laptops w/ anti-shock hard drives ?

[Randall_Oelerich]

Any of you write with a laptop on your lap sitting on a comfortable chair at a coffee shop, or from your chair/sofa at home, and using one of the newer models of laptops that have anti-shock G-force sensors in the hard drives? If so, does that cause problems as you shift your legs around while sitting?

I just bought a new Toshiba laptop, but it is still unopened, still boxed, thinking of returning it because of that feature. At the store, the demo on the shelf was shutting down the drive temporarily just when I lifted the laptop off the shelf a few inches to feel out the weight of the laptop. So I am worried it is going to popping up a window telling me it is shutting the drive down when I shift my legs around while seated at the coffee shop. Thoughts? Advice? Knowledge about this if you own such a laptop?

 

[j1clark@ucsd.edu]

Any of you write with a laptop on your lap sitting on a comfortable chair at a coffee shop, or from your chair/sofa at home, and using one of the newer models of laptops that have anti-shock G-force sensors in the hard drives? If so, does that cause problems as you shift your legs around while sitting?

The last computer I had a problem with 'shifting' legs, was a Lisa, and if my knee hit the table, it would bounce the power relay and shut the machine off...

But in your case, if that is the 'cause', I think service is in order...

 

[clang]

Hmm, my new Dell has the same feature, but supposedly automatically restarts the drive as soon as it detects the movement has stopped. I wouldn't have thought this would be a problem - worst case, the laptop's in the middle of a write when you move it, but the operating system just treats this as a delayed write (the same as when it has to wait for some other program to finish writing to that drive) and automatically recovers when the drive is again available? But that's pure theory, i haven't tried it...

 

[Randall_Oelerich]

Well, I opened up the box (after going back to Best Buy) to confirm I could adjust the sensitivity. The g-force sensitivity can be totally adjusted, or even shut off, so I am good to go. Using my new laptop as i write this post. 6 hr battery life which is nice, for at the coffee shop, or i imagine watching a movie or two on an airbus.

No DVD drive, as this is ultraslim and 3.3 lbs, very light. That is new for me, no DVD drive, but I bought an external DVD drive for $70 for installing software. o/w don't really need an internal DVD drive, i mean you can put movies on a little flashdrive these days, etc.