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Budget Laptop


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Hello all was going to use my iPad as a backup source while on the cruise however having issues with it saving full size raw files.

 

I am now looking at using a cheap windows 10 laptop .... Asus e200ha to be exact. Only comes with micro sd slot (plan on putting 128gb card in there) 2gb ram and 32gb of onboard storage.

 

All I want to use it for is transferring my raw files from a USB card reader to an external 1tb hard drive. Nothing else except having Dropbox keep a copy of my documents and viewing photos.

 

Bearing in mind the low specs would this be a usable solution. Budget is at most £200 so this Laptop seems to fit it well.

 

 

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That will work just fine except since it only has a micro SD slot (I am assuming your camera is SDHC or XQD or CF) you will need to use a USB card reader as well, and the USB ports on those base laptops tend to be fairly slow (the adapter will be in the 2.0 slot as you will want the 3.0 slot for the external). So it could take quite a while to copy a large capacity card.

 

Personally, if you are using SDHC, they have gotten so cheap I would just get a few and stack and lock them rather than carry a laptop, drive, etc (unless you need document access). XQD is more of a tossup, since they are still pricey.

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Thanks,

 

I have already bought 10 x U3 Class SD cards was planning to use one a day and keep them in the safe. Laptop was really for peace of mind to allow me to backup to an external hard drive.

 

Laptop has USB 3 so not concerned by speed and have a USB 3 card reader hub combination already. As a Mac user i was just unsure if the cheap windows 10 laptops are a proper computer or a chromebook type machine.

 

Laptop ordered now from Amazon so easy to return if not, also ordered a 128Gb Micro SD card to leave in the built in reader.

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Only one of the slots is USB3 on that one, you will want to use that for the external drive, so the card reader will be on the USB2 side..

 

It's a full Win 10 device, just lower powered and slower than you might think.

 

What I have been doing instead is shooting to my XQD then copying in camera to an SDXC during dinner since the D500 has 2 slots. I'm borrowing a bunch of XQDs for a longer trip.

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Isn't it easier to get a WD external drive that ingest SD card without a laptop?

Harder to validate that you got a good copy onto the drive. Granted, if the drive is merely as a backup, that's probably good enough, but if it was the one and only copy (i.e. the plan is to format the cards after copying to the drive), there's Absolutely No Way that I'd do that.

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Thanks all, for me the laptop is the way to go and even with a case and 128gb micro sd card it's cheaper than one of the WD drives with card reader. It arrives today and I have a sd card full of raw files ready to test

 

 

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It came I set it up to discover the usb3 port was dead so back to Amazon it went. Toying with the idea of taking the 15" MacBook Pro Retina ....... don't mind carrying it more concerned about keeping it secure and safe.

 

 

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It came I set it up to discover the usb3 port was dead so back to Amazon it went. Toying with the idea of taking the 15" MacBook Pro Retina ....... don't mind carrying it more concerned about keeping it secure and safe.

 

 

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Unfortunately, many third-party USB 3.0 add-on chipsets aren't natively supported and simply need a driver installed. Inexplicably, these drivers are often left uninstalled from the factory on lower-end machines. It is possible that this was the case on your unit.

 

A note on your other option. I have traveled with laptops and camera equipment for a very long time and never had a security issue. I don't leave cameras or the laptop out in the open when we're out of the cabin but never bother to lock them up.

 

Dave

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I have, without many concerns. If I do have a concern I lock it in the safe (if it fits) or inside a lockable suitcase (if it doesn't).

Anyone else take an expensive computer

 

 

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Anyone else take an expensive computer

When we cruise Alaska, we usually travel with $45-50k of camera and laptop gear. There's simply no way to put much of it into the cabin safe, and we appreciate being able to grab the right camera at any given moment so they're usually out with lens caps off and readily "grabable"; never had a problem.

 

The only precaution I take is with hard drives: I have an elaborate system that copies memory cards to three drives. One of those drives is ALWAYS locked in the cabin safe. If someone chooses to take our cameras, we at least have our memories. On the final night, one drive stays in the safe until morning, to travel home in a carry-on (carry-off?), while the other two go home in two different checked bags. That way, if I accidentally go for a swim, or my carry-on gets swiped, there's another copy elsewhere.

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Anyone else take an expensive computer
I've hauled my gaming laptop on trips as I needed to edit my pictures and videos on the spot. So far I think I've been lucky.

 

When away from my cabin..... I put the laptop in the drawers. While theft is a potential problem, my main concern is the cleaning staff knocking or moving the machine to do their cleaning in the small room. I know they move luggage under the bed, not sure if they move luggage to clean the under the bed mid trip.

 

Ironically, I feel the crew don't open the drawers..... I found dust bunnies in them on one cruise.

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