Comments

kameronj wrote on 5/23/2003, 10:05 AM
Although I could probably (in theory) use my current laptop to run VV with - I wouldn't try it in a month of Sundays. But that is because my laptop is about as old as you can get but still use the updated OS and latest media players (which is all I use it for anyway).

But very powerful laptops are available today that rival desktops.

I would say as along as the system has the specs needed for VV - and has pretty decent HD capacity...you are in business.

Of course it would also help if it had a FireWire port and a CD or DVD Burner on board. But if you just want to use it to edit....HD space it what you are looking for. I would assume that when you are done with the edit you would transfer all the data to another PC for rendering? Then if so - a network connection is the only other thing (but you knew that already...didn't ya).

Hope that helps.
riredale wrote on 5/23/2003, 10:21 AM
They all work. I did a project recently on a $599 Dell Inspiron (1.6GHz Celeron, 256MB, 20GB internal). All I added was a Pyro firewire box holding a 120GB drive.
JonnyMac wrote on 5/23/2003, 12:33 PM
I used Vegas3 on an a PIII/600 MHz/256 MB laptop for some time without problems. I am now running Vegas4 on a P4/ 2.2 GHz/1 GB laptop and am much happier. Of course, I'm using external FW drives (WD) for my media.
d1editor wrote on 5/23/2003, 2:04 PM
I have V4 on a laptop that we use on location ... it's a Dell Inspiron 8200 2.4 Ghz, 792 ram and external firewire drives. It works great and we edit a show on the road with it called Arizona Backroads... we rent an RV and edit on the run since the show airs weekly. It has been a real work horse
johnmeyer wrote on 5/23/2003, 4:35 PM
I've done lots of editing on my Compaq Presario 1800T laptop. 700 MHz processor and just recently upgraded to 40 GB drive. I purchased a 1394 PCMCIA card on eBay for next to nothing (about $20 as I recall). I actually use VideoFactory (because that's what I had a year ago before I upgraded to Vegas). Works great. Heck, I still do lots of video editing on my 450 MHz Micron desktop. Never dropped a frame. If you get things set up correctly, you really don't need much of a PC to do video editing (although if you do lots of effects, the rendering times are horrendous).

Bottom line: If your laptop is much more than 500MHz and if it has at least 20GB free disk space, go for it.
TLT wrote on 5/23/2003, 4:51 PM
I just bought a Toshiba P-4 2.5ghz, 512 ram, 60 gig HD, DVD-R Burner 16" screen. Vegas 4.0 rocks on this.
Galeng wrote on 5/23/2003, 5:05 PM
I have a Sager P4 2.4GHz laptop with a 60GB HDD and 512MB of RAM. It works fine. I do wish laptops came standard with faster hard drives. Most all laptops have drives with 5400 rpms. But, since the platters are smaller maybe it doesn't make a difference.

Have same specs on a desktop and the desktop renders more quickly. But, no problems with either.

Galen
zbig wrote on 5/24/2003, 1:45 AM
I run VV4.0c on my HP Omnibook XE3 attached to a 80Gig HD via Firewire. Ever since I showed my wife the virtues of the internet I haven't been able to get her off my desktop system. So I have turned my laptop into my main VV workhorse by attaching a separate keyboard and a 17" Samsung Monitor. I wasn't very happy with the smaller laptop screen (too small and not bright enough) but with the peripherals added I am now very happy with it . I have been able to keep my laptop wired together like this because I now use a 128MB USB Drive as my portable data storage device for Word and Excel files. This means I no longer port my laptop everyday to the office which suits me just fine. In the last 2 months I have moved my laptop once only.

All the advice I read suggests that it is essential to have the VV program on the notebook HD and the working clips on another external Firewire drive.
HTH
Zbig

Grazie wrote on 5/24/2003, 3:14 AM
I've been editing my projects on a Dell Inspiron 8000 - 1ghzt P4, 256Ram, 4 ext firewire drives and know another external LCD - Sony 15". I've NLE-ed form VideoWave thru Studio7 to Videofactory>VV3 and now my beloved V4. Works very well, if a tad slow on the Preview.

1 - I would def. go for an external OR if possible an extra internal HD for your Video Drive

2 - Do consider getting another screen - Now with my SOny it has just made life so much easier.

I suppose with SONY now buying and then owning Vegas s/w, the VAIO option has to be investigated as a real contender. Added to which they have the rated DVD burner. Hmmm... you've made me start to think. . . . . Anyway, the real question I want to ask you is - why choose a laptop?

Best regards,

Grazie