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  1. #21
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Location
    Richmond, Kentucky
    Posts
    195

    Default Re: October 2018 - Least Expensive Laptop Capable of Running SAW Basic?

    I have bought and refurbished probably 35-40 Lenovo laptops generally W500/ W700 for resale to "studios"/ bedroom recorders / etc.
    I just sold one last week with a Focusrite Saffire Pro 10 for $300 total. Most of the ones I've sold have 250-500 G SSD's with 8 G DDR3 ram.
    They will do just about anything you need done. I still use a W500 in my 16 channel live/recording rig. Find a reputable computer guy and
    upgrade a Lenovo. Shopgoodwill.com (darn I gave away my secret place) has Lenovos all the time. I require firewire on a laptop so this is why I
    choose Lenovo. Later ones without firewire are still rock solid with a USB interface.
    S. Lewis
    Mountain View Recording
    Audio-Video Electronics
    Richmond, KY

  2. #22

    Default Re: October 2018 - Least Expensive Laptop Capable of Running SAW Basic?

    I hope none of you who resell computers will take this personally, but although you had me thinking "used" for a bit, I've come around to deciding I still want something new. I'm just too tired of fighting with computers that are buggy or become obsolete a few weeks after I buy them. So far, I have hated my Windows 10 experience, but new is still new and I'd rather spend my time getting my work done than Googling for solutions to problems with an operating system that Windows will soon decide to abandon.

    Being that you've pretty much convinced me that Lenovo's ThinkPad is the way to go, can anybody suggest a current model that will run SAW Basic well - with only 4-5 tracks in use at any given time and very little recording done right into the software?

    (Again, I appreciate the advice about used laptops, but please do not try to convince me any more!)

  3. #23
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Maple Ridge, BC Canada
    Posts
    3,517
    Blog Entries
    1

    Default Re: October 2018 - Least Expensive Laptop Capable of Running SAW Basic?

    Hello,

    Have a look at the Lenovo "E Series"

    Certainly a good place to start - though I would consider the "P Series".

    Also, as you state, "with only 4-5 tracks in use at any given time"...what, and how many plug-ins are being used at any given time?

  4. #24

    Default Re: October 2018 - Least Expensive Laptop Capable of Running SAW Basic?

    Quote Originally Posted by mr_es335 View Post
    ...Also, as you state, "with only 4-5 tracks in use at any given time"...what, and how many plug-ins are being used at any given time?

    Zero! I am primarily mixing pre-recorded voiceovers with pre-recorded music. Any effects on the voices are added before or after, using other software.

  5. #25

    Default Re: October 2018 - Least Expensive Laptop Capable of Running SAW Basic?

    OK, I'm back...after getting the heck beaten out of me by the prices on those new Lenovos once I upgraded the hard drive, etc.

    I guess I got a little over-zealous there. Realistically, buying a laptop to do mixes on SAW Basic during my lunch hour is only practical if I can get one for $500 or less. Otherwise, I might as well just keep using the Dell Inspiron desktop machine I already have.

    Back to the drawing board...

  6. #26
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Maple Ridge, BC Canada
    Posts
    3,517
    Blog Entries
    1

    Default Re: October 2018 - Least Expensive Laptop Capable of Running SAW Basic?

    Tom,

    What is wrong with the ThinkPad E585 AMD?

    Stock: $420.00
    Processor: AMD Ryzen dual-core, 2.50GHz
    Operating System: Windows 10 Home
    Display: 15.6" HD (1366 x 768) anti-glare
    Memory: 4GB DDR4 2400MHz
    Graphics: Integrated AMD Radeon
    Hard Drive: 500 GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm

    Customized #1: $450.00
    Operating System: Windows 10 Pro - add $30.00

    Customized #2: $503.00
    Operating System: Windows 10 Pro - add $30.00
    RAM: 8GB - add $53.00

    Either would provide you with plenty of HDD space and RAM for what you need. I do prefer the Pro versions of Windows, but the Home edition would do just fine as well. Though I am not a fan of AMD processors, others have had great success with them here on the forum.

    I think it also appropriate to state, that Bob has done an absolutely wonderful job of getting both SAW and SAC to work on minimalistic systems. I mean I have a Dell 12" laptop that I have sometimes used in a "quick and dirty" situations and it has worked surprisingly very well. Specs are Core2Du, 1.2GHz, 5GBs RAM and 120GB SDD - using the stock drivers that came with Windows 7 Pro.

    Hope this helps?

  7. #27

    Default Re: October 2018 - Least Expensive Laptop Capable of Running SAW Basic?

    Dell:

    On an impulse, I just tried to order the E585 exactly as you configured it. "Honey" applied a coupon that brought it down to $456 and I tried to pull the trigger, but the Lenovo shopping cart wouldn't let me. I guess I will have to give them a call tomorrow. Hopefully, the money will still be burning a hole in my pocket by then.

    Thanks for your suggestion!

  8. #28

    Default Re: October 2018 - Least Expensive Laptop Capable of Running SAW Basic?

    Interestingly, I am still having trouble with the Lenovo site. It quotes me one price after all the modifications, then when I put the item in the cart and go to close the deal, the price is $100 or more higher!

  9. #29

    Default Re: October 2018 - Least Expensive Laptop Capable of Running SAW Basic?

    Yep, believe it or not, I STILL have not pulled the trigger on a laptop, mostly because 1) based on my past experience trying to work with laptops on airplanes (Coach class), I do not want anything larger than an 11-12" screen, and 2) they make it so damned hard to buy anything these days, with so many models and generations and different configurations that I feel like buyer's remorse is guaranteed within a week of owning anything new.

    In any event, the one laptop that seems to fit SOME of my requirements is the following one, a Lenovo with an i3 processor (I know, everybody says i5 is the minimum for audio editing) 8gb of RAM, and a bunch of other specs that I do not fully understand. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07C9ZLVYH...v_ov_lig_dp_it

    The processor is a Dual Core, so I guess it isn't the most current generation, which I believe is a Quad Core. But SAW Basic seems to work on just about any of my old systems I have tested it on, including the Toshiba I got for my 40th birthday in 2002 and the ASUS eeePC I paid $300 for a couple of years after that.

    I only use SAW Basic for editing 4 or 5 tracks of voiceovers and stock music, no plug-ins at all. I DO NOT want to deal with a system that locks up or gives me Buffer Overrun messages when I am in a crabby mood (my 1-tear-old Dell desktop seems to do that no matter HOW I set the buffer).

    So, without getting too technical, without trying to beat the idea of a used/refurbished laptop into my fat head, and with respect for my not wanting a larger screen, can anybody give the Lenovo ThinkPad 11e either a blessing or a blow-off?

    Thank you, guys. You have always been very helpful and are usually very patient with me!

  10. #30

    Default Re: October 2018 - Least Expensive Laptop Capable of Running SAW Basic?

    Quote Originally Posted by Tom M View Post
    ...without trying to beat the idea of a used/refurbished laptop into my fat head, and with respect for my not wanting a larger screen, can anybody give the Lenovo ThinkPad 11e either a blessing or a blow-off?...
    I certainly wouldn't want to try and convince you that those older laptops of a used variety work great with any version of SAW..... but I've rarely ever heard anything negative about the Lenovo series of Thinkpads.
    I think you'd have to try pretty hard to find one that would not work for what you want.

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