Laptop?

[Mama Fishcacher]

As I mentioned in another post, I’m NOT very techno-savvy. I can run my GPSr, but the cable to download the waypoints sits in a drawer collecting dust…. I DO use an old Palm Pilot for paperless caching. I can find my way around the internet pretty well.

However… I am chained to a desk when I need a computer. I’m considering a laptop. (I think I’m gonna put it on my christmas list this year.) What I need to know from all you cachers with laptops – what minimum system requirements would I need for geocaching? And if I want to make an internet connection while I’m out, (or use it at home for internet surfing) do I have to have another ISP for that? (I pay charter enough as it is for my cable internet. I don’t know if I want to pay them or another company even more, lol!)

Ideally, I’d love to keep my trusty old GPSr until I can afford one with the “sirf” chip, so I’d like to put some sort of map program on the laptop too. Although I get along pretty well with my paper atlas. (I love maps.)

Can anyone help me with info? In English? 😉

~Mama Fishcacher

[hogrod]

Make sure you get a wifi card or wifi built into your laptop, that way you’ll be able to use any “hotspot” that has free or cheap wifi to get online when your out caching.
madison has a city wifi project going on downtown, at first it was free but now its a pay thing…. but i think they let charter customers use it at no cost, though I could be wrong. I NEVER pay for wifi there is enough out there to find one for free(there are many websites that list free access points).

laptop stats/specs all depend on what your going to use it for, if its email, surfing the web and other basic stuff you probably could get by with something cheap.
MS streets and trips will interface with many gpsr, and without the gps “puck” is under $40. it’s probably one of the better deals for getting decent maps. It worked great with my meridian gold, though its a little work with my 60cx & legendC.

[TyeDyeSkyGuy]

The simplest reply is to have your laptop built your way. My Mother just finally got her first home computer (she has 3 at work). She needed many specifics and Dell helped her out immensely. They will build a laptop for you, based on what you say you need, not what they want you to have. Give Dell computers a call, tell them what you will be using the laptop for, and they will know exactly what you need.

[cacheseekers]

@hogrod wrote:

Make sure you get a wifi card or wifi built into your laptop, that way you’ll be able to use any “hotspot” that has free or cheap wifi to get online when your out caching.
madison has a city wifi project going on downtown, at first it was free but now its a pay thing…. but i think they let charter customers use it at no cost, though I could be wrong. I NEVER pay for wifi there is enough out there to find one for free(there are many websites that list free access points).

laptop stats/specs all depend on what your going to use it for, if its email, surfing the web and other basic stuff you probably could get by with something cheap.
MS streets and trips will interface with many gpsr, and without the gps “puck” is under $40. it’s probably one of the better deals for getting decent maps. It worked great with my meridian gold, though its a little work with my
60cx & legendC.

You’re wrong about the Charter customers at no cost. Restech will sell you cheaper subscription to ‘supliment’ your Charter connection at a cheaper rate than normal plans. Personally, I’d stay as far away from the Mad City Broadband project as I could. I know too much of the internal workings of what is going on to want to be apart of it. (I don’t want to be posting more on that subject as it is personal experience and feelings so yeah, don’t ask me to 🙂 Also, just so it’s understood Restech is Leasing/renting the ability to utilize the Mad City Broadband and sell internet through it, as well as Merrimac (both of which I have no problems with) . 🙂

There are too many ways to have free internet access that I can’t see paying for it for the little it would be used. Many cafe’s in Madison provide free access as well as just random spots throughout the area.

[TyeDyeSkyGuy]

I have heard rumors that the entire city of Milwaukee is going WIFI. Seems you will be able to pay the city a monthly access fee to use it. I heard this a few months back so I may be wrong. Uhm, it could have been Chicago too.

In 15 years, it will be everywhere. 🙄

[cacheseekers]

@tyedyeskyguy wrote:

I have heard rumors that the entire city of Milwaukee is going WIFI. Seems you will be able to pay the city a monthly access fee to use it. I heard this a few months back so I may be wrong. Uhm, it could have been Chicago too.

In 15 years, it will be everywhere. 🙄

I believe the same “Company” that is doing the Madison project is trying to get Milwaukee in on it.

[Team Deejay]

I just heard on the news yesterday that the Milwaukee project is not going forward, at least with the vendor previously selected. It seems that there was concern about the “no-bid” process used to select the vendor and certain alderman having received contributions from said vendor. Hmmm, sounds familiar…..

[Timberline Echoes]

We bought a Gateway at Best Buy in June. Large screen, at least 4 USB ports, at least 40-80 kb hard drive, wi-fi built in. 1 kb of RAM too…

Timberline Echoes

[Mama Fishcacher]

Thanks all for your help!

Has anyone ever had luck purchasing computers from eBay? I’m wondering if that would be a better way for me to go to get one less expensive….

~MF

[cacheseekers]

I’ve had a few friends purchase the off of ebay. From used Dell’s to new Thinkpad’s. So far I haven’t heard of anyone having bad experiences. Come to think of it, I believe I bought my first laptop back in 1997-98 off of ebay. That lasted me a long time.

I’d just pay through something like Paypal where you can fight to get your money back if you have a bad seller. And purchase from sellers with high auction counts with 100% positive feedback, or near 100%.

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