en.wikipedia.org

haha I mean no disrespect to anyone that loves their Macs and stands by it. Its just the fanboyism of Apple is so crazy that sometimes new people looking to start up spinning might be on a budget. And if all people say is get a Mac, PC crap, then this new person might end up spending over his/her means when a decent PC would suffice.

As what CMOS said, its the bloatware that causes PCs to slow down initially and that hardware per manufacturer may put in some cheap stuff. Formatting it to a genuine Windows based OS minus the mfg. edition will give you everything but bloat or junk ware. Its really simple and tweaking PCs is not time consuming at all. As much as one learns the ins and outs of djing you should try to learn the ins and outs of your laptop since it is now part of your gear.

Im not in IT nor is my job revolved in anything with computers, I just learned it and just kept learning for fun. I got an inquiring mind for shit. Weed does it to me. Some people get unmotivated or lazy, Im the complete opposite when I gets lifted.

@Art Pumping Payne - I have no idea, I have only been able to use my 57 on those 3 formats and it never required me to DL drivers.

A pc kills a mac plain and simple. you get better features with a pc than on a mac. I can buy 2 of the same pipes for the price of a mac. well let me go to a video shoot with my pc tonight at the club on my $500 pc. mac's can kiss my butt. Im a pc fanboi. seriously op get a pc. and feel the power.

Best Buy has a HP 17" AMD quadcore for $429. I know Serato said there were issues with some AMD but I have 2 HP 17" AMD laptops (one WinXP and one Win7 triplecore) and AMD desktop that run fine. I don't do video so I can't speak to that.
I like the 17" because of screen size and mostly the second internal harddrve.
And your other questions have been answered.

answer right there!

i use a dell latitude e6510 as a backup. my primary is a macbook pro tho. ssl works just the same on both. the dell is more powerful.

exact argument could be made about us serato fanboys.

just saying.

Bottom line if your going to get into video dj'ing in the future then get a mac. A pc will not be able to handle it. That's been talked about over..and over..However the HP Pavilion i had before my mac was good to me. Not for video though it was under specs which is why i got a mac. For a windows machine I'd recommend HP they seem to run serato quite well.

That is true as I have encountered a bunch of EDM djs giving me shit for not using Traktor. I never used it but I would try it. And we already know VDJ reigns supreme over Serato.