Good Laptop for Onboard?

[Checkswrecks]

While there are a lot of people here with impressive credentials I just want something that works and can talk to the B&G Vulcan in the cockpit which is used when underway. The 2018 Apple iPad Pro 11" has been amazing in covering all those bases for me. No time spent programming, getting frustrated by virus software and updates, etc.

The thing has become my constant companion for the last year and just works so well for so many things that the iPad Pro has taken the place of my MacBook. While there are limits and I still have a Mac Mini at home, they have narrowed those down so much and because of the size & shape I am more likely to have it with me. Ultimately a few months ago I gave the MacBook to my daughter. The BT keyboard pops off if I just want to web surf, read a Kindle book, or watch a video or movie. Last night I connected it to the big TV with an HDMI cable to watch the Tom Hanks movie Greyhound and it downloaded the movie at the same time to watch again if I want. More often, I'm constantly using the keyboard & pencil to do writing, spreadsheets, circuit diagrams (try Anycircuit.com), photos, & whatever else takes input. Now you can even use a mouse just like a laptop. The Pro series has an amazing amount of power and of course there are all sorts of rugged cases which are waterproof. Pricey but they last forever and are worth it.

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/24/appl...ur-laptop.html

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by GrowleyMonster

What's that? Whatever it is, I don't think I am one. I am a Retired Bosun. Not military. Been messing about with computers since the 286 was the hot new processor and a 20MB HD was a pretty big deal. Floppy disks were still floppy. I even had a TRS-80 pocket computer.

Oops, I must have mixed you up with someone else.

0300 is a Marine MOS for Infantry.......

[Reefmagnet]

Originally Posted by stormalong

Interesting. My NUC Vesa mount bracket looks very different from your pictures. My Nuc is about three years old. The bracket consists of some special screws that go into the NUC and a plate with some keyhole shaped holes for the Nuc to rest in. Strictly gravity holding the nuc in the bracket.

The NUC doesn't use a vesa mount. It has it's own custom bracket with the two shoulder bolts used as retainers. I think the design uses the feet of the NUC to provide a degree of friction to hold the unit more firmly in place on the bracket. I've certainly not had issues with it moving in boisterous conditions. It'd be easy enough to lock it in place if this was a problem in any event.

[Cat-a-tonic]

I've been using an old 2nd hand Thinkpad T400 with a 14" widescreen for many years. No battery, runs direct from 12v boat supply though an adapter.


Idealy I would replace the HDD with an SSD but haven't actually had any problems with the HDD. Lap top is at the at the navtable, 21" Kogan TV as a screen repeater visible from the cockpit and a 10" tablet in the cockpit using TeamViewer to view and control the laptop (laptop running Vrtual WiFi).


Money no object then go for the Panasonic Toughbook but carefull securing the T400 is quite adequate and pwerful enough to run all my charting software etc.

[BlackHeron]

I used to use nothing but Thinkpads. Back when they were an IBM product they were a good bit more durable.

When we moved onto the boat full-time I found they were just not up to the job in a marine environment. Maybe the older IBM machines could have withstood the rigors better. I had to go to a Toughbook for my laptop with a SSD.

It's an older model and a bit slow, but I am running Linux on it so it isn't so bad running on a lightweight OS.

But over the past couple of years I have almost completely stopped using a clumsy laptop and do almost everything on my Android phone or tablet now. I only open the laptop when I need a real keyboard or access stuff that I can't easily reach with an Android device.

[Zzmeyer]

For just over $200 you can get a laptop. Backup regularly on a 20 buck thumb drive and buy a new one when you drown or crush this one.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Zzmeyer

For just over $200 you can get a laptop. Backup regularly on a 20 buck thumb drive and buy a new one when you drown or crush this one.

Yeah,

I got the Thinkpad for $292 delivered, but I doubt I'll be backing it up.

It will just have OpenCPN on it with various connections (GPS Puck, SH GX2200, etc) and my favorite youtube videos!

Plus I'll have the RPi and the HDTV with the same.

I have a couple thumb drives and a 1 TB USB drive for backups of my work computers and home Laptop

[BlackHeron]

Originally Posted by Zzmeyer

For just over $200 you can get a laptop. Backup regularly on a 20 buck thumb drive and buy a new one when you drown or crush this one.

It depends on how critical the use of the laptop is to you and what kind if turnaround time one is comfortable with.

Maybe in this case you can have your backup machine built up and ready to use, preloaded with everything you use regularly, and only need the most recent backup files loaded when the current machine turns titsup.

After transferring to the backup machine start looking for and preparing for its eventual replacement at your leisure.

Perhaps store the backup machine in a sealed ziplock bag with rice-filled teabags, and bundled in bubblewrap all tucked into a nice safe place on the boat ready to go.

[mikedefieslife]

Originally Posted by Zzmeyer

For just over $200 you can get a laptop. Backup regularly on a 20 buck thumb drive and buy a new one when you drown or crush this one.

Backup how/what? If your hardware changes you've had it, or are at least in for a lot of work, as you can't then just restore a simple image.

If you use Linux you could backup with Rsync but then you only get the user data, you'd have to go through and install all software and do all the basic setup again. If you use windows it's the same. MacOS is about the only one with a decent backup tool and that is really saying something considering the flack TimeMachine gets.

Since the HW is always going to be the same on the same model, an image file works very well here.

The environment inside a boat is not that harsh. I've said it before, but it's nothing compared to the jolts, bumps, dust etc.. of being off-road. Just lock the device down, use rubber feet if needed, and secure all cables. Keep in a cool dry area and the job is done.

P.S lots of talk of hating windows. I'm another that doesn't like to use it, but if Windows for ARM ever becomes fully compatibility with the Pi4, I will be using this as my head. It opens up so many more hardware options than Linux in term of compatibly, especially when cruising where often you can't choose the exact piece of HW you want, like touch screens for instance.