OT I'm looking for a new laptop

Doug_Adam

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Sep 2002
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Perth
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I'm looking for a new laptop, and most of the laptops with serial ports use the new centrino processor from intel.
Has anyone had experience using this processor?
I am especially interested to know if WinCC and S7 V5.3 from Siemens will run on this processor.

I have talked to Siemens, but they only reccomend a P4, with the helpful advice that a centrino should work.

Doug
 
Processor shouldn't matter much these days. It used to in the 386DX,SX, 486DX2 days. All the new laptop I seen these day got the pentium Mobile processor, which I think is the same as centrino. Also, you do NOT want a stand P4 laptop (available as sub $700 entry-level) stuff. They get hot and are not designed for mobile use.

I haven't seen a case of processor/software imcompatibility since ... 1992??

edit: I just remembered... Centrino is not a processor but a name given to a specfic processor/chipset combo:

http://www.intel.com/products/notebook/centrino/index.htm
 
Doug

The processor should not be a problem - probably just a little slower but will run a lot cooler.

Prime importance serial port (real), rugged, reliable.

I have had good luck with HP laptops for years now without spending the big dough for a Toughbook.

HP are still more rugged than most of the "light weights" around. They are quite inexpensive and the latest ones have real serial ports, 512meg RAM (essential), 15" screens, XP Pro, and the best thing since sliced bread - a button in front of the touch pad that turns the damned thing off and on again. No more tying for a long time only to find you are typing in the wrong place.

At present I have an XE3, few years old now, and my only complaint is no real serial port. Have found the Omron converter very good but still have some problems from time to time. It works much better than anything else I have used.

Check this one out from Harris Technologies (Myers). It has a real serial port and the button for $1895.00

HP Laptop

There are plenty of others on the website.
 
Doug

As your question really relates to whether WinCC will run on your new laptop and not if it has a serial port, I will stick to the WinCC question.

Siemens state that S7, protool and Wincc will run with all processors around. They recommend the 'higher powered' processors (P4's?) when running intensive applications such as 'WinCC Runtime'.

From that, I would say, yes, WinCC will run on your laptop, but you might notice a drop in performance when running WinCC Runtime compared to a P4

Paul
 
I have a laptop with a "mobile Pentium".
STEP7 v5.3 runs fine, no problems there (if you use the older CP5511 card, then check that your new laptop supports 16-bit PCMCIA cards.)
WIN CC Flexible runs, but only barely so. I am guessing that Win CC (traditional) will work OK.
 
Looks like I may be in the market, too. I am looking at the Dell latitude D810. I like the widescreen since most programming softwares is the tree and window setup. More space for the program window.


I am going to check out HP. I have been running my trusty Toshiba tecra 8000 for almost 6 years now, but Toshiba doesn't have a widescreen with a serial port.

If anyone else has suggestions chime in.

I had a thought that parallels the PLC review proposal. Maybe keep this thread, or another running, and have people post their comments regarding laptop experience.
 
These may be of interest for those looking for a laptop with serial port.
http://www.sagernotebook.com/pages/notebooks/product.cfm?ProductType=4321

Norm provided this:
From: Cox, Dave
Sent: Thursday, February 17, 2005 10:57 AM
To: Boyle, Bob
Subject: Let's talk about the concept of 'Name Brand' as it applies to laptop computers.



Virtually none of the "Name" brands manufacture their own laptops, with the only exceptions being Asus, Twinhead and Apple, and even Twinhead and Apple do not make all of their own.

All of the rest buy their laptops from what is called an Original Design Manufacturer (ODM). These ODMs sell their computers to several different OEMs who then install the Hard Drive (usually an Hitachi or Toshiba), Processor and System Memory. They then put their label on it and market it.

For example:

An ODM named Clevo makes the Sager NP5690 and the original Alienware Area 51-M, the Voodoo MClass M550, the Hypersonic Aviator GX6, and they are all the same computer. Clevo also makes the Sager NP8790, the Falcon Northwest Fragbook DL, and the Voodoo Envy M:780, and they are also the same computer.

Of course the Sager models have a much sweeter price tag!

An ODM named Compal makes some of the DELL, Hewlett Packard and Compaq line of laptops, as well as the PowerPro M 5:6, PowerPro M 5:14, and the PowerPro M 6:33.

Asus, famous worldwide for their top quality motherboards and other components, also makes their own laptops, and the PowerPro C 3:17 and the PowerPro C 3:12.

The Dell Latitude and the Sony Vaio are made by Quanta, who also makes many of the IBM laptops, and the now-discontinued PowerPro C 3:16. Quanta is well known as the best and highest quality laptop ODM in the world.

The Micron Transport Treck and Treck 2 are made by GVC. Compaq is actually manufactured by companies called Inventec (Armada and Prosignia lines) and Arima (Presario line).

Other ODM names are Mitac, FIC, and Uniwill, among others. Not exactly what you would call "Name" brands, and yet it is their laptops that end up with the "Name" brands on them.

Sager and Pro-Star Computers are made by Clevo. Clevo is one of the largest, and best, in the world.
 
I wonder.....If the day will come when PLCs are equipped with USB programming ports??? I'm not going to hold my breath on this one..
 
Centrino

My new Gateway laptop works well, it has the Centrino chipset and seems to work fine with the whole gammet of AB software at least.....I really like the built in wireless ethernet capability. Most importantly it has a serial port.


Greg
 
elevmike said:
I wonder.....If the day will come when PLCs are equipped with USB programming ports??? I'm not going to hold my breath on this one..

I think ethernet is the way future PLC's will be programmed.

It doesn't matter, we still have to support machines we shipped 10 years ago. I'll probably reformat my old laptop as a DOS or '98 machine and keep it in a drawer for those occasions. (Still crossing my fingers that I will be able to get a new one)
 
Doug

Centrino processor from intel is the leading processors for notbook PCs today,with serial port or with out.(by the way they developed in Intel Israel)
The only thing I can recommend you try to get PC with SXGA+ screen or UXGA .Its big different,especially if you spend lot of time in front of your computer.
I just replaced my secretary notbook (She had Compaq P1 133MHz 8 years old,which suddnely die) to Thosiba Tecra A3. I bought the Thosiba in
auction for $900 US this PC have XGA screen and serial port.
when I put my notbook (Dell D810 with UXGA screen)next the Thosiba you can see the big difference.
I bought the Thosiba because of 2 reasons price and serial port. I can use the Thosiba if I have problems with my PC.
Try to get HP nc8000 or nw8000 it great PC with all what you need(My son have one also our frum member Eric Nelson)

I wound not suggest you to compromise on something with out serial port.


All The Best
 
Looks like I may be in the market, too. I am looking at the Dell latitude D810. I like the widescreen since most programming softwares is the tree and window setup. More space for the program window.

Rick,

For what it's worth I got a Dell D800 back in October and it has served me well. I wanted something with serial and parallel ports and we pretty much buy all Dells at my company. It has a Pentium M 755 2.0GHz, 1 Gig of Ram and a WSXGA+ display. One thing that disappoints me is the speed. Even with 1G of ram and a 128MB Video card it still seems rather sluggish at times. I think this is related to stinky Windows XP.

Randy

Oh, and btw I waited almost 5 years to get a new laptop, but I got to pick out pretty much what I wanted.
 
Last edited:
I got a Twinhead efio 14A, with mobile AMD athlon 2200. I am a heavy graphics user so it was running like a snail. Got to a point I had to tweak the graphics memory from a 32 to a 128, and broke my warranty. But now it's going really smooth. I'd prefer AMD over Intel, though I've heard at some point they come from the same manufacturer.

I like it when the older notebook computers have floppy drivers, but not the new ones now.🙃 Anyone know of new notebook computers that still has floppy drivers?

Randy, I've read up that one can tune up WinXP by limiting unnecessary programs from loading up, and taking in too much memory, no matter it's physical or virtual memory. You can also configure your windows registery to free up some memory, but it could be very risky. I have yet study about the structure on winXP, but I've tried a little on Win2K and it loads faster now.

regards
Sherine T.
 

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