About three years ago, after becoming disgusted with the state of USB-to-serial converters*, I bit the bullet and bought a used, refurbished Dell Latitude C610 on eBay for not a lot of bucks. It had a dedicated serial port, so it was good for my Picaxe, PIC, and Arduino work. I spent a few more bucks to upgrade the RAM to 1 GB and replace the battery, and I was ready to go.
Three years later, the machine is still going strong. It started as just my workshop machine, but I liked it so much that I added my professional and financial stuff, and later, even installed Delphi on it. It's good enough that I even developed a couple of Delphi freeware apps with it. A real joy to use, even if it's slower than modern machines, and only has a 20 GB hard drive. But it's small and light, an ideal machine to take out in the field. (Although I get some raised eyebrows when I unpack it at a customer's office. )
I use up laptops. I've blown through consumer-grade laptops built by Compaq, HP, and even a very expensive Toshiba in about two years each. To have one still going strong three years later is, for me, just about miraculous.
However, knowing how hard I am on these machines, I started thinking about the C610's replacement. I went back to eBay and looked for another C610. Didn't find one that looked good, but I noticed that the newer Dell Latitude D620 has been designed with a serial port.
As a Latitude, Dell's business series, I expect a better design than a consumer-grade machine. I did some research on the net and found that the D620 has been built for durability and long life. And there are a bunch of them available on eBay right now, so the prices are very attractive.
I bought one, and have spent the last week or so working with it and loading it up with my software and data.
The machine has many modern features. First, it uses a relatively fast Core Duo processor. Mine came equipped with the T2500 2.0 GHz version. 1 GB RAM. 60 GB SATA hard drive. 14" WXGA screen at 1280 x 800 resolution. The display has a matte finish that resists glare, and is very easy on the eyes. CDRW/DVD-ROM drive. WiFi, USB 2.0 ports, serial port, Ethernet, modem, and VGA ports. XP-Pro and Open Office installed. The machine is as fast as the modern Core Duo laptop that I use, these days, pretty much for video and multimedia stuff only.
(Note that these machines use the Core Duo processor, not the Core 2 Duo series.)
What it doesn't have: it's a business machine, so it doesn't incorporate multimedia features such as decent speakers, an S-video port, a dedicated high-performance graphics adapter, a multimedia card reader, or a DVD-RW drive. (In fact, the built-in speaker is mono, just suitable for the system sounds. Keep a set of earbuds in your pocket!)
One interesting feature of the machine is the removable drive bay. The CDRW/DVD-ROM simply pops out and can be replaced on the fly by either a hard drive module or an extra battery. As soon as I had all my software installed, I took advantage of this feature by installing a second hard drive, a 250 GB Western Digital Scorpio. Buying the drive and the caddy on eBay, the second drive installation cost less than $100. With the second drive, I can back up critical data, right now, when I'm away from my home network's NAS drive. I keep the CDRW/DVD-ROM module in my laptop bag just in case I need to read or burn a CD out in the field.
If you're looking for a relatively high-performance, rugged laptop for your serial needs, consider the D620. I don't know if it will last as long as my C610, but I like what I see so far. I've gained enough confidence in the machine that I've retired the C610 to a desk drawer as my hot spare.
One tip for buying these on eBay... Don't buy a used laptop from an individual. Look for an outfit that refurbishes and sells lots of the particular model you're seeking. Make sure they advertise lots of upgrade options for the machine, even if you're not buying any upgrades. (Lots of upgrade options indicate, to me, that they have an active build and service operation, staffed by competent technicians.) And, as always, check the seller's feedback.
Lots of Latitudes have been surplused from government and businesses. If the C610 and D620 are typical examples, these machines have been used gently. Both of my machines arrived in like-new condition.
I know this isn't as attractive as one of Stan's $20 machines , but for the extra money, you gain lots of performance, reliability, and longevity.
Good luck!
Tom
* Back in the bad old days, I went through three USB-to-Serial converters, looking for one that would work for all my serial needs. None of the three worked for everything I was trying to do. A real hassle, and extremely annoying.
Three years later, the machine is still going strong. It started as just my workshop machine, but I liked it so much that I added my professional and financial stuff, and later, even installed Delphi on it. It's good enough that I even developed a couple of Delphi freeware apps with it. A real joy to use, even if it's slower than modern machines, and only has a 20 GB hard drive. But it's small and light, an ideal machine to take out in the field. (Although I get some raised eyebrows when I unpack it at a customer's office. )
I use up laptops. I've blown through consumer-grade laptops built by Compaq, HP, and even a very expensive Toshiba in about two years each. To have one still going strong three years later is, for me, just about miraculous.
However, knowing how hard I am on these machines, I started thinking about the C610's replacement. I went back to eBay and looked for another C610. Didn't find one that looked good, but I noticed that the newer Dell Latitude D620 has been designed with a serial port.
As a Latitude, Dell's business series, I expect a better design than a consumer-grade machine. I did some research on the net and found that the D620 has been built for durability and long life. And there are a bunch of them available on eBay right now, so the prices are very attractive.
I bought one, and have spent the last week or so working with it and loading it up with my software and data.
The machine has many modern features. First, it uses a relatively fast Core Duo processor. Mine came equipped with the T2500 2.0 GHz version. 1 GB RAM. 60 GB SATA hard drive. 14" WXGA screen at 1280 x 800 resolution. The display has a matte finish that resists glare, and is very easy on the eyes. CDRW/DVD-ROM drive. WiFi, USB 2.0 ports, serial port, Ethernet, modem, and VGA ports. XP-Pro and Open Office installed. The machine is as fast as the modern Core Duo laptop that I use, these days, pretty much for video and multimedia stuff only.
(Note that these machines use the Core Duo processor, not the Core 2 Duo series.)
What it doesn't have: it's a business machine, so it doesn't incorporate multimedia features such as decent speakers, an S-video port, a dedicated high-performance graphics adapter, a multimedia card reader, or a DVD-RW drive. (In fact, the built-in speaker is mono, just suitable for the system sounds. Keep a set of earbuds in your pocket!)
One interesting feature of the machine is the removable drive bay. The CDRW/DVD-ROM simply pops out and can be replaced on the fly by either a hard drive module or an extra battery. As soon as I had all my software installed, I took advantage of this feature by installing a second hard drive, a 250 GB Western Digital Scorpio. Buying the drive and the caddy on eBay, the second drive installation cost less than $100. With the second drive, I can back up critical data, right now, when I'm away from my home network's NAS drive. I keep the CDRW/DVD-ROM module in my laptop bag just in case I need to read or burn a CD out in the field.
If you're looking for a relatively high-performance, rugged laptop for your serial needs, consider the D620. I don't know if it will last as long as my C610, but I like what I see so far. I've gained enough confidence in the machine that I've retired the C610 to a desk drawer as my hot spare.
One tip for buying these on eBay... Don't buy a used laptop from an individual. Look for an outfit that refurbishes and sells lots of the particular model you're seeking. Make sure they advertise lots of upgrade options for the machine, even if you're not buying any upgrades. (Lots of upgrade options indicate, to me, that they have an active build and service operation, staffed by competent technicians.) And, as always, check the seller's feedback.
Lots of Latitudes have been surplused from government and businesses. If the C610 and D620 are typical examples, these machines have been used gently. Both of my machines arrived in like-new condition.
I know this isn't as attractive as one of Stan's $20 machines , but for the extra money, you gain lots of performance, reliability, and longevity.
Good luck!
Tom
* Back in the bad old days, I went through three USB-to-Serial converters, looking for one that would work for all my serial needs. None of the three worked for everything I was trying to do. A real hassle, and extremely annoying.