skymama 35 #1 April 18, 2003 You guys are always so helpful with computer questions, so I'm asking for help again. We need to purchase notebooks that can be used on construction sites. My boss read an article that Dell has the worst battery life out of all of the notebooks. Has anyone found this to be true? Do you have a notebook that you would recommend? Thanks for any help you can give me! She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man, because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest #2 April 18, 2003 Battery life may not be such a critical factor as durability. Here's why I say so: Has your company considered buying "militarized" machines that can survive being dropped, rained on, coffee-spilled, etc.? If you're traveling to/from construction sites by car, for example, there will be power. Also, I'm guessing, here, but the worksite should have power generation, right? This is my take on it. Yes, the ruggedized notebooks cost more, but they're very tough, which may be something to consider, given that they will be in somewhat of a harsh environment."The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jfields 0 #3 April 18, 2003 Personally, Skymama, I use this notebook. When my parents called me a smartass, I replied that it was better than being a dumbass. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wmw999 2,166 #4 April 18, 2003 I have a Dell I bought used, and the battery does, in fact, suck. One small anecdotal point of information for the chart. If not formally ruggedized, I'd definitely take ruggedness and permeability to dust etc. into account. Wendy W.There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 2,463 #5 April 18, 2003 Well: 1. Battery life may not be such a big deal if they're used in trucks; trucks have their own batteries. 2. I've had good luck with the Sony Vaios. There are three sizes of Vaio, and I've found that small laptops are, in general, more durable than larger laptops. 3. Panasonic makes a line of 'toughbooks' that are pretty indestructible. 4. Make sure you get a sunlight readable screen, if it will be used in construction. The Panasonics and newer Vaios have that. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skymama 35 #6 April 18, 2003 Thanks, Justin, you're always so helpful. Now I change my mind on your kid question. I think you should have 10 kids, one every year with some triplets thrown in there too! She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man, because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Amazon 7 #7 April 18, 2003 I have a nice Dell its been very reliable and compatible with anything I have stuck on it...and I work for a software company.... and ALWAYS have Beta software for Operating System.. SQL , Office etc... I have been very pleased with thier service when needed. // Mark suggested the Military versions.. but they are very expensive.... and I do not know how thier service policies are. I can only go with what I have used. Power is available from the car or the worksite.... My Battery has not been an issue but I did buy a second battery that slides right where the Floppy drive slides in. Amazon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nacmacfeegle 0 #8 April 18, 2003 I use an IBM thinkpad, its been bounced around all over the world, had hard abuse in Nigeria, and Khazakhstan, and has been thrown on and off helicopters offshore countless times in its 4-5 year history. A Pelican case is essential, and will probably pay for itself in no time at all. http://www.pelican.com/cases/cases.html But If I were to do it all again, I would rethink my requirement for a laptop and consider using PDAs which can be synch'd with a desktop, or office based PC for a fraction of the outlay of laptops. If you are basically spreadsheet bashing on-site, or taking minutes at meetings etc, a PDA with a wrap around keyboard might serve you well. I have a Sony Clie which runs all of my regular engineering spreadsheets, but as I understand it, Palm, and Psion have equally good PDAs. To use a building trade analogy....If you think about the job you want to do before you go out and buy the tools, you might save yourself some loot.PM me with what you have in mind in terms of workload for these'notebooks' and we can discuss away from the madding crowd. Happy Easter! -------------------- He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me. Thomas Jefferson Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nacmacfeegle 0 #9 April 18, 2003 10 kids! Nononono...the bandwidth requred for the cutie smackdown would be excessive! -------------------- He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me. Thomas Jefferson Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skymama 35 #10 April 18, 2003 The main reason he wants the notebooks is to reduce the paper trail because things are getting lost in the field. As a result, he wants me to scan everything in (need a good OCR (?) software too) so they can access everything on the job, like change orders, more efficiently with fewer mistakes made.She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man, because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest #11 April 18, 2003 Quote 4. Make sure you get a sunlight readable screen, if it will be used in construction. Shoot! I totally forgot about that!!! "The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest #12 April 18, 2003 QuoteThe main reason he wants the notebooks is to reduce the paper trail because things are getting lost in the field. As a result, he wants me to scan everything in (need a good OCR (?) software too) so they can access everything on the job, like change orders, more efficiently with fewer mistakes made. It's been my experience that HP scanners come with decent OCR software, but if you want more accuracy, you'll have to spend more for a dedicated product."The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nacmacfeegle 0 #13 April 18, 2003 So all you want is a portable, high capacity, relatively secure document reader? Assuming all the scanning and OCR stuff is done in a normal environment. Why bother with OCR when you can just scan straight to PDF format, same with drawings, specs, etc. Updating or synching them is a piece of cake. My Clie can be used for maps, photos, wee movies, and of course documents and spreadsheets. Brand new it cost me £300 (about $450)over a year back, nowadays they would be about 200 bucks a hit. The storage capacity is limitless as they use 256meg cards and you can hot swap them. A quick google later..... Seriously look into them. http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/SY_DisplayProductInformation-Start?ProductSKU=PEGSJ22/U 200 bucks, buy a spare large memory stick for another 100 bucks and this might be what you are after. I used mine to haul docs drgs, spreadsheets etc between Houston and Aberdeen a lot last year and it worked fine. It fits in a shirt pocket!-------------------- He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me. Thomas Jefferson Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wmw999 2,166 #14 April 18, 2003 QuoteSo all you want is a portable, high capacity, relatively secure document reader Skymama, if your dad ever gives you any trouble about postwhoring, remind him of this thread... Think of the potential mistakes folks are saving you! Wendy W.There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nacmacfeegle 0 #15 April 18, 2003 Mama is NOT post whoring, she is keeping abreast of technological developments, and business performance enhancements. -------------------- He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me. Thomas Jefferson Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skymama 35 #16 April 18, 2003 Quote Why bother with OCR when you can just scan straight to PDF format, same with drawings, specs, etc. Updating or synching them is a piece of cake. Because I don't know what I need or how to do any of this stuff! That's just the advice I was given on what I need. They might want to manipulate some of the docs out on the field, I think that's why I was told I might need an OCR program. You guys are saving me hours of reseaching and probably hundreds of dollars in mistakes, and I really appreciate it! Wendy, Dad is a little less fussy about me posting ever since I started getting a lot of help over IM with a lot of my friends here. In fact, he's so used to it now that one day Phil helped me solve a problem over IM. After I told my dad about it, he asked where I got the information. I said, "well, Phil from Switzerland" and he just rolled his eyes and said, "oh, of course you have friends in Switzerland." I can't wait to tell him that Dave in Scotland is helping now! She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man, because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KawiZX900 0 #17 April 18, 2003 those are cool. Used one for a couple years. They'll take a serious beating, and they've come a long way in terms of looks. No longer a balistic briefcase. Now they're more ergonomic looking with a reather sleek profile for what they are. Accelerate hard to get them looking, then slam on the fronts and rollright beside the car, hanging the back wheel at eye level for a few seconds. Guaranteed reaction- Dave Sonsky Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jfields 0 #18 April 18, 2003 Quote 10 kids! Nononono...the bandwidth requred for the cutie smackdown would be excessive! Lucy is getting her 1-year portrait(s) taken today. You've been warned. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nacmacfeegle 0 #19 April 18, 2003 No fair, I'm still reeling from the last smackdown photos. -------------------- He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me. Thomas Jefferson Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Amazon 7 #20 April 18, 2003 Some are even IT professionals that normally charge their companies... lots of money, for information like that.Amazon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gawain 0 #21 April 18, 2003 For true industrial applications, rugged requirements, etc. The only real solution I've found is at: www.dolch.com If you just want laptops that people can tote around, I use a Dell Latitude C60 at work and get over four hours on the batteries. I've used Dell, HP and IBM notebooks. So far, my favorite has been the HP (it had everything integrated CD/Floppy, etc). But the Dell is the better machine.So I try and I scream and I beg and I sigh Just to prove I'm alive, and it's alright 'Cause tonight there's a way I'll make light of my treacherous life Make light! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AggieDave 6 #22 April 18, 2003 Shit, I'm trying to remember the name of the company that makes super-tough notebooks...I think its something like "Max-book" or something like that. Basically, its the notebook that not only meets mil-spec, but blows it out of the water. If you break one, something really really bad happened.--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jib 0 #23 April 18, 2003 I just bought a Dell. It seemed like Dell had the best warranty (on-site/3 years/spill coffee on it) available as well as the best bang for the buck. Hopefully, I won't drop it and find out. -------------------------------------------------- the depth of his depravity sickens me. -- Jerry Falwell, People v. Larry Flynt Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lummy 4 #24 April 18, 2003 personally, I prefer the IBM's. the T series has a titanium case and they are really durable. Dell's are ok, although they've (Dell) have been getting into the habit of sending refurbed parts for replacement. They can also be a bit tricky figuring out what's going on. Sony's ick... Weren't we having a conversation when I was trying to fix one? They're slick, they're cool,they have all the bells n whistles, but are REALLY tempermental. They are nice as a personal machine, but for business puters', they SUCK. oh and their support... heh, read my last sentence. HP's I haven't supported in 2 years. They were decent then. Toshiba's are decent too. I have a few of those floating around. I also have an old one that's been running for over a year straight as my firewall/router Ok, enough techno babble.. I'd suggest Something midsize, one modular bay for either a CDrom, floppy (did you know that Dell and IBM now considers the floppy as an option?) or extra battery.I promise not to TP Davis under canopy.. I promise not to TP Davis under canopy.. eat sushi, get smoochieTTK#1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nathaniel 0 #25 April 18, 2003 Quote The main reason he wants the notebooks is to reduce the paper trail because things are getting lost in the field. aha. so now if something gets lost you lose everything doh! nathanielMy advice is to do what your parents did; get a job, sir. The bums will always lose. Do you hear me, Lebowski? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
