PC laptop solution for school environment

tim_f

Hi all,

I have been using Isadora for quite a few years now and have finally convinced the school where I work to buy a license so I can start teaching students. Problem is that we do not have any good hardware to run Izzy.

I am looking for a **reasonably priced laptop****,** we are a **PC** environment. It is like getting blood out of stone here for money. A range of options for different budgets would be appreciated so I can present reality to the powers that be.Or would I better looking at desktops??

I'm excited about being an Izzy advocate and getting it up and running with the students!

Thanks in advance,

tim

Skulpture

Without being awkward what is 'reasonably priced'?

Are we talking <£500 or £500-£800 or £800+?

mark_m

Tim,

Once I'd got over a few 'gotchas' to do with dual graphics cards, I've been very pleased with my Dell Precision m3800. The list price is a lot, but the Dell Outlet store, and eBay, have many heavily discounted.
The Precision m3800 is basically the same as the Dell XPS15.

However, I do think you'd get better value for money from a Desktop than a laptop... not to mention robustness and repair-ability in a school environment

tim_f

Thanks for the feedback.

I totally agree with using a desktop rather than a laptop, although logic and advice does not seem to part of the equation where I work. I will look into the Dell suggestions, I think our school gets discounts from Dell anyway as it is what we are all using.

@skulpture, we are looking currently at the 500 - 800 pound range.

Thanks so much, if I have more questions I will be back!

Fred

I got an older version of this

https://www.asus.com/us/Notebooks/ASUS-ZenBook-UX303UB/specifications/

Needed a PC, pretty nice machine for the price.

Skulpture

Or something along these lines:

https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/notebooks/SkyFireV-14/

You can configure these and upgrade/swap things about too. Not a bad graphics card in this and you can upgrade to an i7.

I also use buyer, a quick search:

http://www.ebuyer.com/722490-hp-pavilion-15-gaming-laptop-n9r91ea-abu

Hope this helps.

tim_f

Thanks a ton guys.

Very helpful solutions.

Now going begging for some money.

Thanks again

Skulpture

Beg beg beg!

I hope you get what you are after. Please let us know which machine you went for :)

tim_f

Hi I am back again,

so we have decided for a desktop and build some little mobile station on wheels so that it can be moved to different spaces. A solution I am happy with.

I have been trying to guide/work with the IT team. The debate has centred around graphics card vs cpu/ram pay-off. We have a budget of 1600 pounds (get discounts from Dell) and we do not get as much bang for our buck here is Switzerland. Their suggestion to buy at the moment is:

6^th Gen Intel Core i7 – 6700

32GB ram

2 x 256 ssds (this is more thought for editing with premiere and after effects that we can separate OS and scratch disks)

Nvidia Quadro K1200 4GB

many thanks in advance.

tim

Fred

Don't bother with the quadro, the extreme cost is for industrial computing applications, can be slower than a 980 with the same memory, push a bit more for a new 1070...