• 
• 
• 

Toolbox: Laptops

Take your digital darkroom on the road with these compact computing powerhouses

Toshiba Qosmio F45. The Toshiba Qosmio F45 series laptop is a good all-around multimedia PC. It features a 1.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with options up to 2 GHz. The F45 has a storage capacity of up to 300 GB, up to 2 GB of RAM and a 15.4-inch widescreen monitor. This new laptop can be customized with an HD DVD reader drive so you can watch HD DVD movies while you're traveling and an optional HDMI port for high-def output. The F45 weighs 6.6 pounds, and pricing starts at $1,249.

Gateway M-150. Gateway's portable and affordable M-150 series laptop has an Intel Core 2 Duo processor at 1.46 GHz up to 1.8 GHz, a 15.4-inch monitor, 2 GB of RAM and a 120 GB hard drive. The laptop comes in two colors, and has HDMI output and a fingerprint reader for security to bypass logins and passwords. The M-150 starts at $799, making it a good value.

ESSENTIAL GEAR
Travel Display Shade
Laptops are great to have in the field for storage and review of images. But even if you're sitting in the shade, it's still difficult to see the display properly because there's so much ambient light bouncing around. The Hoodman Laptop Hood slips over your display, and it's like having a private studio on location. When you're done, it folds flat and tucks away in the included travel bag, which can easily fit into a side pouch of your laptop case. Available sizes for Apple PowerBooks and PC laptops are 12, 15 and 17 inches. They also make a PC-only hood that fits 14- to 16-inch laptops. Estimated Street Price: $35. Contact: Hoodman USA, (800) 818-3946, www.hoodmanusa.com.

Add Comment