Yo, my laptop is seeing its last days, however during its existance I developed new, needs, hobbies, and habits that my dell just couldent support. Overall, I was hoping some people in the know could help me find the right Notebook, which may just help the next person in the same situation.
My needs are far from mainstream, and wish big names didnt sell me half the crap they force you too choose from, which is what leads to:
Basic Needs
Any Weight!
17"+ ________ Display -
2GB+ DDR2 __ Ram (Wallet Killer) In need to do serious multitasking
Video Card ___ Dont know anything about them, prolly going to use Ext
Hardrive _____ I'm talking terabyte, Memory today is cheap
Battery ______ Crucial, (Filming/Recording is hard in the desert or lake)
Casing ______ Tank like exteriror with meticulous Space Suit design
Processor ____ Is Duo Mobile any good or even capable of 2.4+Gz
Ext design ___ Sleek, w/out factory designs, my own tags will do.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ok, yeah so these specs are open to question, and maybe become more business like specs (Lenovo X Series is spicey but too little) however the reall killer, and main problem with buying a new computer, which denies the purchase of a Notebook from:
Sony, Dell, Alien Ware, Fujitsu, Lenovo, Toshiba(also Spicy) and HP
is the fact that I can't find:

A brand that has two or more built in PCMCIA (Cardbus) slots on their computers which is !crucial! for superior quality with and capable of on the spot and simultaneous;
Recording, Sampling, Filming, Uploading/Downloading, Editing, Implementation, Presentation (projection,tv,shows), Fidelity, Innovation, Low Latency Communication between systems and equipment as well as getting the full potential of the equipments capabilities (most of my interfaces are analog, some favorites from RME) when around it.
And the addition of:
More Peripherals (1/8, 1/4 etc connections without using adapters), Bluetooth (just cause), etc.


Continuing with the solutions,

A diffarent solution that I thought would be available was a Cardbus using, that cable, F I forgot the name, well anyway yes a Cardbus that splits kinda like a Y cable, not long maybe 6" would rock, and has two or more female cardbus slots that are able to run simultaneously.
Within the range of this idea, I was also wondering if there was again a cardbus that with a shot cable connect to a bay with (vertical entry would be sweet) 2 or more female cardbus slots, something like a toaster. Maybe these things do exist but I havent found any.

---------------------------No USB or Firewire Either----------------------------

Additional questions on PCMCIA Cardbus's
What Soundcard?
such as the ECHO I/O or Hammerfall DSP Cardbus

What Wifi Card? - What Video Card? - etc

I would like to know what cards do you use and why, please.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Furthermore: Kind of Irrelevant part
1. Software is truly SOFT and Online Vendors dont provide enough output
for Audio, Film, etc. or enough input materials there of. Does anyone know of a good vendor that I could check out.
2. Sacrifice of centrino and possibly Duo Mobile requires Wifi Card which means i can have a powerhouse, xtreme multitask and longer range. is this a good idea?
3. With a 1/8 connection that the ECHO I/O has would i be able to still use my headset through it connecting te sound part into the card and mic into its respective spot. (This is For stuff like Skype etc and not recording)

Bah so much more but This page will turn into a page if i go on.
Thank you for your time.
Christian

If you are looking for a PCMCIA based soundcard that features 1/4" connectors, thus removing the need for adapters etc, then I'd recommend the E-MU 1616 laptop card and breakout box.

You will get 1/4" inputs AND XLR mic inputs w/preamps as well as low-latency ASIO recording at 24-bit/192kHz.

_________________
Thassius
"Blessed are the noobs, for they shall inherit Obsidian" - Thassius

Right on I had'nt even seen that one, the specs look seriously gnarly man! I'm gonna have to test it first ofcourse as with others at the store, thanks man.


But still is there any laptop that has two or more PCMCIA slots built in, or a splitter of the sort (Do they even exist?) or is there really no way around using one PCMCIA card at a time, most need to have the computer shut down to take out and have another put in. Mixing live tv, with flowing music and filming it all at the same time sounds like the best way to me.

Dude these cards are the way of the future, like an 8-track revolution, I'm investing in the company already as their mission and plans seem concrete. crap i write too much...

Ya, E-Mu stuff is pretty cool. They are owned by creative, and actually designed the DSP's used in the SB Live, Audigy series etc.

They also use the same mastering-grade DAC's as ProTools hardware, which should mean a very clean signal path.

Oh, and I'm pretty sure most laptops I've seen have two PCMCIA slots - my GF's has - but then I havent used many laptops! If you can't find the information on the manufacturers website then I'd recommend calling the relevant telesales department (eg, Dell) and just asking them.

Also, don't forget that you can use USB2 or Firewire gear for many tasks. Perhaps a USB2-based PCTV solution and a PCMCIA-based audio solution?

_________________
Thassius
"Blessed are the noobs, for they shall inherit Obsidian" - Thassius

Hmm, I might consider it, however having my wifi, soundcard and video card all in at the same time is what i was going for...so i really only would need the computer, beside ofcourse the actuall equipment which the cpu would be standing above ánd i'll make an exception for the breakbox since its measurements fit perfectly between the synth and the control/mixer next too my FX utility which also has a digital interface sadly not analog.
_____________
[ ]
[ CPU ]
_____[______ _____]____________
--------------/ E F \ [] [] [] [] [] [] \
- - - - - - - / M X \ ( . ) ( . ) \
________/ U \_________________\
____________________________________
Control


Second, not really a solution to this problem, which is that my grado headphones dont have a mic or any of their amazing headphones, so next question, could i use my Vocal Mic as a computer mic as well, I havent checked to see whether the EMU could do that or any other...

What about expansion boards are those strictly PCI?

And if i have to buy a new headset that has a 1/4 mic which one has the highest potential ohm's generally a 20-20 better 35 frequency liek the grado?

If you know any please let me know.

I'm not sure about the resistance of the headphones... best to check the spec sheets on Sennheisser's website etc.

Grado make nice 'phones, I'm gonna get some SR-225's soon.

As for 'can you use a proper mic as a computer mic...'

YES

It isn't as practical as a headset, but I've used my Shure SM-57 (through an ART Studio V3 valve preamp and into the mic or line in of the soundcard) for skype, teamspeak etc and it works really good once you get the gain settings etc to the right levels - and use a standard mic stand to get it close to yo' mouth.

The only thing is, I could sit over the other side of the room and have a skype conversation because the mic is so sensitive... so keep the input gain to a reasonable level and boost at the output stage.

I'd also reccommend using an EQ to remove the boominess from your speech, as well as a compressor/limiter to control peaks. You should find that the hardware mixer with the E-MU hardware provides these processors/effects so you shouldn't need to use outboard equipment for this.

_________________
Thassius
"Blessed are the noobs, for they shall inherit Obsidian" - Thassius