Laptop for Auto CAD, mbp?

[queshy]

Hi,

So I know someone who needs a new laptop (not me this time!). They spent (according to them) $4K on autocad software and they want a 17" laptop to travel with (to do designs over night and such). They want the highest resolution possible, the newest processor, 3 GB ram, and a strong video card. And he absolutely wants windows XP. My first thought was the new mbp w/ the high res screen option. He's currently not interested in OS X...but I was thinkning about suggesting him the mbp because of the great design and up to date specs. I was thinking about a Dell, too, but not sure what to recommend...I guess it doesn't make much sense to have to run bootcamp 24/7, you know? Which laptop would you recommend? Thanks!

 

[Sbrocket]

I'm going to be using my new 15" SR MBP for UGS NX5 under Windows XP, and from what I've seen so far it runs quite snappily. He also has the option of using OS X with VMware Fusion which, while obviously the performance is somewhere decreased, can be tweaked with the VM settings to work pretty well. Using Boot Camp for a majority of the time on a Mac shouldn't be a concern if he likes the hard ware; its just another OS, and it is running natively. Of course hopefully he'll come to like OSX.

 

[foidulus]

How important is size and weight?

If they are very important and money isn't a huge problem, then mbp no questions. I've been looking to the other side recently(I'll stick with I swear!) and there are some OK 17" models(very few with HD screens though) but they are huge and weigh significantly more than the mbp.

For example, the Gateway NX860XL weighs a whopping 10 pounds(3 more than the 17" mbp) and has a slower cpu, though you save about $1k vs. the mbp.

There are some lighter pc laptops, but none as light as the mbp at that size. HP makes a model that clocks in just shy of 8 pounds, but no hd screen and again slower cpu, but you save $1k(not to mention it comes with a windows license, so that could be even more money)

 

[queshy]

yeah, i was thinking that the 17" mbp is very small/light for a 17". He wants it to be very portable and wants top notch hardware. ANother thing...if he were to buy a laptop preloaded with windows vista, is it hard to reinstall it with XP? Won't he have to go hunting for all of the drivers? I figured with the mbp, bootcamp automatically makes all of the drivers and burns them to a CD for you. Is that correct? He absolutely cannot have vista.

 

[Macky-Mac]

i don't see the point of his getting mac hardware if he only wants to run windows and windows software. If he knew Mac OS X and wanted to use windows also for autocad or other programs, that's great, but not know mac OS and only using windows???

Support would be a problem if he has any issues. Will apple even provide support for windows OS? or will they insist that he do all the trouble shooting from mac OS X?

 

[queshy]

yeah I was thinking that exact same thing...which is why I didn't recommend it to him already. Do you know of any comparable models that have the high res screen, sr, etc.?