which laptop should I buy?

Hi,

I want to getting involved more into video editting and I'm trying to find a laptop that would enable me to do that. I decided to go for Lenovo and now I'm having second thoughts between two models. The difference is slight and the price is similar, but I want to make sure that I'm making the right choice. I would appreciate any advice on which one to go for or on any other recommendation. The two options are:

LENOVO G570 - M5143UK
Processor: Intel Core i5-2410M with Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 (2.30 GHz)
Operating System: Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit
Display: 15.6 inch WXGA high-definition LED backlight, 16:9 widescreen (1366 x 768)
Graphics: AMD Radeon HD 6370M 1 Gb
Memory: 6 Gb DDR3 DRAM 1066 MHz (8 Gb max.)
Hard Drive: 750 Gb 5400 rpm SATA
Optical Drive: Blu-ray Combo
Sound: 2.0 speakers (2 x 1.5 W) with 3D surround sound enhancement
Integrated Communications: Ethernet NIC, Intel WiFi Link 5100 AGN (1 x 2), Lenovo Wireless b/g/n
Connectivity: 4 x USB 2.0, 5-in-1 card reader (MMC/MS/MS pro/SD/XD), headphones, mic, VGA, HDMI, Bluetooth, Kensington lock
Camera: 0.3 MP integrated web camera
Dimensions (WxDxH): 377 x 245 x 17.3-34.9 mm
Battery: 6 cell

and

LENOVO G570 - M513ZUK
Processor:Intel® Core™ i5-2410M Processor (3M Cache, 2.30 GHz)
Operating system: Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64
Graphics: AMD Radeon™ HD 6370M 1GB
Total memory: 6 GB PC3-8500 DDR3 SDRAM 1333MHz
Display type: 15.6" HD LED Glare Backlight TFT 1366x768 w/camera 0.3M
Pointing device: Industry Standard Touchpad
Hard drive: 640GB 5400
Optical device: DVD Recordable (Dual Layer)
Battery: 6 Cell Lithium-Ion
Network Card: BCM 4313 BGN Wireless
Bluetooth: Bluetooth 2.1

Thanks!

 

Is price a factor???

 

yes, the price is a factor. i'm an amateur in the whole process and can't invest too much before i can see how good i'll be at it...

 

Either will suit you fine. But if the price is similar, I'd say go with the first one. It has a bigger hard drive, more memory, and a Blu-ray drive (instead of a standard DVD-RW)

 

thanks so much for your response and advice! it's quite tough to narrow down the number of choices out there.

 

If you're video editing, you'll want to try to find a higher resolution display. I don't think any of these are a necessarily the best fit. Many video editing programs barely fit within 1366x768. It's possible, but by far not optimal.

What's your price range?

 

I have a low-end G550, and I work extensively with audio, but not much video.

My main complaint would be the lack of connectivity - no firewire and no ExpressCard slot. The specs of machines these days seem very hard to discover, and G570's seem very vague about Expresscard slot. (I hate Expresscards mechanically compared with older PC Cards).

All on-board audio on Windows 7 these days seems dire, but Connexant "Smart Audio" seems particularly peculiar and awkward to merge with a decent external interface.

The G550 is also one of two recent machines I've used where the internal microphone is mounted close to fan and HD , so for Skype etc, I have to use a headset.

These are just things I would check. With both Lenovo and Acer, I think the most recent machines are poorer in design than earlier models of each.

 

I can't spend more than $1,000. I'm buying in Europe, so not sure if models and offer are the same as in the US...