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  #1  
Old 01-01-2013, 06:45 AM
jasperguitar jasperguitar is offline
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Default Please recommend a lap top computer, so I can do the jam play thing ...

This is obviously off topic somewhat.. I plan on doing the Jam Play web site learning thing.. I figure, get a lap top, and I can learn when traveling, etc.
So, I looked at a bunch of lap tops.. and could not decided.. Questions such as power, processor, ram .. who knew ..

For you guitar playing lap top using learner types?

Give me a heads up.
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  #2  
Old 01-01-2013, 07:19 AM
BarryR BarryR is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jasperguitar View Post
This is obviously off topic somewhat.. I plan on doing the Jam Play web site learning thing.. I figure, get a lap top, and I can learn when traveling, etc.
So, I looked at a bunch of lap tops.. and could not decided.. Questions such as power, processor, ram .. who knew ..

For you guitar playing lap top using learner types?

Give me a heads up.

MacBook Pro
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  #3  
Old 01-01-2013, 07:41 AM
delaorden9 delaorden9 is offline
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Mabcook Pro is a great choice BUT ... in case you find it rather expensive you can take a Windows laptop a Core i5, 3rd generation, with 4gb of memory (the more the better). Macs have Garage Band which is a nice program to record and edit your songs but in Windows you have nice options too.: Audacity ---> FREE or Mixcraft not free, among many other options.
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Old 01-01-2013, 07:53 AM
Herb Hunter Herb Hunter is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by delaorden9 View Post
Mabcook Pro is a great choice BUT ... in case you find it rather expensive you can take a Windows laptop a Core i5, 3rd generation, with 4gb of memory (the more the better). Macs have Garage Band which is a nice program to record and edit your songs but in Windows you have nice options too.: Audacity ---> FREE or Mixcraft not free, among many other options.

I run Audacity on my Macintosh MacBook Pro which I downloaded, free of charge, from the Audacity website. Audacity is a available for Macintosh, Windows and GNU/Linux computers.

A beginner will be find it less frustrating to produce good recordings with GarageBand but the free option of Audacity for the Mac provides some additional capabilities and file compatibility with Windows computers should one want to collaborate on a project across computer platforms.
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Old 01-01-2013, 08:02 AM
delaorden9 delaorden9 is offline
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Hi Herb Hunter!

Agree. Audacity is very nice program but for a starter may be quite difficult to manage. Well, if the OP can afford a Mac, of course is the way to go. Even a second hand one or refurbished.
I do not use Macs (budget)
but 99% of reviews point it as the best for multimedia purposes. So I would buy it.
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Old 01-01-2013, 09:22 AM
Steely Glen Steely Glen is offline
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I run Transcribe on my MacBook Pro (13") for playing jamtracks and learning songs. Transcribe gives me the ability to slow down mp3s without distorting them. Also, I can easily alter the key of the mp3, which is really handy for learning songs where guitars are tuned to Eb and I don't want to retune my guitar. I also use Garageband for recording. HERE's an original I recorded through Garageband last month.
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  #7  
Old 01-01-2013, 10:18 AM
Petespix Petespix is offline
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For what ever computer you choose you will need to add a decent set of speakers to greatly improve the sound.

Peter
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Old 01-01-2013, 11:09 AM
jasperguitar jasperguitar is offline
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THANKS ALL ..

HAPPY NEW YEAR ...

I can't afford the Apple computer..

Let's see .. so far.... I will need a minimum of 6 gig hard drive,
and a 1.5 something .. can you give me that again...

Power, speed, screen .. ?? thanks
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Old 01-01-2013, 12:14 PM
DaddyRabbit DaddyRabbit is offline
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I just got a Dell XPS 15 for recording. It is a beast and IMHO as nice as the Macbook. However, the way you described your needs you don't need near that much power.

1- Core i5 or i7 CPU 3rd generation.
2- Intel HD4000 graphics will be fine
3- Windows 7 (or a downgrade from Windows 8)
4- 8 gb RAM
5- 500gb to 1tb of hard drive space. If you can get one with an m-sata slot you can add a small caching SSD to speed things up.
6- Screen size is a tradeoff. There are some nice 17" screens available but you sacrifice portability. I would get at least a 15.6" screen or if you aren't going to be lugging it around constantly a 17" screen.
7- External speakers or a good set of studio headphones.

Jamplay is primarily streaming videos so just about any modern laptop will do if you are just watching and strumming along. The above specs are for recording.

Some brands:

Toshiba
Dell
Lenovo
Asus
Acer
Samsung
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  #10  
Old 01-01-2013, 12:59 PM
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ljguitar ljguitar is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jasperguitar View Post
This is obviously off topic somewhat.. I plan on doing the Jam Play web site learning thing.. I figure, get a lap top, and I can learn when traveling, etc.
So, I looked at a bunch of lap tops.. and could not decided.. Questions such as power, processor, ram .. who knew ..

For you guitar playing lap top using learner types?

Give me a heads up.
Hi jasper...
I think they are available even on phones.

I don't think you are device nor platform dependent, and no matter what you watch it on, you are probably going to want external speaker hookup or decent headphones (I would anyway).

It's like YouTube streaming, so if you can stream YouTube, you are good to go.

What is wrong with your current computer? There is a Mac mini (you supply keyboard, monitor and mouse) which is a laptop in a very small box...like a stack of 5 CD cases tall.

Also, for what it's worth, I just went to their site on my iPad, and it worked just fine. And I kicked it to our 46" LCD TV wirelessly via our Apple TV.

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Last edited by ljguitar; 01-01-2013 at 01:04 PM. Reason: added a note
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Old 01-01-2013, 01:21 PM
jasperguitar jasperguitar is offline
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Larry .. my computer is a desk top.. I want a lap top to use when I travel.. etc.. also, my computer it really , ., really old.
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  #12  
Old 01-01-2013, 01:47 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jasperguitar View Post
Larry .. my computer is a desk top.. I want a lap top to use when I travel.. etc.. also, my computer it really , ., really old.
Hi jasper...
If you have a smart phone, iPad, or other tablet which has a browser, you would be good to go. No need to run out and buy a new computer.

If you are looking for an excuse to buy a laptop, then ok JamPlay would work with one. To me, it's well designed in that when one is home they could use the computer, or a tablet.

The lessons are just simple streaming. I checked and they worked with my iOS devices (old iPod, my iPhone 4s, and my iPad 3K) as well as all the other computers in our arsenal. And they all streamed the content to my large screen TV with the surround system.

If you are determined to have a new computer, I'd pick a computer which I want and need for everything else in my life, knowing it will work for JamPlay's material as well. Hopefully the computer is going to outlast your JamPlay experience.

Their service is reasonably priced enough. A rank beginner who is hoping to follow it all the way to a pro level might find it useful for a couple years before either losing interest or deciding to invest $140 year in other ventures.

It will also be interesting to see if they catch on and last. I hope they do. Many great ideas in the past have not proved to be profitable and have come and gone, and left subscribers stranded.

Just my thoughts...

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Old 01-01-2013, 01:54 PM
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If you primarily want something for JamPlay, how about an iPad? My girlfriend uses one for JamPlay and it has largely replaced her other computer. They are great for how most people really use computers.
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Old 01-01-2013, 07:23 PM
chadly chadly is offline
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In this day and age I think a tablet is appropriate for 85% of computing needs. There are definite key instances where a tablet doesn't work as well (writing, heavy video editing, serious recording, etc) but I think a tablet is a great option for most everyday computer uses. A tablet seems like it will suit your needs very well and possibly save you some money. I recommend you head to a Walmart or best buy and play around with a few different models. See which device fits you. Definitely check out iPad, nexus, kindle fire, and asus.
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Old 01-01-2013, 08:10 PM
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In this day and age I think a tablet is appropriate for 85% of computing needs. There are definite key instances where a tablet doesn't work as well (writing, heavy video editing, serious recording, etc) but I think a tablet is a great option for most everyday computer uses. A tablet seems like it will suit your needs very well and possibly save you some money. I recommend you head to a Walmart or best buy and play around with a few different models. See which device fits you. Definitely check out iPad, nexus, kindle fire, and asus.
Hi chad-ly

I'm thinking for many, over 90% - especially if you add a bluetooth keyboard for 'writing' purposes, and have connectivity.

At least my iPad 3k caused me not to do my standard laptop upgrade this year. I may purchase a MacBook Pro to go into retirement with. I've owned all three iPads (and sold them the next year to get the latest model).

Our iMac does the photo editing, and heavy lifting etc. The iPad has really replaced my laptop use.

I do carry a bluetooth keyboard when we travel, and our iPad is the 4G model, so we have connectivity to the internet everywhere. Since I use mine to display music charts, the larger one is imperative (my 64 yr old eyes cannot read tiny print from 3 feet away).

I've played with several other tablets, and the Nexus is a serious contender after the iPad. I'm sure they will all get better the next couple years.

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