Seeking laptop with desktop harddrive

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Let's face it, laptop drives have just not been keeping up with
desktop drives, capacity-wise. I realize that they are never likely to
match, but the divide has been widening.

Since I only ever buy laptops and always buy "desktop replacements", I
wonder if anyone knows of a laptop (weight/size/etc immaterial) which
accepts desktop drives internally.

An added bonus would be the ability to use two drives in a RAID array,
so that I need not worry about backups.

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Kasar Hausen wrote:

> Let's face it, laptop drives have just not been keeping up with
> desktop drives, capacity-wise. I realize that they are never likely to
> match, but the divide has been widening.
>
> Since I only ever buy laptops and always buy "desktop replacements", I
> wonder if anyone knows of a laptop (weight/size/etc immaterial) which
> accepts desktop drives internally.
>
> An added bonus would be the ability to use two drives in a RAID array,
> so that I need not worry about backups.

If weight and size are immaterial then why get a laptop at all? The whole
point of a laptop is portability and what you're asking for would run the
weight and power consumption through the roof, not to mention compromising
reliability--if you look at the specs on laptop drives you'll find that
they will take considerably higher g-loading before they break than will
desktop drives. You might want to look into building a lunchbox
<http://store.jinco4me.com/luboxco.html> if you need a machine that you can
carry in one hand. The PC2-H6 could hold a full RAID-5 array with
hot-spare. Not cheap or light though and doesn't run on batteries.

And no, a 2-1/2" drive will never have the same capacity as a 3-1/2" drive
made using the same generation of drive technology. Laptops use 2-1/2"
drives because they are smaller and consume less power and thus allow a
smaller, lighter machine with a longer run time.

--
--John
Reply to jclarke at ae tee tee global dot net
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

In article <KkFqd.6423$NU3.718@newsread1.news.pas.earthlink.net>,
Papa <bikingis@my.fun> wrote:
>How much capacity do you need? Many laptops come with 80 GB (and higher)
>hard drives. Further, desktop hard drives are physically too big to fit
>inside a laptop case, and not only that, the power and data connections are
>different.


FWIW The MAC users I know routinely run heavy applicaitons (in my case
Photoshop) off of FireWire-connected backpack drives. This can add
another 80Gb of disk capacity of your laptop, and give you some I/O
performance improvement. You'll be looking an AC outlet pretty quick.

You _always_ need a seperate backup. interbnal RAID doesn't help if
your laptop is stolen.


>
>"Kasar Hausen" <graham.keellings@gmail.com> wrote in message
>news:6f25fb5d.0411290443.318fe1ba@posting.google.com...
>> Let's face it, laptop drives have just not been keeping up with
>> desktop drives, capacity-wise. I realize that they are never likely to
>> match, but the divide has been widening.
>>
>> Since I only ever buy laptops and always buy "desktop replacements", I
>> wonder if anyone knows of a laptop (weight/size/etc immaterial) which
>> accepts desktop drives internally.
>>
>> An added bonus would be the ability to use two drives in a RAID array,
>> so that I need not worry about backups.
>
>


--
a d y k e s @ p a n i x . c o m
----

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Al Dykes wrote:

> In article <cofbot1nu4@news2.newsguy.com>,
> J. Clarke <jclarke@nospam.invalid> wrote:
>>Kasar Hausen wrote:
>>
>>> Let's face it, laptop drives have just not been keeping up with
>>> desktop drives, capacity-wise. I realize that they are never likely to
>>> match, but the divide has been widening.
>>>
>>> Since I only ever buy laptops and always buy "desktop replacements", I
>>> wonder if anyone knows of a laptop (weight/size/etc immaterial) which
>>> accepts desktop drives internally.
>>>
>>> An added bonus would be the ability to use two drives in a RAID array,
>>> so that I need not worry about backups.
>>
>>If weight and size are immaterial then why get a laptop at all? The whole
>>point of a laptop is portability and what you're asking for would run the
>>weight and power consumption through the roof, not to mention compromising
>>reliability--if you look at the specs on laptop drives you'll find that
>>they will take considerably higher g-loading before they break than will
>>desktop drives. You might want to look into building a lunchbox
>><http://store.jinco4me.com/luboxco.html> if you need a machine that you
>>can
>>carry in one hand. The PC2-H6 could hold a full RAID-5 array with
>>hot-spare. Not cheap or light though and doesn't run on batteries.
>>
>>And no, a 2-1/2" drive will never have the same capacity as a 3-1/2" drive
>>made using the same generation of drive technology. Laptops use 2-1/2"
>>drives because they are smaller and consume less power and thus allow a
>>smaller, lighter machine with a longer run time.
>>--John
>
>
> I see that 2.5 inch form factor is the comming thing for server-grade
> disks, driven by on-board disks for blade servers and the need to fit
> a petabyte of disk space in a few racks.

In a way it makes sense--the 15K RPM drives already run reduced-diameter
platters, so it probably isn't much of a stretch to move them to a 2.5"
case.

I notice Seagate's first effort is a 73 gig drive--I find myself wondering
whether two of those actually consume less volume than one 3-1/2" 140 gig.
>
> These disks are on a different price/size curve than the cheapo disks
> made for PeeCees, but small and cool will be important for desktop
> systems soon, also. When production is fully ramped up, a 2.5 inch
> disk will be cheaper to make than a 3.5 inch disk.
>
> If the OP wants all-out performance in a portable package he should
> look for the "lunch box" systems that gamers buy. These systems have
> all the power of a desktop and none of the weight of the batteries.

While they have none of the weight of the batteries, they have weight in a
lot of other places, and lithium-ion batteries are not particularly
heavy--lithium is one of the lightest elements. The lunchboxes are no
lightweights.

--
--John
Reply to jclarke at ae tee tee global dot net
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

"Papa" <bikingis@my.fun> wrote in message news:<KkFqd.6423$NU3.718@newsread1.news.pas.earthlink.net>...
> How much capacity do you need? Many laptops come with 80 GB (and higher)
> hard drives.
I have been running on 75gB full for almost a year now :-( I have a
bunch of external drives, whcih I hate to lug about (and I travel
constantly). I really need to slam several 100 gB in there
(preferably two, so that I can have a raid array for auto-backups -
wouldn't want to lose that much information).

> Further, desktop hard drives are physically too big to fit
> inside a laptop case,
*Most* laptopt cases... I am just wondering if there is a specialist
product somewhere. I am really just looking for a good "luggable" with
desktop perfoemance.

> and not only that, the power and data connections are
> different.
I have a few adaptors which just seem to be pin to pin convertors...

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

> If the OP wants all-out performance in a portable package he should
> look for the "lunch box" systems that gamers buy. These systems have
> all the power of a desktop and none of the weight of the batteries.

good point (and I already have one), but thenm I would have to lug a
screen around ...

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Kasar Hausen wrote:

>> If the OP wants all-out performance in a portable package he should
>> look for the "lunch box" systems that gamers buy. These systems have
>> all the power of a desktop and none of the weight of the batteries.
>
> good point (and I already have one), but thenm I would have to lug a
> screen around ...

Huh? Lunchbox computers have the screen built in.

--
--John
Reply to jclarke at ae tee tee global dot net
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

> Huh? Lunchbox computers have the screen built in.

Sorry, confused as to the term "Lunchbox computer" - I just have a
very, very small PC of the type shown here
http://www.cappuccinopc.com/default.asp

I don't mind "luggable", but Lunchbox computers seem more like
"schleppable".

I would liek a slightly larger laptopm, with an extra inch or so being
devoted to accepting a standard desktop drive - if such a machine
exists...