[smalley378]

what is a good laptop to buy for solidworks? what specs. do i need?
i want something that's not going to slow down, freeze, etc.etc..
any advice would be great...........thanks in advance.

[mcphill]

I run a Core2 Duo with a discrete nVidia video card and 2 GB of RAM on XP 32 bit. This setup is about 2 years old and works fine on SW2011. You can do MUCH better than each of these specs now, so go for the best you can in each area, and get Win7 x64 (which allows you basically unlimited RAM) and you should be in good shape.

[MetalShavings]

Before I got this software I down loaded the Computer-Requirements from the SolidWorks website, then I went to a local OfficeMax and bought a laptop they had on sale.

I don't know that much about computers; especially Windows based computer so I showed one of their sales people the list of requirements I needed to run this software as well as the CAM software I'd be using.

"Cheap" is my middle name. They happen to have an HP Laptop on sale for about three-hundred and something dollars that worked out perfectly.

It's nice to be able to afford better things but, not all of us can. I'm one of those that can't.

The Laptop I could afford has performed admirably thus far. (Pavilion G6)

MetalShavings

[gsnorcal]

I run it on a 15" MacBook Pro with quad-core i7, 8GB RAM, AMD Radeon HD 6490M. I run Windows 7 (64-bit) using VMWare 3.x.

Runs Solidworks 2011 and my CAM package, at the same time, using VMWare, with no problems. But if I need more horsepower, I can reboot into pure Windows using Bootcamp (same partition as VMWare).

For dedicated Solidworks use, this might not make sense. But I'm also a software engineer, and I have used Macs as my primary platform, even for Windows software development, for the last 7 years or so. Great flexibility with this solution--I can run anything.

Dave

[osphoto]

FINALLY someone that has chimed in using a Mac Book Pro.

Dave, is there ANY chance (PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE) could you install Alibre into your windows partition on your Mac? I so want to move to Mac but the fear of NOT being able to install Alibre on the mac bugs me. I'd like to use it in VMware instead of having to boot into a full Windows on the Mac (and does that work well?).

I'd rather be running on a mac either way otherwise I'm looking at going with Alienware or something along those lines of laptops.

Is there anyone else able to run Alibre in the Mac environment?

[gsnorcal]

I have used Alibre on this Mac via VMWare. It worked fine.

Dave

FINALLY someone that has chimed in using a Mac Book Pro.

Dave, is there ANY chance (PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE) could you install Alibre into your windows partition on your Mac? I so want to move to Mac but the fear of NOT being able to install Alibre on the mac bugs me. I'd like to use it in VMware instead of having to boot into a full Windows on the Mac (and does that work well?).

I'd rather be running on a mac either way otherwise I'm looking at going with Alienware or something along those lines of laptops.

Is there anyone else able to run Alibre in the Mac environment?

[karloterrazas]

You Can use an Asus laptop, G74 works best with solidworks or use something with quadro video card, that is the way a Run solidworks 24/7 without problems at office and home.

[osphoto]

Thanks Dave for the feed back. Was that the latest version of Alibre?

[gsnorcal]

Thanks Dave for the feed back. Was that the latest version of Alibre?

2011 version, installed mid-year. Can't tell you precisely the build since my trial license has expired for that and I'm using Solidworks now.

[osphoto]

Thanks again Dave. Much appreciate your input.