That's exactly why I decided to do more regular stuff on my desktop.
Now, when I say I was composing, I was really messing around with parts. My genre? Not needing lots and lots of softsynths, but I've no real instruments, except a keyboard and piano, and I am liking the piano sound off my orchestral dxi better than my keyboard, but, I also mess around with different effects at work just to see how they work for me.
My job? Very boring at times. That is why I can do this. I'm stuck at a desk waiting for a. visitors b. their money c. phone calls and d. security mishaps.
This time of year, not a lot of that is taking place. So, there are plenty of times I can fart around, if you will, which is pretty much my involvement level, though I'm starting to feel as though I'm improving in my abilities.
Toshiba is 5400, running with 512 MB, the processor is Intel P4 Mobile processor, 1.7 G, I think. Running Sonar 2.2XL right now, not sure if I'm ready for the upgrade yet. As far as softsynths, I have tons of them installed, but don't use very many at one time. Plus, with your ability to bounce them to audio, you should be okay, just to temporarily disconnect a softsynth and use the dummy audio track.
I've been able to have LiveSynth and Orchestral running at same time with little problems. I did occasionally have dropouts, but I'm also a bit limited with my windows tweaks, because of some of Toshiba's proprietary functions in the laptop...I tried to mess with some of that, and it screwed me up for awhile, so I did what I could.
Like I said, I'm glad it's not my ONLY option, but the creative uses for it are so plentiful that the portability factor is awesome, you can just transfer whatever you want to your desktop later anyway if you need more power.
My genre, I didn't mention, is I'm not really sure what, r&b/gospel/soul pop, as soulful as I can get for a little white girl. I try. I've never used anything other than a computer for this recording madness, and I'm just really at 31 beginning to explore some of my musical insides. So, I'm no professional, and likely never will need 10+ softsynths running at once. but, even if I did, I could make it work with some creative routing, I suppose.
The only thing I don't like to do is record my vocals on this when I have softsynths all activated and not bounced. That's when my laptop likes to dropout on me, and my voice starts to tell me to screw myself. Ha ha. However, I changed to asio drivers the other day...I am able to get down to 2.9 I think, while I could get all the way down to 1.2 with my WDMs but the asio's seem more stable on my laptop for whatever reason, and with the direct monitoring option, I just seem to like the asio drivers. I've been using them on my new desktop computer (which is just an HP that I just bought last month, though my old one wasn't too bad...I'm giving it to my dad and bought one for my mommy too. Aren't I a wonderful daughter?
)
Anyway, I use
my Layla 24/96 to interface to both computers. If I had the option to use one or the other at home, of course, I'd choose the desktop...if only for the 7200 rpm drive, and the desire not to wear out my laptop too soon. But, when I'm bored and out somewhere, I really wouldn't want to be without the laptop and some cheap little ear phones at the very least to stir some juices. I'm less an engineer and more a singer/songwriter type at this point, though I do love sliding the faders around too. I'm just trying to learn it all at this late stage in life, and music too, while I'm at it. Also, I generally just use the onboard laptop soundcard to fiddle at work...I'll only haul the Layla along if I'm actually going to record something. If I'm just programming or messing around, the onboard sound gives me a reference anyway. And, it's pretty generic, I suppose, though the Toshibas supposedly can have some of the better consumer-grade systems for sound.
You would definitely be able to sing in the bathroom--at any location--for sure! And, it would work fabulously--just port that little puppy along.
In addition, I think there are now some laptops (prolly a bit pricey) out with 7200 drives. And aren't there pc's (if not already some laptops) with 10,000 rpm drives?
Before long, with technology improvements, you won't be able to complain about the virtual synth issue, I suppose.
And, you would be able to use that Logic regardless, so if you don't need the support later, oh well. As far as between pc/mac, I suppose as most people say, use what you already have the software for.
That was epic. Sorry for that.