Compatible laptops

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Would it be useful to hold a database of laptops that are compatible with Zionworks?

Poll ended at Wed Aug 20, 2003 1:56 pm

Yes
5
100%
No
0
No votes
Don't Know
0
No votes
 
Total votes : 5

graphics support of features

Postby Diceman » Mon Dec 01, 2003 1:55 pm

Overlay is more tricky to find out. I'll look into it though if I get time - I'm going to be snowed under with work until Christmas now.

Re overlay, perhaps Christian or Ed could email the foreamentioned companies and ask them for support information. Give them a bone - "We'll mention on the site which company was most helpful" and tell them how many users you represent.

Here's a link to the list so far.

The list

Ed: Could zionworx host it without a link from the main site until it is more complete. Just with a link from this disscusion (I'll update the link above if you give me a new URL).

Perhaps we could include desktop PCI cards aswell to help those buying cards and PC's (the cheaper option).

Other considerations will be OS driver support for the features (98se, xp, 200, nt, 95 etc. - some of these you'll be able to rule out simply because they don't support directx). I know for example that some features weren't supported in the drivers on my nVidia G-force4 until a few months after its release. The new driver patch brought them to life.

Nvidia and Ati use a 'unified driver architecture' - essentially a one size fits all driver package, so this should be easier to ascertain with them than with Intel, AMD, S3 and Via.

Another consideration is OEM cards. They use the Ati/Nvidia chipsets but support features in vairying ammounts. I have an OEM nvidia card and something interesting to note is that newer drivers than the one that shipped with the card (although they claim to support it), disable the video out-put part of the card and just throw a cyan screen out. Still working on that problen :-)

Diceman
Last edited by Diceman on Tue Dec 16, 2003 12:55 am, edited 1 time in total.
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ProSavageDDR

Postby kevin » Mon Dec 15, 2003 9:53 pm

have just bought a new computer for church, has got an S3 ProSavageDDR it doesn't seem to support dual view has anyone else had this problem and been able to overcome it?

thanks
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s3 chipsets

Postby Diceman » Tue Dec 16, 2003 1:20 am

s3 like Nvidia provide their chipsets to third parties to manufacture cards and solutions.

So finding out the model of the chipset is the way forward to find out if it actually supports what you need. Quite often the standard Microsoft certified drivers only provide the basic functions of the chipset and if a dual view is supported it may be locked away only to be revealed by a specific driver for the card in use. I recommend that you use s3's chipset recognition tool to find out what the chipset is and then research as to whether it supports dual view. You can find the chipset tool at S3's website:

http://www.s3graphics.com/Wins3id.exe

If your search yields no results, you might want to consider one of two options.

1) If the machine you bought is portable (like a laptop) - you could purchase a second video card to go into the PC slot.

2) If the machine is a workstation/desktop case with a free PCI slot you can add a low cost 4MB PCI graphics card (You may want to purchase it from a supplier to which you know you can return it if there are any compatibility problems - they are rare and can usually be resolved through manually setting up the card's memory address management, but better safe than sorry). Be sure not to buy an AGP card as you only have one AGP slot in most machines and they are usually taken up by the existing card (this can vary on machines which use a motherboard integrated graphics solution).

But I would recommend further research.

If you find out the chipset name, post and tell us if it works with dual view or not so that we can add it to the chipset database.

kind regards

Diceman
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Postby Williamting » Fri Dec 19, 2003 8:12 am

Kevin,

Let us know if it is a laptop or a full blow desktop computer. At least we can zoom in to provide relevant ideas. If it is a laptop, what brand/model it is.

God bless,
William
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Sotec

Postby zer0burn316 » Thu Jan 01, 2004 4:29 am

:shock: hey i just wanted to add to this section my laptop that i use. it is a sotec. here is the website with the exact specs and definitions of the laptop.

http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/hardware/n ... 00p,00.htm

now i did initially run into a problem with sotec being that the display monitor and the operators monitors are ititially reversed meaning that the show is on the aptop and the operators screen is on the projector. so at first i thought it would not work. so i eventially found out that with this particular laptop i can revers it in the bios and it works wonderfully and with no problems infact the display is awesome.
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oh forgot

Postby zer0burn316 » Thu Jan 01, 2004 4:31 am

:shock: also i forgot to let you know the above laptop is not 1399 like the website stated it is actually 899 sorry :oops:
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Re: the compatible laptop list

Postby Diceman » Wed Mar 17, 2004 4:27 pm

Re: the compatible chipset list
To: Ed and anyone who can help

Does anyone have the facility to set-up a Wiki that we can put this on as I don't think I can afford to host it any longer, and it would be better suited to a Wiki model of modification.

Kind regards

Diceman
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Postby webmaster » Wed Mar 17, 2004 8:15 pm

This could be done.I have the servers to run it (unix msql and php)

email me which wiki you suggest edds@zionworx.org.uk

i do think another way may be better.

Cheers
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Postby Diceman » Fri Mar 19, 2004 3:29 am

That sounds really good. [A phpWiki has been discounted since it's support for tables isn't great and really a database would better serve this application]

The php driven mysql database in the new Zionworx site sounds ideal. Ed -smashing chap that he is, will be developing it to ensure conformance to site standards and security protocol. Hats off to Ed for this :-)

We will need a review process to allow for relevant fields that do not exist in the rather basic table I used.

Stuff like tick boxes under OS driver support for 98se NT XP etc. A related database with laptop and pc models could be cross populated once we know which chipsets and drivers they use.

Suggestions folks? - The original table maybe worth checking out.

kind regards,

Diceman
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Another thing to think about, how strong is the VGA output

Postby Les » Wed Jan 26, 2005 3:27 am

An IBM laptop that we tried did support dual monitors well, however, I would advise trying out the laptop to see how strong the signal was. This one needed a VGA signal amplifier for a 100 ft run.

We currently use a dual head Shuttle SFF(small form factor) system (AMD/Nforce integrated video) and it works VERY WELL, faster than most laptops at a much lower price, and it is just as easy to take home as the laptop. It has no problems driving the projector thru a 150 ft VGA cable.
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Postby Peter_in_Christ » Wed Jan 26, 2005 2:46 pm

Also another thing to consider is the amount of Video Memory you get with the graphics card on your laptop.

This will determine the maximum:
- allowable resolution for each monitor/LCD display
- Colour Quality.

e.g. I have two laptops that can support Dual Display and both have differenct graphics card:
- one is a Toshiba Satellite 1200-800 Trident Cyberblabe Ai1 4MB
- and the other is a Dell Latitude C840 NVidia 440Go 32MB

===============================================
Maximum setting I could do with Toshiba:
- Display 1: 1024x768 (maximum for TFT/LCD display), at Medium 16bit colour
- Display 2: 1280x1014(Maximum for Projector), at Medium 16bit colour

===============================================
Maximum setting I could do with Dell:
-Display 1: 1400x1050 (maximum for TFT/LCD display), at Highest 32bit colour
-Display 2: 1280x1024(Maximum for Projector) or higher for larger displays, at Highest 32bit colour

===============================================

1. Basically most projectors can support up to 1280x1024 resolution
2. The more video memory you have the higher the resolution and colour you can display.

For the purposes of using Zionworx I would recommend you have at least 8MB of video memory with dual support, the more memory you have the better.

I now use the toshiba for Church services because it's lighter for me to carry, I use to use my Dell laptop and it is better than my Toshiba, but as long as it does the job I want to do I'm happy with it. I use to have a HP laptop but it didn't come with dual support :-(

God bless

Peter
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Postby Guest » Fri Jan 28, 2005 10:34 am

or you may like to try the software approach over a network:

http://www.maxivista.com/

Peter
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