Best laptop display for a in vehicle use

[EricGermann]

Greetings,

I'm looking to purchase a laptop to use primarily in vehicle with mobile Internet for both amateur radio applications (I'm an ARES ADEC) and storm spotting.

I'm looking for recommendations from people in the field of the best display type to get (and/or model). Primarily looking for one that shows up reasonably well in daylight without having to build a big hood to put over it.

Any recommendations on what to get or what to avoid is much appreciated

Eric Germann
N1ICS
http://www.n1ics.net

 

[Skip Talbot]

Well, I've learned the hard way not to get one with a glossy screen. It reflects way too much in the daylight. Otherwise the LCDs on the Dell Inspiron's seem plenty bright enough and are easy to dim at night.

 

[Tony Cook]

I am using an old Sony VAIO (VGN-FE500) with glossy screen. Agree with Skip that normally, the gloss is just way too reflective. The Vaio overcomes this, though, through sheer brightness. Even in the midday sun, I can usually see okay on the brightest setting. Might have to twist it a little to avoid direct sunlite reflection, but otherwise, works great. I remember when I bought it a few years back, I insisted that the salesman let me take it out into the sunlight and play with it for a while. That is the best test you can do with whatever you get.

On the downside, all that brightness eats up your power. I have to keep mine plugged in most of the time these days. More plusses for my particular Vaio- it has some quick-touch buttons that allow you to pump the brightness to max and back down with one touch, rather than having to go thru a menu or Control Panel. Unfortunately on mine, those quit working last season, but I can still do it with minimal keyboard interaction.

Despite the button problems, my Vaio is one rugged little machine. This is its 4th chase season, and it takes some abuse on the road. Two keys are gone, the aforementioned problem with the buttons is annoying. Otherwise, it continues to perform chase after chase. No laptop stand either at this point- I use a three-ring binder to level it in the passenger seat and that's it. Keep vents turned on it and try to keep the base open, too, to keep it cool.

When I at home, this machine is also my work computer, so 8-10 hours a day, it serves in that capacity (software development/nerdishness). I hope Sony has kept up the quality on this line. When I upgrade (hopefully before next spring), I will be looking at the Vaio's or whatever similar line Sony is offering first.

TonyC

 

[Jerry Prsha]

Greetings,

I'm looking to purchase a laptop to use primarily in vehicle with mobile Internet for both amateur radio applications (I'm an ARES ADEC) and storm spotting.

I'm looking for recommendations from people in the field of the best display type to get (and/or model). Primarily looking for one that shows up reasonably well in daylight without having to build a big hood to put over it.

Any recommendations on what to get or what to avoid is much appreciated

Eric Germann
N1ICS
http://www.n1ics.net

I'm wondering if you might look for the best performance and capabilities in a laptop first and then worry about the screen second. You can always pick up an anti-glare screen overlay to solve the issue for something like $25-$30. For that low of a cost, it's not all that important in my opinion.

 

[Robert Edmonds]

I'm wondering if you might look for the best performance and capabilities in a laptop first and then worry about the screen second. You can always pick up an anti-glare screen overlay to solve the issue for something like $25-$30. For that low of a cost, it's not all that important in my opinion.

If he's most concerned about the screen, and only using it for storm chasing, performance should not really be much of a concern. I bought a $550 laptop from dell about a year or two ago and it serves all my chasing needs just fine. Perhaps the only other thing to think of would be power. A longer battery life is always nice (i.e. how long can your laptop run without being plugged in), something I wish I had more of with my laptop.

 

[Jerry Prsha]

If he's most concerned about the screen, and only using it for storm chasing, performance should not really be much of a concern. I bought a $550 laptop from dell about a year or two ago and it serves all my chasing needs just fine. Perhaps the only other thing to think of would be power. A longer battery life is always nice (i.e. how long can your laptop run without being plugged in), something I wish I had more of with my laptop.

That's my point Robert.. The screen glare is a side-note to other more important things.

 

[EricGermann]

Thanks for the insights.

Had not thought about an antiglare kit. My main concern was sheer brightness.

Power isn't too much of a concern. I have an inverter already, so that's taken care of.

Eric Germann
N1ICS

 

[James Wilson]

Speaking on the more battery life ... I have an inverter wired directly to my truck's battery. I'd recommend it to everyone. I have a power strip plugged into the inverter which allows all power items to be re-charged and used. I can post pics if interested.

 

[Rob Wadsworth]

When I first started chasing last year, the laptop I chose was a Hp Pavillion with a 17" widescreen. It was supposed to be 'glare resistant'.
Something about 'the best laid plans of mice and men' comes to mind here...

Not that the laptop is problematic; it has been flawless to date. But...The glare issue has popped up when I got it and became quite annoying. So, I did some web searching and came up with this solution.

I've shared this bit before, but I will share it again. I found a 'fix' for this problem that works very well. It is called "PC Shade".
http://www.pcshade.com/
It is a custom-made collapsible black nylon hood that fits into my laptop bag when not in use. It takes 3-5 seconds to install, is sturdy and well-made, and makes 'mincemeat' of glare when exposed to direct or indirect sunlight. Cost is about $40/shipped.
No glare = no problem

 

[Stuart Robinson]

Interesting post – Overall the choice of which laptop comes down to the individual.

For me, I went with a Dell Latitude D620. this has a 15.2” display as I did not want to be overwhelmed in the car with the laptop, 12” is too small, 17” is too big but again this is down to personal choice.

2Gb Ram, Dual core processor with XP – I did purchase the long life battery. Are you aware that on the dells that you can swap out the DVD drive and replace it with a second battery? I now get 9 hours !!! of battery life on my Dell D620 – enough to keep me going across my Atlantic flights.

Apart from that – USB ports are a must and a fire wire port is a bonus (My D620 does not have one)

One thing that I am a stickler for a real hardware Serial port. This I use to run my GPS (Franson GPS gate is then used to then split the GPS across my apps). I have NEVER has an issue with a serial GPS, sometimes USB just goes carp! and assigns the wrong comport number to the USB port – something that you do not want to have on a chase.

I cart my D620 all over the world, it has seen hurricanes, typhoons, dust, tornadoes etc with out a glitch – over all I would not swap it for any other laptop.

 

[Robert Edmonds]

Interesting post – Overall the choice of which laptop comes down to the individual.

For me, I went with a Dell Latitude D620. this has a 15.2” display as I did not want to be overwhelmed in the car with the laptop, 12” is too small, 17” is too big but again this is down to personal choice.

2Gb Ram, Dual core processor with XP – I did purchase the long life battery. Are you aware that on the dells that you can swap out the DVD drive and replace it with a second battery? I now get 9 hours !!! of battery life on my Dell D620 – enough to keep me going across my Atlantic flights.

Apart from that – USB ports are a must and a fire wire port is a bonus (My D620 does not have one)

One thing that I am a stickler for a real hardware Serial port. This I use to run my GPS (Franson GPS gate is then used to then split the GPS across my apps). I have NEVER has an issue with a serial GPS, sometimes USB just goes carp! and assigns the wrong comport number to the USB port – something that you do not want to have on a chase.

I cart my D620 all over the world, it has seen hurricanes, typhoons, dust, tornadoes etc with out a glitch – over all I would not swap it for any other laptop.

Huh... never heard of the dvd drive being replaced with a battery. I have seen that you can buy batteries which hold more charge. The reason I brought up the battery thing is, sometimes you don't want to be draining your car battery while your car is off. What I do though is bring some of those 18amphr batteries with DC ports on them that you can get from walmart (other places have them too).

Stuart mentioned the usb port thing... I agree more usb ports is generally better. Also, if you want to use an aircard in a pci slot, an express pci will not work. However, it's kinda rare to find these anymore, most (not all) cell phone companies provide some USB option.

 

[Stuart Robinson]

Google "4r084" - the battery part number

It is called a "Secondary Modular Bay Battery"

http://www.parts4nb.co.uk/catalogue/product/4r084-6-cell-secondary-modular-bay-battery

 

[EricGermann]

Separating the mobile modem from the laptop spawns this thread.

Thanks for the replies so far. Gives me a lot to think about! I'll look into the hood for the display

Eric Germann
N1ICS

 

[Darren Addy]

I realize that we've come a long way since our grandfather's day when people made their own soap (etc.) but still it seems strange to me that people would feel compelled to buy something as simple as a laptop sun-shade when a perfectly functional one could be cobbled together from three black paper presentation folders, some tape (or staples) and some velcro tabs to hold the thing to the back of the screen.**

**Oh, gee. I guess you can't cause it's patented.

 

[Rick Wilson]

I agree with Stuart in regards to a physical serial port. If you can afford it, the Panasonic Toughbooks are designed with in vehicle use in mind. The screen brightness on the latest models is 1000 nit, has a serial port, and the media bay will take a extra battery. It can stand getting wet if you have an accidental spill or get a bit of rain. I have a CF-29 that's a few years old and am quite happy with it. It's married to a Sierra Wireless aircard and works great.

There are some good deals on the used market if you shop around. Don't expect a powerhouse in terms of performance. The Toughbooks are not "bleeding edge" but are designed for extreme reliability and durability. No problems with hot Texas summers in the car. The lappy might be too hot to touch before the AC kicks in, but never misses a beat.

Last month my company bid on refurbishing 350 CF-29s that were being retired from a local utility company. We lost the bid to an outfit in New Jersey. We were planning to resell them for $400 to $600 depending upon condition. My point being that there may be a good quantity of Toughbooks on the market soon. And at that price you could have a dedicated "chase machine".

In regards to making your own shade. Been there, done that. Worked OK but the commercial one was better. See:
http://www.stormtrack.org/forum/showthread.php?p=219893#post219893