need help finding a laptop!

[07.5duramax]

New to the site hope I'm posting in the right spot. I am wanting to buy a laptop for my V2 what are some things I need to look at so I wont have any trouble loading tunes and such? Not real computer literate, I just dont want to buy a laptop that wont work.

[8100 Power]

Basically any good computer will serve your needs pretty well. Is this just going to be one for Tuning only, or other applications as well?

[mr.prick]

page 19
EFILive V7.5 Scan Tool Manual (http://download.efilive.com/Documentation/EFILiveV75Scan.pdf)

[07.5duramax]

I need one just for tuning only. The only internet time it will see is to download the tunes. I already have a laptop for all my other internet use. I am just looking for something small and compact with descent battery life!

[mxracer]

Don't know what you consider decent battery life, but the Acer Aspire is a nice compact machine that should do nicely. I have been thinking of buying one for just tuning as well.

Sam's Club has them for $345, they run from $350 - $380 elsewhere.

[joecar]

Or buy an "mini"... these use the low power/simplfied N270 cpu, are small (suitable for throwing around inside your car) and are low priced.

[mxracer]

Opps yeah sorry I meant to say the Acer Aspire ONE, which is a mini.

[Bruce Melton]

I have an Aspire 1 with a fresh eyeglass prescription and chose my Toughbook for scan. With the mini you will drive off the road. It is fine when you can concentrate and focus your attention but trying grab a quick look from a full EFI Dash is nuts, IMO.

[joecar]

Yes, I wouldn't look at the screen while driving (in some states that's illegal)... lol, I can't see it anyway (reading prescription needs updating...).

I was thinking more that the smaller size of a mini makes it less cumbersome to move around inside a car (or under it... I'm considering a mini to run my Picoscope on... I need the solid state internal drive, with external SD and/or USB/Firewire disk storage).

[Bruce Melton]

The perils and consequences of road tuning are a whole other topic.

Seems to me if you have a single default laptop it should be other than a mini. They are ultra portable, fast, and while they have a very sharp small screen they have a practical focal length of ~16", which is less than arms length. This is difficult for serious work. The image below is the comparison between 8.9" and 13" dia.

[joecar]

Bruce, you do gave a very good point... and eyesight isn't getting better with age.

[mr.prick]

you can always change your dash boards. http://smiliesftw.com/x/glasses.gif (http://smiliesftw.com/search.php?f=tag&q=xmas)

[Stealth97]

You must use Windows to operate EFI Live. I am not sure if the MAC Windows will run EFI Live. I've only used PC's with Intel processors. One with an AMD would work too.

If the PC does not have Windows (Some come loaded with Linux for their operating system), you can still run EFI Live, but it is very tricky and very computer intensive for a non computer literate person.

My computer is an hp dv5 intel processor windows vista. I have no problems with Windows Vista and EFI Live. I got this Laptop for $600.

My old stolen laptop was a Dell Inspiron 6000 with Windows XP.

Stealth

[Garry]

Those little netbooks are pretty enticing ... sure they have their limits in several areas, screen resolution being one of them, among with stuff processor performance, storage (on "older" devices) ... but for portability, and run-time, they sure beat most "modern" Notebooks, hands down.

Being in the ISP business, and often require to run around with my Notebook (still decently portable), I've been thinking about getting one of those things for a while now ... some mobile phone carriers have specials where they include a 3G stick with a pretty decent mobile flat rate with the netbook ... if / when(?) I pick one up, being able to run EFILive on it will be one of the requirements ... not necessarily to do live logging (V2 is doing that nicely in Blackbox mode), but to do changes and check the logs ...

[Bruce Melton]

Those little netbooks are pretty enticing ... sure they have their limits in several areas, screen resolution being one of them, among with stuff processor performance, storage (on "older" devices) ... but for portability, and run-time, they sure beat most "modern" Notebooks, hands down.

Being in the ISP business, and often require to run around with my Notebook (still decently portable), I've been thinking about getting one of those things for a while now ... some mobile phone carriers have specials where they include a 3G stick with a pretty decent mobile flat rate with the netbook ... if / when(?) I pick one up, being able to run EFILive on it will be one of the requirements ... not necessarily to do live logging (V2 is doing that nicely in Blackbox mode), but to do changes and check the logs ...

They now come alternately with a 120/160GB 2.5" HD. The 3 cell bat lasts ~2.5 hours and the larger more bulky 6 cell gives me >5 hours. I can USB tether to my BBerry and get a 115k connection for no additional charge which is handy, if not super fast. Bluetooth USB ad would allow that wirelessly, if I get to that.
Once the cost of S-S HDs gets low enough to have a 60g, I will likely convert it.

[joecar]

They now come alternately with a 120/160GB 2.5" HD. The 3 cell bat lasts ~2.5 hours and the larger more bulky 6 cell gives me >5 hours. I can USB tether to my BBerry and get a 115k connection for no additional charge which is handy, if not super fast. Bluetooth USB ad would allow that wirelessly, if I get to that.
Once the cost of S-S HDs gets low enough to have a 60g, I will likely convert it.This is what I'm waiting for.