Starting out with pc connection

[Spock (Michael)]

I’m trying to start searching for the right PC (and video card, etc) to write a C++ program to control EQ8 mount via ASCOM, but I’ve yet to learn existing controllers; only the hand controller. I’ve written several Windows programs and loved astrophysics, but am an observational beginner.
Also I’ve only observed with eyepieces, so astrophotography will be a nice extra learning cliff. For now I’d like more insight in deciding on a Win10 PC, which I’ve been able to avoid owning for decades! I’m yet to learn Astro Lab etc.

[sil (Steve)]

Take a look at the compact GPD pocket "laptops". Very tiny and plenty of power and great screen options though very hungry on the battery. I run mine using an external battery pack I've glued underneath it...I can plug the battery pack into mains to keep it charged and the GPD can suck all it wants without running out.

The have a model aimed at gamers that might make a great astro platform, it has two built in joysticks. GPDs are offered in both Win10 and Linux OSes. Mine was win10 until an "urgent" m$ update killed it totally since windows doesn't come with the drivers to support it, so I've switched to using the linux image on mine instead.

I use mine for my robotics (arduino and rasp pi dev) stuff and some other cyber security tasks. I would suggest the *nix option is the better for you. Its a very practical and workable platform. Mine has a 2k line touch screen which makes it hard to read for me at native res. Performs 3D display well but OpenCL doesn't yet support the chips. I guess technically its a tablet chipset in a laptop form factor but its not a gimmickly small laptop that unusable. Mine has an all aluminium shell, solid as a brick, no heating problems. Only its battery sucks big time, I would boot up to windows 10 with nothing extra running and let it sit there doing "nothing" with its usbc power cable plugged in and it would be shut down in about 45min due to no power, so it drains its battery faster than its charger can suck. I solved this with a cheap external battery pack and it runns happily for over 24hr "awake" running stuff with pack connected and pack on a charging cable. So for me problem solved. I have to say it had a huge wow factor when I first held it, build quality and keyboard feel is superb. I think some of their models though are plastic shell so that may feel less.