Laptop for tuning needs
 

I have always been a Mac guy so I know nothing about PC's. Can anyone recommend a decent laptop to do the job. I don't want a little net book because I want use the CD's these items come with.

Why not just get the software provided for Mac so you can dual boot?

By the way, mac and pc use the same types of hardware, it is the operating system that is the difference.

http://www.parallels.com/

Why don't you just use Parallels or VMWare?

Because flashing is much, much slower using parallels or bootcamp. Like 3-4 minutes vs. under a minute. Don't ask me why, it just is.

First world problems ;)

Netbook.

Put that shit on a thumb drive

Ive never been comfortable with that dual boot stuff. My business is own my mac.

I use a MacBook with bootcamp, works fine.

i use parallels and it works, you just waste a lot of dyno time sitting there flashing your car.

Any cheap laptop will do. I use a Lenovo Yoga 13, but I just picked up a Dell Venue 8 Pro that I may try out in the car. Just have to get a mini-USB to USB adapter first. You can always mount the CD in your MAC and share that across your network. That would negate the need for a laptop with CD drive. Or pick up a USB CD drive. Also, remember that even though some software may come on a CD, you can always download it from the manufacturer's site.

I would recommend the Dell Venue 8. Long battery life, Full Windows 8, cheap, decent screen. Size is right for logging and tuning.

I'm picking up an ASUS T-100 tablet PC for the job, as well as to serve as a good general laptop for myself.

For logging and flashing (advise doing editing on something else), I know that @nelsmar likes the Lenovo Miix 2. That's what he used to log my car this evening, and it worked well. You can connect up the Ecutek cable and the des key to a micro usb to 2 port USB hub (the lenovo has only a single micro USB 2.0 combo port), make sure the tablet isn't set to go to sleep, set up your logging, and stick the tablet into the seatback pocket of one of the front seats.

The ASUS T-100 has a detachable keyboard, so you can use as proper laptop or as a tablet, and it has full sized USB ports and 64GB of memory. Walmart is selling them for $379.

Both of the ones I've mentioned run Windows 8.1. Do NOT get a device that only runs Windows RT. You can only install software through the microsoft store with RT, which rules out your ability to install Ecutek software.

Does anyone still make a decent cheap laptop with windows 7?

Maybe. Not sure.

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All these half tablet half laptop things aren't really want I'm looking for. Just a traditional laptop.

If you're just looking to use it for tuning, I'd suggest going on craigslist and picking up the cheapest decent laptop you can find.

i really wish @EcuTek would just give us a mac build so that we didn't have to worry about it... but that'll probably never happen. a man can dream lol.

That would be bliss however I would prefer the time spent in producing live editing. I would pay a pretty penny for that. That would safe a ton of time on the dyno.

Most laptop manufactures are stuck with Windows 8, however OEMs can downgrade Windows 8 pro to Windows 7 pro. Most of what you find downgraded are higher end laptops like Lenovo Thinkpads and Dell Precisions. I would say, for a *cheap* win 7 laptop, to check out some local small computer stores, often they have some slightly older models laying around for good prices.

is 7 better then 8? 8 looks like a cartoon to me, in commercials at least

From a performance stand point, yes.
It's really not as bad as everyone says it is. Just use desktop mode and it's almost identical to 7.

:thumbsup:

Although.. Installing unsigned drivers in windows 8 does require a few more steps. Do ECUtek/OFT cables have signed drivers?

I know that Windows 8.1 has no trouble running ECUTek.

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Search around local computer shops for off-lease thinkpads, T400 is a good example

$150-200 and are readily available. Any thinkpad from that era would be good for tuning and even other light duty things (no gaming)

I don't know of any comp stores in my area other then the big box stores

Google shopping shows good results for refurbished T400's

Oh yes, yes it is. It's pretty awful. I guess it's in the eye of the beholder, but it's Microsoft's biggest misstep (among many) in years if you ask me.

The windows 8 user experience:

"Is it a laptop? Is it a tablet? Hold on, I'm supposed to touch the screen it seems. Shit my computer doesn't have a touchscreen. <grabs tablet> Why is everything so small? Htf am I supposed to touch that? Where is all my stuff?!?! Aaaaaaaaarrrrrrggggghhhhhhh <throws in trash>".

I'd rather dig out my own eyeballs with a butter knife. Just do one thing and do it well, it's not rocket science lol.

Try used from Amazon, then.

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Yeah... why they don't have a simple DPI adjustment that doesn't require you to log out is beyond me. That and there is no pinch zoom in almost everywhere I need it. I have to use the magnifying glass tool its horrid. My Lenovo is used for logging & flashing only unless I really need to edit something simple that is quick.

convergence devices only work when people actually want the two things to converge (like your phone and walkman, hence the iphone). no one ever looked at their laptop and said 'man, i really wish this behaved more like a knockoff ipad'.

I actually wanted a convergence device for this. Docked keyboard & a mouse for when using as a laptop & touch screen & stylus when using as a tablet in the car for ecu flashing & logging.

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that's not a mass-market use case lol.

Just seems like more to break to me.

Maybe not his exact uses, but there are a lot of people that want the "laptop when you need it and tablet when you don't" usage model.

The takeoff success of the surface product line certainly reflects that ;).

I'm not going to get into some marketing spiel here, but there are many more products besides the surface.
The surface costs more than most people want to spend on it.
I know I sure as hell wouldn't spend that much on it when there's other 2 in 1s that work a hell of a lot better.

I'm know I'm just poking at the windows diehards.

If you want a tablet, a Dell Venue 8 Pro works just fine to flash tunes/datalog

~$200 for the 32gig model, and also runs full windows 8. You will need a 2 port USB hub for the dongle/ECUTEK cable

I saw some Sony 2-in-1s that were running i series processors. Folded right over their full sized keyboards & cost around surface pro 2 prices & a bit higher.

Excellent for full laptop 2-in-1s it looked like (not what OP was going for, but shows what is available at those price points).

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@SirBrass @DJCarbine @jamesm @nelsmar

I've looked at the T-100, Lenovo Miix 2 and Dell Venue 8 Pro.

I need to know from experience, which one of this will absolutely flash the car in 1 minute or less.

I have a mac, have run parallels, bootcamp and vmware and they are all within 3-4 minutes.

I would only get a new device if I can get flash times to 1 minute or less. Now that I am fine tuning the car, I hate to have to sit 12-15 minutes a night just to see the car flashed.

I believe @nelsmar uses the Lenovo miix 2 and it is close to 1 minute? If so, what USB adapter are you using?

Again, this device will be use solely and exclusively to run Ecutek, don't care about nothing else and want to know it flashes in about minute.

Thanks.