Laptop?

AT&T has done me a great job running OTR and for the service quality the price is right for my budget.They dont play the games the other providers do in the long run which is why I stick with them (22+yrs)

As for the PC ? get what you can afford.
Completely rebuilt units are hard to beat and the prices these days
are in the working mans favor.

1.5-2 Gig w/ 500+ ram will suit most anything "trucking" with performance to spare.
DO NOT BUY ANYTHING FROM "BESTBUY"!

 

AIRCARD??
I am partial to SPRINT. I don't seem to have had the problems that others claim experiencing (limited usage).
I got an "unlimited" high speed service contract several years ago, and as long as I don't change my contract, they can't cut or limit my bandwidth.

Laptop?
I still like DELL, mainly because of their customer service. Even though they have "off-shored" their CS, it is still the best IMO.
You need a computer that fits YOUR specific needs. If you aren't going to be running resource hogging programs, you won't need to get the faster CPU speeds and larger RAM.
What I SUGGEST is ordering from DELL, and if you order a BUSINESS CLASS laptop, you can save a couple hundred $ over the regular consumer class PC. Just put Inc or Co after your last name when you order (example: Joe Schmegma orders a computer for the Joe Schmegma Inc company).

1. DON'T let them talk you into getting too many "up-grades". You can always purchase a RAM upgrade later and install it yourself.
2. DO purchase the extended 2 year warranty (that expires 2 years AFTER the 1 year included warranty), and
3. purchasing the "accidental damage" policy MIGHT be worth the money as well.

HD (hard drive) size isn't really an issue either, if you are a basic user and NEVER store your pictures and/or movies on your HD. ALWAYS put them on removable media, such as an USB external HD. You can get a TERABYTE (1000 GB) of storage for about $125.

I would suggest purchasing your "extras" from online merchants; such as TigerDirect, rather than the computer manufacturer, those online retailers offer the same merchandise at about 1/2 the price DELL (for example) would charge.

 

No No Go MAC

Yes, i am one of those people. I worked with pc for many many years. All i can tell you now is go get a macbook pro, get you an iphone 3gs, and you will be set.

Ease of use
Reliability
Standards

The reasons really do go on and on

 

Yes it IS possible, however Laptops are more robust and able to handle the constant bumping/jolting better than a desktop PC

 

Only one (minor) problem. Programs he MIGHT want to run (such as DriversDailyLog or even mapping/routing programs) won't run unless he pays for the Windows Operating System. Why go to that added expense; not to mention he can get a PC for less than 1/2 what a macbook pro costs??

 

From my perspective, it just gets filed under you get what you pay for. You can go to the junk year and get a cheap truck too. Or something of quality that will last (at least 5 years lol)

Different strokes for different folks though.... just gotta throw mine out there

 

Sorry, but I'll take functionality over the limited hardware capabilities of a MacBook/PowerBook/whateverbook any day (which I won't go into detail with, but it IS limited in what it offers and can run). OSX is just a headache waiting to happen for anyone who does more than check email.

Without OSX it is just an overpriced, underpowered, computer.

 

Here's a couple other things. They're plentiful and cheap these days so it's a good time to buy.

- Make sure you get the free upgrade to Windows 7. Most of the new laptops have a certificate for this on them but some do not. In another 2 weeks they will be coming out WITH Win 7 on them if you wait just a short bit.

- They all have big hard drives now, so that's pretty standard.

- Memory size is important! For Vista and Win 7 I am partial to 3 gigs or higher. 4 gigs is becoming common even at the budget prices.

- The SCREEN type is important for truck drivers. Look for "anti-glare" and "bright screen / crystal-brite" technology on the screen. Once the sun hits a standard screen and it washes out you'll know why.

- Get a proper mount for it in the rig. The "man" is giving out tickets now for "unsecured equipment" if you have it sitting or bungeed to a seat for instance. Plus a good mount makes it a LOT easier to use both in the driver seat and the sleeper (depending on what you get.)