DJing Discussion

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Laptop died - Any recommendations for a new one?

DjPayaso 4:12 AM - 9 July, 2012
I have been using a laptop for the past for years and it decided to stop working so my question is. What is a good laptop these days without spending alot of money. Just looking for something powerful and fast. Thought I would ask here before shopping in hopes someone could point me in the right direction and what to look for that will work best with the SL3. Any info will help as i have not shopped for a laptop in a long time.
Serato, Support
Scott S 5:28 AM - 9 July, 2012
Hi DjPayaso,

I will move this to the General Discussion thread, as a lot more people will be able to help you out there. I have also changed the title of this thread slightly so people know what it is about :)

As for a recommended laptop, we would recommend a Macbook Pro. I know they are a bit expensive, but they are the most stable computers for use with music/dj software. In my opinion "You get what you pay for" is definitely a term that encapsulates the PC/Mac debate.
There are far more issues that appear regarding Windows builds than Mac computers due to driver errors and incompatibility, but if you are wanting something fast and cheap, I guess stability, recovery and reliability are not a priority for you.

Check out our laptop buying guide here > serato.com

Thanks DJPayaso and good luck with the laptop hunt! :)

Regards
Scott
5:28 AM, 9 Jul 2012
Discussion moved to DJing Discussion
DjPayaso 5:46 AM - 9 July, 2012
Thanks for the quick reply Scott.
Im not looking to use the laptop for anything other them with the SL3 and to store some of my music. Just want something that will load the music fast and wont clip or lag while using serato.
thanks again and ill check out the link..

Quote:
Hi DjPayaso,

Thanks DJPayaso and good luck with the laptop hunt! :)



Regards

Scott
djdalite 5:50 AM - 9 July, 2012
cheap, mmm older macbook pro or macbook - or hackintosh
DjPayaso 6:05 AM - 9 July, 2012
well when i say cheap i mean under $1000
dj_soo 6:47 AM - 9 July, 2012
make sure you look in the refurbished section of the apple store: store.apple.com these are usually units that didn't pass final factory inspection that they replace the problematic parts and are still covered under full warranty.

you can usually save 300-400 on a laptop...
DjPayaso 6:50 AM - 9 July, 2012
will do. Thanks dj_soo !
RaySwift 7:20 AM - 9 July, 2012
vinyl
phatbob 11:10 AM - 9 July, 2012
You should definitely be able to score a 2011 13" MacBook Pro refurbed or used for less than a grand. If you can find a used one with a couple of years AppleCare left you'll be golden.

I've got one and it runs Scratch Live like a dream.
DjPayaso 3:52 AM - 10 July, 2012
well i have always used a Win laptop so the Apple thing is new to me.
What sould I look for interms of specs?
Do they have the hard drive space to hold 1tb? and if not are they upgradeable?
Im not really a computer wiz, I know how to turn them on and do what i need to with the scratch live but other then that im really in the dark
Dj JesC 10:42 PM - 13 July, 2012
Quote:
well i have always used a Win laptop so the Apple thing is new to me.
What sould I look for interms of specs?
Do they have the hard drive space to hold 1tb? and if not are they upgradeable?
Im not really a computer wiz, I know how to turn them on and do what i need to with the scratch live but other then that im really in the dark


Just about any macbook or macbook pro with a 2.0 Ghz Core 2 duo with 2 or 4 gb of ram should work. About the 1tb HD, you should be able to. Most macbook pro are super easy to upgrade the hard drive & ram.

If cash is tight, you can get a 2nd hand white macbook for cheap 300ish, just fair warning the DVD/CD are not the greatest.