Updated: March 22, 2010 1:49 PM PDT The Iron Knight is the coolest Volvo you'll never be able to buy Parrot Disco fixed-wing drone takes flight (pictures) Ranking the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies 15 gadgets to make you a baby shower hero Proxima b, the closest Earth-like exoplanet, is real (pictures) From Apple Watch to iPhone 7: The evolution of Apple's products under Tim Cook How to catch a cat with Android 7.0 Nougat Most anticipated tech of 2016: August to December editionI used to DJ many years ago, but that was with 7-inch vinyl. Now I have been invited to "guest" at my daughter's 21st birthday bash, I fancy going the whole hog and splashing out on a laptop, but which one? I have found some software, Sam Party DJ, so I need a machine to run it! I know I do not want any gaps in the music so obviously will be looking for a high spec machine. Budget is around £500 to £600, depending on brand. It's a very good idea to choose your key bit of software and then choose the best hardware to run it.

In this case, however, Sam Party DJ doesn't appear to need anything special. Spacial Audio's wiki has a page about System Requirements, and the recommended platform (as per 29 January 2008) is for Microsoft Windows XP, a 2GHz processor, 1GB of memory and 50MB of free hard drive space. You might now find it hard to find a mainstream laptop with a lower specification, though most ultraportables trade a slower processor for better battery life. Since I have no experience of this software, I looked in the Spacial Audio forum, and one poster reports that SAM Party DJ4 "runs flawlessly" on an Asus netbook with 1.6GHz Atom N270 processor, 1GB of memory, 160GB hard drive and Windows XP Home. It's not what I'd recommend, but it does suggest you don't need a particularly high-end laptop. As regular readers may have noticed, I've been impressed by the Intel Core iX range, and even more impressed by the increased video performance of this year's Sandy Bridge versions. However, there has recently been a hiccup, in that Intel picked the wrong type of transistor to use in the Series 6 support chip (not the processor itself).

The flaw only affects the 3Gbps eSATA disk ports – the 6Gbps ports are fine – and the chances of failure are relatively low, so it shouldn't be a problem for laptop users. Nonetheless, Intel issued a recall while it prepared a corrected chip-set, and PC manufacturers will probably not get back into full Sandy Bridge production until April. Depending on your budget and the date of your daughter's birthday, you could wait for corrected Sandy Bridge systems, buy something using the version launched last year, or take a flyer on getting a laptop with a flawed chip. Papillon Puppies For Sale Kansas CityIntel reckons the chances of a port failing are 5% over three years of normal use, rising to 15% with heavy use. Blue Merle Australian Shepherd Puppies For Sale In OkGiven suitable assurances about a replacement – which I have yet to see any PC manufacturers offer – this sounds like a reasonable risk. Part Used Tyres Folkestone

If a laptop uses the two 6Gbps SATA ports for the hard disk and the DVD or Blu-ray drive, maybe the flaw in the 3Gbps ports doesn't actually matter. The most likely drawback, from your point of view, is that the price of laptops using the earlier Core chips will not fall by much, and might even increase. Given that most current PCs will meet SAM Party DJ4's requirements, you will need to be more specific in other areas to reduce your choices to manageable levels. Obviously you will have vastly more options if you go for an Intel Core 2 Duo than if you decide on a Core i3 or i5. You can also choose a screen size from 13.3 inches to 17 inches. However, if you want to splash out, then picking a laptop with a Core iX chip and dedicated graphics processor will max out your budget at around £600. Just to put a couple of markers in the sand for comparison purposes, have a look at the Asus K52JC-EX352V (a shop, not run by Asus), Samsung R580, and HP Pavilion dv6-3118sa Entertainment Laptop PC .

All three machines have 15.6 inch screens, 4GB of memory, 500GB hard drives and 64-bit Windows 7 Home Premium. The Samsung R580 has a 2.4GHz Core i3-370M processor plus an Nvidia GeForce 310M with 512MB of graphics memory. The Asus K52JC has a 2.53GHzCore i5-460M processor and an Nvidia GeForce 310M with 1GB of graphics memory. The HP Pavilion dv6-3118sa has a Core i5-460M processor and an ATI Mobility Radeon 5470 graphics with 512MB of memory. (The Mobility Radeon 5470 is a better class of GPU than the GeForce 310M, delivering roughly the same performance as a GeForce 330M.) If you want to save money, you could downgrade slightly to versions of the same laptops that don't have a dedicated graphics chip. (It shouldn't make any difference to the sound.) To save even more money, switch from a Core iX to an Intel Core 2 Duo processor. However, if you happen to find an extra £1,084 to add to your £600, you could really splash out and get a 15-inch MacBook Pro with a 2.53GHz Intel Core i5-520M processor, 4GB of memory, Nvidia GeForce GT 330M with 256MB of graphics memory, and a 500GB hard drive.

Although I don't do this kind of thing myself, I notice that the people who do it seriously use plug-in DJ controllers, and these often have built-in sound cards. There seems to be a wide selection available, as illustrated by the Hardware page on the Virtual DJ site. (Many controllers are bundled with Virtual DJ software.) You might consider spending less money on the laptop and buying a DJ controller or console instead. They look like fun. Finally, please make sure you get set up in time to do at least one "dry run" before the party. You're bound to make mistakes while you're learning the system, and it's better to make them in private.Buying your first DJ setup can be a daunting task. Using our knowledge and experience, the Lab breaks it down as simply as possible. Please note, you'll always be able to find exceptions and additions to this guide, but we focused on the most popular DJ setups. 1.0 Turntable DJ Setup 1.5 Turntable DJ Setup using DJ Software (eg. 2.0 CDJ DJ Setup

2.5 CDJ DJ Setup using DJ Software (eg. 3.0 DJ Controller Setup 4.0 Ableton DJ Setup 5.0 All Computer DJ Setup 2 x DJ Turntables 2 x DJ Cartridges (needles) Slipmats (felt mats that go between record + turntable platter) RCA Cable (to connect mixer to audio output) this is the base / foundational DJ setup recommended setup for learning how to DJ most tactile form of DJing can be used as a digital setup with addition of Serato Scratch Live, Traktor Scratch, etc. 2 x CD DJ Turntables offers more control + features than a Turntable setup CD turntables with USB inputs can play digital files from thumb drives, hard drives, etc. create custom CDs to play setup preferred by many club DJs can be used with most DJ programs including Serato Scratch Live, Traktor Scratch, etc. allows for tactile control of music allows most control over DJ software / most manipulation of music you can customize controller setup to your preference