Stan; I bought a Toshiba M 35X from Circuit City and I would recommend both. = Out the door the computer was about 800 bucks with a 3 year warranty. It is plenty powerful enough for any task I will try. I would also ask about OS since you can't get away from WinXP today. Hope that helps; Steve Coe =20 -----Original Message----- From: az-observing-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:az-observing-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Jon Christensen Sent: Sunday, August 21, 2005 11:26 AM To: az-observing@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [AZ-Observing] Re: LapTop Nearly 2 1/2 years ago I bought about the cheapest Compaq laptop I could = find to use with my CCD camera and control my telescope. I run Software = Bisque's 'CCDSoft' to run my camera and 'The Sky' software to run my = mount=20 simultaneously and I've never had a problem. In my case, 'The Sky' uses = a=20 serial port to control my telescope. The camera uses a USB port. I imagine your Meade cameras will need USB ports. A serial port would = be=20 nice to have. I know USB to Serial adapters are available = inexpensively. I wonder if the newest lap tops are doing away with serial ports as my = most=20 recent desktop computer did not come with one. When I purchased my computer the salesman recommended I get one with = some=20 kind of 'mobile' processor as they use less energy. I would check if=20 laptops with larger screens use more energy as well as that may become = an=20 issue out in the field. I always power my laptop and camera with a 12 = volt=20 75 Amp Hour battery connected to an inverter, and I've never run out of=20 juice running everything all night. Why would you need to install Windows 2000 as the OS? Most new laptops = come preinstalled with XP and that is probably good enough for anything = you=20 would want to do. You would only get a couple of hours out of the onboard battery of a = laptop=20 so I think an external battery is a must. Bottom line, based on my experience I would buy the cheapest laptop with = a=20 mobile processor and plan on using an external battery with an inverter. Hope this helps, Jon Christensen ----- Original Message -----=20 From: "Stan Gorodenski" <stan_gorodenski@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> To: <az-observing@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Sunday, August 21, 2005 11:43 AM Subject: [AZ-Observing] LapTop >I am considering getting a laptop for my LXD75 to be able to use = Meade's > LPI that came with the telescope, as well as possibly the DSI if I > decide to buy it at some time in the future. At one time I knew much > more about computers than I do now, and I have not kept up with = changes > in technology. Can anyone recommend one that is relatively = inexpensive? > Cost will be a factor on whether I will even get one. I would be using > Windows2000 as the OS. Some of the things I would like to know are > 1. Are there differences in how they are powered? I remember years ago > laptops were pretty heavy because of the battery weights. Now they = seem > pretty light. Are there less desireable batter power sources? > 2. What is a reasonable minimum processor to get? I know getting the > current most advanced technology processor is more on the safe side if = I > plan on using the laptop many years, but it probably would be much = more > expensive. > 3. Any manufacturers to stay away from because of hardware problems? > 4. What kinds of external ports should it have for a telescope? > Stan > > > -- > See message header for info on list archives or unsubscribing, and = please > send personal replies to the author, not the list. >=20 -- See message header for info on list archives or unsubscribing, and = please=20 send personal replies to the author, not the list. -- See message header for info on list archives or unsubscribing, and please send personal replies to the author, not the list.