Typically they will all work with a 12V plug. Utilizing an inverter uses more power as the notebook power adapter takes 120V power and converts it into 12V power to run into the notebook. You may therefore find yourself using an inverter to get 120V power out of your batteries just to have the notebook power adapter change it back to 12V while giving off a lot of heat. That heat is energy being wasted.
They make "always on" laptops that can do a pretty good job of protecting them from typical "falls." Not waterproof, but padded and reinforced. We buy them for the laptops where I work.
12v plug would be good. I guess they would be available from the Oz equivalent of Radio Shack. I'll have to check it out and see. Thanks.
tdw
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Greatness is not where we stand, but in what direction we are moving....we must sail, sometimes with the wind, sometimes against it, but sail we must, and not drift nor lie at anchor.- Oliver Wendell Holmes
Most laptops are greater than 12 VDC nowadays. However, most can be used with an "airline" power adapter, which is essentially a DC-DC voltage converter. Targus, iGo, and a few other companies make them. They're not very expensive, and some can be used to power multiple devices, including PDAs and cell phones, with the right adapters.
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Sailingdog Telstar 28
New England
You know what the first rule of sailing is? ...Love. You can learn all the math in the 'verse, but you take
a boat to the sea you don't love, she'll shake you off just as sure as the turning of the worlds. Love keeps
her going when she oughta fall down, tells you she's hurting 'fore she keens. Makes her a home.
—Cpt. Mal Reynolds, Serenity (edited)
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Thanks for that. An old Luddite like me tends to fall between the cracks in the technological floor boards. It's not really that I'm behind the times but this wheel thingy I keep hearing about has got me quite excited.
__________________
Greatness is not where we stand, but in what direction we are moving....we must sail, sometimes with the wind, sometimes against it, but sail we must, and not drift nor lie at anchor.- Oliver Wendell Holmes
__________________
Sailingdog Telstar 28
New England
You know what the first rule of sailing is? ...Love. You can learn all the math in the 'verse, but you take
a boat to the sea you don't love, she'll shake you off just as sure as the turning of the worlds. Love keeps
her going when she oughta fall down, tells you she's hurting 'fore she keens. Makes her a home.
—Cpt. Mal Reynolds, Serenity (edited)
If you're new to the Sailnet Forums... please read this POST.
So rather than starting a new thread, I'm gonna ask my question here.
Someone already brought up the toughbooks. Would they hold up in the salt air any better than a non-ruggedized laptop?
Talking to a friend of mine who just sold his boat, he was explaining to me that his last laptop lasted about 200 miles at sea before it shorted out and would never boot again.
Toughbooks, at least the fully ruggedized ones that meet the full milspec ratings, should last quite a bit longer than non-ruggedized laptops in a marine environment. They're water-resistant, to the point where the fully ruggedized ones have been displayed with water running over them.
However, a decent laptop, stored in a waterproof case, and not exposed to direct spray or water should work quite well on a boat. Regular use will help preserve it as the heat from operation helps ward off corrosion inducing moisture.
__________________
Sailingdog Telstar 28
New England
You know what the first rule of sailing is? ...Love. You can learn all the math in the 'verse, but you take
a boat to the sea you don't love, she'll shake you off just as sure as the turning of the worlds. Love keeps
her going when she oughta fall down, tells you she's hurting 'fore she keens. Makes her a home.
—Cpt. Mal Reynolds, Serenity (edited)
If you're new to the Sailnet Forums... please read this POST.
Glad to help.
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