A Laptop for use whilst cruising "On The Hook".

[lenseman]

I am looking for a 'fast' reliable laptop.

I have used and still use Dell Inspiron laptops which I have no problems with save for the fact that they require 19.6 volts and any non-standard voltage supply plug does not have the 'Dell' proprietary voltage sensing pin and therefore will not charge the laptop battery.

I totally refuse to use a mains inverter (spiky, noise inducing bits of kit with RFI . . . the spawn of the Devil). Why use an inverter to boost the 12 volt supply voltage up to 240volts only to immediately drop it back down to 19.6volts (8-Amps to get up to 'mains' an a further 4-Amps converting back to 19.6volts!!)

What do others use when long-distance cruising 'on the hook' as I am not interested on spending loads of QRK entering marinas to charge the laptop.

I have looked at the Panasonic Toughbook at 10.1 volts so this is an option, not a very fast PC and I would like to know what others do in similar situations?

 

[Halcyon Yachts]

I use an Asus Netbook - 9 hours battery life, cheap to buy, fine with C Map (although quite a small screen). I do always carry an inverter, but they recharge quickly and the battery life is fantastic!

 

[lenseman]

I have tried Netbooks and find them very, very slow, one runs Linux and the other had a very strange Browser called "Ice Weasel" which is a cut down version of Fire Fox although they both have WiFi built in!!

Ice = Fire and
Weasel = Fox

That is what I discovered when I 'googled' it.

As you stated the screen is very small but they do fit in your pocket for the run ashore to a WiFi cafe so this is a benefit.

I need something with a bit of processing power with gigabytes of SDRAMM.

 

[MailASail]

Ice Weasel is not a "cut down" version of anything. In fact it's simply the name for firefox as released on a certain linux distribution. I'm surprised your googling didn't bring this up (first link in google when I tried to find you an explanation), but the slightly longer version of the story is that the makers of Mozilla have a licence agreement basically stating that you can't tweak the code and then distribute it as "Firefox" - hence someone wanted to tweak the code and distribute it - so they needed a new name to avoid breaching the licence... IceWeasel...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mozilla_Corporation_software_rebranded_by_the_Debian_project

Netbooks do not have to be slow, nor do they have to run Ice Weasel. Basically its a generic name for a low end laptop, usually a physically small machine. You can get them running Linux or Windows (or if you call some of the smaller Mac's "netbooks" then...?)

I think you are wrong to dismiss an invertor as being less efficient than direct 12V input - remember that PCs don't use much 12V internally anyway, so there are a bunch of DC-DC invertors internally no matter what input you supply. For all we know the 19V input is actually used as a 12V + 6V split input or something clever like that..?

Good invertors/DC convertors can be 90% efficient, so it's really not clear where is the best place to spend your money. I have compared direct DC input on my desktop machines at home with a standard switching PSU and there is often only 1-4W in it if you are comparing good equipment...

If you are determined to go 12V only then why not just get a straight forward 12v -> 19V convertor? It's a fairly simple design and if you are really keen you could even build them as a hobbyist. Failing that Google turns up some with cigarette lighter sockets for use in a car - I think I even saw one for sale in Maplin?

I think if power is your main concern though then probably picking an ultra low power machine will save you more juice than avoiding the invertor? eg a Mac Mini can idle in single digit watts of current, I could measure my macbook pro, but I would expect it to be in low double digits when idle and not charging?

I think you need to be clear on your requirements, but if you simply want "fast and reliable" then personally I have migrated to Macs for all my new hardware. You can run Windows on them if you wish, but I use Parallels and right now I'm running 2x copies of XP, 2x copies of Win7 (32bit and 64bit), couple of linux installations and of course the Mac (all at the same time). I also have one of these fancy pants solid state hard drives which shifts data at around 200MB/sec (the standard spinning drives do around 20-30MB/s on similar benchmarks). The thing goes into idle and wakes up again in around 1 second and lasts perhaps 5-8 hours on battery depending on what you are doing. The productivity boost from being able to open the machine, be doing something within 2-3 seconds and then close the lid and have it go back to sleep in a second (and stop consuming power) is terrific

Of course I also love the high end Sony X series stuff...

Happy buying!

 

[MailASail]

Oh, and I do also own one of those Asus EEE netbooks (mine running linux) and I like it for what it is, but I rarely use it because I find the small keys quite limiting for typing - this isn't a universal problem though, some people type less and others find the small keyboard absolutely fine!

Something like 5 hours battery and its ok speedwise for low demands such as web surfing...

Good luck

 

[huzar30]

I started with an IBM [still working, but getting long in the tooth now] and upgraded to a Samsung. I have a 12V adapter for each of them, with standard cigarette plug to connect to the boat battery.

Both work fine. The Samsung was around £350.

 

[demonboy]

David,

I wrote a yachting-specific review of the Samsung NC10 which can be found here. It has a claimed six hour battery life and has been superseded by a model with a 9 hour life. On the back of that review I know a number of yotties bought that model and are very pleased with it. I know I am. 12v adaptor works fine.

I think you may be assuming that a netbook, by its very nature, is a solid-state dinosaur like the original Asus Eee(k). Netbooks now outsell laptops and with a 2Gb memory upgrade mine runs faster than my photo-editing 17" Dell.

We used it as our primary chart plotter for the 4,500 trip from Turkey to India. I use it more now than the Dell. 'Nuff said?

Fair winds,

Jamie

 

[Grehan]

After a fair amount of research I replaced my ageing Toshiba with a Samsung R520 at Xmas. An excellent machine (19v supply but we use an inverter when necessary with no problems at all) and I've used a few over the years, starting with an Osborne the size of a small suitcase.

 

[FullCircle]

4.2A for my lappie (Tosh)
0.8A for my Netbook. (Samsung N140)

40 minutres roaming on the lappie
8 hours roaming on the Netbook

Both are 2Gb RAM and around 1.4Mhz.

Only disadvantage is that watcing DVDs on an external USB drive is tedious on the Netbook, and scrolling to the bottom of web pages due to 600 pixel depth.

I quickly got used to screen size, and I have a full rubber waterproof non-slip USB keyboard.

I have a separately powered 5v USB hub for all the add ins.
Will add external HDD as backup shortly.

 

[dmmbruce]

FWIW Acer Aspire 5810T gives 8hour battery life on a full laptop. Works fine on board through inverter/transformer. Biggest constraint is the usb broadband dongle speed, but even that works adequately.

 

[dmmbruce]

I've used a few over the years, starting with an Osborne the size of a small suitcase.

Well! Fancy someone remembering the Osborne. I thought it was wonderful when things advanced to that level of sophistication and portability!!!! It used to overheat and lose all your work after 20 minutes of continuous use. It's all gone downhill since then.

(The next thing is that one of you will remember the Apricot Zen. Brilliant thing.)

Mike

 

[demonboy]

The Apricot was pretty new compared to the earlier Spectrums and Commodores... by about ten years! 8K memory, anyone? Seems like only yesterday dad brought home Pong for our entertainment. I think that was the same year Star Wars came out: I was SEVEN!

Where has the time gone? Slaving away at a computer screen, that's where

 

[tcm]

macbook pro for wifi stuff, panasonic toughbook for boaty satellite mailasaily things. Hi thee Ed. Also extended wifi range on the mac with thewirie.com

 

[Marsupial]

We use an EeePC 901 and it does most things we need to do - send emails browses the internet, stores a few pics, makes the occasional youtube vid and it can be run straight off the 12v supply. Its a non starter for large databases or developing software if thats why you want a fast machine.

We have used a Toshi with a push power supply from 12V as well and it worked OK but the spinny hard disk will always be the achilles heal of most computers on boats.

Yes I know some people "get away with a spinny hard disk" but many others dont (to my advantage) and unless you have a backup regime you will suffer data loss (most of the time).

 

[oldvarnish]

I think if power is your main concern though then probably picking an ultra low power machine will save you more juice than avoiding the invertor? eg a Mac Mini can idle in single digit watts of current, I could measure my macbook pro, but I would expect it to be in low double digits when idle and not charging?

Just to be clear - is this Mac Mini running from the 12V supply or through an invertor? I've seen a device, somewhere, that enabled a mac mini to be run without any need for an invertor twixt machine and battery.

 

[oldvarnish]

had a search and found this (with reference to above)

http://store.mp3car.com/Carnetix_CNX_P2140_185W_DC_DC_Regulator_p/pwr-026.htm

 

[Mino]

Well! Fancy someone remembering the Osborne. I thought it was wonderful when things advanced to that level of sophistication and portability!!!! It used to overheat and lose all your work after 20 minutes of continuous use. It's all gone downhill since then.

(The next thing is that one of you will remember the Apricot Zen. Brilliant thing.)

Mike

When I were a lad, 'puter took up whole of t'room. When I took it on board, t'boat sank. Aye, them were the days...

 

[Sundowner Portofino]

David,

I wrote a yachting-specific review of the Samsung NC10 which can be found here. It has a claimed six hour battery life and has been superseded by a model with a 9 hour life. On the back of that review I know a number of yotties bought that model and are very pleased with it. I know I am. 12v adaptor works fine.

I think you may be assuming that a netbook, by its very nature, is a solid-state dinosaur like the original Asus Eee(k). Netbooks now outsell laptops and with a 2Gb memory upgrade mine runs faster than my photo-editing 17" Dell.

We used it as our primary chart plotter for the 4,500 trip from Turkey to India. I use it more now than the Dell. 'Nuff said?

Fair winds,

Jamie

Vote for the Samsung here; (BTW I am a MOBO hiding out in this forum and dreaming of Blue Water)

We have the Samsung Notebook, it is brilliant runs for about 8 hours, built in WI-FI. Enough power to run most mapping software I chuck at it, but beware if you put to much on it it takes an age to load up at the start.

 

[mandlmaunder]

Our two pennys

We switched to MAC on board and have a macbook and an IMAC, the reason for the switch was the abundance of free virus's that abound.
We also have an Acer Aspire one that is exclusively for running the chart plotter, never on line, as we had invested in C-Map and Maxsea and couldn't get them to run on the Macs.

We have a pure sign wave inverter for charging and running the IMAC and are happy with the results.

Mark

 

[charles_reed]

I am looking for a 'fast' reliable laptop.

I have used and still use Dell Inspiron laptops which I have no problems with save for the fact that they require 19.6 volts and any non-standard voltage supply plug does not have the 'Dell' proprietary voltage sensing pin and therefore will not charge the laptop battery.

I totally refuse to use a mains inverter (spiky, noise inducing bits of kit with RFI . . . the spawn of the Devil). Why use an inverter to boost the 12 volt supply voltage up to 240volts only to immediately drop it back down to 19.6volts (8-Amps to get up to 'mains' an a further 4-Amps converting back to 19.6volts!!)

What do others use when long-distance cruising 'on the hook' as I am not interested on spending loads of QRK entering marinas to charge the laptop.

I have looked at the Panasonic Toughbook at 10.1 volts so this is an option, not a very fast PC and I would like to know what others do in similar situations?

Get a solid-state convertor from Maplins - their 150watt one comes with a "nose" that fits the Dell 8600.

PS The Dell died (I've just rebuilt it with a new motherboard) in Greece so for the last 3 months I've been using a CULV mini-notebook made by MSI. That is far more economical than the Dell and considerably more powerful (and a better screen) than any of the netbooks. I still used the same transformer, with a different "nose" it's using about 35% of the juice the Dell uses and is very slightly longer than an A4 sheet of paper but the same width and 13mm deep.

It won't recharge the battery, but it works OK and uses about 30% of the juice that putting the charge through a sine-wave inverter of the same power.