One question that needs to be addressed is repair. Having delved into
repairing a laptop and trying to find parts, I know how near-impossible this
is. Seriously consider a small tower and build it up with of-the-shelf parts
you can get at most computer places or cheaply obtained on-line. You can
replace bad components easily and any local computer store can also do it.
Look into DC/DC power supplies (same form factor as PC power supplies). Some
of the small form factor PCs, like shuttle are interesting but their
mother-board is not easily available and with most major components on the
mother-board, if one goes bad its a new mother-board! Don't get me wrong, I
like laptops but there are some inherent problems with them for on-board
use.

HTH

Vic

--
__________________________________________________ ______

Victor Fraenckel - The Windman
KC2GUI www.windsway.com

Home of the WindReader Electronic Theodolite
Read the WIND

"Victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory however long
and hard the road may be; for without victory there is no survival."
- Winston [Leonard Spencer] Churchill (1874 - 1965)

Dost thou not know, my son, with how little wisdom the world is governed?
-Count Oxenstierna (ca 1620) to the young King Gustavus Adolphus

"Dick Locke" wrote in message
...
| On Fri, 5 Sep 2003 02:00:24 -0700, Jim Richardson
| wrote:
|
| Laptops take less space, and mostly, less power, but are far more
| expensive and less rugged, plus, they can't be repaired easily, or
| cheaply.
|
| I'm still hoping someone (other than me ;-) ) has looked into or tried
| the Dell SX260/SX270. Under 3.5 x 10 x 10 inches, external power
| supply, laptop-type disc drive (I think) , serial port, looks like it
| might be mountable through an instrument panel.
|
| http://www.dell.com/us/en/bsd/produc...ptix_sx270.htm
|
| Not cheap, looks like suitably decked out it will be around $1,000.
|
| Jim, specwise, any comments?