NWDiver 42 Posted February 26, 2015 Tired of lugging my 5lbs Macbook Pro when we travel. On trips really just need something that can run Lightroom/Photoshop and has port for an external drive we can save 10days of photos and videos to. On most trips I am just viewing and deleting. All the editing happens once we get home. An iPad would be great but no ports. Suggestions???? Thanks! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
troporobo 244 Posted February 27, 2015 I use a Samsung Galaxy Tab2 10.1, which I love for three reasons. One, I can take the SD card out of the camera and pop it straight into the slot to review and copy photos. Two, I use either the micro USB port or a third party adapter to connect a standard USB cable for transfers to a computer or external drive. Three, the microSD slot means I can expand storage up to 128Gb (times multiple cards) for both day to day use and backup on the go. This device is now superseded, but the new Galaxy Tab Pro (either 10.1 or 12.2) are even more powerful. An alternative if some editing is desirable might be the Galaxy Note 10.1 or Note Pro 12.2 which have a very good stylus interface. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ChrigelKarrer 52 Posted February 27, 2015 A Samsung Galaxy Tab2 or a Microsoft Surface Pro 3. The Surface Pro will give you a full pc computer in a 12 inch tablet and the fastest versions are lightning fast. Chris Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NWDiver 42 Posted February 27, 2015 Good suggestions, for me I am thinking even smaller than 12". Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vondo 28 Posted February 27, 2015 If you are a Mac guy, why not try an 11.6" MacBook Air? I'm looking at picking up a used one for a trip next year. Same needs as you. I watched a fellow diver struggle like crazy last weekend to run LR on some little ASUS thing that charged over USB. No idea what it actually was, but he had that and a hub with two drives plugged into it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NWDiver 42 Posted February 27, 2015 MacBook Air at 2.5lbs!?!?!?! What a cow But probably the best option as of today. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vondo 28 Posted February 27, 2015 And a surface pro with keyboard seems to be about 3 lbs from what I see. If you really want to go light, get something like a Nexto DI and forget about importing/editing, just use it as a backup. I've done that on trips and been quite happy. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
thetrickster 328 Posted February 27, 2015 My 11" Air is amazing (and it's the base model) to use while I'm travelling. The only thing at annoys me. Lack of storage (so I'm running a USB3.0 drive with it) and the lack of SD reader. But for speed it's pretty amazing. Photoshop, FinalCutProX. It zips along. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
davephdv 0 Posted March 1, 2015 11" MB Air, since your use to a Mac. I have one, but prefer to just bring my iPad. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cneal 9 Posted March 1, 2015 I just use my iPad Air with an Apple SD card Lightning cable and leave the heavy PS lifting until I get home. The iPad can crop and do minimal enhancements to show photos to others. I bring several 32 gig SD cards and leave the photos on them for storage, and just use the iPad for browsing and display. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NWDiver 42 Posted March 1, 2015 iPad Air would be perfect if it had a port for connecting to a portable hard drive. I get nervous about packing a bunch of cards around from a 10day trip, for 2 shooters, shooting Raw and AVCHD. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bvanant 190 Posted March 1, 2015 http://www.hypershop.com/HyperDrive/iUSBport2/ Haven't tried it but supposedly this will do it for you. Bill Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cneal 9 Posted March 1, 2015 iPad Air would be perfect if it had a port for connecting to a portable hard drive. I get nervous about packing a bunch of cards around from a 10day trip, for 2 shooters, shooting Raw and AVCHD. A lightning to USB cable ($19 at the Apple store) should allow connections to a portable drive. And there is always the iCloud if you have wifi available. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NWDiver 42 Posted March 2, 2015 If I am understanding the device Bill suggested http://www.hypershop.com/HyperDrive/iUSBport2/ it might be a solution but wondering what the "transfer speeds" are. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
thetrickster 328 Posted March 2, 2015 I tried using an iPad (from memory the 64gb ipad2). The USB cable is good for offloading photos from a SD Card / Camera to the iPAD - but you cannot transfer the other way. Editing on an iPad is fine (I use PhotoGene) and great if you are dealing with just stills, but once you get to video and don't have a large capability iPad things get interesting! Transfer speeds are USB2.0 - not 3.0 so if your RAW files are large (or even your video files) then the process is quite slow. I have also tried a Kingston MobileLite which is great for adding additional storage to a iPad and you can transfer backwards and forwards, but again the speeds are slow. So in the end, I've gone to the smallest/lightest laptop I can - the 11" Air. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NWDiver 42 Posted March 10, 2015 (edited) Ha! Macbook Air is now a big fat dinosaur (actually the article doesn't give a weight) NEW Thinner Macbook: http://www.photographyblog.com/news/apple_unveils_all_new_macbook/ Edited March 10, 2015 by NWDiver Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vondo 28 Posted March 10, 2015 2.0-something pounds. Smaller power brick. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
thetrickster 328 Posted March 10, 2015 Hmmmm 12" Retina, that is nice! BUT... only ONE socket for everything???? So you will have to carry one of these things around all the time too http://store.apple.com/us/product/MJ1L2AM/A/usb-c-vga-multiport-adapter?fnode=51&fs=s%3Dnewest Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Atobit 20 Posted March 11, 2015 Finally a laptop than can be charged through the USB port! And an unique USB connector type for everything, just for that it is a significant progress. Concerning the number of ports, you'll never satisfy everyone, I'm sure accessories companies will bring what everyone needs. I'm sure everybody will be satisfy with the display and battery lifetime. I gave up the idea to have one device that can be good has a tablet and laptop so this new MacBook looks great for traveling and will be an excellent complement to an iPad. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
traveldave 9 Posted March 17, 2015 I was going to ask a similar question (looking for something lightweight that can handle Lightroom) - adding to this post. I'm not an Apple guy, so am looking at some PC based laptops (these are the 2-in-1 type). I found one that had the following specs: - Windows 8.1 64 bit - Intel Pentium mobile processor N3520 (2.17 gigahertz speed) - 11.6" multitouch high-definition screen w/1366 x 768 HD resolution. Energy-efficient LED backlight. - 4gb DDR3L SDRAM (not expandable) - Intel HD graphics card This is a fairly inexpensive refurb laptop ($280) that weighs in at around 3lbs. From a specs standpoint, does this have enough horsepower to be editing RAW files in Lightroom 5? Thanks,Dave Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NWDiver 42 Posted March 19, 2015 Well here is the Dell recommendation. Weighs in at 1.69lbs. Again for me I not really looking for a "laptop" just something to view photos on, and maybe do minor Lightroom editing on to see if something is worth keeping. Editing is done at home on desktop. Dell Venue 11 7000 Pro Intel Core M5Y10 Processor 4mb L3 Cache 2.0GHz Duel Core 4GB of Ram Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
thetrickster 328 Posted March 19, 2015 Thats pretty nice, especially if the pen works with the wacom interface for Photoshop/Lightroom etc, could be ideal! Not sure I agree with the 1920x1080 screen though, great for photos - rubbish to use with your finger as its so small. I wish they did a retina type thing for windows. I hated the virtual keyboard on Windows8 mind, so you might end up getting the slim keyboard cover. But...good find I like it! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NWDiver 42 Posted March 22, 2015 (edited) FYI FYI In the end I found a open box Surface Pro 3 on sale. Just have to come to terms with something "better" will come out next week. Will load it with Lightroom and see how it works. Screen Size 12 inches Screen Resolution 2160 x 1440 Max Screen Resolution 3820x2160 RAM 4 GB Hard Drive 128 GB Wireless Type 802.11A, 802.11 A/C, 802.11B, 802.11G, 802.11n Number of USB 3.0 Ports 1 Average Battery Life (in hours) 9 hours Other Technical Details Brand Name Microsoft Item model number MQ2-00001 Hardware Platform PC Operating System Windows 8.1 Pro Item Weight 1.8 pounds Item Dimensions L x W x H 11.50 x 0.36 x 7.93 inches Color Silver Rear Webcam Resolution 5 MP Computer Memory Type DDR3 SDRAM Edited March 22, 2015 by NWDiver Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ChrigelKarrer 52 Posted March 23, 2015 Depending on the processor, the Surface Pro 3 is a real fast beast with a excellent pen! Chris Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheRealDrew 0 Posted March 25, 2015 EDIT: Posted longer reply then saw your last post that you picked something up Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
