| Pages in topic: < [1 2 3] > | Best hardware for freelancing? Thread poster: PetraFencer (X)
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| Would suggest a MacBook Pro, however... | Nov 29, 2011 |
... you will have to install Parallels and a Windows OS to ensure compatibility with most translation software (though this is becoming less of an issue over time).
I worked on a PC for years but after switching over I would never go back... the speed and reliability of the Apple are unmatched. The price unfortunately is high but if you're willing to look after your purchase it will last for years!
Having carelessly dropped mine twice, it's still going strong. I imagi... See more ... you will have to install Parallels and a Windows OS to ensure compatibility with most translation software (though this is becoming less of an issue over time).
I worked on a PC for years but after switching over I would never go back... the speed and reliability of the Apple are unmatched. The price unfortunately is high but if you're willing to look after your purchase it will last for years!
Having carelessly dropped mine twice, it's still going strong. I imagine that a PC would have broken into a thousand pieces  ▲ Collapse
| | | | PetraFencer (X) 
Belgium
Local time: 02:33
Italian to German
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TOPIC STARTER | 13'' enough or even too much ??? | Nov 29, 2011 |
Thanks for those great comments.
I am greatly tending towards Toshiba and Hp, since most of you confirmed that feeling.
I didn't want anything bigger than 13'' screen, since above that it gets very uncomfy for travelling. Probably in that case the external screen option is great for work at home. Do you have experience with that, too?
Ah, I forgot, another VI freature is how long it can run in batteries only. My current Toshiba 15'' has been doing very bad on tha... See more Thanks for those great comments.
I am greatly tending towards Toshiba and Hp, since most of you confirmed that feeling.
I didn't want anything bigger than 13'' screen, since above that it gets very uncomfy for travelling. Probably in that case the external screen option is great for work at home. Do you have experience with that, too?
Ah, I forgot, another VI freature is how long it can run in batteries only. My current Toshiba 15'' has been doing very bad on that from the very beginning; sometimes not even reaching an hour... ▲ Collapse
| | | | PetraFencer (X)
Belgium
Local time: 02:33
Italian to German
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Aisling O'Callaghan wrote: ... you will have to install Parallels and a Windows OS to ensure compatibility with most translation software (though this is becoming less of an issue over time). I worked on a PC for years but after switching over I would never go back... the speed and reliability of the Apple are unmatched. The price unfortunately is high but if you're willing to look after your purchase it will last for years! Having carelessly dropped mine twice, it's still going strong. I imagine that a PC would have broken into a thousand pieces
Oh yes I heard much about that! And those MacBook look fantastic. However, I can not se myself change quickly into Mac so I will probably stick with PC... thanks anyway!
| | | | PetraFencer (X)
Belgium
Local time: 02:33
Italian to German
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | Smartphone camps | Nov 29, 2011 |
FarkasAndras wrote: PetraFencer wrote:
2) I have long put it off, but need to buy a smartphone. However, I know no single person who's happy with what they have! Would be grateful for any personal experience on that, too!
The smartphone landscape is varied and rapidly changing, but there is a simple rule of thumb for those who want the best: If you're a power user/geek and want to do things like use your phone for mass storage, put widgets on the homesreen and customize anything and everything, go with Android. It's the most popular and arguably the most powerful smartphone OS. The best Android phone right now is the brand new Galaxy Nexus, by miles. If you want an easy-to-use, "simple" smartphone, get an iphone 4s. It's arguably the most elegant handset with the most polished and intuitive smartphone OS out there. BTW I'm in the Android camp myself, and I'm happy with my HTC Desire.
Well, I must admit that I am still using a very old black-white-screen Nokia BL-5CA (paid it 40 Euros in 1006 if I remember well?) and I love it! Plus I can leave it lying on a table, no-one would ever touch it
I was going to maybe stick with Nokia since I find those so fantastically resilient to just about anything (rain, toilets, ...) but quite a few of you mentioned the HTZ Desire/Ozone and Galaxy so I give them a look!
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Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 01:33
Member (2008)
Italian to English
PetraFencer wrote:
1) I need to buy a new computer for freelancing (translator and interpreter) and am wondering if some of you can recommend any particular notebook/brand/...
The notebook should of course be light for travelling yet powerful enough to run translation software; and the screen big enough (not to hurt your eyes) . I also do like to have CD/DVD, CD card reader and as many USB hubs as possible.
I was recommended the new hp ProBook series. Personally, I have only had Toshiba so far. Vaio seems a good option. I was discouraged to go for an Asus or any Apple...
Any suggestion is welcome!
2) I have long put it off, but need to buy a smartphone. However, I know no single person who's happy with what they have! Would be grateful for any personal experience on that, too!
Thanks in advance!
Just a word on laptops:
When you're travelling you may need to use your laptop on a very small surface, such as a folding airline table. For that reason it might be wise NOT to buy a giant-size laptop but the smallest one you can work with.
Personally I use a 13" MacBook Pro, which is fine for when I'm travelling. When I'm not on the road I plug in a large 21" Apple Display, which gives me excellent screen size on which to work with 2 open files side by side.
However for the foreseeable future I wouldn't advise anyone to buy a Mac because if you do, it will come with the new operating system (Lion) pre-installed and at the moment, Lion is a bit of a nightmare. It might improve over time as Apple releases updates but I personally would not touch Lion until well into 2012.
[Edited at 2011-11-29 09:59 GMT]
| | | | Heiko Franz
Local time: 02:33
Member (2008)
English to German
| docking station and BB | Nov 29, 2011 |
I never owned a Toshiba or HP, but the quality of your laptop may also depend on how much you have spent. I currently work with an Acer TravelMate 8571. Several reasons made me buy this one. When switching from desktop to laptop in 2006 (I needed something more mobile and didn't want to move data around a lot) I bought a cheap Acer, which I no longer use (gave it away, still running), because especially Trados ate most of the resources. So why not a more powerful Acer. Secondly, since I was livi... See more I never owned a Toshiba or HP, but the quality of your laptop may also depend on how much you have spent. I currently work with an Acer TravelMate 8571. Several reasons made me buy this one. When switching from desktop to laptop in 2006 (I needed something more mobile and didn't want to move data around a lot) I bought a cheap Acer, which I no longer use (gave it away, still running), because especially Trados ate most of the resources. So why not a more powerful Acer. Secondly, since I was living in the constant fear of dropping the piece, with the result of the harddrive being lost, I wanted to have an SSD harddrive. It's more costly, but has no rotating parts in it that can be damaged and even processes a little faster. Thirdly, as I switch between working from home (30%) and in my office (70%), I choose to have a docking station allowing me to use two large monitors in my office and the 15.6" at home, which works fine.
The overall solution amounted to roughly 1.500 Euro, but if you are doing business, you may not need to look for 400 Euro laptops - provided your hardware will survive at least 3 years. Mac sounds good, but I have no experience and don't want to spend time dealing with compatibility issues.
As a Notnagel solution, I have a simple Fujitsu laptop, but fortunately haven't had any chance working on it.
Btw., I own a BlackBerry and have come to feel like I truly need one:-)
[Edited at 2011-11-29 10:14 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | | computer for freelancing | Nov 29, 2011 |
Best solution - Eee PC 1015PX - ASUS
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Express Gate
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Camera 0.3 M Pixel Camer... See more Best solution - Eee PC 1015PX - ASUS
Wieght- 1,25 Kg
Battery - 11 hrs
Specifications
Operating System Genuine Windows® 7 Starter
Express Gate
Display 10.1" LED Backlight WSVGA (1024x600) Screen
CPU Intel® Atom™ N455/N570 Processor
Memory DDR3, 1 x SO-DIMM, 1GB ( Maximum 2GB )
Storage 2.5" SATA 250GB/320GB/500GB HDD
Wireless Data Network WLAN 802.11 b/g/[email protected]
Bluetooth V3.0
Camera 0.3 M Pixel Camera
Audio Hi-Definition Audio CODEC
Stereo Speakers
High Quality Mic
Interface 1 x VGA Connector
3 x USB 2.0
1 x LAN RJ-45
1 x Audio Jack (Headphone/Mic-In)
1 x Card Reader : SD/ SDHC/ MMC
Battery 11hrs (6cells, 56W/h) battery life
10hrs (6cells, 47W/h) battery life
4.5hrs (3cells, 23W/h) battery life
*Subject to system configuration and usage.
Please visit our web page for more information.
Dimensions 262 x 178 x 23.6 ~36.4 mm (WxDxH)
Weight 1.25 Kgs (w/ 6cell battery)
1.1 Kgs (w/ 3cell battery)
Color Matte : Black, Blue, Red, White
Glossy : Black, Red, White ▲ Collapse
| | | | Jaroslaw Michalak
Poland
Local time: 02:33
Member (2004)
English to Polish
SITE LOCALIZER
PetraFencer wrote:
I was going to maybe stick with Nokia since I find those so fantastically resilient to just about anything (rain, toilets, ...) but quite a few of you mentioned the HTZ Desire/Ozone and Galaxy so I give them a look!
If toilet swim is a recurring issue, you might want to take a look at Motorola Defy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NMv3lvlRtg
By the way, I got HTC Desire and I love it! I'm a geek, though. And no, I don't need it. Still, I have to have it!
[Edited at 2011-11-29 10:50 GMT]
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| 13" is the optimum, IMO | Nov 29, 2011 |
PetraFencer wrote:
I am greatly tending towards Toshiba and Hp, since most of you confirmed that feeling.
I bought an HP ProBook 4320s almost two years ago (at about € 560) and have found it very good value for money. It has a fast HDD, a dedicated graphic card and Intel Core i3 (2 x 2.6 GHz) which I find enough for daily translator's work. I also use a powerful desktop machine to perform tasks that include heavy computing or graphic work.
I didn't want anything bigger than 13'' screen, since above that it gets very uncomfy for travelling. Probably in that case the external screen option is great for work at home. Do you have experience with that, too?
My HP is 13", and again I find it a good compromise between mobility and screen size. When I was upgrading my desktop PC (read I gave it to my brother to replace some components and reinstall my OS), I used to connect my 23" LCD to my laptop to extend my desktop. Quite good results too, although I normally use two 23" LCDs with my desktop machine.
Ah, I forgot, another VI freature is how long it can run in batteries only. My current Toshiba 15'' has been doing very bad on that from the very beginning; sometimes not even reaching an hour...
With about 4 hours of battery life my HP is average and I find it completely sufficient.
| | | | inge van dri (X)
Local time: 02:33
German to Dutch
+ ...
Test the keyboards of the laptops in the computer shop. We have a Toshiba here, it is quite "plastic", not a good feeling. The Sony Vaio is much better (but Sony adapted the OS), the best is HP, in my opinion. Keyboard should have a inbuilt numeric keypad (laptops in the € 600 range).
For at home, an extra keyboard, mouse and 18-20" screen, this ideal, you then have two screens and enough place to work. And a typing table of course, one of those where you have the text in front of you an... See more Test the keyboards of the laptops in the computer shop. We have a Toshiba here, it is quite "plastic", not a good feeling. The Sony Vaio is much better (but Sony adapted the OS), the best is HP, in my opinion. Keyboard should have a inbuilt numeric keypad (laptops in the € 600 range).
For at home, an extra keyboard, mouse and 18-20" screen, this ideal, you then have two screens and enough place to work. And a typing table of course, one of those where you have the text in front of you and the screens above.
Don't forget the printer, and do not take the basic one here but a multifunction printer because the scanning option is essential, as well as automatic paper feed for the originals. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Anne Pinaglia
Netherlands
Local time: 02:33
Italian to English
+ ...
| A few extra thoughts | Nov 29, 2011 |
Android-based smartphones can become wifi hotspots, which is great if your internet goes out or you're traveling. As far as I know, iPhones do not have that option. (If I am wrong someone let me know, I'd love to use it as a hotspot!)
Also, before going to mac from pc consider that if you've got a nice (read: expensive/irreplaceable) printer, there is a small chance that it may not be compatible with your mac (no compatible drivers). This happened to me, which became an interesting ... See more Android-based smartphones can become wifi hotspots, which is great if your internet goes out or you're traveling. As far as I know, iPhones do not have that option. (If I am wrong someone let me know, I'd love to use it as a hotspot!)
Also, before going to mac from pc consider that if you've got a nice (read: expensive/irreplaceable) printer, there is a small chance that it may not be compatible with your mac (no compatible drivers). This happened to me, which became an interesting shuffle in order to print documents. Might be worth it to look up the model number and make sure there are mac drivers before taking the plunge if you've just invested in a nice printer. ▲ Collapse
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Anne and Paolo wrote:
Android-based smartphones can become wifi hotspots, which is great if your internet goes out or you're traveling. As far as I know, iPhones do not have that option. (If I am wrong someone let me know, I'd love to use it as a hotspot!)
Yes, iPhone 4 (and 4S) can do it too, but iPad 3G can not. And Android starting from 2.2.
Also, before going to mac from pc consider that if you've got a nice (read: expensive/irreplaceable) printer, there is a small chance that it may not be compatible with your mac (no compatible drivers). This happened to me,
??? I dont know any major printer brand that can afford not to provide a driver for OSX, maybe this driver is not implemented in OS X, but surely can (should) be downloaded in his own site.
Regards
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Anne Pinaglia
Netherlands
Local time: 02:33
Italian to English
+ ...
It's by Lexmark... apparently it's one of those fluke things, they told me it was "an exception"...
Who knows. It's not top of the line or anything so it's not that big of a deal... for now.
| | | | Oliver Walter
United Kingdom
Local time: 01:33
German to English
+ ...
| Separate HDD for backups | Nov 30, 2011 |
Somebody mentioned backups, especially in the context of a Laptop (or desktop) PC that might fail. I recommend having a separate HDD (hard disk drive) with a short cable to plug into a USB port of your computer. You can then use it regularly to make backups of the contents of your computer's HDD. Except during the time when you're making the backup, keep the USB HDD physically separate, perhaps even in a separate room.
For semi-automating the backup process, I use a program (freeware) call... See more Somebody mentioned backups, especially in the context of a Laptop (or desktop) PC that might fail. I recommend having a separate HDD (hard disk drive) with a short cable to plug into a USB port of your computer. You can then use it regularly to make backups of the contents of your computer's HDD. Except during the time when you're making the backup, keep the USB HDD physically separate, perhaps even in a separate room.
For semi-automating the backup process, I use a program (freeware) called FreeFileSync. Its homepage is here:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/freefilesync/
I have installed mine as "portable" (an option when you run the downloaded file). Everything is then in the folder where it is installed - nothing added or modified in the Registry.
(It is available for Windows and GNU-Linux)
Oliver ▲ Collapse
| | | | Michael Beijer
United Kingdom
Local time: 01:33
Member (2009)
Dutch to English
+ ...
Mobile: I'm sticking with my £15 prepaid mobile phone. I don't want to be able to check my email while I'm shopping, and I definitely don't need yet another £40/month disappearing from my bank account. Get a gym membership instead!
Computer: No more netbooks or laptops for work. Get a desktop PC running Windows 7 64 bit with an Intel i7 processor, a large SSD hard drive, 16 GBs of RAM, the largest square (4:3 or 5:4) or widescreen (16:10)(depending on your preference... See more Mobile: I'm sticking with my £15 prepaid mobile phone. I don't want to be able to check my email while I'm shopping, and I definitely don't need yet another £40/month disappearing from my bank account. Get a gym membership instead!
Computer: No more netbooks or laptops for work. Get a desktop PC running Windows 7 64 bit with an Intel i7 processor, a large SSD hard drive, 16 GBs of RAM, the largest square (4:3 or 5:4) or widescreen (16:10)(depending on your preference) monitor you can find, watercooling, a Wacom tablet, a Countour RollerMouse Free2*, and a decent keyboard. Throw away your normal mouse. They are evil.
Don't get a Mac; if 99% of the software you are running is Windows software, why on earth would you want to run it all virtually, and pay double in the process? Because it's white and shiny? My Win7 pc is rock-solid and never crashes. It just works.
* http://www.contour-design.co.uk/products/rollermouse-free2
[Edited at 2011-11-30 11:42 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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