CF28, good buy or not

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=290195913566&ssPageName=STRK:MEWN:IT&ih=019

I guess at this point the question is really moot. I would like to have bought something a little faster but I'm sure this will work fine for what I want it for.

So what mods can be done?

1. More memory?

2. Larger hard drive?

3. WIFI update?

4. Internal GPS?

I'm sure i'll have more question and your opinions would be appreciated.

 

Personally... For a 600Mhz I think it was way overpriced. That and seeing how the top was all scratched up.

I don't think I'd sink my money into modding a 600Mhz... But that is just me.

 

I don't think he got the one in the photos. I've seen that guy selling them before, and each time has the same photos (Which appear to be an 800...).

Now for the important questions. Does it have all the port covers? Does it have the RIM wireless card (Mod-able for GPS!!!)?

If all port covers are intact (expensive to replace), and the wireless he mentioned in the ad is indeed the board that we mod for GPS, then you didn't do too bad. It did include a DVD drive, so now you have the module to put something better in it...

However, you are maxed out for memory. Sadly the BIOS (Or perhaps the motherboard) limits that on the 600's.

You can get a larger hard drive. Go to newegg.com to get it though, and search for an ATA-6 drive. Get a 7200rpm drive if you can afford it, because you'll notice the difference.

Wireless is a bit tricky. What do you want to do with it, and what kind range will you need?

 

I only missed being outbid by 99cents. When it gets here I'll give it a good going over. That's too bad about the memory being maxed out. I spend a lot of time in Alaska during the summers and want to use it in the field out at the mine. That's why my question about the GPS. As for the WIFI it would just be used for hitting the hotspots when we go to town. Maybe what it has wil be good enough.

The town we go to for supplies doesn't have phone service but the two general stores have satellite internet service and have set up wifi hot spots.
It worked good last summer but I trashed my other laptop bouncing it around on the 4 wheeler.

Thanks for the comments so far.

 

Stiffy

It looks to me like you got a good computer for your needs.
If this computer will last you one year in Alaska at the mines at let you do every thing you need than it was a great deal for $325.69 and if it will last you two years then you stole it.
It doesn’t matter what I paid for any of mine compared to yours at the end of the day these things are tools to use out in the field and we are steeling them at the price we’re getting them at. Current models are selling at ten times what you paid and they won’t do ten times the work and you probably would be too concerned about trashing it on the four wheeler to really get full use out of it.

Now get to work and get that thing modded before you head back up north it will serve you well.
Jim

 

Thanks, Cadillac. The season is short up there and it seems like you spend 9 months getting ready for 3 months of work. And it sucks big time when stuff break down.....

 

I miss Alaska. I lived up there briefly a few years ago, and always wanted to go back.

I was offered a job up in Dead Horse, but stupidly declined...

 

No, you probably made a good choice. Did you ever stop to wonder why the horse died?

 

You didn't do bad. you got a HD/caddy, a CD/DVD caddy, and a 13" touchscreen. It sounds as though it has all the port covers. Those are things that every 28 owner wants, and always sell for a premium. And, if you do decide to upgrade to a 800 or 1000, you can take all of that with you. It probably just has a PCMCIA wifi card, which isn't the best situation but does the job. And honestly, the 600 should do what you want. I'm typing this on a PII-333 CF27. I guess I forgot to tell it it's too slow to do anything useful!

 

If we make it through this summer then maybe next year I'll get a new Toughbook. If the price of gold keeps going up and staying that way this could be the motherlode year. Until then I'll see what I can do with this new to me 28/600.

 

As far as I know all 600mhz series has a black handle and the one you posted is with the silver one. Is it the the actual item?

 

That's a good question. I went back and looked up the sellers history and he used the same picture for all the toughbooks he sold. His descriptions list them all as CF-28's with 600mhz. Assuming they are all the same what would
the silver handle signify? This realm of laptops is all new to me.

 

The silver handle represent for 800 and 1000mhz cf-28 toughbook series. I hope you will be getting the 13" screen one.

 

Thanks for the info. I'm going to give the seller a call this afternoon and see what else I can find out.