Laptop for deployment

Greetings everyone!

I'm a new member to the forum and this is my first post so please be gentle. I'm due to deploy in April and was looking for a laptop to handle the rugged environment. I've been looking at the cf-28 and the Itronix IX250. Both seem to be rugged enough to handle what I intend, but I was wanting some expert advice. What do you folks think?

 

Ummm... this forum is pretty much devoted to taking older model Toughbooks (especially the CF-28 series) and helping them "Be all they can be" again... so I don't know for sure, but I think we may have a hard time giving you an impartial opinion... LOL

We LOVE the CF-28s. Period.

mnem
There is a fine line between love and truly strange behaviour...

 

I have at work 5 CF-19s, 2 CF-29's, and an Itronix. The Panasonics have given me no problems. I cant say that about the Itronix. I also own a CF-28 personally and have had no issues with it.

BTW- I am a DoD civilian and computer admin for our fire station.

 

Hey Mnementh!

I just saw that you are in San Antonio. I'm just finishing up a TDY there and will be returning home tomorrow. Sorry I didn't ask this sooner so that I could have asked you a plethora of questions over a beer (my treat of course). Anyway, I understand the loyalty to the TB. I'm just trying to see what I can get at an affordable price. I'm guessing that the USB on the 28 is either 1 or 1.1 correct? Has anyone looked at some of the mods that people are doing to the Asus EeePC and thought of utilizing some of their ideas to the 28? Some of the mods are intriguing (internal USB 2.0 hub with a port utilizing a Bluetooth adapter or USB powered GPS module). Anyway, until I get a 28, I'll just be a wannabe. My ebay will smile and allow me to win the one I'm aiming for! Thanks in advance for all the questions I'll be pestering you with.

 

Good information Bigfoot! That will definately help in my decision making. I'm just trying to look at all the options. I've put a bid on a TB28 800 and hope to win! I too am a DoD civilian and it is my priviledge to volunteer to deploy and help the warfighters in achieving their mission.

 

Welcome to the forum OK!

I can build you one... With ALL the options... I sell them on ebay and off. PM me for details and budget.

The fun thing though (If you have the time) is to mod them yourself! I doubt you'll get parts shipped over there though.

"Asus... we don't need no stinking Asus!" We have all the mods covered around here believe me! There are people working on what you speak of... But we were/are after the important things... Bluetooth/GPS/Hi-Po Wifi/ etc... If you read through a few pages around here you will see that the mods can be fairly easy to do (Bluetooth, wifi) while others are a little more involved. (GPS)

Thanks for stopping by... Oh... And Itronix doesn't come close to the Toughbook... No how... no way!

 

Just to play the devil's advocate here.. if you want something to compare the Toughbooks to, look at a Getac. They're at least as rugged as a CF28. They're well-engineered and the build quality is superb. BUT.. The price is looney-tunes.

And just for the heck of it, maybe I'll mention the Fieldworks too, but they aren't exactly portable! More like a luggable desktop computer in a super-rugged package.

 

Don't those come with a free wheelbarrow for carrying them around on?

*Cackles*

mnem
*Wonders idly if a FieldWorks ever took a bullet for its owner*

 

You might check with High Tech Assests in OKC. He had some cheap 28-800s
on Ebay. I bought my CF 29 from them. They are located on Meridian in OKC.
Good fellas to deal with.

 

Welcome to the Forum there, Shooter - You weren't at Ft. Sam were ye? I was there Thursday doing some maintenance for one of my tech contracts...
mnem<~~~ Proud to serve those who serve - But I still wish we'd bring them home*

 

We're (Slowly) working on that. We have GPS using internal circuitry though (and it works). We also have bluetooth as well. Eventually the card I'm designing will operate with a USB 2.0 PCMCIA card that is ripped apart, and routed through mine to offer a hub, but I don't want to get too ahead of myself yet... I'm still having trouble getting screw hole alignment on just a GPS board.

Oh, and for the record, My brother was in the 101st, 1st, 327th. You better believe I support our troops in every way. Stay safe!

 

Well, it looks like I'm sold on the cf-28! I'll have to check in on Hi-Tech Assets since they are in the neighborhood. I'm hoping to build up a 28 on my own since I like to tinker around with stuff. Through tinkering I learn the ins and outs of any device I'm working on. That also makes it easier to fix in the field if and when it's needed. I did a scan through some of the topics in this forum and I've got to say I'm impressed! You guys are quite the developers in your own right. Forget what I said about the EeePC! Modly, you sound like a EE in your project developments. I look forward to reading more on what you're working on. By the way, is that a '66 Caddy Hearse that you're sporting? Thanks for all the replies and for making me feel welcome here! I hope to one day be able to post some tidbits of wisdom here myself and perhaps pass along the welcome to someone new as you guys have so willingly done for me.

 

Glad to hear that, I can stop looking at them now.

 

Look for a 'bright screen' model, I now have 3 CF-28 touch screen versions and there is a big difference between my newest one a MK4 and my older MK2 & 3 versions.

Apart from the lid lamp replenishments, the mylar protective screen covering can be quite yellowed, or muddy ~ I think it is a neoprene type discolouration due to exposure to daylight/sunlight over long time periods.

I do see one or two LCD screen replacement outfits in the US but they ship within the US only. My two older CF-28s came out of Police Cruisers in the US ~ I suspect these will have the duller screens due to their permanent placement in the open position.

 

Why thank you, and yes, that is a '66 Hearse I've got there. Dropped in a 500ci Cadillac engine out of a '76 Fleetwood, custom fuel injection, converted the front to disc brakes, and airbag suspension all around. My brother and I did all the work to it, and his '66 Ford F-100 (Because we don't trust other mechanics ).

It's a fun car though. There isn't a single person that doesn't look at it when you drive by.

 

Well they're not THAT bad Actually compared to the old Allen-Bradley luggable programming terminals, they aren't bad at all. I remember many years ago I had to carry an old T-53 all the way through a GM plant BY HAND.. probably about a mile of walking. A guy was supposed to pick me up at the entrance on a golf cart, but he never showed. The thing weighs about 100 lbs. I think I stopped a dozen times on the way. After that I insisted on getting one of those fold-up hand trucks!

 

Ouch. That's harsh man.

And I thought carrying my toughbook a mile was a pain

 

Sorry for the delay, but lack of sleep and a the plane ride back from my TDY (Site Survey at Randolph AFB), so I ended up taking a little nap after I got back! :SLEEP: When I was younger and living with my parents, I had a friend that was going to get rid of his 66 Caddie Hearse. I liked it myself and was going to get it (Black with the grey interior and slot dish mags), but my Mom is a very superstitous Native American and she didn't want that parked in front of the house. According to her, to do so would invite death to the house. Oh well, it looks sharp and the 500 is a powerhouse! I bet she sounds really nice. So far I'm still the winning bidder on a TB, though I still have another day and a half till the auction is over. Another question though...Are the mother board dimensions on the 28's the same for all the three different flavors (600, 800 and 1 GHz)?

 

Heh... my favorite truck was my granddad's old '79 F-150 - when the 302 kakked in it, I was a bit short of engine fundage, but I had a '71 Caddy 500/TH400 under the workbench I'd bough as a spare for my mom's Eldorado. (I know the tranny wouldn't fit the Eldo - but it came with the motor). At first I thought I was nuts, but once I got them hung in the space things really went easy - I bought a Spicer hybrid U-Joint (Meant to be used for putting the Ford 9" rear into a Chevy - I don't believe they'd considered this particular application) and got the tailshaft located; redrilled the frame to move the crossmember about 6"... then just hung the motor & all to get the location for the new motor mounts. A little 6"x8" angle plate and my welder got it located; drilled bolt holes through it all into the front cross then welded all the brackets up off the vehicle(No, I didn't do the JethroMobile thang and weld the motor in). All in all, it took about 90 minutes to have it all in & bolted down; I spent 6 hours fabricating mounts & fan shroud for the Cadd 3-Core rad & fan. The motor had all the accessories so all I hadda do was toss the AC compressor and weld up some fittings to plumb the rest of it up; and wiring? Heh THAT was cake with the SI-10 alternator & HEI ignition. I figger it would have cost me about $1800 to go with the 390-460/C6 combo I'd originally intended to use; this job cost me $325, including a second hand spread-bore Holley 650 DP that bolted on & made that thing purr. It had 3.0 rear-end gears from the OD 4-speed manual; so it topped out around 145 (I guess - it would wind back around to the zero peg just about all-out) if you were man enuf to drive it that fast - that old twin I-beam front end gets a little floaty above 120 - yer just about gripping on the outside 1/2" of tread by then.

I found out later part of the reason it was such an easy fit - the 500 is a VERY compact motor for its displacement. It is only about 4" wider and 75 lbs heavier than the smallblock it replaced. The '71 was the last year for the 400HP/620 Ft/Lb 500s - after that, they dropped the compression from 10.5:1 down to 9.75 then 9.25 for the smog pump version... then they hacked displacement to 421 CI in 77 or 78. When I see guys telling me about their 300HP Camaros & 'Stangs I just snort... and the ricerockets? yeah, it's impressive to get that much power out of a 4-cyl... but please - do the same thing to a bigblock & see what REAL HP is.

As for the CF-28 MBs - definitely NOT the same from 600mhz to 800mhz; but I understand that the 800mhz & 1000 mhz are interchangeable without a lot of grief.

mnem <~~~ Vibrating because... I remember.*

 

Update: I just won the auction on a cf-28 on ebay! I'ts an 800 MHz with a 13" touchscreen, wifi card, CDROM 256MB and a 20GB HDD. It's coming with the AC adapter and XP pro COA. I think with S/H it came out to $267. What do you folks think?

 

Mhmmm... if everything works, and it REALLY has the XP COA (Not just the stupid M$ ad sticker saying "Built for Windoze XP") you got a fair deal. I paid $180 for my Mk3 delivered; but I only got a floppy, no CDROM.

mnem
Congratulations, welcome to the fold. May God have mercy on your soul... :wink:

 

Thanks Mnementh! I've already started looking for my goodies to add and I have a question (shouldn't you be tired of those yet). I found a slim DVD R/W, but was unsure if it would work. It's a Liteon DS-8A1P that I found for $47 at www.zipzoomfly.com. Will this work?

 

According to the regulars here, the TEAC standard form factor (which is the de facto standard for laptop drives now) is what Panasonic uses in their caddies for the CF-27,28 & 29. I believe some have mentioned issues getting the laptop to boot from CDROM if you use a drive by any manufacturer than Panasonic, but I also believe there is a workaround for that.

As I haven't yet bothered to get one for mine (I used a workaround for the load OS without OEM CDROM issue) I'll have to let one of the other regulars here give you more details.

mnem
*Drops back & punts*

 

Thanks Mnementh for looking! I'll probably wait until I get my hands on the 28 and do a complete tear down/inspection before I finalize my wish list of upgrades. Till then, I'd better get back to studying for my final tomorrow! I guess I'm a masochist as I work full time, going for my masters and now getting ready for deployment! I must be insane!:twitcy:

 

GOOD FOR YOU! I know its not easy!

 

*Raises a glass in salute*

May you succeed in all your missions; especially the #1 mission: bring yourself home alive.

mnem<~~~ Very thankful all you soldier folk are out there doing this so I don't have to*

 

Thanks everyone for the kind words! I truly don't deserve them. I'm just a civilian and don't have as long a deployment as the true heroes in harm’s way for our freedoms that so many have taken for granted! Sorry for the rant, but those people have been driving me nuts lately. How dare the Berkeley City Counsel perform such a heinous act against our Marines! Anyway, I'll be taking a break from my school work to devote time for my deployment. I just need to make it through this final and I'll be golden. That will also free up time to perform some of those "honey dos" as well as a few upgrades before I deploy.

 

Here is where Toughbook explains how to fix your DVD writer to work. http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=162276

 

Thanks Bigfoot! I took a look at the thread, but the only mention was a Sony. Is that all or can I use any slim form factor DVD RW? On a side note...My final is over and the flow of beer has begun!

Never mind. I re-read the thread and answered my own question!