Notebook computer for photo editing?

I'm looking for a Centrino/Pentium M based notebook computer with a
screen that's good enough for photo editing, particularly as regards
color accuracy. I just returned a Samsung P30 -- it was a beautiful
machine but the blue tint of the backlight made it completely
impossible to judge and adjust photo colors accurately.

Are there any notebooks around that fit this bill? I can't seem to find
much information on the subject, despite extensive searches. I've heard
reports that Sony and Toshiba machines are quite good in this respect,
but after being burned once I'd like to hear from photographers who are
really using notebooks for photo editing before committing myself again.
(A Powerbook isn't an option, unfortunately, as I work in the Windows
software industry and need access to a Windows machine for my work
while I'm on the road.)

Also, does anyone know any online test sites that look at equipment like
this from a photographer's point of view?

On Thu, 24 Jun 2004 09:19:26 +0200, Tim Green wrote:

I'm looking for a Centrino/Pentium M based notebook computer with a
screen that's good enough for photo editing, particularly as regards
color accuracy...

If you're serious about your photo work -- and it sounds like you are --
I'd suggest that there is no such thing as a suitable LCD display, either
laptop or desktop. The representation of the image simply varies too much
with small changes in viewing angle. I also don't like the hard edges of
the display pixels.

Other than basic cropping and throwing away bad pics, I always wait till I
get home and get onto my old-fashioned CRT monitor.

I'm sure some will disagree!

Pete

If you're serious about your photo work -- and it sounds like you
are --
I'd suggest that there is no such thing as a suitable LCD display,
either
laptop or desktop.

I do understand this, but there are still degrees of unsuitable. The two
19" Hansol TFTs (Samsung panels) I use on my desktop machine are quite
acceptable for basic photo editing, for example, with an excellent white
and black and reasonable color accuracy. I still use the Iiyama CRT for
fine color work, but the Hansols are fine for quick fixes, which is all
I want on the notebook as well. Viewing angle has also improved
dramatically over the last couple of years; on desktop TFTs it's really
not much of a problem any more.

The Samsung notebook screen was so blue that it simply wasn't possible
to have even a vague idea of what the colors might look like -- although
"untrained" users really don't seem to notice it unless you specifically
point it out to them.

I'd be interested to hear what photojournalists use, for example -- I
don't believe that they lug CRTs all over the world with them, and I
know that lots of them post on the go from hotspots etc. I suppose they
leave most of the editing up to the art department, but I'm sure that
there are some who care enough to want to do at least some of it
themselves.

Other than basic cropping and throwing away bad pics, I always wait
till I
get home and get onto my old-fashioned CRT monitor.

Well, in my case that would sometimes mean waiting a month, and I'd
really like to be able to do at least some basic work while I'm on the
road.

I spend three months at an RV site in Florida, so lugging around a 19" CRT
monitor is out of the question. I went into Best Buy on a slow Monday morning,
plugged my laptop into a whole series of LCD monitors and decided on the Sony
SDM-HS93 as giving me the best color and contrast for my needs. I also just
bought an HP Pavilion zx5180us laptop that I'm very satisfied with.

The display in the laptop by itself would be good enough, but I really do like
the larger external display.

At some point, we have to decide what is "good enough" and be happy with that.
I have a system that I can work with, is portable, and gives me the results I
want.

Earle Rich
Mont Vernon, NH