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Solve : Bought a budget notebook today and I'm impressed?

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It's an HP 2000-299WM. Got it at Walmart for $298. I bought it specifically to run programming/diagnostic software I use for editing / writing high performance programs for automotive computers. A simple PC with limited speed, memory, ect. can be used for this so I bought just about the cheapest thing I could find. But the PC needs to be configured with no antivirus, firewall, automatic updates, screen saver, no viruses, ect (nothing that will interupt the actual removal and re-flashing of the program in the cars computer). If this process is interupted it can result in rendering the car computer un-usable (mega $ in some cases).
The software also has tremendous diagnostics functions I can use for automotive repair which I do a lot of when I'm not at my main job. So the laptop will pay for itself very quickly.
So this PC will be mainly used just for this purpose - no internet (can't afford the possibility of a virus), but I've got several other PC's for that.
Anyway, I'm really impressed with what $298 can buy these days. Here are the specs.
I feel like a happy camper. Did I do good?

You did fine. That's about the going price for that cpu/chipset combo (T3500/GM45) which was introduced about 16 months ago. The i3 Sandy Bridge series 2 has pretty MUCH superceded the "T" series. The primary difference is the Intel GMA vs the HDG-3000.

BTW, what is the software you are using? No problems running under Win7-64? You can always try running it on Microsoft Virtual PC 2007.

FYI:
http://ark.intel.com/products/42104/Intel-Celeron-Processor-T3500-(1M-Cache-2_10-GHz-800-MHz-FSB)

http://ark.intel.com/products/52220Quote from: Computer_Commando on January 06, 2012, 06:36:07 AM

You did fine.

Thanks CC. That's good to know.

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BTW, what is the software you are using? No problems running under Win7-64? You can always try running it on Microsoft Virtual PC 2007.

It's supplied by Carputing LLC. The software I've been using since 2004 is for my 96 Trans Am WS6 which I changed to a 95 OBD1 PCM (which is why the software is listed as 94/95 LT1_Edit) Link here. I run it on an old Dell Lattitude laptop running Windows XP.

This new laptop will be used for a 2003 Chevy S10 ZR2 4x4 truck that I just bought. The software is listed under 97-07 LS1 cars + trucks Link here.
As listed under 'Requirments':
"LS1-edit runs on Windows 98, Windows ME, Windows NT, Windows XP, Windows 2000 Windows Vista and Windows 7 operating systems. Minimum hardware requirements are a Pentium 200 or AMD processor with at least 32MB RAM. You will also need one available USB port on the PC. This is used for the OBD-II to USB CONVERTER we provide."
It will take some time for me to get familiar with this new software before I actually re-flash the PCM in this truck. This is powerful STUFF and there is no room for mistakes/typo's or lack of knowledge about the parameters being edited. A mistake when modifying the program tables can be very costly. For example - If I accidentally enter the values for the transmission to shift to 1st gear at 110 mph, it will do so, but will trash the internal parts of the transmission requiring an expensive repair.[/quote]


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FYI:
http://ark.intel.com/products/42104/Intel-Celeron-Processor-T3500-(1M-Cache-2_10-GHz-800-MHz-FSB)

http://ark.intel.com/products/52220

The Core i3 CERTAINLY has advantages but T3500 should do fine with the software I'll be running on this machine.


I'm in the Ford EEC-IV camp. This seems to be their best equivalent.
Home computers are far more advanced than any automotive computer or even most of DoD's. They require rugged reliability, not speed & sophistication.
I'm still using my old PII-333 notebook with Win2k for other things besides Internet.


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