Hope you won't mind a couple of questions from a "laptop buying virgin"! I
think I know what I want, but I need to run it by you to see if I am leaving
anything out.

I am taking a course in animation, and I like to edit video. I also need to
carry it around a lot, so it needs to be fairly portable.

I am thinking:
250GB
3G
Dual Core
Dedicated Video Memory
Firewire Port
Webcam and mic

What else?

Also, if the battery turns out to not last as long as I would like, can you
buy batteries with longer life?

Thanks!!!

Your specs are fine, but video editing is NOT a demanding application in
terms of the video sub-system (it's not a 3D application), and you could
get by just fine with integrated chipset video. Any video system that
can run Vista's "Aero" interface has more video power than you need for
video editing, unless you do a LOT of fancy scene transitions.

You might want to consider an even larger drive, however, as video files
are huge.

SOME laptops offer batteries with different numbers of cells (more cells
= longer life), but unless you do a build-to-order, retail laptops
always come with the low-capacity batteries and you have to buy larger
size batteries separately.

Note "Dual Core" covers a wide range. For example, Intel offers Pentium
Dual Core, Core Duo and Core 2 Duo processor families (listed from
lowest to highest performance), so give that some thought when you
select the CPU.

mommio2 wrote:
> Hope you won't mind a couple of questions from a "laptop buying virgin"! I
> think I know what I want, but I need to run it by you to see if I am leaving
> anything out.
>
> I am taking a course in animation, and I like to edit video. I also need to
> carry it around a lot, so it needs to be fairly portable.
>
> I am thinking:
> 250GB
> 3G
> Dual Core
> Dedicated Video Memory
> Firewire Port
> Webcam and mic
>
> What else?
>
> Also, if the battery turns out to not last as long as I would like, can you
> buy batteries with longer life?
>
> Thanks!!!
>
>
** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **

"Barry Watzman" <WatzmanNOSPAM@neo.rr.com> wrote in message
news:8b59c$4868f42c$16316@news.teranews.com...
> Your specs are fine, but video editing is NOT a demanding application in
> terms of the video sub-system (it's not a 3D application), and you could
> get by just fine with integrated chipset video. Any video system that can
> run Vista's "Aero" interface has more video power than you need for video
> editing, unless you do a LOT of fancy scene transitions.
>
> You might want to consider an even larger drive, however, as video files
> are huge.
>
> SOME laptops offer batteries with different numbers of cells (more cells =
> longer life), but unless you do a build-to-order, retail laptops always
> come with the low-capacity batteries and you have to buy larger size
> batteries separately.
>
> Note "Dual Core" covers a wide range. For example, Intel offers Pentium
> Dual Core, Core Duo and Core 2 Duo processor families (listed from lowest
> to highest performance), so give that some thought when you select the
> CPU.
>
> mommio2 wrote:
>> Hope you won't mind a couple of questions from a "laptop buying virgin"!
>> I think I know what I want, but I need to run it by you to see if I am
>> leaving anything out.
>>
>> I am taking a course in animation, and I like to edit video. I also need
>> to carry it around a lot, so it needs to be fairly portable.
>>
>> I am thinking:
>> 250GB
>> 3G
>> Dual Core
>> Dedicated Video Memory
>> Firewire Port
>> Webcam and mic
>>
>> What else?
>>
>> Also, if the battery turns out to not last as long as I would like, can
>> you buy batteries with longer life?
>>
>> Thanks!!!
> ** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **

Hey, thanks a bunch for the info! One more question, please. What's the
deal on TV tuners? If I get one without a TV tuner, is this something I can
add later? Really appreciate your help!

You can get a USB TV tuner.


mommio2 wrote:
> "Barry Watzman" <WatzmanNOSPAM@neo.rr.com> wrote in message
> news:8b59c$4868f42c$16316@news.teranews.com...
>> Your specs are fine, but video editing is NOT a demanding application in
>> terms of the video sub-system (it's not a 3D application), and you could
>> get by just fine with integrated chipset video. Any video system that can
>> run Vista's "Aero" interface has more video power than you need for video
>> editing, unless you do a LOT of fancy scene transitions.
>>
>> You might want to consider an even larger drive, however, as video files
>> are huge.
>>
>> SOME laptops offer batteries with different numbers of cells (more cells =
>> longer life), but unless you do a build-to-order, retail laptops always
>> come with the low-capacity batteries and you have to buy larger size
>> batteries separately.
>>
>> Note "Dual Core" covers a wide range. For example, Intel offers Pentium
>> Dual Core, Core Duo and Core 2 Duo processor families (listed from lowest
>> to highest performance), so give that some thought when you select the
>> CPU.
>>
>> mommio2 wrote:
>>> Hope you won't mind a couple of questions from a "laptop buying virgin"!
>>> I think I know what I want, but I need to run it by you to see if I am
>>> leaving anything out.
>>>
>>> I am taking a course in animation, and I like to edit video. I also need
>>> to carry it around a lot, so it needs to be fairly portable.
>>>
>>> I am thinking:
>>> 250GB
>>> 3G
>>> Dual Core
>>> Dedicated Video Memory
>>> Firewire Port
>>> Webcam and mic
>>>
>>> What else?
>>>
>>> Also, if the battery turns out to not last as long as I would like, can
>>> you buy batteries with longer life?
>>>
>>> Thanks!!!
>> ** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **
>
> Hey, thanks a bunch for the info! One more question, please. What's the
> deal on TV tuners? If I get one without a TV tuner, is this something I can
> add later? Really appreciate your help!
>
>
>
** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **

"Barry Watzman" <WatzmanNOSPAM@neo.rr.com> wrote in message
news:8b59c$4868f42c$16316@news.teranews.com...
> Your specs are fine, but video editing is NOT a demanding application in
> terms of the video sub-system (it's not a 3D application), and you could
> get by just fine with integrated chipset video. Any video system that can
> run Vista's "Aero" interface has more video power than you need for video
> editing, unless you do a LOT of fancy scene transitions.
>
> You might want to consider an even larger drive, however, as video files
> are huge.
>

Sorry to disappoint you Barry, but most of the modern video editing packages
are now refusing to work with anything other than dedicated graphics cards
with non shared memory (and demanding 256 Mb minimum of the stuff) and not
all that's available quite cuts the mustard. HD editing requires even more
demanding hardware.

And you can get PC Express tuners. I just got a USB hybrid dual HD/Analogue
unit with video in and also has FM radio. Works natively with media centre,
this unit is from Kaiser Bass.

"Barry Watzman" <WatzmanNOSPAM@neo.rr.com> wrote in message
news:d21c5$486957b3$7744@news.teranews.com...
> You can get a USB TV tuner.
>
>
> mommio2 wrote:
>> "Barry Watzman" <WatzmanNOSPAM@neo.rr.com> wrote in message
>> news:8b59c$4868f42c$16316@news.teranews.com...
>>> Your specs are fine, but video editing is NOT a demanding application in
>>> terms of the video sub-system (it's not a 3D application), and you could
>>> get by just fine with integrated chipset video. Any video system that
>>> can run Vista's "Aero" interface has more video power than you need for
>>> video editing, unless you do a LOT of fancy scene transitions.
>>>
>>> You might want to consider an even larger drive, however, as video files
>>> are huge.
>>>
>>> SOME laptops offer batteries with different numbers of cells (more cells
>>> = longer life), but unless you do a build-to-order, retail laptops
>>> always come with the low-capacity batteries and you have to buy larger
>>> size batteries separately.
>>>
>>> Note "Dual Core" covers a wide range. For example, Intel offers Pentium
>>> Dual Core, Core Duo and Core 2 Duo processor families (listed from
>>> lowest to highest performance), so give that some thought when you
>>> select the CPU.
>>>
>>> mommio2 wrote:
>>>> Hope you won't mind a couple of questions from a "laptop buying
>>>> virgin"! I think I know what I want, but I need to run it by you to see
>>>> if I am leaving anything out.
>>>>
>>>> I am taking a course in animation, and I like to edit video. I also
>>>> need to carry it around a lot, so it needs to be fairly portable.
>>>>
>>>> I am thinking:
>>>> 250GB
>>>> 3G
>>>> Dual Core
>>>> Dedicated Video Memory
>>>> Firewire Port
>>>> Webcam and mic
>>>>
>>>> What else?
>>>>
>>>> Also, if the battery turns out to not last as long as I would like, can
>>>> you buy batteries with longer life?
>>>>
>>>> Thanks!!!
>>> ** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **
>>
>> Hey, thanks a bunch for the info! One more question, please. What's the
>> deal on TV tuners? If I get one without a TV tuner, is this something I
>> can add later? Really appreciate your help!
>>
>>
>>
> ** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **

"M.I.5¾" <no.one@no.where.NO_SPAM.co.uk> wrote in message
news:486a152e$1_1@glkas0286.greenlnk.net...
>
> "Barry Watzman" <WatzmanNOSPAM@neo.rr.com> wrote in message
> news:8b59c$4868f42c$16316@news.teranews.com...
>> Your specs are fine, but video editing is NOT a demanding application in
>> terms of the video sub-system (it's not a 3D application), and you could
>> get by just fine with integrated chipset video. Any video system that
>> can run Vista's "Aero" interface has more video power than you need for
>> video editing, unless you do a LOT of fancy scene transitions.
>>
>> You might want to consider an even larger drive, however, as video files
>> are huge.
>>
>
> Sorry to disappoint you Barry, but most of the modern video editing
> packages are now refusing to work with anything other than dedicated
> graphics cards with non shared memory (and demanding 256 Mb minimum of the
> stuff) and not all that's available quite cuts the mustard. HD editing
> requires even more demanding hardware.
>
>
>

Well I am using Premier with a 8400GS 128Mb card and it is brilliant, my
daughters older Vaio with non dedicated video memory also runs it fine?????

What modern program are you running?