laptop/notebook specs

[star_chaser]

hello all im looking for a laptop/notebook for imaging. i need to have xp os (is this correct) but what about the ram or the processor .is there a minimal spec i should be looking for all im going to be using it for is capturing images as all (attempted)work on pics will be done on my desk top

[edit] the phillips webcam that a lot of people use can they be flashed by myself (anyone have a linky on how) so i can check if i need to order one flashed and does flashing make it a better webcam overall or just better for planets/dso

star

[malc-c]

While most laptops on the market today will handle the capture of images, and should be able to run processing software, finding one that runs XP is going to be hard as nearly all machines nowadays come with Windows 7 pre-installed. Under the licensing you can back-load to Vista, but not XP. So you would need to find a copy of XP and wipe W7 off the machine.

Having said that some netbooks come with XP but unless you opt for mid to high range netbooks they lack the processing power IMO to do image processing, at least my Asus 900A does

[Nillchill]

anything that runs 7/ vista is capable of running XP I use XP on a dell 630 and it was designed for vista, I also have additional hard drives for running & and Linux OS systems, just swap the hard drive and your good to go.

[Bizibilder]

You don't have to have xp! This is just a requirement to flash the particular camera (SPC880NC to SPC900NC) that many people are using - especially as it is now easily available. You can get the camera from Morgan computers for a tenner and they will flash it for around £2.50 extra.

I use Windows 7 64bit (which seems to be "standard" on lappy's these days) and have had no problems running any of my astro software including: Sharpcap, craterlet, Cartes du Ceil, EQMOD/ASCOM, Stellarium, CCDCalc, PHD guiiding etc.

XP is now "old" and I would suggest "future proofing" yourself by going for Win 7 64bit. Anything that won't run on it is likely to be upgraded pretty quickly or is so old that it is no longer supported.