CF-31 FAQ?? Is there a Sticky in the works? Model Info?? Batt Swap?

I purchased a CF31 this weekend but cannot find much about them online other than the usual sales fluff. Is anyone planning on writing up a Sticky for this?

My 31 came with a CF53 battery in it and some of the ones online that are Listed for a CF31 are also listed as usable for the CF30. BUT according to Heartland tech support, they had no idea what they were talking about...

Anyone have a schematic that shows how the GPS antenna is installed in a CF31Q model?

 

I am guessing you mean a CF-31 FAQ. Only a few members have the 31 now but my guess once more of us has them then someone will write one up then I will add it here http://forum.notebookreview.com/panasonic/427461-read-before-posting-ultimate-toughbook-resource-thread.html

Heartland does not have much tech support...someone looking at the service manual and if your battery part # is different than what it should be then it don't work .....but as you know it works fine.

Sorry I don't but if you are buying a after market one then it should come with a "How to do it" unless you bought one of them cheap china one's then you have a problem.

 

Very few of us have had one. I have had the change to look one over very good though at work. (Service company had one) I still want one but got to get a few other things out of the way first before I get one with ATI graphics.

Now on the GPS it should be close to how it is on the CF-30.

CF-31 GPS KIT - Installation instructions : Custom Toughbooks, -Aftermarket solutions for Panasonic Toughbooks

The above link is aftermarket only and is put here as reference.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/panasonic/624671-cf-31-gps-kit-anyone-have-pics.html

Rob has some words of advice in the above thread.

 

Thanks guys!! Ador, that pictorial is what I was looking for. Under the R antenna cover there is a magnet holder and I wasn't sure if the GPS antenna fit in there or not.

I kinda lucked out on getting this laptop. It is only the i3 @2.1G but it has the fingerprint reader and someday soon a GPS system in it also.

 

I have a few parts put up for them right now. I have two of those exact GPS systems in the box at home for that one day project.

 

I do?

Hmmmmmm....

 

Shushh you! You have like one of everything so you don't count....

 

@Rob, I know what you mean, I have a 31 I'm on right now, 2-30Mk3, 3-30Mk2, and 4 29's all within 15 feet. (Plus a ton of parts) that doesn't include the HTPC in the bedroom, the HTPC in the living room, the laptop for the playroom (netflix/games/music) a gateway server and a few other Misc computers in various states of disrepair...

@ADOR, are your GPS the OEM ones or the ublox/sirf aftermarkets? What do you need for one? Interested in any trades? I happen to have a few parts laying around... ;-)

I picked up a few cf-30's and when the previous owner removed the HD, they took the Cable with it but put the caddy/box back in. Is there a source for JUST the cable or am I SOL and need to buy the Whole caddy??

I purchased the Heartland restore disc and they said I could choose from 64 or 32 Bit but then Mallorie said you can only make that choice Once. Anyone able to clarify what she was talking about? I remember back in the old 98SE/earlyXP days they had one time use software, but didn't think they Still used that BS.

I appreciate the Help guys!! Thanks for everything!

 

You can pickup just the cable on ebay...Heartland wants $54.00 for one plus shipping

Not sure about yours but I bought one from Heartlands too for my CF-53 and found the DVD was for the CF-52MK4 to so I installed the cd on both of them and picked the 64bit for the 53 and 32bit for the 52. Not sure you know this but you do the regular install and then you go into you start menu "Panasonic" and pick "Recovery Disk Creation Utility" . That is when you pick the 32bit or 64bit...you will need 2 DVD's. Then you install it over again..I think

 

Mine are the exact same ones in the link I put up. Let me think about it, but feel free to PM me with any offers.


The way the Microsoft Windows guidelines you agree too on installing is for one or the other. You choose what you want to install. On some CF-28's I had they had a dual COA WINDOWS 2000 and WINDOWS XP. If you installed 2000 that is the only OS that you are suppose to to install on that machine with out a new COA. On the Windows 7 version 32 bit vs 64 bit it's the same way.( XP 32 bit and 64 bit had there own special COA but, 7 doesn't between 32 bit and 64 bit) But there is no record of what you originally installed so on a used machine there is no way to know for sure. ( I have ran across a few cases on other laptops were they were only offered from the factory with a 32 or 64 bit only)

 

ToughasNails. That pretty much sounds like what the lady was telling me. that I'd have to go into the panasonic folder and choose the 64bit option, but she didn't explain it too well. The good thing is they are sending out a replacement disk, so if it IS a one time thing, i can change if I want to (but as you said, you put it on 2 computers So.... Who knows!?)

In your opinion, is it even worth the time and effort to put the 64bit on it? I have read opinions either way. I do like the much higher memory values, security features, and the ability to open an XP window, but thats about all I would use.

 

Should you, good question really. I don't think any of us really needs to upgrade to 64bit but we do only because we can but remember if you do you will need to upgrade your memory because 4GB is not enough...64bit loves memory so you should have 8GB at least. I am just going by what others have said about 64bit. I have 64bit on both of mine now and am running 16GB in both.

 

I think the ability to pop in 16GB memory, is reason enough. In my experience, memory makes a more noticeable performance gain that processor upgrades, and we can't upgrade our Toughbook processors anyways.

 

The best performance upgrade which you can ever make is a replacement between HDD and SSD. The next is adding more RAM. When you have enough RAM, it's worth to add a "RAM DISK" and move your temporary folder and browser cache there

 

I agree, my boot time was cut almost in half when I upgraded to SSD...my CF-53 boots into windows now in 17-19 seconds (Kingston HYPER X 240GB) :thumbsup:

 

@Toughasnails I got the 32 Vs 64 install figured out. You do a complete install of the 32Bit system, then make a Restore disk (choose between 32 and 64) then REinstall if you wanted the 64B version. Somewhat of a Headache, but still Much faster than installing XP, drivers, Etc Etc...

I have a nice Intel SSD in my 31 right now, it is the same one i had in my 30Mk3 and this laptop seems to be twice as fast as the 30 was. With 16Gb (ddr3) of memory only ~100 bucks, that is not too pricey to upgrade, considering 4Gb for my 30 (ddr2) is 60 bucks! The 31 can also take advantage of the faster transfer speeds too, where the 30 is a bit slower (no specs on hand though, just the 'Levi Dyno')

I know 64bit is a memory hog, my desktop has 16G and seems to love using it all! But memory is cheap and easy to upgrade! One thing I use my laptop for is 'auto/ electrical' stuff and some of those programs are only usable in XP, which 64bit has special 'windows' for.

I love this sight! It doesn't matter if your a Canuck, European, Philippine, or American; everyone pretty much gets along, shares ideas/opinions, and nobody is calling childish names or 'Libtard/rePubeican' stupidity! Sorry, just got done reading my news sites with the 'kids' bickering over nothing!

Thanks for all the help and view points!

 

Check your PM's. Found something you might like for you 31

 

Yes! The battery from CF-31 is as the same on CF-30. I have one from CF-31 that I use once in a while on my CF-30.

ohlip