CF 29 HD question

OK... Probably a noob post, but I got my first one out of the way already.

Purchased a refurbed cf 29 and so far so good. I installed a 1gig mem chip and based on the reading I did here, found a new Hitachi Travelstar 7k100 HD and have that on the way.

The main use for my toughbook will be as a nav/expedition computer. It will spend most of its life mounted in my truck with Delorme software running. It came with the 40gig hd. With the OS, the Delorme, AVG free and cCleaner installed, Im using about 8 gigs of the HD.

And now for my question... I know the R/W speeds on an ssd are faster..IIRC the Hitachi has a 10/11 mbs. NewEgg has a 16gb Transcend MLC SSD for, IIRC $120. The R/W speeds on that, IIRC 70/45....

Will the faster R/W speeds translate into faster map draws while navigating with the Delorme software running?

Did I make a noob mistake and post this in the wrong forum?

 

Looks like the right forum

Is the ssd you are concidering is designed for ide or standard ata


Alex

 

Tomcat.... Heres a link to one...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820208444

Heres all 7 newegg offers for a PATA drive...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010150636 1421530855&name=PATA

 

16 GB won't leave you much room, I have a 32 GB SSD and my Windows XP install and programs takes up almost 11 GB, just something to think about. A 32 GB would be my lower limit for XP and 64 GB for Windows 7.

 

I have had good luck running XP in a 16GB drive for years.

You can create some room in XP by:
1. Do a clean install and then Image with Ghost or Acronis.
2. Imaging and then cutting off System Restore. Plus this is faster!
3. Doing away with the new Search tool and/or cutting off Indexing. Plus this is faster!
4. Cutting back on the size of your Recycler File by 50%.
5. Going to C:\WINDOWS and after showing hidden files and folders deleting all $NtUninstallXXXXXXXX$ files. Just keep in mind you will not be able to uninstall new Windows features this way.
6. Use CCleaner regularly.
7. Install only the programs that you need and use.
8. Re-imaging the computer every now and then to cut down on OS Clutter.

I have used a 16GB Seagate Cheetah Ultra160 SCSI 15,000 RPM Boot drive in my desktop for 7 years like this.

However there I have the luxury of over 3TB of data storage in auxiliary SCSI and SATA drives, plus my server.

 

Az, that's about what I've got right now. Just a bare bones version of XP pro loaded.

Is there a major noticeable difference between the two types of ssd drives?

Also, will the increased r/w speeds of the ssd increase map draws on the mapping software? Or will it even be noticeable between the hitachi hdd or the transcend ssd? General questions I know. But the increased speed, IMO is worth the extra cost assuming I don't need more than 16 gigs.

 

Opie, Don't worry about map draw times. Your CF-29 is more than fast enough with the stock hard drive to seamlessly draw maps at 550 knots, ie in a Airbus 320. Unless you plan on going super sonic you will be fine.
CAP

 

Cap, thanks for the reply. I know different zoom levels and speeds dictate map draws. I noticed at one point, based on my speed and the zoom level I was at, the Access to the HD was constant.

 

Which Delorme software are you running? My CF-18 MK-4 has no problem with running Streets and Trips and Delorme Topo at the same time, on a split screen.
CAP

 

Im running the Delomre Earthmate LT40 with the 2010 street atlas.

 

You could run that on a CF-27 so don't worry about the hard drive as far as that application. The 3-D in Topo 7 doesn't phase my CF-18 even when running in parallel with S&T. A smaller SSD drive might give you some problems with storage of a lot of maps, they can gobble up HD space pretty quick.
CAP

 

Allright, thanks CAP.

 

HAHA complaining about space are we. I use a slim xp on my netbook on a 4GB drive yes 4 not 40. That thing is speedy on par with my 2Gig P4.

Anyways i was considering getting a SSD but wouldnt waste money on the pata since its not future proof. There is a hack around to get sata on the 29, then get the sata ssd, i imagine it would be pretty quick and definitely more durable.

 

I have been tinkering with PCs for close to 30 years, I have never found anything that was "future proof." Even when the manufacturers tied to make it so, they failed. Obsolesce is planned now.

 

Yep, there will always be someone to make an adapter for it.

 

Ya know whats FUNNY as hell??? I used to sell POS "eMachines" that were "Never Obsolete". Their was a sticker on the damn thing that ACTUALLY SAID THAT!!! LOL... Lets see if I can find a link to a pic.... Yup! Here it is right here: http://www.theguruguys.com/images/3t.jpg

Best thing is that these pile of CRAP computers were all like Celeron 700MHz with like 64MB of RAM running XP!!!

 

Don't think I've seen THAT many stickers on a PC before!

...but how does it run??

 

The best thing I have found about eMachines is that it was such a small cheap company that the desktop cases they used were generic ATX and could usually be upgraded like a whitebox, unlike something like a DELL, HP, or worst an IBM that all used proprietary fittings and pen headers.

My current Linux machine was built inside an old eMachine case.

But Rob is 100% correct, they are otherwise crap. This all reminds me of Packard Bell and how cheap we all thought they were, when gasp, they surface mounted all the ICs and the better machines were all socketed so that components could be replaced in the years to come.

Now-a-days very few try to repair an old and faulty motherboard!

 

Allright, got the new Hitachi drive in and what a world of difference.

Got everything loaded back up, all drivers and what not. Just one thing isnt working.

When I hold down the "fn" key to use the f keys at the top of the keyboard, nothing happens. I cant control the brightness or volume through the keyboard. It worked prior, so I know its something simple. I have the driver for the 101-102 ps2 keyboard loaded. I also have the drivers for the hot keys loaded but not installed.

 

You don't need a separate keyboard driver as the standard windows works fine
Hotkeys is the issue, try reinstalling everything related to hotkeys and if there is ! in device manager update drivers to the hotkeys folder in C: utilitys drivers hotkey



Alex

 

OK... So If I have the hotkeys drivers in c:\util, where do I send them? I tried updating the keyboard driver using the hotkeys, but that didnt work.

 

Not worried about keyboards, do you have any ! marks for unknown devices in device manager



Alex

 

I believe so, yes. IIRC they are a little "?" wrapped on a yellow bubble/box. I'm away from the it right now so I can't confirm.

 

If the hotkeys are not installed they will show as an error or unknown in device manager
Update the unknown device by pointing to the hotkey driver in the C: utility's folder
If you have the correct unknown device it will update and except the hotkey driver


Alex