Lap top wireless????

Ok, got an IMac for video work and pictures.

Breaking down and getting a Toshiba Tecra A8-EZ8312 for work (good deal).

Home office uses the AS400 company wide, which I have access through at the house (I can log on the company's system at home, where I'm supposed to work, and do the same thing on the laptop).

What I want to do...

Make videos on the Mac, download them to the laptop, take to petsmart, and show videos of the animals to people looking to adopt a pet. Do I do need to download the Mac program on the laptop to show the videos?

Want to use the Wireless abilities of the laptop for work as well.

One guy mentioned an "Air card" which I have no clue (as far as wireless).

Would also like to get a wireless printer for the computer so I can print things on the road from the computer in the car. Would also like to scan items and store them on the laptop as well (does any wireless printer have this ability?). Also want to be able to recieve and send faxes from the laptop. My "assistant" has no clue as to a printer, and is only going by what "deal" the company has worked out, and a printer is not in the equation.

What I'd like to be able to do is be on a roof working on equipment and being able to pull up schematics (sp?) on the equipment for anything we need to work on. Also save quotes, faxe, and file anything I need to on a moments notice.

OK, I know nothing about computers, however, my wife writes software programs and is pretty good at what she does, so if anyone can give me a direction to go, my wife most likely will be able to figure out what your saying (she's not familiar with wireless systems though).

What I don't want is to spend an extra $100 a month for wireless capabilities for the computer.

If I'm going to spend the money on the laptop, would like the best of both worlds for both work and personal use. Any info would be helpful.

A couple of comments. I'm sure somebody else will have a broader picture.

You won't find an Access Point near enough to most peoples roofs for you to rely on rooftop internet access. I think this means you have to investigate a subscription for cell phone internet service to put a signal where you need it.

Or simply carry all possible schematics in the laptop. Modern HD's are big enough for this.

If you make dog videos for pet adoption, put them online and make them in a form that the majority of prospective owners can download.

If you don't have the Toshiba yet - choose a model that has a slot to accept the memory card from a digital camera. SD type, usually. Files transfer far faster this way compared to a USB cable. (Or wireless connection, I think).

dzalphakilo said:

Ok, got an IMac for video work and pictures.

Breaking down and getting a Toshiba Tecra A8-EZ8312 for work (good deal).

Home office uses the AS400 company wide, which I have access through at the house (I can log on the company's system at home, where I'm supposed to work, and do the same thing on the laptop).

What I want to do...

Make videos on the Mac, download them to the laptop, take to petsmart, and show videos of the animals to people looking to adopt a pet. Do I do need to download the Mac program on the laptop to show the videos?

Want to use the Wireless abilities of the laptop for work as well.

One guy mentioned an "Air card" which I have no clue (as far as wireless).

Would also like to get a wireless printer for the computer so I can print things on the road from the computer in the car. Would also like to scan items and store them on the laptop as well (does any wireless printer have this ability?). Also want to be able to recieve and send faxes from the laptop. My "assistant" has no clue as to a printer, and is only going by what "deal" the company has worked out, and a printer is not in the equation.

What I'd like to be able to do is be on a roof working on equipment and being able to pull up schematics . . . Also save quotes, faxe, and file anything I need to on a moments notice.

What I don't want is to spend an extra $100 a month for wireless capabilities for the computer.

Click to expand...

Boy oh boy I want all that too! What you are talking about seems to be a couple different things so let me see if I can break a bit of it down.

INSIDE your house you want to set up a network. That will allow you to access your computer and printers from OUTSIDE your house. Your network will need to be set up so it is accessable from outside, so you will need a firewall, you will need your router and at least part of your network left "on" so it can be accessed from outside. Your INSIDE home network will cost you a monthly service charge only to access the interent, so whatever your ISP charges for connection, that is what you pay.

When you are on a roof, or in your car, or anywhere else with your laptop, you probably will need a CELLULAR MODEM CARD (sometimes called an air-card). That is the only way you are going to access your office or your home network from the road.

To print to a printer in your car, your laptop now must call your wireless printer. Most wireless printers have a range measured in FEET so you may not have the range to go from the roof of a house to a car parked 75' or 100' away. I don't know which models of printers are wireless that also have scan/fax capabilities (if any) because the printer market seems to change every few months.

What you are attempting is fairly complex for the average user. You are complicating it a bit by using a Mac & a PC. It would be much easier if both were Macs because of the ease of file sharing between 2 Macs. But then I'm assuming you have some things on the home Mac that you need to access. If you only need to access a printer at home, then it shouldn't be too terribly hard. You have to realize you are trying to accomplish several things. Break down each task and figure out your solution to each one individually.

As for playing the videos at PetSmart, you can copy them to a DVD and simply play them. That is simple. You can also copy them wirelessly over the network and simply play them as a Quicktime or Windows Media File.

Thanks for the input.

Californina, with the deal and "payment plan" from the company, the Toshiba is to good of a deal to pass up, particulalry with the programs it'll come with.

Primary work will be done on the laptop, the Mac was for play, and perhaps when I get better with it (Mac), more towards work.

Biggest reason for the wireless is for pricing/quotes/inventory/ordering. I can do that at the house, however it would be nicer and easier to be able to do it at the customers place. Being able to fax would be an added bonus.

Thinking about the one time with my cell phone on the roof, I think the computer won't be going up there.