Considering new notebook with dedicated USB port[s], NOT USB hubs, or desktop with USB card

    Does anyone have a notebook/laptop computer that works well with Total Integration? My Asus G73JW does NOT. I'm considering replacing it to take advantage of TI and would consider either a Mac or a Windows machine. I'm wondering if a MacBook/MacBook Pro would work. I really do prefer Macs, but not because I'm an Apple FanBoy; the interface is cleaner and the OS more stable than Windows. I'm also considering getting a desktop into which I could install a dedicated USB card. Any help or advice would be hugely appreciated.

    If anyone's interested, I did come up with some info. I gave my son my old Macbook Pro (original model) some time ago, and after reading a thread wherein someone said that the original Macbook Pro (like my son's) has a USB port that doesn't share the bus with other components (It's the one on the left side), I decided to give it a try. So, I downloaded the trial version of Ableton Live and the Virus software and tried it. I didn't notice any latency at all. It didn't really seem to mind the minimal RAM, though I didn't do extensive testing. So, it looks like I'll be trading my snazzy Asus G73JW laptop for my old computer. This thing has 14GB of RAM in it and the Macbook has only 2GB, the minimum recommended for Live, so I'm going to be giving that up as well as the much faster i7 processor, but at least he'll be using this for gaming for which it was designed, anyway.


    Anyone have any experience running a similar setup? (Macbook, minimal RAM) I'm concerned that 2GB isn't going to be enough for Live.

    Yes, more RAM is a possibility. However, I'm reconsidering this strategy because the Macbook needs a new battery (~$100) and the optical drive is a piece of crap and I can't install anything from DVD without getting an external reader/writer (another $50 or so). So if I bought more RAM, I'd be investing at least $200 in an aging machine with a relatively slow processor. <heavy sigh> I'm thinking that money would be better spent on an external audio/MIDI interface, but then it seems like I'd have the same latency problems because the external interface would still have to communicate over the USB bus.


    Seems like I read somewhere up here that any computer with an i5 or i7 processor is going to have the same USB architecture, i.e., they're all on hubs. If I could put in a dedicated USB card (in other words, it's a desktop), seems like I'd be good. I really want a notebook, though, for one thing because my studio is going to be on my RV (converted transit bus, 1979 American Flyer) and I'd like to be able to do shows at some point for another. How could I find out if a notebook is going to have at least one USB port that doesn't share the bus with any other components? Seems like that just isn't pre-sale information that's available for any machines. <another heavy sigh>

    Zitat von flabberbob

    Trying to answer also your question from the other thread, did you consider the following setup: (a) Firewire audio interface: most current laptops/notebooks have a firewire port. Does yours? (b) A dedicated USB expander express-card for the Virus. I bet you have an express card slot as well.

    Thanks, flabberbob. This thing doesn't have a firewire port, not does it have an express card slot. I've pretty much given up on this machine. It's an Asus "Republic of Gaming" notebook, and I figured that would make it a good machine for music, especially with 14GB RAM! This has proven not to be the case. So, I'm trying to negotiate with my son who IS into gaming (I am SO not) to trade me for the iMac I gave him when I got this. I also gave him my old MacBook Pro prior to that (yes, I'm a very generous dad) which has firewire, but it only has 2GB RAM, no battery, and I'd need to buy an external optical drive because the one they put in the original MacBook is a piece of crap. If he doesn't fall...er, uh I mean go for trading back the iMac, I don't know what I'm going to do other than try to sell the Asus to a gamer and get a notebook that will work for me. Anyway, thanks for the input!