windows package for laptop

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gary3029

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Hi
Have got myself a IBM 600e laptop for some onboard navigation. Have gone down the maptech route because I have been using my PDA (Not so good in the sun) The laptop is running windows millenium and has 192 meg ram. Now I can get offshore navvigator to run on laptop fine, but it is useless unless you upgrade the package. Now Pocket navigator works fine on my big PC and PDA. However can not get it to load on laptop as it is requesting windows 2000/XP. What is difference between the millenium and the 2000 version ( and don't some wise ass say 1000!!) What meg of ram is needed to run windows 2000? Can you still get hold of win 2000?
 
Problem is laptop will not run XP, not enough meg. Hoping it will run 2000. Laptop is only used for navigation. Won't be on net or anything like that
 
Laptop is fine for XP, a little short on Ram and CPU speed, but it will run XP, just a little slower than intended. Also, most laptops are easy to add-in extra ram.

Had a chap come in to our workshop last week with a Pentium-2 at 450MHz and just 64Mb of ram, running WinXP pro (it was a tad slow mind you). Soon added extra 256Mb of ram and away he went, a happy chappy for the £50 upgrade.
 
Here are the minimum system requirements for running the Windows® 2000 Professional operating system.

Minimum Requirements
Computer/Processor 133 MHz or higher Pentium-compatible CPU.
Memory At least 64 megabytes (MB) of RAM; more memory generally improves responsiveness.
Hard Disk 2 GB with 650 MB free space.
CPU Support Windows 2000 Professional supports single and dual CPU systems.
Drive CD-ROM or DVD drive.
Display VGA or higher resolution monitor.
Keyboard Required.
 
supprised that ONav wants XP ... not tried it on anything else mind ...

Works ok on an old Tosh with 192Mb ram .... so should work with yours...
 
I use same machine ...

I have Win XP pro installed ... and runs fine ...

Because I don't use it for anything else and so max hard-drive is available for virtual memory / paging etc. - it runs actually at reasonable speed and so far is fine.

You will find the 600e with that spec can run Maptech, Maxsea, CMapECS, Seapro .... basically near all nav software ...

Win 2K ......... UGH !!!! Our previous IT guy loved 2K ... installed it on accounts machine .... tried to get others onto it ... luckily we resisted.

I would advise using XP ... even an old version of Home is better than Win 2K .... once that's on ..... UGH !!!!

(I'm not an IT guy .... but had my share of trying to get rid of Win 2K after above guy !!!!)
 
Re: I use same machine ...

Gary, generally the newer the OS, the more powerful system it demands... like Fireball, i'm a little suprised that your machine won't run Maptech ON.... I've also got an old Toshiba (a Satellite Pro 600) with 128Mb ram, and that runs ON just fine with 98 as the OS...... are you sure that you've not got lots of other stuff running on there as well at the same time?
 
Re: I use same machine ...

hey nigel
not so long back you were extolling the pleasures of win95 and how good it was etc!!
whats changed?
Stu
 
Re: I use same machine ...

Ha Ha ... Yep true .... but as we all know many programs and things change ... I've had to accept XP and have grown used to it ... Many of the programs we use in the biz cannot now run on older OS - so I had to change.

I really do not like XP's insistence on knowing better than me ! I don't like its insistence on filling my machine with updates and junk ...
But I like its auto-start when inserting a card or CD ... also it has enough drivers normally to save having to insert cd's etc.

I have learned to live with it ...

As to the 600e .... that was installked by an inspector who had the machine on loan from me !! Then it through its hand in on activation etc. So had to be sorted etc. - ref. recent post.

In all - I think Windows has a lot of advantage - but its an awful pile of junk as a whole package.

I tried compact installation on a notebook once - joke ! Yes it was a lot smaller installation but so limited as to be literally unworkable ...

Still I'm sure Gates has another pile of Bug ridden Beta cr*p to push out onto the world hidden around the corner ... wonder what he will integrate into this one ?
 
Re: I use same machine ...

Could you not try running it via Wine on Linux?

As for the upcoming Windows Vista - don't get me started (DRM on software files etc.)
 
I have Offshore Navigator 5.04 running on Windows Millenium on my old Toshiba laptop (128mb with 800Mhz CPU), and it's been OK. The main beef I have with it is the tidal data ran out at the end of last year. I hadn't picked this up before deciding to buy the Maptech charts. It looks like if I want up-to-date tidal data, I'd have to buy new charts! The main reason I went for Maptech was to use on a PDA, like you. I think if I put the laptop on the boat, I'd stop using proper charts entirely, so I only use the laptop at home for planning. The PDA has been great as a budget plotter. Best £70 I've spent on Ebay. I'm now looking at the C-eMap package to replace Maptech though. The marketing blurb is a little confusing, but it looks like you get all Europe including tidal data for £219 on a SD card for a PDA. What I want to know is, can I use the same charts on a laptop, (with suitable plotter software)?
 
I hear that Maptech will update tidal data FOC at moment ?

As regards deals ... Seapro Lite has all UK charts for under a ton ...

I checked Maptech on PDA and didn't like it ... changed to OziExplorer ... but HATE OziEx on PC !! which you need to transfer charts etc.
 
I run an IBM 600E with 192 Mb RAM, with Maptech software and a GPS Mouse (Same one as the one Maptech sells, but I got it for £23 on eBay instead of £90+ from Maptech!!

Works perfectly.....fed from a 12-19v inverter fed off the cigarette lighter socket on the switch panel.

Just make sure you do a "minimum features" install of XP and don't try to run Microsoft Project or any heavy graphics packages at the same time!!!

Nick
 
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