So my laptop screen went all kablooey...

What do you use to write, and why? And what brand / model do you use?

I probably need a laptop because besides writing I want to get my email, surf the web of course, I'l need something with good video conference capability, but I'm not a game player at all so graphics and such I do not need. I also have a huge amount of files to store.

thanks,

AJR

I use a fairly standard laptop for most of my writing (and FadeIn), i appreciate the decent screen size and proper keyboard. It's an Acer something of other but I don't game either so only really use it for Internet, Email and writing.
If travelling though I have an iPad Air (with Bluetooth keyboard) and use the mobile app version of FadeIn...

I have an iPad and I use it quite a bit. I do a lot of reading on it and I watch something while on the treadmill, but I hate typing on it. I prefer my laptop when I write. My laptop was dying so I just recently got a 13" Mac. The screen is smallish, but I plug it in to a monitor when I need a bigger screen. It's small and light enough that it's easy for me to take along anywhere. It's not really that much bigger than the iPad.

Whatever the laptop, buy a larger, second stand-alone screen.

For about 150 bucks it will change your life.

Thanks Anthony and Pia, and yes Bert I do have a second monitor I can hook up. Got used to it at work and now I cannot go back. Two screens are good, but now I want three!

Oh I also need a good CD / DVD player. Yes I still own a ton of CDs and my computer is my only player.

AJR

I’ve always owned Dell laptops, I find them extremely reliable.

Currently using Final Draft on a Dell XPS 15 and I love it. It has a large 4K screen and a full size keyboard so nothing feels cramped.

For space, mine came with 1TB.

I have a Samsung tablet that I do a lot of reading on, like Pia, but for typing I prefer my laptop too. I use Final Draft on a Lenovo with a stand-alone screen hooked up.

I don't use laptop or tablet as I do all my writing at home.

I am partial to the all in one computers - i.e., the computer and the 24-inch screen are all in one. The keyboard and mouse are wireless (Bluetooth). I will never not have one of these in my life.

Quoted from eldave1 I don't use laptop or tablet as I do all my writing at home. I am partial to the all in one computers - i.e., the computer and the 24-inch screen are all in one. The keyboard and mouse are wireless (Bluetooth). I will never not have one of these in my life.

My situation is similar to Dave's. I have a tower PC with two monitors at home (I need a computational beast for my day job). Screenwriting software isn't too taxing, though, so any laptop that can drive the monitor(s) you want can do with a wireless keyboard and mouse.

If you need something truly portable, a 15-inch-plus "desktop replacement" laptop should work, too.

Thanks all. I've looked at some decent mid-range ($600s) laptops but they don't have built in CD / DVD drives. I get that I can get an external drive, however the last one I bought (an LG) stopped working as soon as it was out of warranty.

AJR

I've always used a desktop PC, and that's what I prefer. But my PC is in storage right now, as I relocated 200 miles for a new job at exactly the wrong time -- a week before the pandemic hit. I get here, I'm told the job has been put on delay until the pandemic gets under control, and so I've had to leave all my stuff in storage while flopping at my sister's place.

But while she's been nice enough to lend me her laptop, the fact is, I hate laptops. Hate 'em. Hate 'em with a passion. And I hate this laptop in particular. I've been touch typing since middle school, and having always used a PC, I'm used to elevated keys and home keys with ridges. But on this laptop, the keys are all flush to the surface and the home keys aren't ridged, so I'll be typing and next thing I know my fingers have drifted a key to the side, and suddenly "Rudy revs the engine and peels out" comes out as "Gifu trbrd yjr rmhomr smf [rr;d piy/"

I. Hate. Laptops.

Quoted from Lon I've always used a desktop PC, and that's what I prefer. But my PC is in storage right now, as I relocated 200 miles for a new job at exactly the wrong time -- a week before the pandemic hit. I get here, I'm told the job has been put on delay until the pandemic gets under control, and so I've had to leave all my stuff in storage while flopping at my sister's place. But while she's been nice enough to lend me her laptop, the fact is, I hate laptops. Hate 'em. Hate 'em with a passion. And I hate this laptop in particular. I've been touch typing since middle school, and having always used a PC, I'm used to elevated keys and home keys with ridges. But on this laptop, the keys are all flush to the surface and the home keys aren't ridged, so I'll be typing and next thing I know my fingers have drifted a key to the side, and suddenly "Rudy revs the engine and peels out" comes out as "Gifu trbrd yjr rmhomr smf [rr;d piy/" I. Hate. Laptops.

COncur

I write by hand in an old fashioned notebook.  Then I copy to the software on my Lenovo laptop.  Used to use the external keyboard and mouse as I wasn’t used to the laptop keyboard. But cos I like to sit outside writing in our glorious winter weather, I haven’t used the portable KB for ages.  It’s given my writing motivation a new lease of life after a couple of years of apathy lol.  

I converted to a MacBook last year and downloaded Highland as my scriptwriting app. It's all use as it's all I need.

I am probably the only one who uses a Chromebook. Explains everything, really. But, believe me when I say Chromebooks help you to focus and less goes wrong. You really do need to adapt to cloud computing, but that's a feature not a bug.

Quoted from Robert Timsah I am probably the only one who uses a Chromebook. Explains everything, really. But, believe me when I say Chromebooks help you to focus and less goes wrong. You really do need to adapt to cloud computing, but that's a feature not a bug.

Something BigTech put out? Oh oh… red flag #1, lol. I don’t really know anything about cloud computing either, rapunzel. However, after the forced inoculations, the nanobots that will arrive with the toxins injected into me will align to plug me wirelessly into the grid; and then I’ll be up to speed… I joke cause I’m an egghead.

Quoted from ajr So my laptop screen went all kablooey...

Yeah, mine too (laptop). I went out and bought a nice Toshiba laptop back in 2012 when I started screenwriting, but one that had a killer ‘Bang & Olufsen’ sound card/system installed to work on a DAW’s (Digital audio workstations) as well; audio rendering chews up more RAM than graphics for no apparent reason. Anyway, that damn thing (touch screen) shit the bed, like… 2 or 3 years later, after the warranty expired of course.

So in a fit of rage I went out and bought a nice gaming PC (I don’t game at all), but I wanted speed and stability, plus it has a solid state drive which is insanely fast versus spin-drives… this system  I’ve had for about 6 or 7 years now and it runs just like the day I brought it home. So definitely money well spent in this case, err… which is usually not the case.

Quoted from ajr What do you use to write, and why?

Final Draft cause it’s easy to use and takes the guesswork out of formatting. Seriously, I can’t even imagine how frustrating it would have been to write and properly format a screenplay on a typewriter back in the day.

Quoted from Gum Something BigTech put out? Oh oh… red flag #1, lol. I don’t really know anything about cloud computing either, rapunzel. However, after the forced inoculations, the nanobots that will arrive with the toxins injected into me will align to plug me wirelessly into the grid; and then I’ll be up to speed… I joke cause I’m an egghead.

I gave up trying to avoid Big Tech. At some point you get sick of fighting the man.