Laptop advice

[Ric]

Hello all,
I am considering a laptop for running all my Astronomy software and telescope (LX200R 12") rather than having all the cables and such like hanging out of the study window and would like to know what other members use in their configurations.
From the research I have done I think the following would be suitable:

2.4 - 2.6 Ghz CPU
30 - 40 Gb hard drive
Minimum 512Mb Ram
128Mb Video/Graphics card (also for a game of C&C while the clouds pass)
USB 2.0 ports

I would appreciate any advice from fellow members

All the best

Ric

[Lester]

Hi Ric,

Don't skimp on Ram and speed. If you plan on imaging Avis, and processing those Avis with it go for speed. If not you may get by with a cheaper laptop.

[ving (David)]

i run mine on a 1ghz w/ 256mb ram and 20gig hd... yours would easily handle it... what camera you got?

[h0ughy (David)]

get a 100 gig drive, 1 gig memory, dvd burner, and a clearbright screen

[[1ponders] (Paul)]

IMO, if you are goning to take planetary Avies then the more disk space the better.

I have 40 gig on this laptop, C: and D:. 14 gig is already taken on the C: with applications and other essentials, so that one is pretty useless except for emergencies (6 gig useless I remember when......:rolleyes). The D: (20gig total) carries the bare minimum (4 gig), but on a good nights run I can ttake 12-15 gig of avies NP. I have on a number of times needed that spare 5 or so gig on the C:. My suggestion, minimum 60 gig, 100 gig much better.

Then Ram, Ram, Ram. 1 gig. I have 512 on this laptop and comparing it to my desktop (1 gig) it works at snails pace (well not quite but a definate difference) when processing with Registax or ImagesPlus. And don't get me started on running Photoshop on here It'll do it, but go make a cuppa while waiting for some of the more intensive memory operations.

Yep I wish I had a dvd burner. Even zipped you can't fit many avies onto on cd and if you want to keep a nights session together you will have problems.

If you process on a desktop with good ram and has a dvd burner and you had to make one choice, I'd suggest hdd space. If you had two choices then hdd and then RAM.

[Ric]

Hi guys,
Thanks for all the advice, the camera that I have is the DSI II Pro. I was also considering uploading everything at the end of the night to my desktop computer which is the one with the horsepower for processing and all the goodies. and use the laptop for imaging and guiding.

Ric

[xelasnave]

Have to laugh at the disk sizes when I recall the joy of updating the good old Osbourne 64 (floppies were floopy back then..92 k from memory) to a new 640 k with an unfillable 20 meg hard drive ($2500) and the larger dot matrix printer ($2500). I have individual photos that big now. The irony is for the office the old Osbourne did the job with room to spare (word processing and sppread sheets no data base you had to effectively write the stuff yourself).
The reality for us impatient humans is whatever you get you will still want faster.
alex

[adlsa5092]

Originally Posted by Ric

Hi guys,
Thanks for all the advice, the camera that I have is the DSI II Pro. I was also considering uploading everything at the end of the night to my desktop computer which is the one with the horsepower for processing and all the goodies. and use the laptop for imaging and guiding.

Ric

As you have a DSI, some things to lookout for:
1. not sure about the interface for your scope, but if you plan to control the scope from a program other than the handset, unless your laptop has a serial port, you will have to purchase a Serial to USB converter - and not all of them seem to work
2. the DSI imager MUST have 500mA supplied to it from the USB port of the laptop. Check that the proposed laptop can do this EVEN IF you have something else connected to the other USB port, i.e. ports do not share power - otherwise you will have to buy a powered USB hub
cheers

[gbeal]

Ric,
I hate to be a killjoy with your laptop concept, and there are some clever folk here that have already given good advice.
I started with the desktop, cables and wires much like you.
Then the light went on, get a laptop, and I tried a P2 233hz etc (bear in mind this was 2002/2003). It worked but the dropped frames, and snails pace drove me nuts. I went to the desktop, and away it went.
Then another moment of madness saw me take over a redundant laptop which my son had used. It was a Celeron 2.8, with 768mb RAM, and everything that laptops seem to need.
It worked, but like Ponders said, it wasn't the fastest thing around. I eventually (just last month) sold this and went back to a desktop system (AMD3500+, with 1Gig RAM etc).
NOW it cooks.
Where is this leading? In my case I observe/image near the hanger, where my scopes etc live. It is asphalt from the door to the pier, with grass from the pier. I have AC power at the door, and a cord about 15 meters is all I need. The desktop resides in a converted TV trolly, and is simply wheeled out each time I need it. May not suit everyone, but works for me.
Consider also that I have to capture and process on this one computer, my "inside the house" desktop isn't suitable (it is a Mac).
Gary

[rat156]

Hi All,

Don't forget that newcomer on the Intel market Apple...

I run an LX200GPS and an SBig ST-7XME from a MacBook, then process the images on it all in XP. Then reboot into OSX and use photoshop for final processing. It's got a 1.83GHz Dual core processor and absolutely flies compared to my old P3 lappie. The LX200GPS runs through a USB to serial adapter and works just fine.

As an added bonus you get a really great operating system and a whole heap of bonus software with the Mac!

Cheers
Stuart

[gbeal]

I agree with the Mac idea, except I need Registax (processing) and K3 CCD Tools (auto-guiding) to work, as well as IC Capture (for the DMK). The Mac won't do that. I will not run XP on mine though, so I can hardly blame the Mac.

[g__day (Matthew)]

Ric,

I run a Celestron CG5 and a Meade DSI from 20 metres away inside my house. You just need the 4 pin phone cable with the right DB connectors (else get a crimping tool and a $10 multimeter and a DB to serial convertor) and a couple of 5m USB extenders with repeaters built in and daisy chain these into a powered hub. Run the wire through PVC piping to keep it water proof and your done.

The benefit of this is that desktop PCs are generally $ for $ more powerful and reliable then laptop PCs. You can put very large screen monitors and / LCDs and many power hungry devices into a PC. Its more comfortable inside sitting at a desk in a leather chair with a heater on...

PCs are vastly easier to upgrade, customise or service than laptops. Throw in a dual core CPU (or a prorgrammable 7th generation GPU 0 read General Purpose GPU processing at say Beyond3D, given a high end GPU has around 24 times the image and floating point grunt of the largest CPU and I think Photoshop facilitate using this otherwise dormant processing power).

http://www.gpgpu.org/

Also PC hard drives are alot faster (lower seek times, much faster platter rotational speed and higher sustained data transfer speeds) than laptop drives.

Consider all your options before you spend. The best places I have found for custom PC parts or (finished products) is www.fluidtek.com.au and www.auspcmarkets.com.au . Also keep an eye out for Dell offers too, sometimes they surprise and the build quality is excellent.