George Schaub

For those who thought that we here at Shutterbug were inalterably attached to our Macs, the chance to work with a PC, albeit a very fast and upper-price range one at that, was something we did not want to pass up, if only to dispel our own notions about crossing the OS Rubicon. The new HP EliteBook 8540w we worked with came with 8GB of RAM and a 320GB hard drive, more connection slots than we ever could wish for, a Blu-ray reader/writer, a download card slot for SD memory cards (with adapters available for CF, etc.), microphone, image out slots to a projector, HDMI, and more. As configured the unit runs close to $3100, although we’ve seen lesser-priced units of the same model with more modest attributes. This is close to what you’d pay for a MacBook Pro similarly configured, albeit minus Blu-ray and various slots but plus a larger screen. But our aim was not to put it head to head against the latest MacBook Pro, but to check it out on its own merits. That said, in terms of size and weight it is similar to the 15” Mac in many respects (the HP being 9.9x14.7x1.3” and weighing in at 6.5 lbs with a 15.6” display) so there’s no plus and minus in portability here.

Throughout the years we have paid close attention to the business side of photography, featuring tips and words of wisdom from working pros in Maria Piscopo’s Business Trends column, Jack Neubart’s Pro’s Choice column, and numerous articles on wedding, portrait, stock, event, and other venues in which photographers, both full- and part-time, share their experiences on how they...

Having flown my fair share of miles in the last few months I have come to appreciate a roller bag that can be used to carry camera gear, be carried on or checked, and that can help and not hinder the trip. I have gone from using a camera backpack loaded inside a standard roller suitcase (just to get from the airport to the destination) to leaving home gear that I later regretted not bringing...