For what it's worth, I've had a hard on for HP for ever. My last 3 laptops have been from them, the desktop with media centre we have in the kitchen and the family media server have given me no grief. I wish the same could be said of Microsoft.

Yours can join my old ones.

I have an HP tablet I'm diggin' right now.

But my eye is on the MAC prize.

Just as soon as they start building some for cheap/broke folkz. lol

If you're looking for a computer that can handle CS4, I do recommend the Mac. I personally have been using a Toshiba laptop for the past 3 years and though it's painfully slow now to run CS4, I still think it's good; however, I find longevity with software updates being the biggest issue with any PC run laptop: once a newer version of a software release, no matter how good of a laptop you get, it simply become too slow. With Mac, at least you can last one or two more generations of CS before you will have problem with speed.

If you decide to go with a non-Mac, just make sure you upgrade it to a very good graphic card.

Of course, that's my opinion, and by all mean I'm not a computer expert, but I am a graphic designer who uses CS like I worship Vinnie D'Angelo.

In defense of Dell, I've had quite a few work-issued machines that were quite the troopers and never had an issue with any of them.

However, I

Good luck!

I know I'm gonna have to duck from having things thrown at me for saying this, but I have had a Mac for the last couple years and I don't really see what the big orgasm over them is. The monitor has more intense colors than my PC laptop, but otherwise I like the functionality of PC's (including the mouse) better (quick--- DUCK!!). I have the Creative Suite 3 Master collection on the Mac, which is great, although I admit I use it for my business's marketing which is minimal and I don't test its limits at all. I also have a Toshiba Satellite laptop, my fourth Toshiba (counting two consecutive ones I had from a previous job), which I love. Mine is a couple year old A205-S4639, and is going strong. I've heard good things about HP's, but have never had one. My experience with Toshiba's customer support has been very positive. They have local maintenance/repair places, but I've only dealt with them over the phone.

Toshiba with a good graphics card comes to mind but I found a specialist brand of PC laptops last fall, that totally kicked ass, here's my advice do a google search for "best laptop video card 2008" those are the ones that should be on your list.
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Oh I've heard good things about apple but while i was at the apple store last time I was reminded that they are typically run by stupid people whose opinions shouldn't matter. (Sorry apple readers I don't mean you it's the other users!!)

Hey, I'm in a similar spot and appreciate everyone's input. Let us know what you decide. I might copy you.

If you get a MAC, you'll now be able to easily produce crappy videos Jiggy Dancing in the Whoreoff Contests on my blog. ;) I am sure you can do something better than CB or Kelly, but prolly not me. ;)

We have two HP Pavilion Entertainment Laptops here... one with XP and one with FISTA... the one with XP has been wonderful for a couple of years and it trucking along... the Vista one has had its ups and downs and it the newer of the two... both have hi-def video, which is cool... i dont know if it will run your software, but you could research it... bite me brett! tee hee

Our laptop is a Fujitsu and is has worked absouluteley wonderful. We've traveled around the Country with it and, when we're home, my other half uses it for work.

The computers. They come home with us, give us long, deep, sparkly, digital bj's and then abruptly leave without even saying goodbye. They're such whores.

But if you're going to get one may as well get some bang for your buck. I do have to say I have been a Mac-man since forever and they have worked well for me. It keeps me from doodling all over the walls at the very least.

We've had a Toshiba laptop and it has spent more time with the Geek Squad than at home. I wouldn't recommend it even to an enemy. Go Mac...you'll never go back.

I dunno who told you Dells were good. Was it some guy smoking pot? Or did the smoke coming out of it smells like pot?

The one reason I'll never buy a Mac: now that they use the same chips, they're trying to charge you today's price for last 1-2 year's tech. The reason you'll get one anyway: So you'll fit in with all the mac-bears and you can have slumber parties and compare the shininess of your hardware and crochet little laptop cozies.

I use both Mac and Windows Vista, but my spiritual home is the Mac.
Do you have any buds you can call with a computer question when it's 3:00 a.m. and you're panicking? You should probably get whatever he has. I've never called tech support. My buddy is a Mac professional. He once had to move to another city on short notice and I packed up his trashed apartment for him and even cleaned it so he got his deposit back. After that, he promised me free, lifetime tech support and has always cheerfully given it to me.
I like Mac because most problems that come up I can fix myself just with the book "Mac OS X: The Missing Manual" by David Pogue as a guide. It's very easy for me to customize the Mac to mesh with the way I think; it always seems that Windows is forcing me to think like Bill Gates. Finally, it's easy to add new features. Programmers for the Mac tend not to release software until it's ready for prime time, unlike Windows programmers. A lot of the add-ons are free. Versiontracker.com is my friend.
However, Macs are just plain expensive. You're paying for the Mercedes brand of computer. I consider it worth it, however.

Good luck!

We had a Dell, then moved to iMac...
and now - we'd never go back.

I use CS4 on a PC running XP and on my MacBook Pro running OS 10.4. I'm not enough of a tech weenie to explain why or how CS4 runs better on my Mac, but it does. It's worlds faster and I can have more apps open without compromising speed or having random crashes, which is not the same experience I have on a PC. Actually, I've never had a Mac crash on me. I switched over to Mac for my home office about six years ago and wondered why I didn't do it sooner.

Once Mac, never back.

Dells are crap, but they're cheap and can be replaced at 18-month intervals. Apple products are really no better (made in the same Asian contract manufacturer sweatshops as everyone else's gadgets), but you get stuck with them for longer because they're expensive...

I hate DELL...I had a Dell laptop ages ago and when it started having problems I could not get a tech support person on the phone or to return emails. I swore I would never purchase a dell again. I own a mac desktop and love it. I rough of laptops and go through one every year to 18 months. So I tend to spend less on them so when they die I have not lost too much of an investment.

I've never been a fan of the cheap-feeling Dell notebooks (they aren't called laptops anymore because they damage your boys if you put them on your lap). Dell desktops are very affordable and very high quality, though. Do you /have/ to have a notebook or is it just a status thing to have one? If you're going to be doing video editing and graphics work, a desktop is truly the way to go as you can buy a MUCH better desktop for a whole lot less! Then, just get a decent notebook to do things you need to do while out and about. I'm a big fan of Lenovo (spin off of IBM) notebooks. They are very sturdy for lugging around and plenty powerful.

I love my 2.4GHz Core 2 Quad CPU Dell XPS 420 with Vista. Anyone who bitches about Vista does so because they put it on a computer that wasn't built to run it. It's not for some skimpy system that originally came with XP and 512MB of RAM! The first version of Vista had some issues, but Service Pack 1 has made it a strong OS.

Get the fastest processor you can afford and max out the RAM at 3GB. Vista 32-bit cannot use any more than 3GB of RAM, so, don't waste your money just because they offer it. Going to 64-bit Vista will just cause issues with programs and drivers, so, don't bother.

If you jump on the bandwagon and get a Mac, remember to add in to the crazy high hardware price and lack of configuration the fact that you also have to buy all new software for it.

I've had three laptops.

My first was a Fujitsu and I absolutely loved it. That it got busted was totally my fault, but I loved loved loved it.

But when I replaced it, I did go with the iFruit. 4 yrs now and my G4 Powerbook is still going strong. Would like an updated Macbook - sure, but I can't justify it w/this working so well.

Work forces me to use a Dell - but I haven't had any issues w/it in the two years i've had it. But I don't care if I do either. Work will replace it and I won't have a say as to what they get me when that day comes.

But if I were you - I'd look in to the Apple or Fujitsu.

My $0.02

Love Jeff in Nashville's comment about why they're not called laptops. Can I not put mine on my lap either, even if I don't have boys?

Just wanted to give you an update - I went to my local Apple store yesterday just to browse and try to learn about Macs. Well, all I can say is that the salesman was cute as hell, and long story short, I now have a MacBook Pro. It's pretty great. You can instantly tell the look and feel is better than a PC/laptop, and it was really easy to get started. I have called for help twice today (got Apple Care) but I'm so far very pleased. That's all :)

I've been using a Sony Vaio with vista for about a year now. I run CS3, Adobe Flash & Dreamweaver and Autodesk 3ds Max and Autocad. It has a Centrino core 2 duo processor with 3GB of SDRAM(up to 4) and an Nvidia 8400 GT graphics card. I can run photoshop and autocad easily at the same time - but not flash and 3ds max. The only reason I never looked into a Mac was that architects mostly use autocad and up until now you couldn't run autodesk products on OS. My only problems have been windows updates and that damn user account control. But hell my luck the thing will explode in my face tonight. Gook luck with the shopping!

OMG man, I'm so sorry. That sucks.

yeah been thru dell hell too! Good luck finding your next baby

I like Macs because they're pretty!

I'm all about Apple products, but if you want to stick with a Windows machine, get a Thinkpad. I share my office with the IT guys and they are very pro Lenovo an very anti Dell.

You could always get a Mac and run something like Parallels on it, which would let you run Windows on your Mac. One computer - both OSes.

R.I.P. to your Dell laptop. Be sure to tell us what you replaced him with.

Mark :-)

My first Dell had mechanical problems toward the end of year 2. My second one is still cranking along 3 years later.

I have a desktop replacement model now. When I do finally replace it, I've decided to get an ultra-portable from Lenovo or Voodoo

Two words:
Mac Book. Or, I-Book.

Or you can sing along to that fierce Lil Mama song Lip Gloss but change the lyrics.

Oh-Oh my mac so luscious when I puttin' on with my mac, mac (pro) brushes. Loreal got them wa-wa-wa-watermelon crushies that's probably why all them boys got crusHES!

I'm a lovin' it- I'm a- I'm a- lovin it!
I'm a usin' it- I'm a- I'm a usin' it!
On my desk, my desk, my mac book!

Rage that a little- it will make you feel better!