Laptop Purchase Options

[YDG]

My friend is looking for a laptop and his budget is 600 dollars. The primary use of the laptop is for recording/mixing and for live sets when he performs. He uses a lot of heavy-weight music programs. Any help?

[FUTUREtek]

Where the f*ck are you playing? I've never played a show that supplied anything more than monitors. And I always get at least fifteen minutes to get my shit set up/put away.

Haha every venue I've ever been to has a PA system. What venue have you been to that doesn't have its own PA system with a sound guy and board? We use the venue's PA and mics. When have you seen a band bring their own PA system? And their own sound board and hook all that up, hanging PA speakers from the ceilings and what not? That makes no sense, the venue provides all of that.

You say this laptop wouldn't just be for "studio"... well that means you're going to do more with it. Which probably means you'll need it to be even more powerful. Which probably means you need to spend more than 600 dollars. What else do you want to do with it?

Dude, if you just want a laptop go purchase one. You have our recommendation. Purchasing a laptop for this stuff is just a big fat waste of money. Especially if you only have 600 dollars.

I love how you're suggesting you want to upgrade your current setup and we're telling you that you need to purchase a desktop so that you don't have to spend 600 dollars to upgrade your setup in the future. This is not enough for even an entry level studio setup based around a laptop. Chances are that a laptop that costs 600 dollars will be able to do just as much as the one you have. 600 dollars is not enough. Maybe you should wait until black friday.

Yeah, you're right. I've seen a few Dell's (laptops) for 599$ that are better than what I currently have though. And by more than studio, I mean I'm going to use it in live applications too.

Some of you guys have been suggesting other equipment, which I appreciate, or saying that with $600 and just buying a laptop, my "studio" is basically going to be terrible. Trust me when I say all I'm looking for is a laptop, and I have all my other necessary equipment that I want (mixers, monitors, audio interfaces, rack gear, instruments, etc.).


Thanks again all for your suggestions.