Atom processors and MyDMX

I am pretty new to the lighting game, and only have 16 fixtures... no robotics, but 80 channels on the myDMX used... I have only used an Acer Netbook with the Atom One processor... running XP Home... no problems so far!

Chris, you're coming around to my thinking . . .

I would love to use a Netbook, but the wireless keyboard setup that I use does not work on Netbooks. I'm still hoping to go from a full-sized laptop to a Netbook someday!

No, I'm not coming around to your way of thinking. The Netbook would be a last ditch back-up, and if it fails, would be DESTROYED on the spot.

And that's assuming I'm in a good mood.

I spent $3200 on a MacBook Pro that I use mainly as a PC(17", upgrade 2.66Ghz Dual-core, screen upgrade, RAM upgrade, HD upgrade), and it ate into a lot of budget. I just need something quick to get a job done.

If it has BlueTooth(the netbook) I'll try it with my Apple wireless devices. If not, I have an external Blue Tooth Dongle. I also have a wireless keyboard and mouse set.

For me, a netbook would be a MAJOR DOWNGRADE.

Just because you have one application in mind - there are others here that have different needs.

To you a Netbook is a downgrade - to me, and I'll bet others, is a positive. The 'size' of the delivery instrument is key. Once up and going, running lights is really easy. I didn't need a $3.2k computer either. So far, my $400 laptop of three years w/myDMX is doing the job quite well, thank you and I travel all over. Just sayin'.

I say as long as the minimum specs from the product page are followed who cares? I know personally I would never use a netbook to run lighting software. but I say if that's what you got and it runs fine and there are no problems, go for it.
Must look funny thought next to the audio guys console then there is one person and the little 9 or 10 inch screen running lights? haha.
Sincerely,

I need a $3200 machine because it's running Mac, PC(sepparate boots) as well as ProTools, video editing, network troubleshooting/configuration and a ton of other applications.

For me, since I work in pro entertainment, PURPOSE built machines are the way we go. Why? We don't have time for BS when it comes to things not running. This is something we're using to make a living at. It's not about getting cheap, it's about maximizing reliability and uptime.

Since I'm doing my design on more powerful computers, the netbook would simply just be a PLAYBACK device, maybe small tweaks, but that's about it. For $250-450, I can afford a fixed purpose built machine. But since it's only going to be doing ONE thing, and ONE THING WELL, it's still a downgrade, because overall, I end up getting stuck in jobs where I gotta pull a miracle out of my ass in order to make it happen.

For example: the guy who hired me to do sound in the middle of a park, and didn't provide power, and he wondered why I couldn't plug in anywhere. It had a fixed address. Well, needless to say, that ONE did not go off, he couldn't get a generator in time(read: he didn't bother to try to get a generator, so I didn't bother to unload, but then he didn't want to pay me, so I charged him for travel time).

You'll find that most folks just take their machine "off the shelf" and dive in. I personally don't want to deal with vendor-specific crap. I personally wipe every new machine, put on what I need the harden it(get rid of crap I don't need), do some other fine tuning and then it's ready to go.

Personally speaking, I need to see the followning when I'm running lights:
3D Visualizer, to show me errors. Like, one set of lights with DIP switches, they frequently get changed in transport, so this helps me spot this easily fixable item. It also gives me a sanity check. I also need to of course see the USER screen since I may need to jump or bump scenes quickly(and with 214 scenes, memory isn't a good thing to rely on), but I tend to scroll the DMX channels window to the area where the lights are that I intend to control manually.

So, before I go and spend on a Netbook, I'm running MyDMX, COmpu Show and a few other goodies on it the way I intend to run it and see when, where and how it chokes or breaks before I commit. If it ain't up to what I need, then to hell with it before I even leave the store. My check came in, so I'm looking to spend, and before I waste my time, I'm going through a checklist of things to check.

In Compu Show, I'm not sure what I need to see there. Easy Show Video and timeline(for jumping), Easy 3D to sanity check. After that, who knows, Trial by fire on April 29th and 30th. It might not be pretty! But we'll see.

But the thing is, I can't get reliable specs even from Intel(one of my clients!) on the Atom. It's sort of one of those "oddballs" things.

Audio guys, we tend to need a bigger screen as we often have this thing called a CONSOLE in the way. But, on the more serious side, with digital boards, we have to monitor system resources and utilization as well as plug in management, and especially in regards to recording, lots of little blinking lines. The little screen of a netbook just doesn't have enough real-estate no matter how you slice it. It's one thing monitoring INPUT via the desk(or computer), but to monitor what's being tracked. So now not only am I monitoring 76 channels of INPUT to me, I'm monitoring 27 outpput busses, and 44 direct OUTs and the associated recording INPUT those are feeding.

Lights SHOULD be easy. They aren't, but they don't require such extensive monitoring as audio.

Since what I'm looking for is a FAIL over fall-back machine, netbook is the way to try. If not, maybe a used Macbook and BootCamp it and run XP Home on it since I've got spare licenses for it.

. . . $400 rack laptop. Zeroed everything out but myDMX . . . killed all the processes but what I need - wireless keyboard & mouse . . . works like a charm. Lights galore . . . and I'm in pro entertainment too.

Most of our venues already have lights and tech's on location, but when we get to play small venues, I get to play with the our lights. No problems whatsoever.

A Netbook would be my ideal "size" because I work off a keyboard - not what is on-screen. Different strokes for different folks.

Cheers . . . :-)

<But since the produced Netbooks to date cannot do what I want them to do - the 'ole laptop seves its Master well>

I am using a MSI notepad running 13 DMX lights from lasers to
scanners my advice would be it is very difficult to program
using a notepad because of the screen size all my programming
is done on a much larger computer and then simply transfer your show
over it is a brand-new notepad with nothing running a part from MYDMX
during the night the lights did freeze but I simply unplug the dongle and we were up and running again I also find it much easier
to assign different scenes to the keys in the past I have used a scan master but the MYDMX software is much more advanced being able to create quite stunning shows
Alan Gilbert