Cheap Laptop wanted
 

Hi peeps, I am on the lookout for a cheap laptop that I can use to run karaoke nights, I have over 10,000 mp3 karaoke files so it would need to be big enough to accomodate these, the programe to run them and also have a TV out socket to allow me to send the graphics to a portable TV, and also audio out to send to my mixing desk.

I do have a budget of around £125 ish, can anyone help/point me in the right direction?

Cheers

Pete

Re: Cheap Laptop wanted
 

Re: Cheap Laptop wanted
 

I wouldn't go near eBay for a laptop far to omany knackered old things being punted out as working

£125 is certainly pushing it for something with a hard disk big enough for 10K MP3s (based on 4meg apiece is 40 gig before you start with OS and everything else) TV out is also something that isn't likely to be in your pricerange as it will need a decent chipset in it

Re: Cheap Laptop wanted
 

you could try this place me and mez had a walk round some time back .
its in Darwen

We specialize in new and second user computers

Re: Cheap Laptop wanted
 

Re: Cheap Laptop wanted
 

There are now two stalls on Blackburn market selling computers.
second hand laptops start at around £150 but dont know the specs sorry.

Re: Cheap Laptop wanted
 

Come on Mick........Australia is a long way to go for a laptop?

Re: Cheap Laptop wanted
 

sorry not had me brekkie yet

Re: Cheap Laptop wanted
 

Re: Cheap Laptop wanted
 

A lot of the older Toshiba Satellite range had a phono socket on them that you could connect to a TV vis a scart lead.

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Re: Cheap Laptop wanted
 

better to buy an external harddrive for your music i have 40 thousand tracks on my external drive you are asking alot for your money i found with older pc they couldnt play the graphics and music quick enough

Re: Cheap Laptop wanted
 

I think the key is disk space, it was only recently that laptops got > 30 gig disks as standard. You 'could' use an external HD via USB but your asking for more aggro

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Re: Cheap Laptop wanted
 

i use hd via usb had no problems my laptop has 60gb i keep my music seperate because kids on my old computer down loaded lots of vireses and i had to re foemat my computer so i keep music seperate now as i said i have had no problems with my hd via usb

Re: Cheap Laptop wanted
 

In pub/club situation stuff like beer gets spilt, the connectors are not 'industrial strength' so you need to be very careful with them. (Imagine turning up and your PC can't see any of your music because the connector has broken.) and its extra wires/power requirements, more stuff to go wrong which invariably means it will.

re Davo, when you have a USB disk connected it is just as vunerable for viruses to wipe/corrupt/ etc as your internal HD. About the only saving grace is that if they mess it up whilst its not connected you still have the music. in reality it offers no more protection than having a seperate partition on the same disk ( thinking about it it is more likely to be bashed about which HDs don't like, particularly when powered up)

Willow, for a careful lady owner like I'm sure you are :D you should be fine. :D

Re: Cheap Laptop wanted
 

I suppose storage is storage... music or pictures.. I have an external 320 gig HD but I also have every picture on CD or DVD (around 160 gig of pictures stored twice) so always two copies at any one time. Same should apply for muic or anything else important thats stored.

Re: Cheap Laptop wanted
 

how much disc space would it take for around 40,000 tracks? i would not no were to start with splitting my disc space.just no most dj using laptops use hd via usb

Re: Cheap Laptop wanted
 

Entwisi already gave you that answer... 10k at av 4mb is 40 gig.. so 40k at same avearage is..... 160 gig

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i am thick thanks for that so i would have to carrey three of my laptops around lol

Re: Cheap Laptop wanted
 

or buy a decent sized laptop drive and swap it over, some laptops do have room for two drives internally but these do tend to be at the dearer end of the scale.

Kipax, I do hope that at least one set is 'off site' just in case your house burn down! I wouldn't want you to lose all those images!!!!! :D

Re: Cheap Laptop wanted
 

Thanks for all your input guys/gals.

I should have said that I have an extenal HD that I can use, also have every track backed up to main pc and cd (putting them on cd took bloody ages!!)

So I guess Im looking at a laptop with a tv/audio out and paying more money!! Oh well you dont know if you dont ask!

Will have a look around the shops now, thanks again peeps!

Pete

Re: Cheap Laptop wanted
 

The only daft question is a question not asked.

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cheerfull ****** aint ya :)

Re: Cheap Laptop wanted
 

Thats my role in life! :D

You should see what sort of pessimistic stuff I have to think about at work!