win 7 or win 8, laptop or desk top

Carol Reed

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Location
Coolidge, AZ
Need some evaluation help.

Think I want to get some house plan drawing/planning software. Looking at Home Designer Architect. I have a MacBook Pro. The windows machine allows more features, so I am considering a windows machine for just this project and then who knows? Maybe a CNC computer down the road.

Here are the system requirements:

Windows 8 / 7
2.4 GHz processor or Multi-core processor
2 GB of Memory (32-bit)
4 GB of Memory (64-bit)
Video Card:
Dedicated Graphics with 512 MB memory e.g., NVIDIA or ATI
- OR -
Integrated Graphics e.g., Intel HD graphics (driver from 2012 or newer)
5 GB of available hard disk space
Internet access*

I am thinking a used machine, but from where? Think a laptop to drag out to the site as needed might be better, but I am open to opinions.

Suggestions?

The reasons for this is that the 'professional' draftsmen want to tell me what I want. Not a god idea! They also charge $1,000's for taking completed plans and making some modifications. None of them draw from conceptual plans. They cost a third of a professional architect and those guys also have an agenda. They consider their ideas over the clients. I am open to structural considerations but I want choices regarding things like bathrooms and kitchens.

I want to be able to print professional floor plans and elevations to take to the structural engineer for approval. Required by my county.
 
Backup.....

You have a Macbook pro, what are its specs? If it is just the Windows SOFTWARE that allows more alternatives, and your Macbook is an Intel one, have you considered just going dual boot? Granted that means only having one machine (backup purposes), but then you only have the OS and software costs (if your specs match the needed software specs).

You might have an issue with your county, doing it that way (check ahead of time), so one other thought, is to have your specs (must have, no exception), in the contract with the drawer.
 
Actually, my MacBook meets the Mac specs. With the exception of the hard drive. I have a 500 GB hard drive but it is not all available for this application. My MacBook is 6 years old and maxed out on memory, etc. Among the things the MS software allows is the importation of SKB files. Not a deal breaker. Considering options here. Think the hard drive limitation rules out dual boot.

As for the county, their requirements are that that the plans be stamped by the engineer or the architect. That is all. This software will produce the plans in the proper depiction and format for the engineer and the county. Further, it will provide all the construction documents required and do cost estimation. As owner/builder, that is important to me. The draftsperson won't give me any of those things. I have more research to do and some questions for the software people that I will address on Monday directly to them.

Today I am considering the hardware. My MacBook has the rest of my life on it. Meaning my work and various other projects. I am thinking that it may be worth it to have a separate machine for this particular complex and intense project.
 
I don't buy new computers often. I will buy 5-10 used for every new one.

I have bought several "refurbished" computers from Best Buy. Had good luck with every one of them.

To run the CNC machine - you don't need much computer - just about anything you get is going to do that job.

To run CAD. It depends on your CAD.

Something like PUNCH Cad - home design software is pretty low end and low on power usage.

I use Solidworks, because I am allowed a home installation with the license from work. That is a bit of a power hog.

The other power usage is from large 3D designs I do in Aspire.

I bought a computer in Dec 2013 - i7 with 16 GIG RAM, 64 bit. I have a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 645 video card installed. I think I bought it and installed it myself, I just don't remember. I am running win 8.1

Either Win-7 or win-8.1 It's all the same to me.

I can do everything I need to do. This is WAY WAY more computer than my CNC machine needs. The CNC machine is still on an old XP machine with I think 1 gig of RAM.

As to desktop or laptop - that is personal preference - I have my main desktop on my desk with dual 24" monitors, a desk top in the shop on my main work bench, and an old desktop running my CNC. (old desktop are really really inexpensive, I average $40-$75 on those) I have a refurbished Lenovo thinkpad for when we go someplace and I DO run Aspire on that, but the 3D is a "little" slow. I can run 2D CAD, with no trouble on the Thinkpad.
 
One place I tend to look at computers is Woot. Desktops, to me seem to be more cost effective then laptops and also tend to be cheaper. (per specs) And you have a better idea of what formats your Mac can open, or you will require Windows for. (might consider an external hard drive)
Windows 8.1 is the current supported system (even though it is so different most I know think it sucks; commonly called Windows H8), while 7 is close to EOL (lack of support from MS). Last year I picked up an IBuypower pc for a couple of reasons (possible job change so need to kind of relearn Windows and relative wanting me to game with them; not my thing). They tend to have less C ware preinstalled on them then some of the budget pc's I was looking at (HP, etc). But I wasn't looking for some of their refurbished older business systems that actually meet your specs, for example: http://computers.woot.com/offers/hp-6005-pro-amd-1tb-sata-desktop-1?ref=cnt_wp_15_1
Most of the laptops that I consider budget will have integrated graphics (only Intel with have Intel), and current ones will meet your graphics specs.
 
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