Computers afloat

[Paul C]

If you've got a TV onboard that has an HDMI socket or VGA then one possibility is a car PC. These are normal PCs but they run off a 12V supply so you can use normal peripherals etc. I've been using a couple for a research project that I'm doing at work and they run modern os's fine. I've been running mine with Ubuntu 12.4 LTS and 13.10. We've also had them running windows (if your desperate).

 

I've always found that Linux works nearly as well as Windows....but nearly isn't good enough. The latest that tripped me up is getting hibernate to work properly. Yes, you can hibernate (ie save current state to disk, which uses no power - and is distinct from suspend which keeps the memory powered up and uses up battery power) by launching a command window then typing sudo pm-hibernate, then the root password. Compare this to Windows where its an easy job to do it from the start button, and in fact you can even customise the default selection on the start menu to be "hibernate". I tried for half a day to configure both the default shell and Gnome in Linux to allow selection of hibernate, with no success. Also I use Mailwasher, and there's no Linux equivalent, so ended up running it under windows emulation mode. Agreed Linux runs a bit faster on laptops with limited processing power and 1GB memory, but still slows and slows until it needs a reboot eventually. Upgraded to 2GB and the gradual slowing is much less severe, and overall performance much better under Windows. In fact, I don't think I've rebooted my laptop for about 2 weeks now.

[John Williamson 1955]

For consumption of stuff others have generated, then a tablet is ideal, especially if you have unlimited bandwidth available, or a large HD on your network.

 

I have an Asus Android tablet, and the biggest storage chip I can put into the SD slot is 128gigabytes. It uses about 5 watts while it's playing a movie, less when reading a book or surfing the web. The screen is very nice, if a bit too reflective for comfort.

 

It's also totally useless for typing without the optional bluetooth keyboard, which cost me not much less than the tablet, but I *was* in a hurry and had to buy one from PC World. You can buy them for *much* less than I paid

 

This 2007 dual core Toshiba laptop, on the other hand, is fast, easy to type on, and has a 1 terabyte HD, since the last incident with a screwdriver. (It started life with a (then) incredibly large 80 gB hard drive). It uses about 60 watts when I'm using it with the battery on charge, or about 30 when it's charged. It should last until I can't get batteries for it any longer, and it's on its third battery already. When the tablet battery dies, that's likely to be the end of it.

[NickF]

My daughter calls hers a 'Crapberry' and not without good reason, she rues the day she got it but is due an upgrade next month and if funds allow is getting an iPhone, or if funds don't allow anything but a Blackberry.

That's interesting, my son has what he calls his "craptop" (which is a rather ancient laptop) I wonder of the two are compatible .... we might have just invented a new brand! ... any one want to market it!

[John Williamson 1955]

I've also seen Backberry phones called "Crackberry" phones They're almost as addictive as Apples.

[Chalky]

 

I've always found that Linux works nearly as well as Windows....but nearly isn't good enough. The latest that tripped me up is getting hibernate to work properly. Yes, you can hibernate (ie save current state to disk, which uses no power - and is distinct from suspend which keeps the memory powered up and uses up battery power) by launching a command window then typing sudo pm-hibernate, then the root password. Compare this to Windows where its an easy job to do it from the start button, and in fact you can even customise the default selection on the start menu to be "hibernate". I tried for half a day to configure both the default shell and Gnome in Linux to allow selection of hibernate, with no success. Also I use Mailwasher, and there's no Linux equivalent, so ended up running it under windows emulation mode. Agreed Linux runs a bit faster on laptops with limited processing power and 1GB memory, but still slows and slows until it needs a reboot eventually. Upgraded to 2GB and the gradual slowing is much less severe, and overall performance much better under Windows. In fact, I don't think I've rebooted my laptop for about 2 weeks now.

 

 

I'm using Linux for robotics applications and its the speed, stability and determinism that wins hands down over any windows product. Ubuntu uses Unity instead of Gnome. I'm typically running 4 core machines with 4GB ram and 128GB flash drive. I've had real problems with windows 8. We tried to run a robot simulation under Linux using virtualbox however windows 8 wouldn't handle it correctly and there were problems with the graphics card emulation. In the end we fixed it by wiping windows off the machine and replacing it with Ubuntu 13.04. It now runs really quickly and stably, though it should do on 8 cores, 16GB ram and 4TB hard disk! Hybernate isn't a feature I've used since I need to keep the control software running when the robot is turned on.

[Lady Muck]

Personally I'd never spend £1000 on a laptop when there are perfectly functional ones out there for £250 or so. Spammy adverts on a phone can only be due to something dodgy you've downloaded on it, nothing to do with the manufacturer!!!

I know that! The ads are served by Google (it claims), Ive tried to diagnose the problem but no end of searching online and Ive got nowhere - thats something Apple would never do, they would not allow anything into the app store that does that. Even on my laptop, watch the Google chrome extension, they are full of spyware too. I thought I had a virus and it turned out to be something from a Chrome Extension called World Clocks.

As for £250 laptop being perfectly functional, depends what your job is and what software you are using. Coz I use mostly photoshop and illustrator, work long hours and use laptop for presenting and have to take it everywhere with me, a heavy budget laptop with no battery life, no processor power and an awful screen and squishy keyboard just isn't going to cut it. I've got a Lenovo now with a HD screen. Lets see how long this one lasts, before the Asus I had 2 Sonys, both lasted 5 years. My mates macbook pro is 8 now - might've been expensive but great value when you consider how long it lasted.

Surprised at your Asus laptop dying. They were one of the more "kid proof" makes when I worked in a school, (until they got nicked anyway.) There is an element of luck involved though.

I know - i'm told the build quality has gone downhill. We have 2 more Asus, both my partners and both still working, the oldest being 7 years old

[Paul C]

 

 

I'm using Linux for robotics applications and its the speed, stability and determinism that wins hands down over any windows product. Ubuntu uses Unity instead of Gnome. I'm typically running 4 core machines with 4GB ram and 128GB flash drive. I've had real problems with windows 8. We tried to run a robot simulation under Linux using virtualbox however windows 8 wouldn't handle it correctly and there were problems with the graphics card emulation. In the end we fixed it by wiping windows off the machine and replacing it with Ubuntu 13.04. It now runs really quickly and stably, though it should do on 8 cores, 16GB ram and 4TB hard disk! Hybernate isn't a feature I've used since I need to keep the control software running when the robot is turned on.

 

I'm not controlling robots with the laptop on the boat though, I'm just browsing the internet, emails, and a bit of word processor and spreadsheet stuff. Maybe there is an easy fix for the hibernate issue in Linux but I tried and tried and it didn't work. Linux is great for the tech savvy (I used to work in IT) but for everyday boring stuff, Windows 7 for me. I've avoided Windows 8, I did consider it once but did a bit of research - lets say there's quite a lot of criticism of it on the internet!

[Guest]

I know that! The ads are served by Google (it claims), Ive tried to diagnose the problem but no end of searching online and Ive got nowhere - thats something Apple would never do, they would not allow anything into the app store that does that. Even on my laptop, watch the Google chrome extension, they are full of spyware too. I thought I had a virus and it turned out to be something from a Chrome Extension called World Clocks.

As for £250 laptop being perfectly functional, depends what your job is and what software you are using. Coz I use mostly photoshop and illustrator, work long hours and use laptop for presenting and have to take it everywhere with me, a heavy budget laptop with no battery life, no processor power and an awful screen and squishy keyboard just isn't going to cut it. I've got a Lenovo now with a HD screen. Lets see how long this one lasts, before the Asus I had 2 Sonys, both lasted 5 years. My mates macbook pro is 8 now - might've been expensive but great value when you consider how long it lasted.

I know - i'm told the build quality has gone downhill. We have 2 more Asus, both my partners and both still working, the oldest being 7 years old

People do criticise Apple for everything being so tightly locked down to iTunes and the App Store (I have in the past( BUT one of the big advantages of their approach as you say is you don't get any of this spy/malware nonsense going on, on either your phone or your iPad. Their PC's are also less susceptible to similar attacks, or certainly seem to be targeted less.

 

So ref. an earlier post, 'yes they just work' and this not about them 'getting me good' it's just simple fact.

[Guest]

That's interesting, my son has what he calls his "craptop" (which is a rather ancient laptop) I wonder of the two are compatible .... we might have just invented a new brand! ... any one want to market it!

Well her 'Crapberry' finally died yesterday, it had been playing up for weeks but now the screen has gone completely black and it wont boot up, it didn't even make it to the end of her 2 yr. contract with EE/Orange which comes to an end next month. Luckily she has a spare which will keep her going until she can upgrade in a couple of weeks.

 

No wonder their market share has dropped.

[Chalky]

 

I'm not controlling robots with the laptop on the boat though, I'm just browsing the internet, emails, and a bit of word processor and spreadsheet stuff. Maybe there is an easy fix for the hibernate issue in Linux but I tried and tried and it didn't work. Linux is great for the tech savvy (I used to work in IT) but for everyday boring stuff, Windows 7 for me. I've avoided Windows 8, I did consider it once but did a bit of research - lets say there's quite a lot of criticism of it on the internet!

 

The amusing bit is that Mac O/S and Android are both Linux branches...

[Robbo]

 

The amusing bit is that Mac O/S and Android are both Linux branches...

 

OS/X or iOS has no Linux in it!

People do criticise Apple for everything being so tightly locked down to iTunes and the App Store (I have in the past( BUT one of the big advantages of their approach as you say is you don't get any of this spy/malware nonsense going on, on either your phone or your iPad. Their PC's are also less susceptible to similar attacks, or certainly seem to be targeted less.

 

So ref. an earlier post, 'yes they just work' and this not about them 'getting me good' it's just simple fact.

 

Reason why iOS is so secure is because it is very locked down and to run software it needs to go via the App Store (which is basically a PKI certificate based system to confirm the software can run). These features are in the latest versions of OS/X by changing the security settings, the only difference is that you can override it if need to. Unlike the image, don't set to anywhere, set to one of the other options.

 

Edited July 28, 2014 by Robbo

[smileypete]

2 year old Asus laptop (not a cheap model - cost me a grand!) broke, samsung phone (dreadful) keeps showing me spammy adverts when I'm trying to call or text people, is slow and won't charge with the cable anymore. Ipad (which was by far the oldest gadget) keeps on going. Lost count of how many times the dog has sat on it or it has been dropped.

I'd say its definitely value for money as It never went wrong and I haven't had to buy a new one.

 

A backup and factory reset should sort out the sammy, what exactly went wrong with the Asus?

 

People do criticise Apple for everything being so tightly locked down to iTunes and the App Store (I have in the past( BUT one of the big advantages of their approach as you say is you don't get any of this spy/malware nonsense going on, on either your phone or your iPad. Their PC's are also less susceptible to similar attacks, or certainly seem to be targeted less.

 

So ref. an earlier post, 'yes they just work' and this not about them 'getting me good' it's just simple fact.

 

Any decent Android tablet should 'just work', BUT there is a LOT more choice of brands, models, apps, and features. However, with choice comes some responsibility - not everyone wants kindergarten

 

cheers, Pete.

~smpt~

[Guest]

Any decent Android tablet should 'just work', BUT there is a LOT more choice of brands, models, apps, and features. However, with choice comes some responsibility - not everyone wants kindergarten

 

cheers, Pete.

~smpt~

... Tis funny how technological sophistication and superiority can be seen as, 'kindergarten'

 

Some people argue Android is for people who aspire to use Apple but can't afford it........

[Paul C]

As far as mobile phones go, I chose Android because its the most widely adopted smartphone OS, and thus application availability is the best.

For tablets - I'd not know, I don't have a tablet

[alias]

Can you download/transfer from the camera to a tablet (easily)?

 

A laptop easily allows an external hard disk to be connected, does a tablet?

 

On an android tablet, yes, using an OTG cable (with an SD card reader for the first question) and a file manager app. No experience of Apple products, so can't say if it would work for them.

 

An example here, others are available: http://www.amazon.co.uk/female-Micro-Adapter-Cable-Function/dp/B009DFCCKO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1406564500&sr=8-1&keywords=micro-usb+otg+cable

[muddywaters]

 

I'm not controlling robots with the laptop on the boat though, I'm just browsing the internet, emails, and a bit of word processor and spreadsheet stuff. Maybe there is an easy fix for the hibernate issue in Linux but I tried and tried and it didn't work. Linux is great for the tech savvy (I used to work in IT) but for everyday boring stuff, Windows 7 for me. I've avoided Windows 8, I did consider it once but did a bit of research - lets say there's quite a lot of criticism of it on the internet!

I've had no problems at all with windows 8, well I'm using windows 8.1 which does everything I need it to

[dor]

, Windows 7 for me. I've avoided Windows 8, I did consider it once but did a bit of research - lets say there's quite a lot of criticism of it on the internet!

 

Agree WIN8 was rubbish when released. but if you upgrade (free) to WIN8.1 before you do anything else I've found it as good or better than WIN7. I even run a 20 year old DOS 4GL in a window with no problems. It does seem to understand networking better than WIN7 as well, and the user interface with 8.1 is not a lot different to 7.

 

We use an Asus 12" notebook on the boat as well as an iPad. The latter is fine for surfing the net, but give me the notebook with proper keyboard and Office10 on it to do anything useful. Especially with 500GB drive!

[bespin]

If you want a computer aboard then it would be Mac book air for laptop powerful and runs for ages , xperia tablet for a tablet or nexus 10, and if you want a really low power solution then a raspberry pi running Linux on the telly sorted

[Lady Muck]

A backup and factory reset should sort out the sammy, what exactly went wrong with the Asus?

~smpt~

It was factory reset and new operating system put on about four months back. If I had any spare time at all I'd root it. But I have no spare time. I might just buy one of those Nokia Windows phones, I've gone right off Android.

The laptop - system board most likely we think. Had a geeky friend look at it, for me. Sold it on ebay for spares.

[muddywaters]

It was factory reset and new operating system put on about four months back. If I had any spare time at all I'd root it. But I have no spare time. I might just buy one of those Nokia Windows phones, I've gone right off Android.

The laptop - system board most likely we think. Had a geeky friend look at it, for me. Sold it on ebay for spares.

I have a NOKIA Lumia 520, which although is not a full windows phone, more of a start up.

I've had no problem with at all.

It's what I replaced the peace of crap with, better known as a blackberry

[Ron T]

It's not really a question, more trying to get opinions.

As part of down sizing to move onto a boat I'm looking at everyth.ing and asking do I really need it.

Which has got me looking at my laptop and the question is.

As I only use the laptop for Facebook Twitter coming on here and other forums, along with reading emails and down loading the occasional video.

Would it be easier once I move on to a boat to get rid of the laptop completely and just use an iPad ?

So what does anyone think ?

I use a small laptop on the boat with no disc drive and the battery lasts around 8 hours,my wife uses a tablet,I've tried it a few times and don't like it,too small and fidely.The battery dosen't last as long as my laptop.I'd say keep your laptop if your just going to use it on your boat.

[smileypete]

It was factory reset and new operating system put on about four months back. If I had any spare time at all I'd root it. But I have no spare time. I might just buy one of those Nokia Windows phones, I've gone right off Android.

The laptop - system board most likely we think. Had a geeky friend look at it, for me. Sold it on ebay for spares.

 

Sorry to hear about the lappie, I'd have been tempted to claim through the retailer under SOGA. Had a Dell with a flaky motherboard, limped on for many years after but was my second Dell so I felt my loyalty had been abused.

 

JLs are good as ISTR all their lappies come with a 2 yr guarantee, some manufacturers do extensions eg Toshiba extend to 3yrs for £50 or an extra 4th year on top for another £20.

 

With phones sometimes the older OS versions are a bit more dependable. I reckon the social media type apps can be worst for clogging phones up. I use a neat lightweight app called 'Micro CPU monitor' which lets me see at a glance when the CPU is getting maxed out.

 

If it comes to it why not try an iPhone next time?

 

cheers, Pete.

~smpt~

Edited August 4, 2014 by smileypete