Best Test Bench Laptop?

Small because you don't want to lose desk/bench space? Or, small because you will have to lug it around (even if only from one bench to another)?

Is the data collection (largely) automated? Or, are you doing a fair bit of typing? I.e., how important is the "keyboard" (in a functional sense, not physical one) to the quality of your user experience? How likely is it for the device to be exposed to "stuff that laptops don't like" (spilled coffee, cigarette ash, metal filings, stray EM fields, etc.)?

Besides USB, any other "media interfaces" required? E.g., CD/DVD/floppy/serial/parallel/FW/PCMCIA/etc.

Connectivity options? (wired/wireless/BT)

Does it have to be battery powered (battery life?)?

Small because you don't want to lose desk/bench space? Or, small because you will have to lug it around (even if only from one bench to another)?

Is the data collection (largely) automated? Or, are you doing a fair bit of typing? I.e., how important is the "keyboard" (in a functional sense, not physical one) to the quality of your user experience? How likely is it for the device to be exposed to "stuff that laptops don't like" (spilled coffee, cigarette ash, metal filings, stray EM fields, etc.)?

Besides USB, any other "media interfaces" required? E.g., CD/DVD/floppy/serial/parallel/FW/PCMCIA/etc.

Connectivity options? (wired/wireless/BT)

Does it have to be battery powered (battery life?)?

Small to reduce bench space. Keyboard needed for data control. Interface CD/DVD/Floppy/USB Connectivity wired/wireless a plus Battery power not important Normal lab environment with dog on floor

Thanks, Harry

[...]

This is the computer I use for such purposes a lot:

It was around $500 when it came onto the market (and when I bought it) but I have seen them under $100 used these days. The display is IMHO super bright but adjustable so it won't light up the lab at night too much, or disturb the dog. Many people want to get rid of them because the 1st generation Atom processors was kind of wimpy. Which doesn't matter much for lab use, usually.

I have a two-dog lab :-)

And since it's a lab, both are Labradors ...

Oh, and there's three dog pillows so they have choices.

--
Regards, Joerg 

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

for stuff like that I use an Acer One I think the specs are pretty much ide ntical to the N10

-Lasse

If you have a lot of data, you will eventually get tired of this. If you don't want to put the bench PC on a LAN that has Internet access, and if you are allowed to modify the main PC, consider adding a second network card to the main PC and creating a 2-computer LAN, so you can share files between the two more easily.

[in a later message]

You might consider a refurbished "slimtop" PC for $100-$120, then add a monitor to taste and budget. Refurbished/used monitors start around $50 for a 4:3; new 16:9 monitors start at around $100.

Something like these:

IMHO, XP would actually run better on these machines, but they will work OK on 7 for light use. I think M$ doesn't let resellers sell XP anymore.

The "refurbish" seems to consist of making sure the hardware works, putting the OS image on, and wiping down the outside. When you first get it, using a can of air on the inside is usually a good idea.

Sometimes you will get the Windows CD with it, which is nice to have for reinstalls, or using the license on another PC after this one dies.

The couple of times I've bought refurbished PCs from Micro Center, they came with a new $5 keyboard and $5 mouse... not for writing novels, but probably fine for your use.

All of these except floppy are easy to get. Some of the slimtops have a

3.5" external bay that you could put a floppy in - but check to make sure there is a floppy interface on the motherboard first. Otherwise, USB floppy drives exist.

The optical drive probably won't be any better than CD-R, DVD-ROM; if you need to write DVDs you'll have to upgrade it. Some of them take laptop-sized optical drives and some take "regular" desktop-sized optical drives.

The optical drives in these usually have the little tabs around the disc well in the tray, so they can be used vertically if you want.

These will all have 10/100 Ethernet. You might luck into Gigabit, but probably not yet at this price point. They probably won't have wireless.

Most of the slimtops will have one or two expansion slots - they may not take full-length or full-height cards, but they are there in case you need to add something that is not easily done via USB.

Good, a slimtop doesn't have any. :)

Some of the slimtops have threaded holes in the case, so they can be mounted in a bracket under the desk, up off the desk, or whatever. They are light enough that making your own shelf/bracket is not too big of a deal.

The monitor will come with a stand, or use the VESA mounting holes on the back to put it on a bracket (commercial or home-made) so it can be swung out of the way.

Standard disclaimers apply: I don't get money or other consideration from any companies mentioned.

Matt Roberds

Hi, Harry:-

Staples had some pretty good deals on 14" refurbed Lenovos around Xmas... maybe check their flyers locally. You can get quite a decent machine for < $400.

11.6" Chromebooks (Celeron) for $200. new? Gutless but, yikes.

How about this one?

or (better) this one? 12 x 10" footprint Win-7 Pro (32-bit tho)

$237 including shipping and California tax.

Best regards, Spehro Pefhany

--
"it's the network..."                          "The Journey is the reward" 
speff@interlog.com             Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.com 
Embedded software/hardware/analog  Info for designers:  http://www.speff.com

But are you doing a lot of typing? Or, just typing in a few numbers, file names, etc.? My point was to see if you could live with a small keyboard (like a netbook) or even a "soft keyboard" (like a *tablet* -- keyboard and display share the same physical space!)

Floppy is tough, nowadays. I keep an old (ancient, heavy) laptop with floppy for just this reason. Having to drag along an external USB floppy defeats the purpose, IMO.

Similarly, if you could live without the optical drive, you can get into a smaller device (tablet comes to mind, again)

Can you leverage that instead of the USB/optical drive? I.e., when you *need* to access a CD/DVD, do so by mounting it on some other/remote computer?

I'd seriously consider a tablet ($50-70) if you can live with it's input devices (virtual keypad, stylus, etc.). I've been looking for a viable "scrap paper" application so I can "handwrite" notes (the handwriting recognition really gets in the way... just let me make some marks on a piece of virtual paper and I'll read what I wrote, later!). But, my needs tend to downplay "preserving ASCII text". Being able to make freehand sketches (with a pen, not a mouse) offsets this loss.

An old netbook can also be a win -- if you can live with the cramped keyboard. (I haven't yet made a "long term" trial of something this small so can't comment on other issues -- but see next paragraph)

I've got an old vaio (*external* floppy and CD so I can choose to "leave them behind") that I use when I just want to "type" and have a small footprint. Wired/wireless/mediacards gives me a way to talk to other machines.

Biggest risk for these tinier options is they don't "command a presence" on the bench. Real easy for them to get pushed aside -- and end up crashing to the floor (esp if your bench is as cluttered as mine!)

The other issue tends to be "genuine" I/O's. Decide you need a real serial port and you might discover some (old) software doesn't like the USB versions/adapters available nowadays! (ditto parallel port, video adapter)

You might check local universities, etc. for surplus equipment auctions. E.g., "nicer" laptops typically sell, here, for ~$30-50. Something generic you can probably get a *lot* of

5 for that same price (i.e., < $10 each).

We've used a lot of Lenovo refurbished X-series laptops as measurement and documenting computers. Display may not be the brightest one, but they seem quite reliable and the keyboard is quite good.

--
Mikko OH2HVJ