[Johnboyas]

So my laptop is probably +/-7 years old, slower than Christmas, and the screen is going out. Does anyone have any suggestions on a good computer for PP that won't break the bank? Also, what is the best all around PP software for the money or the best comparable free software? Any and all info will be appreciated! Thanks!

[Rimfiredude]

I bought this guy a few months ago and am very pleased. Does everything I want it to do. The monitor is not that great so I use my Samsung TV, but I knew that when I bought it. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HJB9Z1I/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Photoshop CS2 is free now. Adobe Photoshop CS2 Free Download - TechSpot

[damianc]

If you don't need portability the best bang for your buck will be a desktop. Plus you ought to put some money into a halfway decent monitor, it makes a big difference.
Free software: personally I use Rawtherapee for raw processing and GIMP for touching up (GIMP is the only free choice in this regard IMHO) . Others like darktable for raw, no-one seems to use Photivo, but it's supposed to be good.

[DeadJohn]

Laptop considerations

Operating system (I assume Windows)? Screen size? Portability?

Maybe a Microsoft Surface tablet. That gives you an ultra portable device for travel. The screen size and storage are limited, so add a docking station with external monitor at home.

Or maybe a 17" laptop. You get a larger screen at the expense of a heavier device for travel.

Processing Software

I assume you need to catalog (organize, rate, and search) in addition to process your photos. I have experience with Adobe Lightroom and Corel AfterShot for Windows. They both work well; I eventually picked Lightroom three years ago because it offered better support for the cameras I owned at the time and better options for exporting to Flickr.

Lightroom and Aftershot have impressive photo development capabilities. They can help you rescue overexposed or underexposed photos, compensate for scenes with tricky lighting, adjust colors, apply sharpening and noise reduction, erase a shadow left by dust on the sensor, convert images to b&w, correct lens distortion.

They are not photo editors in that they do not make it easy to erase one person from a group photo or add something that wasn't in the original photo. Adobe Photoshop, Corel Paintshop, and freeware GIMP are options if you want to get into photo editing.

[LensBeginner]

I agree with damianc.
Unless you get a high-end laptop, you're buying something who is consumer oriented, and will almost certainly have cooling issues.
Even discrete GPUs are meant just to help loading UIs, not do anything else...
Try GPU-intensive tasks (a little video edit will do) on a consumer (i.e. < 1000USD) and you're likely to have overheating problems.

[dmfw]

Photoshop Elements is a good option as it comes with Adobe's raw conversion.

I would purchase a machine with 8gb+ of memory and an I5+ processor as image processing products are memory & processor intensive.