At 8:08 PM -0700 5/7/02, Jim Hanna wrote:
I would like some information on what to look for in a laptop if I were
to go out and buy one.
...
I need info on the very most basic laptop that I can expect to use
successfully with Decoder Pro and not have it cost an "arm & a leg"...am
I just dreaming or is this a possibility? I am probably talking about a
used instrument and also wonder if this is a reasonable possibility?
Although I'm a Macintosh bigot, you can probably get a better deal on a PC laptop.
I'd look for something with 48MB of memory, Windows95, at least one serial port, and a 180MHz CPU or better. That's not much, so it should be possible to find something like that used for less than $500, perhaps much less. More memory, more speed might be good if you want to use a more recent Windows version.
But, it might make more financial sense to pick up a used command station for your existing PC instead. I've seen used SystemOne units for much less than a laptop would cost.
And running a long cable can be really cost-effective! That does leave you with the hassle of walking to the train room when you want to change the loco on the programming track, unfortunately.
Bob
--
--------------
Bob Jacobsen (Bob_Jacobsen@..., 510-486-7355, fax 510-495-2957)
Bob Jacobsen