marchior@cernvax.UUCP (alessandro marchioro) (05/27/89)
Help, I am considering to buy a small portable (but bigger than the Toshiba 1000). I am looking at Toshiba 1200FB, NEC Multispeed EL and Zenith. Any experience, suggestion, recommendation ... Is it woth addirth 500$ and having a HD ? Thanks A. Marchioro ------------------------------------ mcvax!cernvax!marchior
mball@cod.NOSC.MIL (Michael S. Ball) (05/28/89)
In article <1007@cernvax.UUCP> marchior@cernvax.UUCP (alessandro marchioro) writes: > > Help, I am considering to buy a small portable > (but bigger than the Toshiba 1000). > I am looking at Toshiba 1200FB, NEC Multispeed EL > and Zenith. We have used a Zenith laptop and have been very happy. The main problem with most of them is the screen, and the Zenith screen is second to none. Most of the brands are adequate. Try them all and check out the screen in a variety of lighting conditions before you buy. (Or just get Zenith. I can promise the screen will be adequate.) The other issue is battery life, which may or may not be important to you. I think the hard disk is well worth the extra money. Floppies are just too painful for serious work. With a hard disk, you can use one of the new breed of laptops as a perfectly find desk-top computer as well. Mike Ball TauMetric Corporation mball@cod.nosc.mil
pollack@toto.cis.ohio-state.edu (Jordan B Pollack) (05/29/89)
Michael Ball writes: > Zenith screen is second to node... > just get Zenith. I can promise the screen will be adequate. Actually, I am extremely happy with my zenith (supersport 286), EXCEPT for the screen. It is deceptively advertized as a 640 by 400 (by 3) screen. But because of brain-damaged firmware in the display controller, only text can use this resolution. ******************************************************************** GRAPHICS PROGRAMS CAN ONLY ACCESS cga 640 BY 200 RECTANGULAR PIXELS! ******************************************************************** I thought it was just a matter of laziness, that they had not yet written a good driver for MSWindows or that Microsoft had not allowed for double-scanned adaptors. But I've spent several hours tracking engineers on the phone, and someone at Zenith finally admitted this. Both the Compaq SLT and Toshiba 1600 have better screens. The Compaq has a VGA 640 by 480 by 3, and the Toshiba 1600 has a EGA 640 by 400 by 4. However, Toshiba is disbarred and Compaq is overpriced... Jordan
markxx@garnet.berkeley.edu (05/30/89)
(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
mball@cod.NOSC.MIL (Michael S. Ball) (05/30/89)
In article <POLLACK.89May29093714@toto.cis.ohio-state.edu> pollack@toto.cis.ohio-state.edu (Jordan B Pollack) writes: >It is deceptively advertized as a 640 by 400 (by 3) screen. But because >of brain-damaged firmware in the display controller, >only text can use this resolution. What can I say except that I spend many hours using the display in text mode and precisely none using it in graphics mode. I still think it's the best I've seen, but I wouldn't dream of trying to run windows on it. Then I wouldn't dream of running windows on ANY machine, especially without a mouse on it. What I use it for is writing, both with outline processors and word processors. I've spent many hours with it in a VW Van (plugged into the 12 volt system) and even use it on my desk upon occasion. It's great for that purpose. Clearly you have to evaluate it in terms of your purpose, and if you want to take a mouse along to run windows when you go into the mountains more power to you. -Mike Ball-