I just want to use the internet whilst on the road, my kids need a DVD
player. I don't need a lot of room and I shouldn't need a lot of
processor speed or memory for the internet.

However, speed/processor seems to be somewhat of a concern for watching
DVDs.

Not interested in being Vista ready.

So in order to watch DVDs without ghosting, jerkiness, etc., what would
be a good config?

TIA!

Damon Hynes--took initiative, invented internet. wrote:
> I just want to use the internet whilst on the road, my kids need a DVD
> player. I don't need a lot of room and I shouldn't need a lot of
> processor speed or memory for the internet.
>
> However, speed/processor seems to be somewhat of a concern for watching
> DVDs.
>
> Not interested in being Vista ready.
>
> So in order to watch DVDs without ghosting, jerkiness, etc., what would
> be a good config?
>
> TIA!
>
It's been my experience that a 400MHz laptop will ALMOST play a DVD.
If you use an efficient player, you can get by.

People differ considerably in what they find acceptable.
I'm on the cheap end of the scale. Actually, I'm WAY off the cheap
end of the scale.
Laptops that are perfectly acceptable for surfing the web, but won't
play a DVD are dirt cheap. Poke around on craiagslist.

DVD players are better suited to playing DVD's. And you can buy a used
laptop and a cheapo circuitcity portable dvd player for less than
the cost of a new dotitall laptop.

Depending on your actual use and the age of your kids, laptops have
several significant drawbacks.
Battery life has to be long enough to watch a movie.
You may not be able to set it on your lap without covering the fan vent
holes.
It takes several operations to start the movie. DVD player just press go.
A few episodes of "gimmethat, it'smyturn, noitsnot,
dadtellhimtostophittingme...
and your laptop display is gonna be disconnected from its keyboard...or
cracked. The newer stuff is so thin that there's just no support
for twisting the display.

Save yourself the grief and get two units cheaper than the cost of one
doitall unit.

mike

> Save yourself the grief and get two units cheaper than the cost of one
> doitall unit.
>
> mike

Good advice. 'Preciate it. Thanks a ton!

Anything -- absolutely anything -- in current production.

However, you may care more about some things that you don't think or
know that you care about (including vista compatibility) than you know
or suspect.


Damon Hynes--took initiative, invented internet. wrote:
> I just want to use the internet whilst on the road, my kids need a DVD
> player. I don't need a lot of room and I shouldn't need a lot of
> processor speed or memory for the internet.
>
> However, speed/processor seems to be somewhat of a concern for watching
> DVDs.
>
> Not interested in being Vista ready.
>
> So in order to watch DVDs without ghosting, jerkiness, etc., what would
> be a good config?
>
> TIA!
>