OS2World OLD-STATIC-BACKUP Forum

OS/2 - Technical => Hardware => Topic started by: ScottishCaptain on 2008.05.07, 00:55:40

Title: Best OS/2 & eComStation Laptop
Post by: ScottishCaptain on 2008.05.07, 00:55:40
Greetings to all.

I'm looking for a moderately powerful laptop that is supported under OS/2 (4.52- though I'll likely run eCS). Obviously, I'd like to have full ethernet, audio, and video support.

From what I've seen, the T43P seems to be the last OS/2 supported Laptop by IBM (?) with the highest spec.

Can anyone confirm this, or offer any suggestions to what would be the best laptop for OS/2 && eCS these days? While I don't think I'll have to run 4.52, there *is* the possibility, so the system would have to boot it (with a minimum of video & ethernet support- don't care about audio under 4.52) anyways.

Cost isn't an issue. I was thinking around $800, which seems to be around the norm for T43P these days.

Cheerio.
-SC
Title: Re: Best OS/2 & eComStation Laptop
Post by: Saijin_Naib on 2008.05.07, 01:01:23
http://en.ecomstation.ru/projects/ecspc/?action=notebook

This is a very valuable resource to show you what notebooks people have tried and any notes they chose to share about it. Other than that, you will have to read each notebooks specs and check to be sure there are eCS drivers for each piece of hardware.
Title: Re: Best OS/2 & eComStation Laptop
Post by: melf on 2008.05.07, 09:21:59
You can also have a look at this site http://www.curtissystemssoftware.com/ , with preloaded ecs laptops. I don't personally know the company, but I'm sure someone do.
Title: Re: Best OS/2 & eComStation Laptop
Post by: kim on 2008.05.07, 09:48:48
Yet, another advice is to look for what the reviews says about graphical driver supports; SNAP or Panorama drivers. For example I'm running with a ThinkPad T60 where everything is supported except for audio. Having said that Panorama supports the system, I would be more happy if I could get native driver support with SNAP instead - Why? Well, Panorama drivers keeps the GPU busy all the time and the system gets quite hot; so that might be a consideration together if you need to run the system on battery (it will get drained quite fast).
Title: Re: Best OS/2 & eComStation Laptop
Post by: Radek on 2008.05.07, 11:02:19
Here is one anti-advice: Do not buy Sony Vaio bx297xp. Even if this notebook pretends to be highly compatible with eCS (both network cards supposedly supported by Genmac, video supposedly supoorted by SNAP, HD supported by Dani drivers, etc.), you won't be able to put to work anything of it (except HDs). Literally anything: First of all, you won't be able to install (bacause of USB CD drive) and then you find out that you have no network card, no PCMCIA, that you cannot burn CDs (you can read them) and that your video isn't compatible with SNAP. Naturally, no APM and no ACPI.
In the other words, don't make the same blunder I have made ;D

A suggestion: Can notebook owners among us post a short report
- which NB they have
- what does not work on it
- what works only partially (for example: no SNAP, Panorama works)
- what they have not tried (because they haven't needed it)
Title: Re: Best OS/2 & eComStation Laptop
Post by: melf on 2008.05.07, 11:38:20
Quote from: Radek on 2008.05.07, 11:02:19

A suggestion: Can notebook owners among us post a short report
- which NB they have
- what does not work on it
- what works only partially (for example: no SNAP, Panorama works)
- what they have not tried (because they haven't needed it)

Hi Radek,
Just a suggestion that one could proceed reporting on http://en.ecomstation.ru/projects/ecspc/?action=notebook  as saijin_naib mentioned. There is already lots of reports on notebooks (and other hardware as well).
Title: Re: Best OS/2 & eComStation Laptop
Post by: Paul Smedley on 2008.05.07, 12:25:05
Quote from: kimhav on 2008.05.07, 09:48:48
Yet, another advice is to look for what the reviews says about graphical driver supports; SNAP or Panorama drivers. For example I'm running with a ThinkPad T60 where everything is supported except for audio. Having said that Panorama supports the system, I would be more happy if I could get native driver support with SNAP instead - Why? Well, Panorama drivers keeps the GPU busy all the time and the system gets quite hot; so that might be a consideration together if you need to run the system on battery (it will get drained quite fast).
Uniaud v1.9.2 works perfectly on my T60 :)

Cheers,

Paul.
Title: Re: Best OS/2 & eComStation Laptop
Post by: kim on 2008.05.07, 12:46:13
Quote from: Paul Smedley on 2008.05.07, 12:25:05Uniaud v1.9.2 works perfectly on my T60 :)

Just to be able to compare, I got the 2007-FRG (http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/product.do?subcategoryind=0&familyind=290543&brandind=10&doccategoryind=0&modelind=319264&doctypeind=3&validate=true&partnumberind=0&sitestyle=lenovo&template=%2Fproductpage%2Flandingpages%2FproductPageLandingPage.vm&operatingsystemind=49979&machineind=293667) unit with the SoundMAX integrated audio; what system do you have? Sounds great if it does work!
Title: Re: Best OS/2 & eComStation Laptop
Post by: freetransfer on 2008.07.28, 04:48:43
Hello, I'm new here so if I don't use this forum quite right please bear with   me.
Does anyone know if this laptop works w/eCS, RC5 or later, and if so, how well?? I have looked in a few places including the Russian list, but the more info the better imho ...

HP Pavilion DV6725US
(Limited) specs are here:

http://www.electronicscult.com/product_info.php?products_id=462

Thanks,
freetransfer
Title: Re: Best OS/2 & eComStation Laptop
Post by: RobertM on 2008.07.28, 09:08:59
At a quick glance, no Lightscribe (DVD should work though), no FireWire, no ExpressCard, possibly no S-Video (depends on how well the video chipset and BIOS functions are supported in the video driver).

It is also possible that you will have problems with the onboard NIC and wireless... or not... they dont mention what chipsets are used. If you do, you would need a USB NIC of some sort that OS/2 supports (considering you wont have working ExpressCard slots to plug one into), or you would need to swap the Wireless NIC with a supported one (wont work for the onboard wired NIC... it'll either work or not... but it is more likely to work).

Without more specs, anything else would be guessing... I'd guess eCS 2 will install on it...  ;)  ;D

-Robert
Title: Re: Best OS/2 & eComStation Laptop
Post by: freetransfer on 2008.07.28, 19:22:19
Hello, Well it does appear that this machine has Lightscribe, ExpressCard, Firewire, and S-Video.
I can't find any info on the NIC, even the HP website just says 10/100.

Is there a generic NIC driver out there?
Also, did I hear that Nvidia graphics are evil to eCS laptops?

How about eCS compatibility now? Here is the info in the link in my previous email::
Have a look:

Product Features and Technical Details
Product Features
* Entertainment-centric notebook PC with widescreen 15.4-inch LCD and stylish high-gloss finish with wave imprint
* 64-bit 2.0 GHz AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-60 dual-core processor, 160 GB hard drive, 2 GB RAM (4 GB max), LightScribe dual-layer DVD drive
* 54g Wi-Fi (802.11b/g); 10/100 Ethernet; Nvidia GeForce Go 7150 graphics (up to 799 MB of available memory)
* Connectivity: 3 USB, 1 FireWire, 1 VGA, 1 S-Video, ExpressCard 54/34, 5-in-1 memory card reader
* Pre-installed with Windows Vista Home Premium (with Media Center capabilities); includes remote control
Processor, Memory, and Motherboard
* Hardware Platform: PC
* Processor: 2.0 GHz AMD Turion 64
* Number of Processors: 2
* RAM: 2000 MB
* RAM Type: DDR2 SDRAM
Hard Drive
* Size: 160 GB
* Type: Serial ATA
Cases and Expandability
* Size (LWH): 10.12 inches, 4.53 inches, 1.69 inches

Thanks
Title: Re: Best OS/2 & eComStation Laptop
Post by: Saijin_Naib on 2008.07.28, 21:49:55
Graphics should be supported by Panorama VESA, but possibly not in 16:9 modes, only 5:4 or 4:3 modes.
Title: Re: Best OS/2 & eComStation Laptop
Post by: Blonde Guy on 2008.07.29, 23:37:08
Probably the T43 is better supported than T43P.

T43 has one of two graphics chips, both well supported by SNAP. T43P has an unsupported graphics chip, so it's probably slower.