Dell laptop for limited photo editing

I posted a similar thread in the main laptop forum, but I am trying out advice in the brand forums. I am looking for a laptop mainly for photo editing and review while away on trips, as well as some regular home use. My main concern is display quality, since they're not as good as desktop monitors. I have a desktop and plan to do all final editing on it, so the laptop is going to be more of a convenience than a necessity. Still, I would like the best quality in my budget. I've been suggested to look into Dell's XPS 1530/1330 models as well as possibly a latitude like D630. Anyone who use any of these models, recommend these for my purposes? People have also suggested Sony and Fujitsu for the display quality (Sony I've heard good and bad and Fujitsu- this is the first time I have heard of the name- not to say it isn't good- but I know nothing about them). Anyway, my budget is around $1000-1300 and with the Dell coupons I know I can make it within that range. Any comments would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

I use my XPS M1530 regularly for Photoshop Elements 6.0 along with my Canon Digital Rebel XT.

I got the WSXGA+ display (originally Samsung) and took three tries to get the LG. I must say for photo editing it was worth the trouble it took to get it replaced

In my opinion the processor speed and amount of RAM make a huge difference if you're impatient like me.

 

Like fiveo, I use mine for Photoshop and Photo Editing. I do car shows all summer long and use my Canon and notebook extensively.

I also use the XPS m1530 for just about everything else and it is great.
The screen is the best I've seen so far. I opted for the 1440x900 (largely because of the problems I heard about the x1050's) and it is good enough for my work. Check out my review for exactly what to expect from Dell:
http://corvettec3.com/dellXPSm1530review.htm

I have a good desktop with a samsung 21" screen, but find myself using the m1530 most of the time now. What a great notebook! If you want to read more on it, pick up the April issue of LAPTOP magazine that is due out in the newsstands tomorrow (18th). That issue will have a good review on the XPS m1530.

Hope this helps.

 

If you're serious about the quality of your images then you either need to use a PVA or IPS external LCD monitor if you decide to go with the XPS, since it has a glossy screen. If you plan to use the notebook itself for photo editing then I very highly suggest not getting a glossy screened notebook and getting a matte one instead. (a matte MBP or t61p are a good choice for this). Glossy may look nice to the home user but they give a very inaccurate color representation. Just google any photography forum and you'll pretty much read what i summarized above.

 

I think the fact that nearly all notebook displays are TN+film panels contributes more to their uselessness in photo editing than the pretty glossy coatings do, even though I hate those glossy coatings with a passion. The TN+film panels are only capable of 6-bit dithered color, making them pretty poor in the color accuracy department. In addition, the extraordinarily narrow viewing angles make it near impossible to keep the entire screen properly saturated from a single angle.

I don't think it really matters, especially since there's a budget involved. All notebook screens are absolutely terrible in my experience (save maybe for those IPS displays once used in the Thinkpads - I've never seen one).

 

I realize the limitations of notebooks- I plan to do all final edits and review on my desktop which is an ips monitor. I wasn;t the most thrilled about the glossy screen which is why I was also considering a latitude, I believe the D630??? I guess I am going to use it for more of review then editing, but if I can get one where I can get away with some editing without being really off- then the better off it would be. The t61p- isnt that lenovo? I was looking into those as well, but most people I spoke to said the laptop itself is great but their lcds are terrible.

 

I just spect out and ordered a loaded XPS m1330 and I do a lot of image editing on a laptop. I was more concerned about getting a screen with an LED back-lit display since the color and contrast won't change over time like a CCFL lit screen. The resolution of the LCD (1280 x 800) is no big deal since I currently use a laptop that has a 1440 x 900 resolution and the change is purely psychological: If you can edit images on a 1440 x 900 display then you can do it on a 1280 x 800 screen. You might have to scroll around a little more, but it's still usable.

The advantage, at least for me, is the size and weight of the m1330 since I use a laptop all the time.

 

This is completely true.

Since the OP is going to use an IPS for his final editing it comes down to glossy or matte which will really determine what computer he gets. No matter what the specs are for the most part you can edit pictures fine; it just has to run photoshop. With that said I think the lenovo screens are decent for editing compared to whatever else is out there. Plus they have great build quality and a decent graphics card.
Buying a glossy screened notebook for photo editing just seems to me like the worst choice you can make when you can't properly do what you're trying to do, edit pictures.

 

Why do you recommend the lenovo (besides the build quality)- is it because it has a matte screen where others dont, or is the quality superior? I am just suprised, because I've had a lot of people tell me to avoid them because of the screen quality, unless it was an older model with the flexview.
Thanks.

 

It may depend on what resolution screen they got. If screen quality is something you're worried about the dell isn't for you (LG vs samsung)
I'm recommending it because of build quality, features/price (with discount), matte screen, etc. Honestly what you're asking for isn't too specific (a photo editing notebook) so you can go with whatever (2.0+ ghz, 2gb+ RAMM, discrete graphics card, 1440x900+ matte screen, big enough HD for your RAW images) computer you want. At that point it just comes down to what manufacturer you like, build quality, warranty, and value. I think lenovo fits that but there's also a low end MBP if purchased with ADC, etc.

With all that said I just bought a 1530... The reason i didn't get the t61p is that I also game occasionally (8600GT is better for gaming), and I do all my photo editing on an LCD, so the 1530's screen won't kill my pictures. (Also I only got it because i needed a computer right now and it ended up being 900 dollars cheaper than what i really wanted, a 15" matte MBP. I just couldn't find another notebook besides the 1530 that was as cheap and had such a good value.)

 

Unless you play games or do any CAD work, you don't need a discrete graphics card either. For 2D photo editing, the integrated Intel solution will perform the same as the other options while delivering better battery life.

For quick-n-dirty photo review, I would also say that you'd be fine with anything. You just need to understand that you won't be able to rely upon it for any kind of color accuracy.

The Thinkpads are popular for their durability, but the Latitude line from Dell actually does better in terms of battery life while delivering comparable build quality and similar matte screen options. Dell's standard warranty and service is also better than the standard offered by Lenovo.

 

It makes rendering quicker but you're right it is not required.