I'm currently running IGuidance 4.0 perfectly with:

Dell Latitude X300 w/ Docking bay DVD
Intel Pentium M 1.20Mhz
1.11GB RAM
Intel 82855GM 32Bit 1024x768 60hz
Holux 213U (usb) GPS Device
Windows XP SP2

I wanted to buy a much worse 2nd laptop and wanted to know the bare minimum I could get away with.

Are there any programs besides the untrustworthy Windows Task Manager Performance Tab which can give me an output if exactly the CPU and memory being used by that program? Sort of like TOP for Unix.

Any ideas? Thanks.

Hi leaferz,

Welcome to Laptop GPS World forums!

What are the specifications of the 2nd laptop you are considering to purchase for running iGuidance 4?

Thank you. This forum was a great find.

I was looking at some of the Panasonic toughbooks which come with touchscreens. There's a few near by my home at used store with these specs

PII 300
128MB ram (I'll probably need to up the ram).

As we speak, I'm actually installing XP SP2 on an Inspiron 3200, P2 233, 144MB RAM, 30GB HD just to test it out. I'll run XPLIte on it afterwards to totally remove everything.

Something I also noticed is IGuidance runs on the following OS's:

PC version: Windows ME/NT/2000/XP/Vista (not compatible w/ Windows MCE edition)

Windows ME is VERY SMALL and easily installable on a crappy computer. After my XP test I'm trying out ME
I'm basically looking for the cheapest possible solution that will run IGuidance 4 with touchscreen.

OR

Run it on windows NT 4.0. I'm shocked I still have a copy

I've also looked into the Pocket PC's but the screen sizes are small and the bigger ones are new and expensive.

Just confused at the moment on what to buy. DIY is MUCH more fun then just going out and buying the unit.

leaferz, my first though would be that if Pentium 2 -233MHz is within the minimum system requirements for at least one of the above listed operating systems, iGuidance 4 should run satisfactorily on the laptop. I personally don't have experience running iGuidance on such slow CPU, but I bet there are quite a few people out there who do exactly as you are thinking of doing: buy an inexpensive, 2nd hand laptop for use as a car computer.

I'd like if someone could give you answer from their experience how iGuidance runs on such laptop, but I suspect while I'm typing these words you are likely already installing your iGuidance on the laptop .

Believe me, I know there is quite a few

Over the next few weeks I'll keep installing the following:

• Bare Minimum System
• Holux 213U (USB) GPS
• P2 233
• 144MB of ram
• IGuidance 4

Just those 4 above and thats it. The Inspiron 3200 I've already mentioned.

I'll make a separate post with my experiences with the following:

1. Windows XP SP2
2. Windows NT 4.0 (no service packs, we'll see what I need, If I do I'll post it)
3. Windows 2000 Pro
4. Windows ME

The posts will be my experiences with IG4 on THAT laptop not my experience with IG4 on those OS's in general. As far as my experiences with IG4, I'm already sold I love it and can't wait until 5.

HOPEFULLY in 5, they need is speech recognition, where you can tell it street names and places, commands,etc. THEN I won't even need the screen, I can just have the base of my cheapo laptop bolted inside my trunk LOL.

Thx again

Just starting the 1st post so I can keep editing it instead of writing anything down. Yes I'm a lazy ***.

Windows XP SP2 TRIAL

System installed fine.
IGuidance installed fine. For some reason I only have the Sam voice under:

Control Panel>Speech>Voice Selection.

I have it my normal laptop

Anyways I'm downloading the Text to Speech package from Microsoft's website.

Website: (http://www.microsoft.com/reader/developers/downloads/tts.mspx)
File: (http://download.microsoft.com/download/msreader/Utility/1.0/W98NT42KMeXP/EN-US/ReaderTTSInstallENG.exe)
Microsoft Reader Text-to-Speech Package 1.0 (English) - 5.877 MB

Microsoft really needs to get some HOT voices Although Microsoft Anna (US) does have her moments LOL.

Just found out it requires this install first:

Microsoft Reader for Desktop and Laptop PC
(http://download.microsoft.com/download/d/0/9/d099ad62-41d1-4e92-9935-67955a437460/MSReaderSetupUSA.exe)

Thanks for sharing the info. I'm very curious how iGuidance 4 will perform on the Pentium 2 - 233MHz laptop under various operating systems! And as far as Microsoft Anna is concerned, even though she may have the most attractive voice out of the selection Microsoft has to offer today, she still sounds like a robot to me when I switch from listening to iGuidance pre-recorded voice files to text-to-speech. However, if I listen only to text-to-speech for a while, I can actually get used to her, and she will actually start sounding reasonably well (but only till I switch back to pre-recorded voices ).

I'm VERY NEW to IG4 btw.

There are pre recorded voices?

If possible could you give me a link to where I can find addons to IG4.

Thx

A free add-on called iGkeys will let you make your selection .

Just read something interesting.

Not having a screen altogether would be quite nice as well or at least the ability to shut/close it off.

Attached is a screenshot of the machine.

The LCD screen is currently off at the moment and is the last thing I need to put back before I go for a test drive.

Attached Images

WinXP-IG4.jpg (61.7 KB)

Yes, but I think most users would agree that an occasional glance at the screen is needed no matter which GPS navigation system you use.

VERY NICE. Just put it on both machines.

I see your point. Especially if it starts going haywire. LOL.

Yesterday it was screaming to make a U TURN and there was a cop sitting across the street LOL.

ARRRRRRRRGGGGG LOL

Quick laugh for the night. I bought this POS off ebay a while back:

<expired link removed>

I hooked up the LCD within minutes, hopped in my car and went. All the thing kept doing was flashing and no AC power was getting to my laptop. The laptop has a battery BUT its only for show (better then the hole it leaves without it).

SO back out tomorrow to actually buy a car adapter for the inspiron 3200. There's a used store near me that sells them for 5 bucks and FINALLY I can hear it going. Honestly though my inintial thoughts while browsing inside my home was everything was quick, menus were loading and closing as if it were my own laptop.

Check back tomorrow.

Got it. Picked up a Targus Air/Auto Universal Adapter it was 70 bucks BUT the original at 3 different places was around 50 bucks. I figured I could use it for my next laptop once this one here breaks down. It supports around 50 laptops:

Targus (PA360U) Car Adapter PA360U


Finally works great. I read on another forum that the type of adapter I was using doesn't have the proper converter in it to give constant power. Weird because thats whats it supposed to do. ANYWAYS

RUN 1 (Bank)

The laptop worked GREAT. The second I got it I didn't even bother with settings it was all default, just typed in the address and went. EXCELLENT the entire time. It converted routes quickly when I purposely made mistakes, etc. Just like my normal laptop.

Went to do my banking, stopped for 5 minutes to actually configure settings like shortest/quickest route not main roads, etc.

RUN 2 (Home)

Worked perfect. I need to boost the speakers OR add additional speakers somewhere in my car because when I'm listening to music REALLY loud it's hard to hear it.

It's perfect with XP so I see absolutely no point in installing other OS's since this one is by far the best one of them all. I assumed it would be too fat to run on this laptop's crappy specs with GPS but I was VERY mistaken.

PROJECT#1

Actually getting either a touchscreen OR a remote control working. I have a Haupauge PVR-150 remote and the Microsoft MCE remote. Could they possibly work? I'll try thats for sure.

PROJECT#2

The next part of my project is now where to actually fit a 13inch screen in my 07 Civic and then where to connect the base. Seeing pics of people putting pipes and poles to hold it like the cop cars is brutal IMO.

PROJECT#3

Actually extend the cables so I can separate the base and lcd about 6 feet (which I've heard is the max). I'm getting the info from here:

http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/lcd-display/77661-laptop-ttl-lcd-cable-extension.html

Depends on the purpose of the setup, though. You may not want that stuff in your own car, or in a family car, but for work purposes even "pipes and poles" are just fine .

For those other purposes work, etc I agree the pipes are great but I've seen them in high end cars. Very weird looking.

FORGET THAT. lol tried everthign posssible short of writting code for it. Not happening.

Decided to rip apart an old laptop case and poke holes where needed for the GPS. Just leaving the GPS inside the car. LOL, and I was laughing at the pole look

Moved on to this one and some sort of speaker control or boost.

PROJECT #4

Cut the existing speakers within the machine and add louder ones or run a single powered speaker somewhere close to me with volume control. **** me for not having a touchscreen. I tried the aux in available within the car but it cuts off the music and doesn't blend in with the CD Player the way some cars do.

i tried several panasonic toughbook CF27 with touchscreen laptops with iguidance 3. I think processor was P3 500mhz. Never ever had a performance problem, even when planning trips around 500km/310mi (per direction), and though fairly dense cities and such. I encourge ppl to try the toughbooks with iguidance, i think it's really cool.

Hi spidlejd,

Welcome to Laptop GPS World. :welcome:

Toughbooks are nice, but I think they are quite expensive, aren't they?