netbooks

[craig]

How about washboard? Have you traveled in Baja or Death Valley at all? We travel these areas frequently and have driven hundred of miles continuously on washboard that makes the entire vehicle shake so bad that I'm just amazed all the windows are still intact. Do you think a HDD netbook mounted to my center console would be functional in such an environment?

Yep, you should be fine. I've run tons of washboard as well as roads with chunked up basalt that seem to vibrate your teeth loose. There are all sorts of Baja explorers that run a tablet in their truck. I'd worry about the monitor hinge on a netbook before the hard drive.

Dust is the biggest enemy. If you have an open cabin, like a Jeep, then a fanless computer should be strongly considered. Something like the new Asus T83. They are going to do a ruggedized version of the T83 they've been demoing.

The two systems I've run are pictured below. Both have regular HDD. The second one had a separate dash mounted touchscreen with the computer/HDD mounted in a project box under the passenger seat in place of the factory CD changer. I really like the semi-ruggedized UMPC/Tablet w/ sunlight visible screen I'm running now (first 3 photos).

 

[haven]

"The iPod touch and iPhone run Mac OS X ..."

Technically, they run iPhone OS, a subset of the unix that underlies Mac OS X.

Apple introduced the iPhone in late June, 2007. Apple sold 1 million iPhones in the next 75 days. That means there will be a large number of two-year AT&T contracts coming to an end over the summer.

My guess is that Apple will announce an upgraded version of the iPhone a month before June 29th, the date two years ago when the iPhone was sold. That will give people a chance to decide if they want to keep their old phones, or upgrade to the new model.

What that new model will include is anybody's guess. One idea is to split the screen into two halves along the long axis, like a Nintendo DS. The lower half could hold the virtual keyboard for thumb typing, while the upper half displays a web site, for example.

An iPhone with a slot for a memory card, built-in GPS and 3.5 or 4G GSM phone service, plus a slide-out keyboard, would also be a winner.

Chip Haven

 

[jammyauto]

Thanks Craig, I'm researching all my options for a dedicated machine for my sportsmobile. I was under the impresiion the SSD was the only option. I guess I'll have to reconsider my options.

 

[craig]

Thanks Craig, I'm researching all my options for a dedicated machine for my sportsmobile. I was under the impresiion the SSD was the only option. I guess I'll have to reconsider my options.

My friend has a sportsmobile that he takes to Mexico regularly (http://octopup.org/sportsmobile/). He's running a Fujitsu lifebook.

 

[haven]

A company called Ram-Mount has developed a dashboard mount for small laptops and netbooks. Looks like a good way to take your small computer on the road.

http://www.ram-mount.com/mount/new_tough_tray.htm

 

[Mlachica]

A company called Ram-Mount has developed a dashboard mount for small laptops and netbooks. Looks like a good way to take your small computer on the road.

http://www.ram-mount.com/mount/new_tough_tray.htm

Those just became available. It's just like the tough tray they've sold for a while except these will fit the smaller units with a width between 8.56" to 12.31".

I highly recommend it, especially for the aspire one. I picked up the acer back in November. The little guy rocks. I run Delorme and Itunes when on the road. I originally mounted it with the ram pod and a ram plate with velcro. The underside of the 160 gig Acer with the 6 cell battery is not flat all the way across. The uneveness makes securing with velcro impractical. My tough tray II arrived last week and it's much better than the velcro method I used previously. The tough tray II makes the install complete.

 

[Outdoorsben]

I've used RAM-MOUNTS for a few other things and I must say they are top notch!

 

[Maximus Ram]

I see that jr.com has the new aspire 1 in stock now with free shipping. Has anyone dealt with them before. I may have to order online if I can't find it locally.

 

[olympiccop2002]

I bought my home theater receiver through jr.com. No problems with them at all...

 

[BKCowGod]

I've heard only good things about jr... one of the more respectable discounters.

 

[haven]

A couple of reviews caught my eye recently. The first describes the HP Mini 2140, and the second details the Asus EEE 1000HE.

Liliputing has a complete review of the HP Mini 2140, the big brother to HP's original netbook, the 2133 Mini Note. The 2140 uses the same Intel Atom processor and LCD display that most other netbooks use, but adds features that increase the durability of the machine (a sturdy aluminum/magnesium case, steel pins in the LCD hinge, an accelerometer that parks the hard disc heads when it detects that it might be falling, and a spill-resistant keyboard).

The 2140 also includes an ExpressCard slot accessible from the outside of the machine. This allows you to add peripherals like a high speed modem, GPS, TV tuner, Firewire interface, or external SSD drive.

The 2140 LCD screen is a 10 inch, 1024 x 576 pixel model, a little less than the standard 1024 x 600. An optional 1366 x 768 pixel display will be available in a month or so.

So you pay more for the 2140 (usually $450 for a unit with a 3 cell battery), but you get more, too.

Here's the link to the Liliputing review
http://www.liliputing.com/2009/03/hp-mini-2140-review.html

Laptop Magazine has a complete review of the Asus EEE 1000HE, the netbook that several reviewers say is currently the best netbook with 10 inch display. The 1000HE has a great keyboard, a 1024 x 600 display, 160 GB hard drive, 1GB RAM and Windows XP. The 1000HE is a few ounces heavier than the competition, but this is due primarily to a larger battery that gives 7 to 9 hours of runtime.

Here's the article
http://www.laptopmag.com/review/laptops/asus-eee-pc-1000he.aspx

The 1000HE is available from lots of sources. Price is around $390 delivered, sometimes less.

 

[AndrewP]

Laptop Magazine has a complete review of the Asus EEE 1000HE, the netbook that several reviewers say is currently the best netbook with 10 inch display. The 1000HE has a great keyboard, a 1024 x 600 display, 160 GB hard drive, 1GB RAM and Windows XP. The 1000HE is a few ounces heavier than the competition, but this is due primarily to a larger battery that gives 7 to 9 hours of runtime.

Here's the article
http://www.laptopmag.com/review/laptops/asus-eee-pc-1000he.aspx

The 1000HE is available from lots of sources. The best deal I see today is $330 plus $10 shipping from www.buydig.com
http://www.buydig.com/shop/product...._campaign=AS1000HABLK001X&sku=AS1000HABLK001X

Running the 1000HE and really like the small package. THe screen is great for such a small computer. It runs Topo USA seemlessly, though I did turn off the 3-D to decrease the processor demands.

Unlike most netbooks, the 1000HE has very easy to replace memory and it's accessable through the HD door. I upgraded to 2GB and it does run the Topo a bit faster.

The $330 price is good, I paid $340 and shipping, so the price is coming down a bit.

 

[stevenmd]

Which netbook would be the best for email, internet machine surfing, and possibly quick books, nothing else?

I am not tech savvy so any word about bytes, memory, MB(???), or such will lose me. My own cell phone confuses me.:snorkel: Although I do know how to use an external hard drive and a USB memory stick.

If I can't load quick books onto the netbook I suppose I could load it onto the laptop, storing it on the external hard drive, then transfer it from the external hard drive to the netbook. I really don't want to carry the external hard drive around if the netbook can't handle running quick books, which, if that's the case, I should just go with another laptop.

 

[off-roader]

Running the 1000HE and really like the small package. THe screen is great for such a small computer. It runs Topo USA seemlessly, though I did turn off the 3-D to decrease the processor demands.

Unlike most netbooks, the 1000HE has very easy to replace memory and it's accessable through the HD door. I upgraded to 2GB and it does run the Topo a bit faster.

The $330 price is good, I paid $340 and shipping, so the price is coming down a bit.

Hope this isn't too far off thread.

I'd stay away from using HDD's off road. The jarring they will take will destroy them in no time.

Instead use a solid state drive.

I currently use an Acer One w/ 8GB SSD & 8GB of SD storage and an extra SD slot. With the 8GB card, I have more than enough room to run NatGeo's Hi Res topo California software and MS Streets and Trips. I also upgraded the 8GB SD card to 16GB for even more room (it was only $20 for the 16GB SD Class 6 card).

Here are 2 pics of my mount setup in both my 1989 and 1996 Montero's. The first is of my 89 w/out the laptop attached and the 2nd is of my 96 with the laptop attached. I fabricated the mount from plate aluminum with the help of a friend although really anyone could do this with simple woodworking tools (jig saw, & drill).

 

[sundaypunch]

Hope this isn't too far off thread.

I'd stay away from using HDD's off road. The jarring they will take will destroy them in no time.

There are some people that have posted in this thread that they have had no problem with HDD's. Supposedly on washboard & offroad.

I have no experience with them but would like to hear more opinions as I am considering a netbook.