warwicksail
Well-Known Member
Looking for a lap top for the coming season, got my eye on the panasonic toughbook, can the be chrged via 12v ok ? or can anyone recomend any others. not to concerned about web conection
Best Lap top for sailboat
- Thread starter warwicksail
- Start date
aluijten
Well-Known Member
Quote
"got my eye on the panasonic toughbook"
Only your eyes or also your wallet?
I'm using a Asus Eee 1000H. Very nice, and I can work my way though about 6 of them before I can afford a thoughbook...
Arno
"got my eye on the panasonic toughbook"
Only your eyes or also your wallet?
I'm using a Asus Eee 1000H. Very nice, and I can work my way though about 6 of them before I can afford a thoughbook...
Arno
Searush
Well-Known Member
Why pay thro' the nose for a toughbook. Get a cheap old laptop it will do the same job & will probably still last well enough - and if it doesn't or gets dropped in the mud or 'oggin, it don't matter that much. I use an IBM T21 thinkpad (about £50 - £100), it runs Tsunamis99 chartplotter and gives me internet access via a G3 mobile.
Billjratt
Well-Known Member
I'm with Searush. Get the oldest that will meet your software needs. Another bonus is that if you're using W95 most of todays nasties go over your head!
warwicksail
Well-Known Member
Only reason thought of the toughbook is they are going on ebay for £80 used but working and they are water resistant.
Fascadale
Well-Known Member
100GBP Toshiba Equium, DVDs, internet, music, charts etc
Runs off the boat. a bit heavy on the power, but then I don't have it on all the time.
Runs off the boat. a bit heavy on the power, but then I don't have it on all the time.
RestlessL
Well-Known Member
I used to have an IBM thinkpad T23 which gave up the ghost at the end of last year. One factor was damp in the bottom of the tender, and the switch at the screen hinge became unreliable.
I have replaced it with a Toughbook M34. with docking station. So far I am pleased with it, but have not yet used it in anger.
Potential downside is the 800x600 screen resolution, but this is fine for SOB. The docking station provides 2 proper serial ports (one connects to the AIS, the other to the NMEA multiplexor).
I also have a small touch sensitive screen at the corner of the chart table, along with a wireless mouse and roll-up keyboard, so the laptop itself can be tucked away leaving the chart table free for charts.
The M34 is not the fastest laptop, but the 700MHz version will happily run SOB, and most marine apps under W2000, and takes about 1.5A once the battery is fully charged (or removed). The laptop and 12V adaptor are readily available on e-bay, but I would avoid the slower 400MHz ones. The 1GHz version is really the one to go for, and will set you back £250 (if you can find one), and the 700MHz goes for about £100.
John
I have replaced it with a Toughbook M34. with docking station. So far I am pleased with it, but have not yet used it in anger.
Potential downside is the 800x600 screen resolution, but this is fine for SOB. The docking station provides 2 proper serial ports (one connects to the AIS, the other to the NMEA multiplexor).
I also have a small touch sensitive screen at the corner of the chart table, along with a wireless mouse and roll-up keyboard, so the laptop itself can be tucked away leaving the chart table free for charts.
The M34 is not the fastest laptop, but the 700MHz version will happily run SOB, and most marine apps under W2000, and takes about 1.5A once the battery is fully charged (or removed). The laptop and 12V adaptor are readily available on e-bay, but I would avoid the slower 400MHz ones. The 1GHz version is really the one to go for, and will set you back £250 (if you can find one), and the 700MHz goes for about £100.
John
peterN
Active Member
I sailed round the world in 2005-7 navigating with charting software on a Panasonic Toughbook purchased from eBay. I have nothing but praise for this laptop. Other laptops failed (I poured tea over one and the screen failed - this would not have happened to the toughbook). I replaced the screws in the lid and base with stainless steel ones, but this was just cosmetic. The toughbook spent most of the time in the cockpit in a very hostile environment - heat and humid in the tropics plus a very salty atmosphere. If you go for a cheap, or a number of cheap lapops be prepared for them to fail and you will have to reload all your software on the other machines. For emails and internet via Inmarsat I used a separate cheap laptop which also failed. Be prepared for any laptop to crash at the most inconvienent time. If you are using it for navigation, always have an alternative such as paper or another laptop with charting software loaded and set up with your GPS.
The Pansonic I use runs off a 12V power supply from Maplin. The batteries are dead, but as its always plugged-in this isn't a problem.
Hope this helps.
Regards,
Peter
The Pansonic I use runs off a 12V power supply from Maplin. The batteries are dead, but as its always plugged-in this isn't a problem.
Hope this helps.
Regards,
Peter
PIGLETSDREAM
Well-Known Member
I run a 8 year old Toshiba sattelite without battery direct off 12volts running windows 98. Works fine and cos it has nil value not bothered if it goes wrong
kenhick
New Member
I brought 3 thoughbooks from ebay at a average of £60 each I intend to strip of the screen of one and run it in the cockpit as a chart plotter, as the added bonus of touch screen one at the chart table one spare did my own checks on power consumption 1.3 amps draw with battery in and managed to get a reinstall disc win 2000, cheep is not the word these thoughbooks where £3000 pound new and are military spec
Refueler
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
Why pay thro' the nose for a toughbook. Get a cheap old laptop it will do the same job & will probably still last well enough - and if it doesn't or gets dropped in the mud or 'oggin, it don't matter that much. I use an IBM T21 thinkpad (about £50 - £100), it runs Tsunamis99 chartplotter and gives me internet access via a G3 mobile.
[/ QUOTE ]
Exactly - IBm Thinkpads - one of lifes under-rated notebooks. Tough as old boots.
The best notebooks I gave my inspectors for carting around on / off ships etc. were IBM TP 600E's. Only reason we changed was the need to upgrade to later Office to match partner offices. The TP 600E was a bit slow. But for nav use ... I have one of them dedicated to my boat ... XP home installed and various nav software and loads of charts. As long as you don't need high end stuff like MS Office - XP runs fine. Open Office and away you go. Cheap and cheerful - runs of 12v direct ... why pay more ?
It's one of the smallest compact normal notebooks, has swappable disc / cd drive etc.
Why pay thro' the nose for a toughbook. Get a cheap old laptop it will do the same job & will probably still last well enough - and if it doesn't or gets dropped in the mud or 'oggin, it don't matter that much. I use an IBM T21 thinkpad (about £50 - £100), it runs Tsunamis99 chartplotter and gives me internet access via a G3 mobile.
[/ QUOTE ]
Exactly - IBm Thinkpads - one of lifes under-rated notebooks. Tough as old boots.
The best notebooks I gave my inspectors for carting around on / off ships etc. were IBM TP 600E's. Only reason we changed was the need to upgrade to later Office to match partner offices. The TP 600E was a bit slow. But for nav use ... I have one of them dedicated to my boat ... XP home installed and various nav software and loads of charts. As long as you don't need high end stuff like MS Office - XP runs fine. Open Office and away you go. Cheap and cheerful - runs of 12v direct ... why pay more ?
It's one of the smallest compact normal notebooks, has swappable disc / cd drive etc.
Refueler
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
Only reason thought of the toughbook is they are going on ebay for £80 used but working and they are water resistant.
[/ QUOTE ]
Water resistant - that's a joke with any computer. You are in an environment that it's either total proofed or not.
Only reason thought of the toughbook is they are going on ebay for £80 used but working and they are water resistant.
[/ QUOTE ]
Water resistant - that's a joke with any computer. You are in an environment that it's either total proofed or not.
RestlessL
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
Water resistant - that's a joke with any computer. You are in an environment that it's either total proofed or not.
[/ QUOTE ]
Whilst I agree that the toughbook is not waterproof, they are significantly more water resistant than the thinkpad (for example) - there are rubber covers over all ports, and decent seals around screen, keyboard etc. Furthermore, the hard-drive is in a shock absorbing container so they are less susceptible to the knocks they are likely to receive.
Don't get me wrong - I was (and still am) a fan of the thinkpad, and used one for many years. I do think, however, that its final demise was accelerated by marine environment, in particular by the case getting damp in the bottom of the tender.
John
Water resistant - that's a joke with any computer. You are in an environment that it's either total proofed or not.
[/ QUOTE ]
Whilst I agree that the toughbook is not waterproof, they are significantly more water resistant than the thinkpad (for example) - there are rubber covers over all ports, and decent seals around screen, keyboard etc. Furthermore, the hard-drive is in a shock absorbing container so they are less susceptible to the knocks they are likely to receive.
Don't get me wrong - I was (and still am) a fan of the thinkpad, and used one for many years. I do think, however, that its final demise was accelerated by marine environment, in particular by the case getting damp in the bottom of the tender.
John
chrisgee
Well-Known Member
I agree with Searush -- I use an IBM thinkpad T30 lijke many others. Small , strong just does the job for about £150.00.
alan
Well-Known Member
I use a Thinkpad X31; bought second hand. I leave the docking station disconnected (CD/DVD unit is installed here) and it mnakes the lappy light and not too current hungry. Am running SOB for chartware.
Alan.
Alan.
Refueler
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
I do think, however, that its final demise was accelerated by marine environment, in particular by the case getting damp in the bottom of the tender.
[/ QUOTE ]
Awwwww c'mon - no computer other than a real military tablet etc. is going to put up with that ! But then a) you won't be able to buy one as they are not available to public, b) you'd need a good cheque-book to buy if available.
Sorry to dissappoint, but Toughbooks may be based on Military specs downgraded for public consumption - but they aint military !! having seen such machines during baltic exercises - can say with seriousness !
I do think, however, that its final demise was accelerated by marine environment, in particular by the case getting damp in the bottom of the tender.
[/ QUOTE ]
Awwwww c'mon - no computer other than a real military tablet etc. is going to put up with that ! But then a) you won't be able to buy one as they are not available to public, b) you'd need a good cheque-book to buy if available.
Sorry to dissappoint, but Toughbooks may be based on Military specs downgraded for public consumption - but they aint military !! having seen such machines during baltic exercises - can say with seriousness !
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