Hello guys

I'm thinking about buying a laptop this summer but I really don't have a clue about what I should buy .

I will probably use it for graphic design ( photoshop - 3d softwares ) and gaming (anything that will run cod 4 is good enough for me )

Note : I don't really care if I could run games on high medium or low .

My budget is around 1500 $ .

And another question, is a 15.6 inches laptop suitable for what I'm asking for ? because I found this really good laptop from abed tahan, you can check it here http://www.abed-tahan.com/product-details.php?PID=486
Here is the same laptop from pcandparts
HP DV6-2170 Intel Quad Core i7-720QM 4GB Ram 640GB HDD DVDRW 15.6" LED LAN, WIFI GT230M 1GB up to 2.8GB VGA Fingerprint /Bluetooth/Cam/Windows 7 Premium 64-Bit $1325.00*

its the second listing on the pcandparts.com page
http://pcandparts.com/notebook.htm
I highly recommend this one.

And yes 15.6 is pretty good more than that would make the laptop really huge to carry. Dont recommend anything more than 15.6
Flakk wroteHere is the same laptop from pcandparts
HP DV6-2170 Intel Quad Core i7-720QM 4GB Ram 640GB HDD DVDRW 15.6" LED LAN, WIFI GT230M 1GB up to 2.8GB VGA Fingerprint /Bluetooth/Cam/Windows 7 Premium 64-Bit $1325.00*

its the second listing on the pcandparts.com page
http://pcandparts.com/notebook.htm
I highly recommend this one.

And yes 15.6 is pretty good more than that would make the laptop really huge to carry. Don't recommend anything more than 15.6
I previously bought an HP DV6. The Core 2 Duo version of this laptop.
And with my 2 years experience with HP laptops, i don't highly recommend them since i had problems with the Excessive Heating (their cooling system is an epic fail), the Charger (I had to replace it twice within a year), The camera (i changed the entire screen since they (ALCS) couldn't figure out the problem).

I now have a Vaio and this thing is very good. It never heats up. The battery is excellent.

Edit: I bought it from GCC with a 3 years warranty.
From an artistic view , i suggest a MacBook, i personally love Mac lappys, however , for you i suggest Sony Vaio Z series VPC-Z116GX/S, its pretty much expensive though, try buying some other VAIO versions if you can't afford.

Remember: Toshiba sucks more than HP, but overall they both suck.
I second the MacBook, now that Steam is there gaming shouldn't be an issue. You can easily dual boot anyway. Also, Photoshop and 3D software could be a better experience to use on OS X.

But if Macs do not suit you, then you probably should get a VAIO – it seems to be what people are recommending all the time.
Flakk wroteHere is the same laptop from pcandparts
HP DV6-2170 Intel Quad Core i7-720QM 4GB Ram 640GB HDD DVDRW 15.6" LED LAN, WIFI GT230M 1GB up to 2.8GB VGA Fingerprint /Bluetooth/Cam/Windows 7 Premium 64-Bit $1325.00*

its the second listing on the pcandparts.com page
http://pcandparts.com/notebook.htm
I highly recommend this one.
I prefer buying the laptop directly and not through an online company.
Flakk wroteAnd yes 15.6 is pretty good more than that would make the laptop really huge to carry. Dont recommend anything more than 15.6
Well I'm not going to carry it around so size is not a problem for me .
Yorgi wroteI previously bought an HP DV6. The Core 2 Duo version of this laptop.
And with my 2 years experience with HP laptops, i don't highly recommend them since i had problems with the Excessive Heating (their cooling system is an epic fail), the Charger (I had to replace it twice within a year), The camera (i changed the entire screen since they (ALCS) couldn't figure out the problem).

I now have a Vaio and this thing is very good. It never heats up. The battery is excellent.

Edit: I bought it from GCC with a 3 years warranty.
Nader.Sleiman wroteFrom an artistic view , i suggest a MacBook, i personally love Mac lappys, however , for you i suggest Sony Vaio Z series VPC-Z116GX/S, its pretty much expensive though, try buying some other VAIO versions if you can't afford.

Remember: Toshiba sucks more than HP, but overall they both suck.
samer wroteI second the MacBook, now that Steam is there gaming shouldn't be an issue. You can easily dual boot anyway. Also, Photoshop and 3D software could be a better experience to use on OS X.

But if Macs do not suit you, then you probably should get a VAIO – it seems to be what people are recommending all the time.
Do you have any recommendations about what Sony vaio laptop should I buy and where ?
Oh well i have an HP dv4 never had any serious problems with it, it heats up yes but i got one of those coolers for it. But everything else its been running fine for 2 years now. The only really annoying thing about it is the damn HP quicklaunch which sucked up the laptop's battery even if it was turned off but eventually i was able to disable its drivers and stopped it.

This DV6 is the Core i7 which i think is better in terms of heating and power consumption but i am not sure. The specs are very good and the video card is very suitable for running games like Cod4.


If you can get a Vaio with similar specs go for it or get a Macbook (but i dont think macbooks are good for gaming)
samer wroteI second the MacBook, now that Steam is there gaming shouldn't be an issue. You can easily dual boot anyway. Also, Photoshop and 3D software could be a better experience to use on OS X.

But if Macs do not suit you, then you probably should get a VAIO – it seems to be what people are recommending all the time.
Ditto,
go for the MacBook, you'll definitely feel the change.
I was using Adobe softwares on Windows, and now changed to OS X as Samer said, it's a better experience.

But since gaming was one of your criteria, this might change your choice I think.
MacBook is not an option for me mainly because its not good for gaming
And I checked sony vaio middle east website so I think I'm buying a sony vaio , buy I'm confused between the E-series or the F-series , so what do you recommend .
mk555 wroteDo you have any recommendations about what Sony vaio laptop should I buy and where ?
If size and weight are not a problem for you, i Highly recommend this laptop. It's the VPCF1190X Configure-To-Order.

I bought this laptop when i was in the US (I was lucky, they released it the week before coming back to Lebanon :P) and this thing is great. It's a custom built laptop in which i added some features like a double battery, a premium full HD display, a backlit keyboard (get them all especially the premium display).

As for the availability of this laptop here, I don't exactly know if it's available here in Lebanon at a reasonable price (i bought it for 1350 $ including customization).

After 3 months of use, i can confirm that this laptop is one of the most successful Sony Vaio laptops ever built. You won't be facing any problem with the excessive heating and it's perfect for every use:
If you are a gamer, this thing can run COD 6 at full resolution (1920 x 1080) and you won't believe the details that you can see in the game (i still don't). I also tested the Adobe CS 5 suite on this machine too (actually my sister did, she's a graphic designer) and she confirmed that it's a very good and different experience. And for the daily use (programming, Browsing and chat, etc...), it's also excellent.

Edit: This Laptop can Run Windows, Ubuntu and Mac OSX very easily... (it includes Hardware Virtualization needed to run Mac OSX)
What you shouldnt get:

Acer (poor design, very fragile),
HP (complicated design, you cant troubleshoot anything)
Sony (extremely expensive unless cost is not an issue)

What I recommend:

Toshiba Tecra.
Fujitsu
NEC

All of these are extremely rigid. It would fall off the table and remain ON and working.
Their prices are acceptable.

That's about Brand Names.

About specs:
Any CPU with 3MB cache (most likely a 2.1GHz Core 2 Duo).
9600GT DDR3 - 512MB or more.
4GB DDR2/3 system RAM

Hope that helps.
samer wroteI second the MacBook, now that Steam is there gaming shouldn't be an issue. You can easily dual boot anyway. Also, Photoshop and 3D software could be a better experience to use on OS X.

But if Macs do not suit you, then you probably should get a VAIO – it seems to be what people are recommending all the time.
You use VMware for dual boot?

As julien_saadeh said first choose the specs and then the brands and his analysis is true but personally i liked Sony's VIAO(yup it is most expensive but only to meet the satisfaction of the Lebanese audience).
You can find the models on Wikipedia.
P.S: Dont check the wholesalers website Alliance Electronics because the prices there are more expensive than the retailers.
mk555 wroteI found two laptops similar to the one you recommended
http://www.sony-mea.com/product/vpcf116fg
http://www.sony-mea.com/product/vpcf117hg
Do you have any clue about there price in Lebanon or will they exceed 1500 $ ?
I'm sorry but i don't. I traveled to the US 6 Months ago and didn't keep track of the prices here. These two laptops will do the Job as well. Check if they support Hardware Virtualization.
kareem_nasser wroteYou use VMware for dual boot?
No. He's using Parallels Desktop 5 for Mac.
kareem_nasser wroteP.S: Dont check the wholesalers website Alliance Electronics because the prices there are more expensive than the retailers.
Huhh !? Then why adding the Link to their website dude ! This is like saying don't click this Link.
Huhh !? Then why adding the Link to their website dude ! This is like saying don't click this Link.
Simple it is like in court i am just saying that it is true so that he can see it.
kareem_nasser wrote
Huhh !? Then why adding the Link to their website dude ! This is like saying don't click this Link.
Simple it is like in court i am just saying that it is true so that he can see it.
Ughhh! Okay fine.
julien_saadeh wroteWhat you shouldnt get:

Acer (poor design, very fragile),
HP (complicated design, you cant troubleshoot anything)
Sony (extremely expensive unless cost is not an issue)

What I recommend:

Toshiba Tecra.
Fujitsu
NEC

All of these are extremely rigid. It would fall off the table and remain ON and working.
Their prices are acceptable.

That's about Brand Names.

About specs:
Any CPU with 3MB cache (most likely a 2.1GHz Core 2 Duo).
9600GT DDR3 - 512MB or more.
4GB DDR2/3 system RAM

Hope that helps.
Thanks but I'm going to stick with sony vaio

By the way I found a store called sony world which I will call for prices .
I recently bought a laptop from a showroom in Furn El Cheback .. I don't know the model number but I bought it with Graphic Design .... Its a Toshiba , VGA 1 Giga Nvidia , Processor i7 , Windows 7 . 6 Gb of Ram that can be upgraded to 8 , 500 GB hard disk ... I sometimes have Cinema 4D rendering , Working with After Effects and Premier and photoshop open all at the same time and I jump from one software to another in a breeze ... Rendering time is very good specially for 3D files .. I recommend it and I bought it for 1400 $