[comp.sys.novell] Laptops

jed1@Isis.MsState.Edu (Joseph E. Dunston) (05/13/91)

  I realize this is not the specific subject that this group is designated
for, but information from the laptop will eventually be transfered to
the network.
  I have been given the task to research laptops for the office. I feel the
best evaluation is performed by users.  Does anyone have anything good or bad
to say about laptops that they have used.  Any response is appreciated.

Joseph

jed1@ra.msstate.edu

johnh@eecs.cs.pdx.edu (John Harris) (05/15/91)

In article <jed1.674151309@Isis.MsState.Edu> jed1@Isis.MsState.Edu (Joseph E. Dunston) writes:
>
>for, but information from the laptop will eventually be transfered to
>the network.

The Dell Laptops have an 8-bit ISA expainsion slot.  If you plug in an
expansion card (ie...WD8003e or similar) you will burn your batteries, but
since your on the network you will have 110VAC around, so use the power
cord and unplug the Ethernet card when you go battery powered.

Most Lap-tops _do not_ have an ISA expainsion slot.  Instead they have
propritary slots which only specfic cards fit in.  Be sure when shopping
to make it clear you want an ISA slot.  Many sales people will confuse
ISA and Propritary "expainsion" slots. 

AC powered "Luggables"
have ISA expainsion slots, but are not battery powered.  

There is a Ethernet
card/box that plugs into your Parallel Printer port and then to the net.  
Sounds like special drivers and software to me! but I don't know.
IF you have "econfiged" your server to be used with packet drivers, I'd
worry if the packet drivers exsit for this parallel port option.

We decided on the Dell and WD8003e card, we have also "econfiged".

John Harris
CAD Lab Supervisor
Portland State Univ.
johnh@eecs.ee.pdx.edu

edelheit@smiley.uucp (Jeff Edelheit) (05/15/91)

The pLan boxes connect to the parallel prot and do not require any
special drivers under 2.15.  The thruput, however, is pretty slow.
(I was using an 8088 laptop, so part of the problem may have been the
laptop.)

Having lugged a 12 pounder thru airports, I'd probably go with a 6
pound notebook and the plan or xircon parallel adapter.

Jeff

tecot@momenta.com (Ed Tecot) (05/16/91)

Speaking of laptops, I've got a laptop with a Xircom adaptor that often
isn't connected to anything.  My autoexec.bat runs ipx and net4, but the
net4 tsr won't load unless it can find a server.  I'd like to be able
to connect to a server at a later time without leaving my favorite
application, but since the tsr's not loaded, I can't.  Any suggestions?

						_emt