Laptop for astro work

BTS (Brent) · #1 18-06-2008, 11:39 PM

Hi everyone.
I'm interested in what people think the minimum requirements are for a laptop to run a GOTO G-11 mount (using Deepsky or other software) with autoguider and CCD camera attached.... does it need to have a good graphics card (ie. >128mb) or can I just upload the pics later to a better PC? What ports are also a necessity? Anything else I should be aware of when choosing to buy one?
Thanks for any help.

renormalised (Carl) · #2 19-06-2008, 08:35 AM

Pretty much any laptop around today, or even yesterday (so to speak), can run your astro software and mounts. As far as porst go, what they all come with as standard is pretty much what you need, unless you do any video astronomy and then you may need a video PCMCIA card.

Yes, don't get Vista as your OS...."upgrade" to XP. Vista will give you more than enough grief that you don't need.

Dennis · #3 19-06-2008, 08:47 AM

Hi Brent

In terms of screen resolution, my laptop is 1400x1050 and it is nice to have all this real estate to play with, so I can have e.g. the image capture Window, auto guider Window and planetarium Window all visible at the same time, without the need to Alt-Tab between them.

I suspect that I would now find 1024x768 too small, although as with anything, you can modify your technique to accommodate any limitations, its only a hobby!

Cheers

Dennis

rogerg (Roger) · #4 19-06-2008, 10:52 AM

I use my TE2100 which is 2.0ghz 1gb ram, 2002 era. It controls my autoguider (QGuider), DSLR, GM8 (TheSky controlled). Etc. Works fine. You really don't need that much when out in the field. I don't process at the same time as capture, that would require more.

My screen is 1024x768 and it's fine but obviously bigger is easier to work with. Having said that, my new laptop is going to be 13.3" rather than 14.1" as I'm wanting a laptop more on the ultra-portable end of the spectrum.

Roger.

BTS (Brent) · #5 20-06-2008, 06:29 PM

Thanks guys, but is there a minimum size graphics card that is good for astro work? ie 64mb vs 256mb....

rogerg (Roger) · #6 21-06-2008, 01:45 AM

My laptop is 64mb, and 5 years old. It's fine.

I think a more powerful/modern graphics card would help with rendering in skychart/planetarium software such as TheSky, but other than that would be of no benefit because all the graphics for astronomy are just normal photo's, not fancy 3D objects or anything like that.

Roger.

BTS (Brent) · #7 21-06-2008, 08:54 AM

Excellent, thanks Rogerg.

BTS (Brent) · #8 26-06-2008, 01:53 PM

Is a Celeron worth getting? Will it keep up, running the autoguider, CCD etc?