SketchUp & Laptops

[Eric Shields]

Does anyone run SketchUp via laptop??? If so, what features should I be looking for in a laptop, aside from the recommendations from @Last.?? I am not asking brand names, models, or where to buy. Just what you like/dislike and can/would change about how SketchUp runs on a laptop. I know speed, RAM and Hardware space should be the best you can get/afford. But where is the middle ground? And probably the largest screen possible, internet connectivity is a given. Have I just answered my own questions?

I am interested because I am toying with the idea of getting a seporate (portable) computer for my wife and I, kids and computers (be it for school or fun) seem to be fused at the fingertips/keyboard. I am planning on getting SketchUp eventually (if I do get another computer) and weining myself away from pencil and paper. That and I'd be able to use the computer anytime my wife wasn't, and not worry about negotiating time with my other two (step-daughter 15 & step-son 13).

Your comments are appreciated in advance. I have seen what SketchUp is capable of from many of you and believe it is/will be a powerful tool to add to my toolbox.

Thanks,

Eric

[Dave Richards]

Eric, I think you have answered your own questions. The one thing you didn't cover has to do with the video card. I don't know how it is done these days with notebook computers but you should look into that. SketchUp uses OpenGL and seems to work best with nVidia video cards, Again I don't know how video is handled in current notebooks but you should see if you can find the nVidia chipset. I have the nVidia GeForce 5500 in my desktop and it works well. You also want as much video RAM as you can afford because that is where the display of geometry and textures can bog things down.

You might do a search on the SketchUp User Forum to see what other SU users suggest.

Good luck.

[Jamie Buxton]

For whatever it is worth, my tower computer came with a video card (well, maybe it is integrated on the mother board) which the Device Manager says is S3 Graphics ProSavageDDR. It runs SU just fine.

[Matt Meiser]

One thing to consider would be a port replicator and a separate monitor. You'll get a much bigger screen for a lot less money. I just paid $189 for a 17" flat panel at Staples. I also have to recommend staying away from the Thinkpads. We've been switching to them at work and everyone hates them--they've gotten the nickname "stinkpad". They seem to randomly freeze for a few seconds on a regular basis. Never had a problem like that with the Dell I had before (both had WinXP.)

[Jim Becker]

The biggest screen you can come by! There are times when I wish my desktop's 19" digital LCD was a few inches bigger when working on complex drawings.

[Jamie Buxton]

The biggest screen you can come by! There are times when I wish my desktop's 19" digital LCD was a few inches bigger when working on complex drawings.

I had my mouth open (or maybe it was my fingers poised) to suggest more pixels too. However, if the objective is to run SketchUp, that's not a big need -- at least in my hands. I run 1024x1280, and it doesn't feel crowded. I use some other programs which would definitely be improved by a bigger screen: a 2D CAD program (DeltaCad), and Photoshop.

[Eric Shields]

Thanks for your responses. I realized once I completed my post that I had actually answered my questions, for the most part . Guess I do know more about basic computers than I thought Honestly, this was a spur of the moment thought/question, not that I haven't had my mind on SketchUP, but getting a new toy may take some negotiation with SWMBO. We'll see what happens. I may just dive into SketchUp and start negotiating with the kids for time on the current family computer That way my shop space renovation and other (more than a few) design ideas (house and shop) can get organized and progress past page 1 (there are about 5 "page 1's" cluttering my drafting table).

Thanks again, will let y'all know of my progress when I do.

Eric

[Doug Shepard]

I'm currently typing this on a HP Pavilion laptop with a 17" screen. I bought it to use while I swapped out the motherboard on my tower PC followed by a major OS lobotomy. After a year the tower is midway thru it's brain surgery and I've been using the laptop exclusively. So the laptop is the only machine I've had SU installed on. No problems running SU but I'm not sure I'd want to try it on a laptop with the standard size screens. I'm also using a Logitech wireless mouse. I'm not 100% sure I've got all the mouse functionality I'm supposed to have for SU - I think I need to experiement a bit with the driver settings. But you wont really be able to use the touchpad on the laptop for SU.

[JayStPeter]

I haven't used sketchup, but do use a variety of CAD programs for work. With the exception of my most recent project, I have almost exclusively used laptops for about 7 years now. I used to have a docking station with a big 21" monitor.
IMO, the real key to laptops, their displays, and using CAD programs (and programming IDEs) isn't as much the size of the display as the number of pixels. I consider 1280x1024 to be my absolute minimum useable resolution. Dell sells 15" displays with a resolution of 1400x1050. Most of my work laptops and my home laptop use this display. I recently borrowed a laptop for some work with a large 17" widescreen display thinking it was going to be great. It was terrible. I think it was 1280x768. The 768 number is totally unsat. Unfortunately, the ???x768 displays are the ones on most of the "affordable" laptops these days. There are large widescreen laptops with higher resolution (1600x1040 I think), but you have to look (and pay) for them.

Jay

[Jim Becker]

Some brought up video performance up above and I have to add that to my suggestion...it's not just about screen size, but about pixel manipulation and SketchUp! really likes to take advantage of video memory and processing when you are doing orbits, etc. In the notebook computer world, this translates to very few choices, although there are more available now than there were in the past. Notebooks are becoming more popular as "desktop replacements" these days and as such, there are some that offer better video options.

Frankly, if Apple starts offering a new Intel-based MacBook with a large screen, it may be of interest to me in that respect. As it is, the new Intel-based IMac with the 20" screen could very well convince me to buy a Mac the next time I replace my personal computer...especially since it can now run Windows XP, too... (Apple published some software to dual-boot)

[tim rowledge]

I run Sketchup on a 1.5GHz powerBook and a dualcore G5 powerMac with no problems or performance worries. The latest MacBook Pros can even drive the 30" display if you want, so no lack of pixels!

The only problem with using a Mac for this sort of thing used to be the stupid one-button mouse (and I used to razz jef raskin about that all the time) but at least on a desktop setup you can use a tablet (like the Wacom grafire3 I have) and the more recent 'mighty mouse' is less silly.

Unless you're really attached to windows for some reason, at least give a Mac a try. OSX is much less of an annoyance to me than XP. YMMV of course.

[Jim Becker]

Tim, your comments about the mouse are interesting as it was always something I didn't like about the MAC...I'm a right-mouse-button-user. Interestingly enough, I just read an interesting review article on running WinXP on the Intel-based MAC using Apple's dual-boot software. According to the reviewer, the mouse is "smart enough" to understand when you press on the right side you want a "right mouse button" action when running under Windows. Very kewel.

[Brett Halle]

Tim/Jim,

You have been able to use multi-button mice with the Mac since Mac OS X was first released. In addition, Apple has been shipping a multi-button mouse (including a scroll ball) for the past year or so. You can also use third party mice (Microsoft, Kensington, Logitech, to name a few) which come in various multi-button flavors. If you happen to get stuck with a single-button mouse, you can achieve the equivalent of a right-click by pressing the control key when you click (in Mac OS X).

BTW, Sketchup works very nicely on a Mac.

--Brett Halle

[Jim Becker]

BTW, Sketchup works very nicely on a Mac.

As it do on my Dell...

[Rick Shelton]

I run SU daily on my Thinkpad z60m. I also have it installed on my desktop at home, though I don't use the desktop often. The laptop has a 15.4" widescreen running at 1280 x 800 resolution. The desktop has a 17" running a 1024 x 768. I prefer the wide format screen over the standard. I like the Thinkpad due to the Track point feature. Works nicely, better than the usual touchpad (which my laptop also has). Whenever I'm working for long periods, I use a 3 button wireless laser mouse.

Set up a wireless network in your house and then share your printer. You can then print from your laptop.