Bob did not suggest a docking station, Sal, he suggested a second hard drive. I have used his recommended solution with my IBM T42P laptop, and it works extremely well; one can swap "identities" in the time required to terminate Windows and reboot; the physical drive swap takes a few seconds.
With respect to your claim that "The USB PEN drive will work on almost every computer provided that the programs were correctly installed", I suggest that you (carefully) open the Windows Registry editor and examine the Software sections of HKCU and HKLM -- you'll find that DX Atlas, DXLab, Ham Radio Deluxe, LotW, and QRZ all maintain settings there. Other popular digital mode applications may as well -- I don't have Digipan, MixW, or MultiPSK currently installed on this PC, and my examination was cursory. There is no way to "properly install" any of DX Atlas, DXLab, Ham Radio Deluxe, LotW, or the QRZ CDROM callbook in a way that makes them pen-drive portable. There are web pages that list pen-drive portable applications, e.g. http://pendriveapps.com/ and http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/369/656 but I've found no mention of digital mode amateur radio applications so far. Establishing such a list would be helpful, but I suggest that an application only be added after 1. its author asserts that the application is pen-drive portable 2. someone actually tests the application in a pen-drive portable configuration It would also be useful to compare performance in a pen-drive configuration vs. a hard-drive configuration. 73, Dave, AA6YQ --- In [email protected], "Salomao Fresco" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Well, I believe your solution is way more complicated to perform. > Besides, what use will have the docking station if the laptop gets > replaced for instace for another brand? > > The USB PEN drive will work on almost every computer provided that the > programs were correctly installed. > And there is enough space on a 2Gb pen drive to install a version of > the SO of your choice and make it bootable. > > I know what I'm talking, because I've allready done it. > > The docking station is waaay more expensive than the 20 bucks of a pen drive. > > Give it a try, if it doesn't work, the worst that can happen is > getting "stuck with" a usb pen drive that can carrie a lot of files. > > Think of it. > > Regards > > > On 12/30/06, Robert Chudek - KØRC <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Well in christ's name (your terminology), your solution doesn't solve Andy's > > problem of putting personal software on a company computer. You missed the > > part that the registry is going to get updated (if it is even accessible). > > Read on. > > > > Credible IT departments tie down the operating system very tight in order to > > reduce the probability of employees hauling worms, viruses, and other crap > > into the office and spreading it across the Enterprise. I know, I ran a > > corporate IT department for 8 years. From a pure IT perspective, laptops are > > the most dangerous PC's on the Enterprise. It's much easier to control and > > manage desktop machines. > > > > The solution I would propose is to purchase a new drive and caddy for the > > laptop. Typically there is one screw that holds the HDD into the laptop and > > that screw is accessible from the outside of the case. Depending on the > > drive size you want, this can be less than a $100 investment. > > > > Get your own drive, format it up, load your OS, and install your personal > > applications. Swap the drives when you want to run your radio applications > > at home. But be aware if you bring your laptop into work with your personal > > drive installed, you'll get hauled in front of the CIO to explain why you > > are putting the company infrastructure in jeopardy. And the incident will be > > written up in your permanent record. > > > > If this sounds blunt and excessive... well you don't understand the > > nightmares IT departments face, trying to support large networks that wrap > > around the world. > > > > I don't know for whom Andy works, but if it's a large corporation with an IT > > staff, he may find the screw holding the disk caddy into his new laptop has > > been superglued into place. My engineers didn't go to that extreme, but if > > there was a laptop suspected of "issues", it got a fresh format and a > > "standard build" of corporate licensed software installed. > > > > 73 de Bob - KØRC in MN > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: Salomao Fresco > > To: [email protected] > > Sent: Friday, December 29, 2006 2:26 PM > > Subject: Re: [digitalradio] Re: External hard drives? > > > > > > > > Hi to all! > > > > I believe there is a big confusion! > > > > On the first post Andy states this: > > I just got a new company laptop. > > > > What the heck does he need to know about master, slave, falt cables and > > color of the power cables? > > He is talking about a laptop for Christ sake. > > He is asking you the time and you're telling him how the clocks work. > > > > He only wants to know if it is possible to load the Ham radio software > > that he needs to work digi modes on a External Hard Disk. > > I answer him YES, but there is no need to do it, why don't you try a Pen > > Drive, there are lots on the market now and the prices are low enough, I > > bought one with 1Gb for 19,99 euros a few months ago. > > > > How to use it? > > Instead of installing the software in the Computers own hard disk, install > > it on the flash drive (pen). > > This way you can use work your digimodes in about any computer. (it might > > not work with all programs, because some of them need to install some files > > in the Windows folder). > > > > > > > > Regards & Happy new 2007 > > > > Sal > > > > On 12/29/06, Dave Doc Corio <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Excuse me for jumping in here, but I'd like to add one thing. Please be > > sure the power supply in the PC is capable of carrying the extra load. Many > > computers being made contain only a bare minimum power supply - usually on > > the order of 200 or 250 watts. While this is adequate for what is in the PC > > at the time it is shipped, adding peripherals can overload the power supply. > > Adding an extra hard drive, CD/DVD burner, video card and audio card can tax > > a minimal power supply and cause many problems. Usually, just adding one of > > these is not a major concern, but consider upgrading the power supply if > > you're adding several. A 450 watt power supply is generally fairly cheap - > > on the order of $35 to $60, and can save headaches down the road! > > > > 73 > > Dave > > KB3MOW > > > > > A computer, intelligent, friend of mine has been educating me of > > swapping > > > hard drives... For example, drive C..is usually marked at 'master' and > > the > > > others are marked as slaves.... > > > The marking is a jumper .. > > > On the bank of your hard drive are three recepticles... > > > The first one is a long plug, of which the data flows... > > > The second plug / receptical contain 4 rather heavy wires.. marked > > yellow, > > > black, black and red.. they contain the D.C. wiring.. I assume by the > > > colours.... > > > The third plug has no opposite polarity receptical but contains > > > jumper(s)... This is the jumper which determnes whether or not the > > hard > > > drive is a slave or master drive... > > > On one side of your hard drive, you should notice some printing which > > > tells you how to make the drive a master or slave... > > > You follow the instructions to make that drive a master or slave.... > > > This will allow you to put another drive onto your existing > > computer.... > > > including removing them should you desire.... > > > I had three computers.. I took the oldest computer's hard drive out > > and > > > put them into my newer computer... making the older computer's drive C > > my > > > newer computer's drive D, or which ever letter was available.... > > > Now I do realise I have probably drifted somewhat off topic but I hope > > the > > > information was of some value... > > > > > > Larry ve3fxq > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > Cumprimentos > > > > Salomão Fresco > > CT2IRJ > > > > If it works... dont fix it! > > > > > > > > > -- > Cumprimentos > > Salomão Fresco > CT2IRJ > > If it works... dont fix it! >
