Laptops~Notebooks

[Conflow]

Hi All,

Seems that everyone is still confused about the selection of a Laptop/Notebook suitable for PTE.5.5

and invariably the topic turns around to the Installed Graphic Card (if there is one) and the relative

merits of 'Intergrated Chip-Set Laptops (most are today) those versus 'Card-Built Laptops' which are

becoming obselete.

All this is "Putting the Cart before the Horse" for the reason if the Data Management System has a

restricted through-put ~ you can spend what you want, on what you like ~ and it still won't work !

Get the 'System Selection' correct ~ then and only then ~ think about upgrading your Graphics Card.

XP-HOME LAPTOPS

(XP-Home is the fastest version of XP for small memory Laptops)

* Dual Processors or Duo-Core with speeds of +1.6 Gb each.

* Ram User Memory 1 Gb (min)

* Page File Memory 2 Gb (min)

* Virtual Memory 2 Gb (min)

* Available Virtual Memory 2 Gb.

* Data-Buss Speed +600 Mb/sec min)

* Hard Drive 5200rpm Sata.

(XP-Sp3 Upgrade)

If your PC has 'auto-downloaded' the XP version Sp3 Upgrade and you wish to use PTE 5.5

you will need a minimum of additional 512.Kb of RAM Memory to run the 'auto-upgrade'

in tandem with PTE 5.5.

VISTA LAPTOPS

They won't tell you this - Vista is an animal with resources, spending more time checking itself

and your deployment of it and its own Security than doing any useful work for you. It Needs:-

* Dual Processors or Duo-Processors with speeds of +1.8.Gb each.

* Ram User Memory 2 Gb. (minimum).

* Page File Memory, it needs 3 Gb to run right. (Vista uses 1 Gb)

* Virtual Memory, it neeeds 3 Gb to run correctly with Vista+PTE.

* Available Virtual Memory, its tight with 2 Gb. better with 4 Gb.

* Data-Buss Speed at least +670 mb/sec to run Vista+PTE.

* Hard Drive minimum 5200rpm better with 7000rpm Sata.

SO HOW DO YOU KNOW WHICH ONE ?

Go to the Shop and bring a CD-Disc Show with you (preferably made with PTE 5.5) and also bring

the 2 Printouts of the "Attachments" shown below ~ they will be your Guide and Deciders.

(CAUTION:- Be wary of Machines stamped "Vista Capable" these will not run PTE with Vista as they are

generally optimised for XP, see Attachment F-2). If they meet the F-2 Spec for XP they will run PTE5.5.

How to Find the Data:- Attachment F-1

What Data to look for: Attachment F-2

(Also see 'Link' in Post No:3 below this)

Hope this is of some use in making your choice, at least you are on the right Tracks...

Brian.Conflow.

[Ken Cox]

BRIAN

maybe you might add a starting price to narrow the search

one of my daughters and an old friend both bought el cheapo's vista equipped,last fall

she got a HP

he got a Toshiba

both in the area of <$1000 Canadian

he found that in order to use msn messenger audio/video turned on he could not have nothing else running in bacground - mail etc

and he upped his ram from 1 gb to 2 gb

ken

[Conflow]

Hi Ken,

Its difficult to answer a starting 'Price Benchmark' because its really a matter of personal choice

once the 'Tech Specs' are established. For instance your example where the HP works but the

Toshiba has a small problem: Toshibas' tended to be short on 'Page File Memory' (Not RAM) and

this is a Bios problem which can be sorted.

As a 'Starter Benchmark' the Hewlett-Packard ranges from Models 5000 upwards are excellent

and are available with XP from their 'Factory Refurbishment Division' as low as Euro 450 with

1.Year Guarantee and 3.Year Maintainance Insurance. And a 10 day Money-Back Guarantee.

So from there the sky is the limit.

Contact your Local HP Offices (Refer to Link). Call them up and give them the Spec. No problems

as these people are Technically competent and there is a division in every Country ~ Worldwide.

Link below:-

http://www.hp.com/sbso/buspurchase_refurbi..._computing.html

Hope this helps,

Brian.Conflow.

[Ken Cox]

brian

am not in the market myself - cant justify it

but

somebody else might welcome your info

have just added link to my faq for future reference

thks

ken

[cgbraggjr]

FWIW I can play PTE shows on my Asus eeePC, which has nothing like the specs required (apparently) by other laptops. I wouldn't want to create shows on the Asus (tiny keys and screen) but playback - fine.

http://www.picturestoexe.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=8431

PS: just tried Jean-Pierre's 556 piece (?) puzzle PTE and it choked the Asus. So, some shows work, even panning large images, and some shows won't.

[Guest Yachtsman1]

FWIW I can play PTE shows on my Asus eeePC, which has nothing like the specs required (apparently) by other laptops. I wouldn't want to create shows on the Asus (tiny keys and screen) but playback - fine.

http://www.picturestoexe.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=8431

PS: just tried Jean-Pierre's 556 piece (?) puzzle PTE and it choked the Asus. So, some shows work, even panning large images, and some shows won't.

I noted in your link email that you are using XP SP3, we were warned about sp3 a couple of weeks ago as being a ram eater.

Yachtsman1