Lap top for imaging

[NickH]

Amen Phil..

This ASUS UMPC is currently bludgening its way through around 33 GB of solar images from today...and doing fine...

Vista...dont even get me started...even my mates at Microsoft in Redmond think it's sh*t

[davelrkn]

Hi Robert

Have you tried using the feature in Vista to run your program under XP.I use Vista and run a number of programs in xp mode and works well

Did you mention that you could not get Ascom Platform to run with Vista as I have no problems with Ascom Platform or Eq Mod and a few older software programs

Cheers

Dave

[Robert Claveyrolas]

I read only that some people have bugs with Ascom under Vista. Up to know, I have'nt tried to load it. I have to buy first MaxIm DL, then the Ascom driver for a Vixen SXD (Peter Enzerink made one).

I am getting some equipments : a focuser, a guider, a camera (Starlight Express H9 or H16, SBIG ST7 or ST 2000)

The first one was the focuser. I have a motorized 2" JMI Crayford, and I bought the JMI Smart Focus.

I loaded without any problem the Smart Focus program on a laptop with Vista.

I loaded the driver of the Serial - USB adapter, which seems to work correctly (recognized, and so on).

The problem is that I did not succeeded to get the whole working, and I sent back everything to my dealer in France for a repair.

It is a very simple equipment and a very simple soft, and that bothers me a lot.

All this to explain why I am feeding a kind of paranoïa with Vista, and why I am planning to buy a 10" netbook with Windows XP.

Note : I am not a great specialist in computer programs, and I know only few things. As recently I got my screen black and as I had to reformat the main hard disk, after having made modififations inside Microsoft. Net , I am more even cautious than before.

[MikeP]

My Dell is on its last legs so it is time for a replacement. Since my requirements are similar to Robert's I hope it is OK for me to hitch a ride in this thread rather than starting a new one.

Where I differ is that I really don't want a small screen that most of the laptops suggested in this thread have.

Does anyone have any recommendations? Ideally XP Pro but Vista if I have to.

Mike

[Robert Claveyrolas]

I bought an Acer Travelmate 5720 for 525 Euros.

It is deliverd with Vista Pro, but a Driver for Windows XP Pro is supplied.

My JMI Focuser works now with Windows XP Pro.

There may be at least two types of problems with Vista:

- Equipments Drivers are sometimes (often) not compatible.

- Equipments are often delivered with a Serial connection. You need a Serial - USB Adapter, and a lot are not working properly with Vista adapter.