Portable media storage - players

[colincurry]

The ideal would be take my laptop on holiday. However, it only has 40gb hard drive and weighs over 8 lbs. It does not have memory card slots and, like me, is showing its age.

There are lots of net books around, but the advice I have received is that the processor is not fast enough to handle Photoshop. The option suggested is to go for a small laptop but that costs over £450.

I have looked quickly at portable media players such as Vosonic, Jojo. Epson and Canon. For the price of a decent one of these, I could get a netbook.

I have a Canon 40D and wonder if the software that came with it would work on a netbook without being too slow. My aim would be to download RAW pictures, convert them and store - perhaps with a little manipulation. I assume that the Canon software would not impose such a strain on a netbook as Photoshop - but me, I know nothing.

Can anyone help please?

The other option is to buy more CF cards; which is cheaper but might be false economy.

I might also have to buy a CF USB card reader as most netbooks do not seem to have CF card readers included - if I go down the netbook route.

Thanks

Colin

[Boddie]

Have had this item for well over 3 years and it still works perfectly. It also never loses charge. I must have put close to 10,000 images through this and would highly recommend it if its the sort of thing you are after

Reviews - Premier Pmp DP-3520 20GB Portable Media Player

I would imagine you could pick one up cheap as chips now

[DrNickBurton]

If you want to process your pictures (including RAW conversion) on holiday, I don't see any other option than to buy a new laptop. Seriously though, do you really want to spend you holiday using Photoshop?

On the other hand, if you just want to store, and maybe view, then I recomend you get a Netbook. The advent of netbooks removes the need for portable storage devices like those made by Epson or Vosonic (unless size/weight is at an absolute premium in your luggage).

[Jason Green]

Afternoon Colin,

Originally Posted by colincurry

There are lots of net books around, but the advice I have received is that the processor is not fast enough to handle Photoshop. The option suggested is to go for a small laptop but that costs over £450.

I am using an Acer Aspire One netbook with a 7in screen and running the Linux O/S - the unit cost c£200, which is great value. They now make it with Windows XP at c£300. The size makes it highly portable and the XP version has a 60Gb HD, too.

Being XP, I'm sure it could run all the standard apps, but the processor and RAM capacity are probably worth checking out first. Comet has a few on display, so feel free to ask for a demo!



Take care,

Jason

[BillyPilgrim]

If it were me I'd go for a standard laptop. There are many bargains around for £300-£350 or less.

My current one cost about £280 from Dell and included Windows XP pro and a 15" screen. It runs all the necessary photo software without any problems.

It might be slightly on the heavy side (although I've never weighed it) but this has never bothered me and I've taken it on my last 4 or so holidays abroad, once in cabin luggage (without laptop case and sandwiched between all the clothes in a big suitcase) and the rest of the time in hand baggage.

For eg, you can get a Dell Inspiron 15 at the moment for £349, including Windows 7, 3gb ram, 15" Screen, 250gb hard disk, VAT and delivery and it weighs less than 6lbs.

I've considered buying something more portable with a smaller screen many, many times, but in the end I always see it as a backward step.

[colincurry]

Thanks for the replies.

My guv'nor initially suggested a netbook after seeing someone using an early version on a trip to Namibia.

I have decided that, if I went for anything at all, it would be a small laptop fully capable of running Photoshop and all the usual stuff.

I take the point about sitting in front of a computer on holiday; and I would have intended just to download and cull the rubbish - rather than run the Photoshop routine at that stage - road to hell paved with good intentions.

We have a nature holiday planned. My wife is far from a birder, although she does have a keen interest in nature generally speaking. I mentioned that I had decided to buy more CF cards rather than get a computer. She quietly expressed her pleasure at my decision; saying, that, with birding all day and talk about birds over dinner, she was most happy that I would not also be processing pictures!

No brainer!

Colin

[Jim Ford]

A bunch of CF cards are less obvious and therefore less likely to be stolen on holiday, than a laptop.

Jim