Computers

[Sergio]

Hello All,

My wife and I just made a move to Columbus, Ohio. So, now that I have some free time, I want to get back into elements!

I just wanted to know if any of you use laptops to work with elements? I have to set up my big mean machine over the weekend, but I started thinking/enjoying this nice little laptop.

I guess the only thing I miss is my 21" monitor.

Please let me know what you all are using.

Thanks!

Tim

[LeeOtsubo]

How about connecting your 21" monitor to the laptop and buying a another monitor for your desktop. Or, if you want to get fancy, you could install a video switch that lets you use the 21" on either the laptop or the desktop depending on what you're doing.

I have a laptop for most of my work and a desktop when I need more power. The laptop has a second LCD monitor so I can run PSE5 on a better monitor.

[cats4jan]

I have to have my ergonomic full sized keyboard and my full sized mouse - and of course, my 22 inch monitor. Guess, a laptop would not work for me. LOL

For me, it's all about whether I need portability - and I do not - so a desktop is what I'll keep buying until I need portability. I'm not willing to type on a small keyboard and use my finger to move around on a tiny mouse pad unless there is a real reason.

[lindajay]

I use a laptop (Mac), and have done all my photo editing on it. I think I've done okay :o, and I've loved that I can work on it in the living room, in the evening, so I don't have to cloister myself away in the office when my husband is home. And I can take it with me on trips, and do picture editing in the hotel room, or wherever I'm staying. I've even taken it outside on our deck, and worked there when I wanted to enjoy the outdoors.

All of that being said -- when I get a new computer (and we're talking about it), I'll be going with a full-fledged desk-top model. I know that a larger, stationary monitor will make my job a lot easier, and that is the main reason. Also, believe it or not, I do most of my editing without using a "real" mouse (just the track pad ? on the laptop), and I know this isn't good on my wrist.

But I'll keep my laptop for traveling and for working on the deck :D, and I'll always have a warm spot in my heart for it. It's gone with me through the big adventure of learning and using Elements.

[Rusty]

Linda, if you love the portability of a laptop, what about a docking station
?

I don't know about Mac, but it's really slick for a PC.

Before I retired I needed a PC that I could drag around on trips. I also had a "big one" in the office. Every trip was an adventure: decide which files will be needed and copy the latest versions from the office PC onto the laptop. Naturally, I would always really, really need something I didn't have.

At home the laptop (cover closed) slides into a docking station where "things" on the docking station plug into "things" (holes) in the back of the laptop. Sitting on top of the docking station is a great big, honking monitor, speakers are plugged in as well as a standard keyboard and mouse.

It's truly the best of both worlds.

Rusty

[AngelicKim]

Hope your enjoying Columbus. It is a pretty nice city. I will be there again in two weeks. I too am a laptop user. We have a desktop but it isn't hooked up. I personally am more comfortable with the laptop and it is easier for me to use. I have not problems working in elements with it. You get use to making selections with the touchpad pretty quickly. It isn't too difficult either if you have to room to use a mouse or Wacom with it.

[BrendaC]

I use a laptop, have never used elements on a desktop so maybe I don't know what I'm missing. I don't however, use the small mouse pad, I use a tablet and LOVE IT! I have seen some pretty awesome desktops lately. Don't know what I'll use when I upgrade, which will be awhile. My husband just surprised me with the laptop last year. The tech where I take my computer did say that laptops are notoriously slow. Brenda

[lindajay]

Rusty, I just now got back to this thread, and want to thank you for your suggestions. Sounds like you have everything worked out really well.

We are considering getting a RAID system (anyone know about them?). I'm not really savvy on all this stuff, but my husband explains it as an external unit that actually has two hard drives in it. I would store all of my photos on one drive (to keep my laptop from filling up, which has been a problem), and they would automatically be backed up on the second drive. We are networked wirelessly, so from my computer, I could easily get to this external drive. But because none of the photos would be housed directly on my computer, when we travel I wouldn't have them with me, unless I copied some over to my computer. To have an automatic back-up system in place sounds great, though. Anyone using this kind of system?

[Shari]

I think it can be what one is used to. I have my own desktop with my 22"WS monitor. I cannot use the small keyboard on my husband's notebook. It drives me crazy and I actually sware out loud! I have typed on a regular keyboard for nearly 50 years and I can type and carry on a conversation at the same time - but get me on the notebook keyboad and I have to watch everything. That is why I will be sticking with my desktop and if necessary on vacation revert to Rons. I think I sort of have to say that if Ron is staying away from work while we are on vacation I can stay away from the computer - we do more healthy activities that way!!!
Shari

[Russinator]

I have PSE5 on both my desktop and my laptop. I have used both to work on pictures, but, IMHO, the desktop is far easier to use.

Russ

[Rusty]

Linda, I mistakenly gave you the impression that I had this now.

When I say "return home and plug laptop into docking station", I should have said, "return to home base" -- my office. This was strictly a set up by my employer. My laptop became my only PC: a true laptop when traveling and, when plugged into the docking station, "almost like a big clunky desktop". That's why, when I unplugged it for travel, my files were complete and up to date.

Hard drive size was a non-event as we were networked and all of my files were backed up every night on a server a thousand miles away. I also had a gazillion bytes of storage available on another server where I could archive files, emails, etc if the laptop started getting full. It took less than 30 seconds to retrieve one or more of those archived files.

As a retiree, I'm back to a 5 year old desktop PC at home, but it is OK for my needs. Elements is the only thing I do that's close to "heavy duty computing". No CAD, no monster Excel spreadsheets and, thank God, no more PowerPoint presentations :D

I have no desire to drag a laptop around with me anymore.

Rusty

[LeeOtsubo]

...We are considering getting a RAID system (anyone know about them?)...

RAID 1 and 5 (redundant arrays of inexpensive [also independent] drives) are failsafe systems and not usually used for backup. RAID 0 is used to increase disk throughput (speed) but I don't think that's how your husband is intending to use it. Also, if you have a disk failure with RAID 0, you have a serious problem on your hands reconstructing the data.

In large data centers that can't afford to be down for more than a few moments, RAID is designed to automatically "fail over" (switch) to the second drive when a primary drive fails. This "fail over" happens in microseconds and the system is never interrupted. Obviously these are expensive systems requiring twice as many drives as standard systems. Today, very cheap drives have made RAID viable for consumers but the question is, "Do you really need that sort of security for a home system?"

There are off-the-shelf RAID systems that can be used a for backup but it seems like an expensive solution for a non-problem. I have a RAID system but I also run a business.

[genevh]

RAID is not going to work if you are planning on working from one drive and backing up to another drive. All forms of RAID (see this (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAID)) involve copying your data onto 2 or more drives. Depending on the configuration, basically you are either going to mirror your drives (where all data gets copied on all drives - usually 2) or the data is striped (where all data gets painted (in stripes :) ) across all drives). Depending on how many drives in a striped configuration, divide 100% by the number of drives and thats what percentage of your data resides on each drive.

Home users will employ either RAID 1 ( mirrored) or RAID 0 (striped) 2-drive configurations. If you want to do a working drive / backup drive configuration, RAID is not how you want to do this. Either 2 internal drives (C and D most likely) or an internal + external drive. However, if you have a RAID 1 configuration, if one drive fails, the other drive holds all your data and you can keep on working. Replace the failed drive, and they will mirror again and you will be ready when the other drive fails. :D Just get big honkin' (there's that technical term again) drives and you can get all the storage you might need.

Hope this helps. :D

[lindajay]

Gene and Lee, thank you for your input on the RAID drives. I believe Dan is talking about using a mirrored system. He's quite computer savvy, as he's been in the business since 1972. But I'm passing along your information for him to sift through. Thank you very much for taking the time to give me more info.

[genevh]

If I was going to do RAID on my system, mirrored is how I would do it, too.

[Sergio]

Thanks to most of you for sharing your info. I was thinking I might be the only one using a laptop for elements.


The "RAID" stuff didn't help me.

Thanks again to the users who told a rookie what he wanted to know.

Peace,

Tim:)

[LeeOtsubo]

Gene and Lee, thank you for your input on the RAID drives. I believe Dan is talking about using a mirrored system. He's quite computer savvy, as he's been in the business since 1972. But I'm passing along your information for him to sift through. Thank you very much for taking the time to give me more info.

If your DH is a geek, he's doing it simply because he can! :D Geeks don't need a reason for implementing a technologically elegant solution. I'd be curious to know if he's using HW or SW RAID and what drives he's using. Also, I assume he's using SATA but is it in a separate box or inside the PC?

[lindajay]

Lee, I've sent you a PM :)

[genevh]

The "RAID" stuff didn't help me.

We did get a little off topic, didn't we? :)

[LeeOtsubo]

We did get a little off topic, didn't we? :)

He got the OP answered and it didn't cost him any more so it was a freebie! :rolleyes:

[lindajay]

My apologies to the original poster.

[Sergio]

Hi Linda,
No problem:)

I didn't care for LeeOtsubo's remark.:confused:

Lee= I find myself fascinating. :):rolleyes:

Peace,

Tim