Hi there mikeman123,

Thanks for your question, however I can not tell you what computer to get as ultimately it is your decision! :)

But as a personal recommendation, I would have to recommend a Macbook Pro. Since Apple design/build both the OS and the drivers, it means they are perfect for someone who wants a computer that just 'works' when they need it.

I will move this thread into the general discussion area as more people will be able to come and help you out in your decision!

Good luck hunting!

Hey Scott S,

Thanks very much. I was leaning towards a Macbook Pro, and will make that the choice. My sony worked great with Scratch Live, and had no issues, but it can't handle Serato DJ. Once again thanks for the quick reply. Cheers, and look forward to jamming on my new DDJ-SX.

Mike

@ mikeman123, There is simply no better recommendation than a Macbook Pro. As a matter of fact I experience the same Issue with my sony which is why I upgraded to a Macbook Pro.

I would also recommend you purchase from apples Refurbished macs to save money. All of my macs are refurbs and work as good as non refurb macs. store.apple.com

If you want to do video, I recommend the 15". If not 13" is perfect.

@pdidy, Thanks very much for the input. You have sold me on the Macbook Pro, and l will also take your advise and look into refurb units. Once again thanks very much and l will go with the 15" unit.

Cheers, take care

I've got a rain livebook and it handles serato perfectly. That being said - go with a MacBook pro.
My computer isn't compatible with serato video since it uses an intel graphics card. I'm no Mac fanboy but fact is compatibility isn't an issue

Thanks diezdiaz,

Looks like Macbook Pro is the favourite, and that's what l will be getting.

Cheers

Another vote for Macbook pro. i must warn you, once you go mac, you won't go back. lol

Well thanks for the input, and l am now a proud owner of my FIRST ever Macbook Pro 15" with 8gig of ram. I jammed for 7hrs yesterday and didn't have any issues. I am one happy camper right now, but will still be a little nervous when l use it in the club for the first time.
Mm3 - your right l already love the Mac.

Congrats!

Congrats mikeman123!!! Believe me you wont want to go back to PC

@ mikeman123, Are you aware that you can run both windows and mac OS on your macbook pro ?. Im a heavy windows user but i run Serato on the mac side so all my macs run both.

@pdidy, wow that's cool l did not know that. I am going to keep that Macbook just for Serato, and l have my sony laptop for windows. Don't want to take any chances. Nothing like DJing an event and sitting there on pins and needles wondering when it will skip or cut out next. Thanks for letting me know that.
Cheers

Wow! So basically what I'm understanding from this discussion is I will be unable to use the ddj sx with my Sony vaio 2.5ghz i5 3mb L3? Or basically don't buy the ddj sx unless you have a Mac?? Wow

@numbdrum - Yeah buddy l would be a little worried to use that Sony. My Vaio worked fantastic for years and years with Scratch Live Serato, but it didn't run so well with the Serato DJ software. If your jamming at home not so bad as it will skip or lockup once in a while, but if your clubbing it I wouldn't chance it. It sucks, but the DDJ-SX is a really cool controller and fun to play with.

Lets be clear, No one said your Sony vaio or any windows pc of proper specs will not work. It may actually work perfectly but unlike a Mac, its not 100% guaranteed to work flawlessly.
So as you see it can be a gamble. I personally would never gamble with my reputation and hard earned money. Therefore my only choice would be a Mac.

^^ well said.

And of course there can be issues with Mac's as well and there is no denying that, however it is worth spending extra money on a mac when more often than not it will not have issues.

I think it's pretty sad that because I don't have $1500 for a computer I'm S. O. L. with serato! Very sad! Traktor it is then!

I wonder if serato ever thought that maybe when a DJ is starting out he might be on a budget OR maybe not on a budget, maybe he prefers the Windows PC over a Mac. Anyhow I'm done being sour about it. Thanks for the info though y'all saved me a lot of troubles. Be well and "Keep The Platters Glow'n"

True. It goes without saying....no computer is PERFECT but the mac is bout as close as you can get considering all other options. There are some windows pc's showing all around good results in all versions of serato but its a very small list.

Did you not read ANYTHING i said ?

We dont purposely write the software to work more efficiently on Mac or anything like that. The problems do not lie in the software, it's the hardware components in cheap Windows computers and the poorly written Windows drivers that can cause the problems. Windows computers are usually made up of multiple companies components that can cause compatibility issues for certain programs.

Im not trying to offend you or anyone on a Windows computer (as I have had many Windows computers in my time and have nothing against the Windows platform) but using a quality, professional DJ software on a $500(ish) Acer or Dell usually results in poor performance. There's a reason people say "you get what you pay for".

pdidy is correct, There are thousands of Windows computers out there that run perfectly with Serato applications and have no issues, but thats usually because the users know how to keep their computer optimised for use with audio applications and dont install games or anything they dont need to DJ. You should be able to run Serato applications without issues on any computer as long as you meet the minimum system specs and keep your computer free of junk software and clashing drivers.

We understand that most DJ's are on a budget and dont want to spend a lot of money, but if you are using Serato applications then the computer is the heart of your DJ setup. We would expect a lot of DJ's to put as much money into their workhorse as possible as it is their job (or passion or hobby) and want it to work to the best of its ability. You also need a computer that is going to last you a long time without upgrading, and personally, I can not recommend any computer more than a Macbook Pro.

FYI: You should be able to find a used Macbook Pro for under $1000. Check second hand sites like ebay or craigslist for used computers that are still in good condition.

But ultimately it is your decision and we will continue to support our software for any computer that exceeds our minimum specifications :)

Regards

Ok well I so agree with you on taking it seriously and I do very much so but also my finances are limited so am I suppose to let my dreams dwindle because I can't afford a Mac? I ended up purchasing a Sony Vaio 2.5ghz intel i5 6gb ram 750gb hard which is above the recommended specs on the Serato site. (Also it was $700 (not so cheap) so why does serato even list the specs if its a "Gamble" ( I'm not a lucky person so I very rarely like to gamble) why not just say not compatible with MOST Pc's recommended Mac? Save a lot of people the frustration. I'm just say'n. I do feel a little offended because it took me a little over a year to save up enough to start seriously doing what I love so to say I'm being cheap is a little off putting though I understand your point. And I am very passionate about my music and how I present it. The whole reason I ended up on this page was because of trouble I am having with my numark 4trak and I was looking for an alternative to numark and traktor plus I've always been a pioneer lover. But as I said, thank you for the info as it will make some decisions easier going forward. All I would ask is maybe change the required specs for PC users. Thanks again, see ya when my pockets get phatter. Lol

@numbdrum: I apologise if I sounded like I was aiming that directly at you, I was definitely not indicating that you are a cheap person. I was referring to some users who DO buy cheap computers, install a lot of un-needed DJ programs and software, continue to have issues with their drivers and then wonder why.

Your Sony Vaio seems perfectly adequate for running Serato DJ, are you having problems? If you are please feel free to start a help request on the issue and one of our support team members will be able to assist you :)

Like I said before, there are thousands of Windows computers out there ( < $1000 ) that run perfectly with Serato and have no issues.

I didn't mean to sound condescending in my last post, was just letting you know why I personally prefer Macs over PC's for use with audio applications and peace of mind!

Feel free to start a help request if you are having any problems numbdrum :)

Kind Regards

Thats just not the case. I run SDJ on a $400 computer with an AMD processor and its been flawless for me. Macs are pretty much a sure thing but most decent windows computers will handle SDJ fine. Even better if you follow one of the online guides to tweak the OS.

I don't mean to sound like a jerk (which I believe to be impossible to get this point across) but I would be a little bothered if any average joe could shell out $500 and have the same capabilities I have (software & hardware-wise) to the T. What would justify the hefty sum spent on my machines? Trust me I know how this sounds but wouldn't it feel weird going to some festival or concert and seeing the same laptop that was passed down to your kid brother as the workstation for it all?

Scott, thank you again for the info. My current situation is that after experiencing problems with my 4Trak controller (I haven't had any problems with my PC as it is optimized, to the best of my knowledge, for audio and DJing), I have returned the 4trak and was interested in moving to the Serato platform with NS6, NS7, or the DDJ-SX and that's how I ended up on this discussion as I am trying to do as much research as possible as far as my operating systems capability to run Serato with those controllers. And of course after reading some comments about the PC issues with the new Serato DJ I wasn't sure if SDJ would be stable option with my new Vaio. I do understand that a vast majority of folks think they should be able to buy a cheap laptop with minimal specs and hook it up to pro grade equipment without issue however I am not one of those. I feel as though I followed the recommendations, from Traktor and Serato, to purchase a system with higher specs than required so that I would be free from worrying about system failure while performing live. So as of now I don't have any issues, just trying to decide on a piece of hardware. Again I thank you for your wisdom and most likely I will try Serato DJ.

Deejdave,
I agree it would be bothersome if a $500 set up was just as capable as a $2000 set up or $4000 or $10000. BUT, I feel that if I'm spending $2000+ on a laptop & controller, and I have exceeded the recommended specifications to run the dj software, then I should not have to worry about my system not being able to handle the software and that playing a live gig is more or less a gamble.
Just as I would not expect my $2000 set up to have the same capabilities as a $10,000 set up, I do believe they BOTH should be able to run the software flawlessly!

Thank Y'all again, I'll let ya know how the Vaio turns out.

i have the 2012 macbook pro 13 inch - 2.5ghz ivy bridge 8GB DDR3 and it runs both Serato and Traktor perfectly, it barely touches the cpu meter!

i would have gone with the 15 inch (non retina) model if it wasnt for the weight/size

Pdidy & deejdave

You guys planted the bug and it has seeped in! Lol just thought I'd let ya know that I have sold the Sony Vaio and in 4 weeks ill be roll'n with a 2011 15" Macbook Pro Aluminum Unibody Laptop. 2.53 Ghz Processor, 8GB DDR3 Ram, and a 750GB Hard Drive! That should take the gamble out of the equation right? I'm honestly looking for y'all's input on these specks? Thanks again

^^ congrats

If my 2009 Macbook pro 17 still works then yours will definitely be smooth like buttah.

Thanks DJ_X_Trodinaire, that's a kick ass name!

YES SIR, the gamble is officially out of the equation !
You made a very wise choice and investment, not to mention the peace of mind and confidence you will now have.....this is priceless to a professional dj.

Btw....your mac will easily out preform my 5yr old macbook pro 2008 which still works flawlessly.

Great, thanks again. I truly appreciate the feedback and recommendations.

SDJ working fine on my old laptop:
Notebook: Packard Bell EasyNote BU45
Processor: Intel Core Duo T2250
Graphics Adapter: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 950
Display: 12.1 inch, 16:10, 1280x800 pixels, glossy: yes
Ram 2 Gb.
HDD 120 Gb.
Weight: 1.93kg
------------------------------------------------------
win 7 32 bit. No Games. No Soft. Just Serato DJ, and few audio programs.
but. now i want to upgrade it to some ivy I7. becouse its the time :)

I am glad to see you stepped it up. There is a good chance you would have ended up fine, especially after all the bug fixes and what not but now you took away the element of chance and are pretty much guaranteeing yourself the stability factor and giving Serato DJ the happiest home it could have. The specs or the Macbook you chose even further seals the deal. I wish you best of luck with it and I really meant it as Im not a Mac fanboy I just know that the day I got my macbook Pro was the last day I had any issues with my main Laptop. My backup (a PC) has failed me probably 9 times since then but I mean I have had one issue (the out of nowhere loss of response from the DDJ-SX issue that many are experiencing) but that was ONCE and I have basically used the unit HARD for 2-6 hours a day.

Looks like I got the year wrong, it's actually a 15" mid 2009 2.5ghz core 2 duo with 8gb ram ddr3 500gb hd! OR I have a choice of going with a 17" mid 2009 2.8ghz core 2 duo 8gb ram ddr3 500gb HHD? Of course the 17" is gonna be about $300 more so again I'm looking for y'all's experienced input? Thanks again!

You'll not notice much difference between 2.5 vs 2.8 chips of the same generation.

The extra real-estate of the 17" screen is great, especially with 4 decks, but 17s are pretty damn big to carry around.

However, the kicker for me with those two is that the 15" has basic integrated graphics, and the 17" has a decent dedicated GPU. So if you think you might ever want to do video, the 17" is well worth the extra money.

If you're only ever going to do audio, the 15" will work a treat.

Awesome thanks for the info.

My first Mac is a model 1,1
Pro 15
2gb ram bus speed 667mhz.
2ghz duo core 32 bit system?

10.5.8 so I haven't used it for Serato as I have no controller. I'm shooting for Vestax 400 Dj for next purchase. I have to keep it simple as I like mobility. Yes only audio with this Mac. We will upgrade to another Mac. My only gripe is it's slow at transferring files from Usb drives.

I know it's old but we got it for $300 in good shape.

I've never used Mac's. I'm a PC guy. I would never buy a Mac, but I always recommend them to DJ's. Don't blast me on the b/c its just my opinion guys, but lets face it, you buy a Mac, you're paying for the OS. Open up a PC and a Mac, the will both more than likely have the same guts. The difference is the OS. PC's start more crap in the initial load up than needed. This is why Mac is more stable. However, the fact that I know how to manipulate a pc makes it more ideal for me. My PC would run circles around most MBP's and is much cheaper. I'm just not a fan of how Apple runs its business, that's all.

I would take an Android over an Iphone. So it's all good.

you will not have issues with this lap top, i used to have an old 2007 macbook white edition( not mac book pro) 2 duo core 2.2 ghz and 4gig ram running Itch 2.0 with 2 V7's and eventually a NS7FX. no problems at all and I was running a 1TB external hard drive with firewire 400.
My only recomendation is keep your files clean and organized, you might have to create new libraries after a major update from Serato, not saying is gonna happen, it is just personal experience.
Anyway congrats and good luck

I am looking for some input between these two systems, which would you go with and why;
17" MBP Mid 2009 2.8GHZ Core 2 Duo 8GB Ram 1TB HD 3USB Ports.
OR
15" MBP Mid 2010 2.4GHZ Intel i5 8GB Ram 750GB HD 2USB Ports.
??? I'm torn between the two, I love the 17" but would the performance be that much better on the 15"? I'm looking for the best system to run DJ Software and for Production (but mainly for DJing) thanks for any input!

According to the benchmarks on MacTracker, the 2010 is about 25% higher performance than the 2009.

That's quite a big difference...

I'd have to suggest the 2010 unless you absolutely must have a bigger screen. Plus, you're buying a machine that has had a year less use.

+1

So just out of curiosity does the macbook's have the same issue as PC's with large libraries? Since my DDJ-SX is a brick right now, because SDJ keeps crashing.

I have had one crash to date and Im pretty sure at this point it was my fault (cable movement or something of that nature) and I believe all the thanks goes to the macbook.

Just got a brand new 15" 2.4GHz MacBook Pro and its running super smooth with SDJ, no momentary drop outs at all since using it

numbdrum , any updates ?

Pdidy,
Got the 17" 2.8ghz 8gb ram 1tb hd, (its fricken sweet, even for an older model it still seems to out perform the new sony vaio I had). Now I'm trying to decide on controller, I was hoping to get the ddj sx but due to some set backs I'm going to have to go with another option. I've been trying to find out more about the vci 400dj as far as price point but I'm pretty sure it will be about as much as the SX. Also I can't really wait much longer as I have my first gig the weekend after St Pattys Day. Most likly I will make the final decision this weekend so ill have time to get it all set up and thoroughly tested. I'll keep y'all updated and again I TRULY appreciate all of your guidance.

heres an option that can help you get the ddj-sx www.americanmusical.com

Pdidy,
Dude that's awesome and again I can't tell you how much I appreciate all your help and knowledge. But,lol, I'm kind of confined to guitar center as that's where the majority of my "return credit" is (from the numark 4trak). I might just go with the vci 380 and then after a few gigs I can get that "Big Boy" the SX. Ill keep ya updated and again thanks for the info.

A buddy of mine has the VCI 300 and say's he can't really use a mic with it. I don't have any experience with it but maybe the 380 is the same. If you are doing any mobile work make sure you can use a mic easily.

I still use a 5 year old Macbook non-pro 2008 13" that works flawlessly.

suggestion: annalize your files again, by my own experience it keeps the software running smoothly after a serato major update. Also if you can, create a new V2 database after major updates from serato and avoid running serato on windows pc ( if you are using an external hard drive) and going back to MAC OS.
just a suggestion, a MAC is the best investment you can do, buy still you have to keep in mind doing maintenance on your files and libraries.
thanks

Great info maviccf.

I got you beat.....i have a backup 2007 macbook white 1.8ghz core duo that still runs flawlessly. That being said I would only recommend them as your backup laptop only because they are not future proof and running on minimum spec.

numbdrum
your welcome, just want to give you the info you need to make the right choice.

Thanks, it's very much appreciated!

anytime

I take it all back. Played a longish set on Sat night at a party (6 hours) and had a couple of minor freezes. Not as bad as before on my lower spec MBP, but still noticeable.

I had my buffer set about mid-way and all other software and features disabled, including all power saving options set to never.

Think the extra power from my new MBP is obviously helping minimise issues but its still not 100% reliable.

Nothing is 100% but the mbp is easily the best laptop for djing. That being said, without professional troubleshooting by a serato moderator you or I are NOT qualified to make a proper diagnosis of the issue you had. It would only be an assumption and could be unrated to the mbp. This why its important to always open a help request. It could have been software related, hardware or user error for all we know.

Being that this was a long gig you may have been overheating.

Do you have smcFanControl for Mac installed, all files analyzed, ALL corrupt files removed ?

You what!?

I'm just passing on my most recent experience using a brand new 15" 2.4gHz retina MBP with SDJ for the guy who opened this thread.

Given the topic, I also thought it might be of interest to other SDJ users to hear that I've found SDJ has worked with far less frequent, or severe, stuttering issues than I had on my older (less powerful) MBP. I don't recall suggesting it was a "proper diagnosis" at all.

Given Serato has already acknowledged this stuttering is a known issue with SDJ in other threads I'd be stunned if its reoccurrence here was a hardware or user error issue. But hey, you never know right?

And yes, all my files are pre-analysed and I have no (known) corrupt files. I do not have smcFanControl for Mac installed - I didn't know that was a requirement when using SDJ for longer periods on Macs?

Its not a requirement, but reducing heat can noticeably improve on your Macs performance. Do a search for smcFanControl on the forum for more info. You will see its one of the few tweaks advanced users use to get the best results from their Macs.

I use a late 2008 macbook pro 15, 2.8ghz core2duo, 6gb Ram, 512mb nvidia graphics card, 750GB 7200rpm hybrid harddrive, 750GB 7200rpm harddrive in replacment of the cd drive.

I use Scratchlive and ITCH With Serato DJ and Mixed Emergency (SD Videos Only 640x360/480)

And it works 100% totally fine.

Cheers.

True, true. I was running it on a $500 purple Toshiba AMD from WalMart. It was running fine. I got a Mac because I was thinking about going Traktor. Traktor NEEDED a better computer, it wouldnt run at all on my Toshiba. If you try a inexpensive PC, just get it from a store that has a return policy in case it doesnt go well, and always have some kind of backup plan, like a mp3 player plugged into your mixer at all time, in case you have to reboot. Ive used that backup plan many times, especially with the Acer I was using for scratch live a couple years ago. Also keep it clean: from viruses and excessive junk: like you shouldnt be surfing any questionable sites at all on PC that is for a DJ business. Windows is very prone to viruses and problems like that. On windows, I would surf and download songs on a seperate windows PC to keep my Toshiba clean. With the mac, I do everything all on the same computer, being told it is ok.

Mark

This is exactly the reason why I decided to just go to Scratch Live. My 2011 MBP 2.4 GHz Ram, Intel quad core i7, 250 Gb used out of 750 with all my music on the internal drive should have been way more than enough to handle ITCH on a NS7 as per the Serato posted computer requirements. But after doing all the optimizations, analysing my library countless times and talking to Serato moderators via help requests, I still had odd drop outs, once or twice each time, not to mention software freezes when switching banks on the SP 6. I was excited about the Serato DJ software when I saw the promos for it, but after seeing the early users still complaining about drop outs, I said screw that. Picked up a Rane 62 & 2 CDJ 850's in HID mode and boom problem solved. Way more expensive rig but I personally can't put a $ value on peace of mind and stability. Besides, the equipment pays for itself after a few gigs anyway. Can't beat that. Just my 2 cents.

Peace

Although a MAC is more reliable than the AVERAGE Windows PC, you can build your own Windows PC with alot more power than a MAC at half the cost.... It is also FULLY upgradable... So if you dont have enough for a MAC..... dont give up on buying a DDJ-SX

My PC runs perfectly with serato and the DDJ-SX

Intel i5 2500K CPU @ 3.60GHZ

8GB RAM

WINDOWS 7

True but compatibility issues are very common with the custom PC route. Not to mention who wants to carry around a desktop computer? I guess beggars can't be choosers (not meant to be insulting) but I would just save up for a week and purchase the Macbook.

Forgot 2 mention that I only use it at home, so I prefer a windows based PC for a desktop, but I would rather have a MacBook Pro than a windows laptop....

I must be lucky; my Hp Envy 14 Beats edition quad core sandy bridge I7 2.2ghz ran serato itch perfectly on windows 7 64 bit (8 gigs ram) and Serato DJ runs fine on windows 7 and windows 8 with no problems. No major tweaks to the OS. This laptop is discontinued, I'm glad I bought it; it has been bullet proof with Serato DJ and Traktor.

I have a mac mini desktop core 2 duo and a windows 7 i7 2.66ghz quad core with 12gb ram that dual boots with mac osx (10.7.5) and it's quite the beast

Horses for courses.

Was never a fan of the macbook pro; way overpriced; I spent 1K and still running without incident.

Yeah no I didnt mean it wasn't possible with a PC (laptop to be specific). I wouldn't even call it luck @Dave the one. My thoughts are that PC would be very reliable when not going with the lower end machines. The high end PC laptops (i7 in particular) are all from the factory 100% compatible with itself. Just specifically when building your own from the ground up as kross-ddj was saying. I do however admit that the rush from running at ridiculously quick custom made machine without issues can not be understated. For my home adventures I (until recently) was big into building machines and had some great success stories. Haven't done it in quite a few years but I admit It is tempting to have at it again with all the new stuff that has been released in the past few years. I saw that the price for a quad-core or even an 8 core processor is very cheap and after it dies down at work a little Im thinking all systems go.

All this being said no matter how good my end product may be for my professional use (DJing at a paid gig) an apple MacBook Pro will be my only solution. If not for anything else its for peace of mind that all will be ok.

It's all good. I can rock it on a PC laptop or a Macbook pro, there is no difference in operation on either platform, I wouldn't touch any laptop (mac or windows) that had anything less than an I7. I too have absolute piece of mind with my laptop.

Home use is all mac both on the mini and the hackintosh. Pro Tools 10HD and Reason run fine on both Desktop OS' (windows 7 64 or Osx)

Again, it's all choice. I've owned macbook pro's in the past, too fragile for me, in 2003 someone tripped over the power cable when I was in the studio and the socket dislodged from the logic board, battery wouldn't charge; was more than 1200.00 to repair, that was the last macbook pro I laid eyes on. I don't care how they're built now but shit happens, people trip over shit, your shit gets bumped etc.. not having that worry or expense again. My current laptop is built like a tank, socket is well constructed as is the power cable.

Again, it's all choice. I've owned macbook pro's in the past, too fragile for me, in 2003 someone tripped over the power cable when I was in the studio and the socket dislodged from the logic board, battery wouldn't charge; was more than 1200.00 to repair, that was the last macbook pro I laid eyes on.

That is truly tragic and I understand your pain. They now have what I feel is the best solution being its a magnet that releases (not if but) when I trip over the cable. I will now pretend It has only happened once and not the over a dozen times it realistically has.
In the end whatever works though, I agree.

no I won't do it, go mac that is. has any built a tower for this? got specs? I want my monitor to lay flat next to the ddj sx

The DDJ-SX is a more portable solution...................... wouldn't you want your computer to be portable as well? Would a tower not defeat the purpose?

buying it because of functions, and No a tower is easy to quickly set up and don't like the look of a laptop sitting front center when I play, but all these comments are scaring me into mac book pro, I could always just install windows on it too, but if any not using at mac post ur specs plz

Not gonna lie these all sound like you are trying to convinced yourself of something. If you don't wanna dish the money for one I understand but
1.) Functions - I can't think of anything that can be done with a tower that can't be done with a laptop.

2.) Portability - A tower is somewhat easy to set up but it does not even approach the simplicity of a laptop. Not to mention a tower is not meant to be transported so are built accordingly as in break easily.

3.) You know you can put a laptop to the side of your setup just as you plan to do with your monitor correct? If you are all that unhappy with it you can still connect an external monitor, mouse, & keyboard. Many would say this defeats the purpose of a laptop yet even doing this redundant setup still brings it in under a tower in terms of weight.


If I am wrong in this could you please inform me of the functions I am missing out on by using my MacBook Pro?

^^^ thank you for saying everything I was to lazy to type.......lol

Some people are just STRANGE.. I would take a 2006 model MBP before i get a Winodws or even for that fact a Tower? Hell even a mini mac is a nice choice for external monitor use , blue tooth mouse and keyboard ..SET..

I can't understand how people are so cheap when it comes to a laptop. Back when we used to buy vinyl, a record (import) would cost anywhere from $10 to $14 for two tracks. Now we can buy two tracks (AIFF) for $5. I save hundreds of dollars a month on digital tracks versus vinyl tracks. With this savings I have always been able to justify having a powerful laptop. So say you spend $1,500 to $2,500 on a powerful MBP......what does that equate to in vinyl? About 178 records? That ain't shit!

Buy an i7 Quadcore Macbook Pro....max out the Ram to 16GB, put in two 1TB SSDs (drive caddy), and you're golden for the foreseeable future! When SeratoDJ needs more than that to operate sufficiently, well, it might be time to stop updating, LOL!

Yeah that magnet power cable is genius + simplicity all wrap into one.

You must be talking about using this tower for home or studio use and it will be permanently stationary correct. I mean there's no way you're trying to transport a tower pc for mobile DJ gigs. Right... ??? Help a brother out here I'm really trying to bring some sanity to your post.

LOL, I've seen people do it.

When I first started using a computer to DJ I actually bought a Shuttle SFF PC and carted that around to all my bar and club gigs, with a 15" monitor, all that gubbins.

I look back now and realise how dumb that was...

I remember the old days when I use to carry an amp, some passive speakers, 5 or 6 crates of vinyl, 2 TT's, a mixer, tape deck and some lights to every party when I use to DJ a lot. So a tower, a mixer and some active speakers is not bad at all IMO.

But I right now I need some advice though. I always used Windows laptop and always had laptops around the $1500+ mark. And I have no problem with them. But for the last year I've been enjoying having a 23" monitor in front of me when I DJ (okay everyone can laugh at me and that's fine) which is not as often now. I'm sick of having to bring a laptop with me. And lately I've been wanting to give OSX a try. I can't afford to spend $2499.00 AUD on a 15" MBP or even $1849.00 on a 13.3" MBP.
So here's my question. Will a Mac mini do the job nicely? I'm not planning on using Serato Video and I know the mini has no dedicated gfx card but the 2.3GHz i7 seems to be powerful enough. was also planning to upgrade the RAM and put in a SSD in the mini.
Anyone can be very honest and call me what they want because I really need a straight advice. Please no sugar coating. I just want the honest opinion of everyone on my question. I will not take offense, so need to be gentle with me.

Thanks for any advice.

I know for a fact it WILL work but again the whole topic of mobility comes up. Desktops (and yes even though it is small it is considered to be a desktop) got their name due to the fact that they are not mobile but stationary machines that are meant to be left at home. CAN you haul this stuff around? You got it home didn't you? So obviously you COULD haul it from gig to gig. The problem is there are wires & other components involved and components connected externally as well as the wires will do what they do best.......... BREAK. You brought up the speakers the TT's etc but you are neglecting to mention that they were large due to physics and needed to be. They also had handles for transport or dedicated custom cases made for transport. Desktop computers lack all three of these. That is due to the fact that someone invented a smaller version which IS meant to be transported........ LAPTOPS.

To simplify & also increase your chance of success as well as limit your issues why not connect the 23" monitor to the $1500 laptop you said you have. That way you are limiting the possibility of things breaking.

@deejdave, thank you for your reply. Well I'm not worried about the mini not being as portable as a MBP. My gigs nowadays are very few. Basically I don't do a lot anymore. Just the odd house party here and there, a wedding or 2. I do get what you mean about minimizing the possibility of breaking things. If I could afford to buy a MBP I would in a heartbeat. But my budget is very limited now. And from the other posts I have read around here it seems that people always advice to get and i7 quad core machine.
I do understand the logic in getting a better CPU (also hardware) to make sure that is very stable and basically trouble free operation.
I still don't know what decision to make. My max budget is $1500AUD. And here in Australia I can't even get a decent refurbished MBP for around my budget.

Oh I forgot to mention that I do connect the 23" monitor I have to my laptop sometimes when I do gigs. Damn it I wish I lived in USA. MBP are hell of a lot cheaper there than here in Australia.

Shadow I currently using a mac mini right now, but it's been for studio use. It has an i7 Quad CPU, 250gig SSD and 16GB RAM. SDJ plays nicely on it. If you have a few gigs here and there and you don't mind the setup, the unit itself is solid for SDJ. I guess the old saying holds true "to each his own".

^I'm

Thank you Ragman!!! Sorry for the late reply. I was cooking. But yes that sounds good to me. 95% of the time I'm just at home enjoying a session and hardly do gigs now. And besides I really want to try OSX. Always been curious but I have never used or owned any Macs. I know they are good. So I started looking at the Mac mini as it is affordable and I can upgrade the RAM and whack in a SSD. I already have a bluetooth keyboard and mouse that will go with the Mac mini. So thank you very much for your reply, much appreciated!

The Mac mini will only be for pure SDJ. Not planning on installing anything or use it for any other purpose than using it for mixing tracks.

Thank you again deejdave and Ragman!!!