Hi
Can you tell me which karaoke version she is using??

Are you sure it can only mirror the video? Look in the display properties to see if it can extend the desktop.

My home laptop is an Inspiron 1000, and it has extended display. I use it to practice, and have Compuhost installed, works fine.

Rosario

If your computer doesn't have dual monitor features built in, then you can buy external video cards that have this feature. You can also buy external sound cards that have optical audio.

Your noise issues are probably a problem with gain structure, however, not your audio. A better sound card will reduce the noise, but without a balanced gain structure throughout your entire audio chain from computer to speakers, you are going to amplify floor noise along the way.

So read up on setting gain structure and google external video cards and external sound cards. You could probably get everything you are looking for for about $100-125 and improve you sound.

Compuhost is a karaoke hosting program. NOT CHEAP!! But top of the line. Does take some power to run, but as I said, I AM running it on an Inspiron 1000. Having said that, I have about 80% of my freespace left on the harddrive, only installed what was necessary, NO JUNK on the computer. I also had the maximum RAM installed. Before I did this, it was NOT strong enough to run Compuhost without lyric lagging issues. I would check into doing this, instead of buying a new computer, it's cheaper, and it WORKS. You can find all the info for Compuhost by doing a Yahoo search, or Google. Look at the specs needed to run, then check with your local computer shop, and see if your computer is sufficient. I'm sure there are other hosting programs that have less requirements, but as I said, Compuhost is like the Cadillac of programs. Hope this helps.

Rosario
Serenity Now Karaoke

Ps: What type of cable are you using from notebook to monitor. Is it VGA? Sounds like a cable, or connection issue with the video. I would change the cable first.

could be a video driver issue. Had that with an inspirion 4000 and it was fixed by getting a new driver.

BTW, her notebook is an Inspiron 2650 -- it's about 10 years old.

Right then, new software on an old computer. Not going to happen. If it's ten years old your operating system is either ME or an early XP. If XP, you probably don't have enough RAM to run the service pack upgrades properly.

Kara Fun is a wonderful piece of software but it's a player, not hosting software. Get an old hoster not using .NET and all your troubles will probably go away.

Exactly, that's the reason the subject of the thread is "Best notebook PCs for karaoke?" I think she's better off replacing the notebook. I thought that perhaps there would be some consensus as to the best currently available notebooks for karaoke.

Her Inspiron 2650 is running XP (SP 3), has a Pentium running at 1.7 Ghz, and 512 MB of RAM.

I suppose I could just go through the usual routine -- check cnet; CR; PC Magazine; etc, and buy a top-rated notebook. I was just hoping to save some time and hassle.

What is a "hoster"? What do you mean by, "Not using .NET"?

Thanks!

A "Hoster" is a computer based karaoke program designed for the needs of karaoke hosts (KJs). These applications may include singer rotation, singer histories, bumper music, kiosks, visual effects etc. Anything that might make the show run more smoothly or be more entertaining.

A little history which may or may not be true:
Windows 3.1 was really the last windows version that had the idea of a "stand alone" work station in mind. Windows 95 was based around the idea of a browser and that kept going through '98 and ME. Windows 2000 and XP was an extention of NT which was intended for business networking and XP gave up the notion of "stand alone" altogether. Windows Vista and Windows 7 seem to be just big web browsers. About ten years ago Microflacid came up with some new features to work with these big new giant browsers which came under the heading of .NET.

Now we do an about-face to karaoke. The default standard for karaoke is the CD+G format which was developed about 1980. That is to say that the technology of 1980 will play it just fine, your wife's current computer being twenty years in advance of that will play it just fine. What a karaoke application is supposed to do is play karaoke, it has nothing to do with the internet. Running such an aplication on a big web browser seems just plain silly and yet that's what you're forced to do with a new lappy.

In short, which new lappy should you buy for karaoke? None of them.

Question: Regardless of whether the OS is intended to be used with a 'work station' or as a web browser, any hoster should run just fine, correct?

I know MS leaves a lot to be desired, but that seems almost irrelevant in this case. I agree that running Windows in order to use karaoke software is a bit ridiculous, but that's pretty much the situation we're faced with.

In short, which new lappy should you buy for karaoke? None of them.