Advice on Panasonic Toughbook

[Mohawk Dave]

Hey all,

I am getting into mapping big time, and I know you guys have been there and done that.

I am looking at purchasing a Toughbook CF-74 Touchscreen to run Google Earth. I have read all the laptop threads on this site, and definitley want a laptop setup. I am currently running a Lowrance 6000c 7" and a Garmin Nuvi 1490t.

The CF-74 can be had for about $526 on Ebay, and it has Intel Core 2 Duo P7300/2.0GHz processor, 3MB cache, 2GB DDR2 RAM, 80GB HDD, 13.3", and 1024 x 768 XGA.

This meets the reqs for GE, but will this be stupid slow? I run two super computers at my desktop so I am used to FAST, but do not expect that in the trail rig.

What is your advice? Will this suffice? Should I buck up and spend more? I really only plan on using it for GE and other GPS/TOPO apps.

Thank you for your anticipated responses,

Respectfully,

Dave

[Roger]

Do you want to connect a GPS satellite receiver through your USB port?
I did that through an old laptop with a P-IV chip and it worked fine. It was reallly slow on loading the Delorme software, but once it was in and located the satellites, it was fine. Wheeling is hard on laptops for two reasons. 1. bouncing around and 2. the dust.

I can't see why a toughbook wouldn't work great for this.

[Mohawk Dave]

Roger,

Yes, I will be running satellite thru USB. This one, unless you all recommend a better one, USGlobalSat BU-353 WaterProof WAAS Enabled USB GPS Receiver. http://www.amazon.com/BU-353-GlobalS...0438689&sr=8-2.

So, just to clarify, this satellite will connect for Google Earth, but it IS NOT internet, correct? I assumed that GE was internet based, but how does this work?

And do any of you know if this particular Toughbook will be pleasantly fast enough for GE?

Thanks again,

Dave

[inVERt'D]

A GPS Receiver will not give you internet. I've got a Verizon 4G USB modem, that does provide internet service for Windows. Linux is another story (so far).

Stupid slow would be Windoze on my CF-27 gen 3, with PII 333MHZ and 256MB RAM. Linux is another story. I think I'd be happy with the specs on the one you're looking at, but the real question is, can the CF-74 survive being run over by a Humvee like my CF-27 can? What about weight: does it have the heft of a cast iron dutch oven? Those are real reasons people buy Toughbooks.

[Roger]

Roger,

Yes, I will be running satellite thru USB. This one, unless you all recommend a better one, USGlobalSat BU-353 WaterProof WAAS Enabled USB GPS Receiver. http://www.amazon.com/BU-353-GlobalS...0438689&sr=8-2.

So, just to clarify, this satellite will connect for Google Earth, but it IS NOT internet, correct? I assumed that GE was internet based, but how does this work?

And do any of you know if this particular Toughbook will be pleasantly fast enough for GE?

Thanks again,

Dave

I have a similar GPS receiver. It picks up the sats only, not the internet. I think you have to download from Google maps the area you want and load it in your notebook computer. I'm not sure. I used Delorme topo map. It worked great has great features for using the map.

[Deepwater]

There is another thread in here on how to cache to your hard drive the area that you are interested in on Google Earth while internet connected. Once you are disconnected GE uses the internal cache. A bit tedious but workable.

Mike

[inVERt'D]

FWIW, I recently got my Pantech UML290 3G/ 4G USB modem (Verizon) working with Linux on my Toughbook, so it's doable. Google Earth works now (after some massaging), but is slow (expected on my old computer).