eComStation and supported hardware, 2007

Read the reports about tested notebooks and barebones in the Hardware database.

Notebooks

• Good notebooks: IBM, Lenovo, ASUS, Dell.
• This notebooks usually work: Toshiba, Samsung, Sony, LG, HP.
• Black list: Acer notebooks have poor ACPI tables often. (Acer = Packard Bell, EMachines)
• No information about: Nec, Fujitsu Siemens, Benq, MSI, RB, Panasonic.

(Market of notebooks: 2007, 2006)

How to select good notebook?

• Attention! Check the list of tested notebooks (some models have broken ACPI tables)
• SATA-controller should work in Compatible mode // check BIOS Setup (Some notebooks support AHCI mode only)
• check the chipset: Intel, NVidia or VIA
• then *Ethernet* and WiFi should be supported;
• Videoadapter is supported by Panorama VESA or Scitech SNAP; If the notebook has wide-screen LCD then
  • Select ATI or Intel. Never buy notebooks with NVidia video-adapter.
  • the requirements of Panorama Widescreen activator (usually you should select model with Intel, ATI X1600 or higher; even if SNAP supports the video adapter, it may fail to activate the wide mode)
• PCMCIA usually is not supported or difficult to setup. Modem is not supported.
• The notebook should be equipped with Power Off button. If keep the power off button pressed during 3 seconds then it should power off even if system is hanging.

Fashionable notebooks Every manufacturer (ASUS, Sony, Acer, Dell, ..) is offering light and compact notebooks. By default, any non-standard/expensive notebook should work with eComStation. Known problems: mini-notebooks are using non-standard video modes. Test the notebook before purchase.

Barebones

eComStation should work on any barebone:

• AOpen MiniPC,
  ASUS Terminator and Pundit
  Shuttle, IBM and Dell barebones.

How to select good desktop/barebone? To use eComStation, you should invest extra money some times.

• Intel, NVidia, VIA chipsets are supported.
• SATA-controller should work in Compatible mode // check BIOS Setup (Some notebooks support AHCI mode only)
• Video card - any card. If possible, buy the model supported by SNAP. Sometimes, you should buy one more adapter if have problems with current one.
• Onboard cardreaders are not supported. So, buy USB Card-reader
• Audio. HDAudio is supported (some models are unusable to watch movies)
• Attention! Check the list of tested barebones (some models have broken ACPI tables)

All-in-One PC

Check the list of tested All-in-one models (some models have broken ACPI tables)

Read IT news: XtremeNotebooks Sony VGC Gateway's One Dell XPS One

How to assemble eComStation PC by yourself?

Motherboards

Motherboards with Intel, NVidia, VIA chipset; USB controllers are supported; PATA/SATA controllers are supported by Danis506;

Notes:

• Requirements: BIOS, PCI BIOS. (EFI is not supported; boards without PCI BIOS are not recommended)

CPU