Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!agate!garnet.berkeley.edu!markxx From: markxx@garnet.berkeley.edu Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc Subject: Re: buying laptops Summary: My two cents about a laptop Message-ID: <25018@agate.BERKELEY.EDU> Date: 30 May 89 01:01:25 GMT References: <1007@cernvax.UUCP> <1541@cod.NOSC.MIL> Sender: usenet@agate.BERKELEY.EDU Reply-To: markxx@garnet.berkeley.edu Organization: University of California, Berkeley Lines: 42 (Regarding buying a particular laptop...) Well, knowing that this is probably MORE subjective than the argument over the best wordprocessor (which everyone knows is WordPerfect :-) I think I'll enter the fray... I have owned three laptops, one of which was a notebook, so doesn't count. I had a Zenith Supersport, but sold it, and then was able to get a Toshiba 1200 thanks to a grant. There are a number of reasons that I think that the Toshiba machines (from the 1000 up) are better than Zenith offerings. The Toshiba 1200 at least can be compared to the Supersport (not the 286) and is smaller, lighter, had *much* smaller batteries, better phone support, an autoresume feature (so that in the middle of a program you can turn off the laptop and when you turn it one you are right were you started), a pop-up menu that gives you battery life, modem on/off, etc..., a superior keyboard (so that you don't have to hit a second key each time you need PgDn etc, and I don't mind the smaller Enter key). The only disadvantage is the squashed aspect ratio, which for text is fine but is not the best for freehand graphics. Of course, this isn't a problem with the Toshiba 1600 and with the Toshiba 1200 you can hook up to a color monitor, or TV or VCR with a composit video input, so is not really that bad of a problem. For extended work out in the field (which for me is Northern Thailand) the 1200 is great. Hook the battery charger up to a solar panel and I'm ready to go. The Compaq SLT is nice but too big and expensive. Now the NEC ultralight is impressive, but very expensive and you can't archive to disk without hooking up to AC power. GRiDs are also rugged, but expensive (though from what I have head worth it). I am interested in other's laptop tricks, especially Toshiba's (for instance if you pop out the battery after it is fully charged, and then put it back in and charge it you can squeeze out more time). Fire away... :-) Mark Ritchie markxx@garnet.berkeley.edu