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Which laptop/software would you buy for animation films?

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Hi
Our son is 13 and likes to make lego animation films.

He has acer intel laptop but complains it is too slow. So xmas around the corner - what would you recommend

laptop
animation software

hope someone out there can help a non tech mum!

Comments

  • closed
    closed Posts: 10,886 Forumite
    edited 31 October 2012 at 6:53PM
    https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2436849

    What is the spec of the machine you have?

    Depending on what's slow, acer erestore should make it fast again (animating can take a while, but adding jpg's into an avi shouldn't be too slow), but will delete all data, so backup first. There's lots of "free animation software", if you google the term, but you will need a camera if the laptop doesn't have one (your post suggests he's already tried it).
    !!
    > . !!!! ----> .
  • ok mum got it wrong...... programe keeps crashing windows movie maker
    which othr programes/software editing could be used?
    ?? spec
  • closed
    closed Posts: 10,886 Forumite
    edited 31 October 2012 at 8:45PM
    spec - processor, ram, operating system

    windows movie maker crashes or another program?, when, doing what, could be corrupt data or possibly camera drivers, try downloading latest version from microsoft.

    How are the stills/video's being recorded

    http://windows.microsoft.com/is-IS/windows-live/movie-maker-get-started

    google

    "free animation software" or "free stop motion software", there are guides on youtube on how to use various stop animation or 3d rendering programs
    !!
    > . !!!! ----> .
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    Acer Aspire 5742 Specs, Review



    The Acer Aspire 5742 Laptop meets your daily computing needs with an Intel® processor and integrated graphics. HD media playback offers richer entertainment at home or on the road, while boundary-free wireless communication keeps you in touch with family and friends. What's more, the Acer® FineTip keyboard and multi-gesture touchpad provide simple usability for more relaxed computing.The 15.6" HD wide display provides ample space for work and entertainment. The Intel® Pentium® combines with integrated Intel® HD Graphics to provide the performance you need for daily multitasking. Store all your files and multimedia on the large-capacity hard disk drive, and conveniently share them with others using the 2-in-1 card reader.

    The cinematic 16:9 aspect ratio presents sharp, colorful visuals on the Acer® CineCrystal display. A built-in Super-Multi drive is the ticket to your portable home cinema for viewing favorite videos and movies, plus an HDMI™ interface conveniently connects you to today's hottest high-definition entertainment on a bigger screen.

    The latest communication technologies keep you in constant contact regardless of space or time. Feel free to engage in live chats using the Acer® Crystal Eye webcam and built-in microphone. A Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ network connection lets you get online from any hotspot.

    The practical yet handsome Aspire® 5742 features a unique mesh-patterned exterior that is not only eye-catching but also protects against smudges and scratches. Another highlight is the multi-gesture touchpad that lets you easily scroll, pinch, rotate and flip through web pages, files and images, along with the Acer® FineTip keyboard with numeric keypad and large keys for comfortable typing.

    Acer Aspire 5742 Laptops Specs

    Operating System
    Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium
    Processor
    Intel® Pentium® Processor P6100
    (3MB L2 cache, 2.0GHz)
    Chipset
    Mobile Intel® HM55 Express
    Memory
    Up to 4GB (2GB installed in each of two memory slots) DDR3 SDRAM
    User upgradeable up to 8GB (one 4GB memory card in each slot)*

    *If upgrading after initial purchase, one or more of the memory cards provided with the system may have to be replaced with optional larger memory cards in order to achieve the maximum capacity.

    Storage
    Up to 320GB* SATA hard drive, 5400RPM
    Integrated variable-speed Super-Multi drive:
    -Read – 24X CD-ROM, 24X CD-R, 24X CD-RW, 8X DVD-ROM, 8X DVD-R, 8X DVD+R, 6X DVD-ROM DL, 6X DVD-R DL, 6X DVD+R DL, 6X DVD-RW, 6X DVD+RW, 5X DVD-RAM
    -Write – 24X CD-R, 16X CD-RW, 8X DVD-R, 8X DVD+R, 4X DVD-R DL, 4X DVD+R DL, 6X DVD-RW, 8X DVD+RW, 5X DVD-RAM

    2-in-1 card reader supports optional MultiMediaCard™ or Secure Digital (SD) card

    *When referring to storage capacity, GB stands for one billion bytes. Some utilities may indicate varying storage capacities. Total user-accessible capacity may vary depending on operating environments.

    Video
    Acer® CineCrystal HD 15.6" (1366 x 768) high-brightness (200-nit) TFT LCD
    16:9 aspect ratio
    Integrated Intel® HD Graphics
    Microsoft® DirectX® 10.0 support

    Up to 16.7 million colors

    Acer® Video Conference with integrated Acer® Crystal Eye webcam, 1280 x 1024 resolution

    MPEG-2 DVD, WMV9/VC-1 (Windows® Media Video 9, VC-1 standard), H.264/AVC decoding

    VGA and HDMI™ (High-Definition Multimedia Interface™) with HDCP (high-bandwidth digital-content protection) ports

    Support for simultaneous display on notebook LCD and external monitor

    Audio
    Integrated microphone
    Integrated mono speaker

    High-definition audio support

    Headphones/speaker/line-out and microphone ports

    Microsoft® DirectSound® compatibility

    Interface Ports
    DC-in
    RJ-45 LAN
    VGA
    Headphones/speaker/line-out
    Microphone
    HDMI™ (High-Definition Multimedia Interface™) with HDCP (high-bandwidth digital-content protection) support
    Three USB 2.0
    Card Slot
    2-in-1 card reader supports optional MultiMediaCard™ or Secure Digital (SD) card
    Communications
    Acer® InviLink Nplify 802.11b/g/n wireless LAN, Acer® SignalUp technology for enhanced antenna efficiency, WI-FI CERTIFIED™
    Gigabit LAN, Wake-on-LAN ready

    Acer® Video Conference with integrated Acer® Crystal Eye webcam, 1280 x 1024 resolution

    Included Software
    Acer® Crystal Eye
    Acer® eRecovery Management
    Acer® Identity Card
    Acer® Registration
    Acer® Updater
    Adobe® Acrobat® Reader
    Adobe® Flash® Player
    CyberLink® PowerDVD™*
    eSobi™
    Google™ Toolbar
    McAfee® Internet Security Suite (trial version)
    Microsoft® Office Starter 2010 (Reduced-functionality and advertising. User may purchase Office 2010 product key to activate preloaded suite.)
    Microsoft® Silverlight®
    Norton™ Online Backup
    NTI Media Maker™*
    Skype™
    Windows Live™ Essentials
    *OEM, not full-featured, version.

    User Interface
    103-key Acer® FineTip keyboard, independent standard numeric keypad, international language support
    Multi-gesture touchpad supporting two-finger scroll, pinch, rotate, flip

    Play/pause, stop, previous, next, volume up, volume down media keys printed on keyboard

    Dimensions & Weight
    15.0" (381.0mm) W x 10.0" (253.0mm) D x 0.9" – 1.3” (25.0mm – 34.0mm) H
    5.7 lb. (2.6kg)

    Size and weight may vary depending on configuration

    Power
    65-watt AC adapter
    Six-cell lithium ion battery: up to 3.5 hours life depending on configuration and usage

    Compliance
    ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Interface) 3.0
    Energy Star®
    Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™
    Security Features
    User, administrator and hard drive BIOS passwords
    Kensington® lock slot



    movie maker crashes he films stills on a camera

    Adam also needs to be able to play games.
    also camera / microphone for skype


    I cut and pasted spec from acer website its all gobbly-goup to me sorry for delay:rotfl:
  • closed
    closed Posts: 10,886 Forumite
    edited 1 November 2012 at 7:36PM
    Post more about the crashing, have you seen it crash, and if so, what exactly happened? Have you got the latest version of movie maker?

    Is he is using a handheld camera, and trying to combine ~14 megapixel jpg's into a video, or using the inbuilt camera?

    it's a relatively new machine which should be able to do what he needs easily (unless you have a specific game that won't run), and has a webcam/mike already for skype (which can also be used for animation if he is using an external camera), it should have plenty of life left in it yet.
    !!
    > . !!!! ----> .
This discussion has been closed.
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