Topic: how do you run your laptop

[bagtagsell]

When taping, where do you keep your laptop?  Outside your bag?  Inside your bag? (if you do what bag?)  What do you do about beer spilling?  Any suggestions.  My laptop is around 9x9

[mirth]

closed in the open back compartment of my yellow rakgear. Lately I've had some heat issues even with the top open which has fried a couple sodimms. Now I'm starting to keep an eye out for a Portege, a Lifebook, or one of the C1x Sonys... all of which should be small enough to fit on the middle shelf in my rakgear's main compartment.

IIRC, Rhys (hermann2burn) who has a Portege 3480 or somthing like that runs his on the middle shelf of his rakgear.

My current laptop is 9x13.5 (full size Toshiba) and is too large for anyplace but the back compartment.

[caymanreview]

i ran mine in a sonicase for a long time. but i had the sony picturebook series that fits perfectly on the top shelf of a sonicase. i used a rackgear backpack for quite some time also and it worked well. ive only left mine outside the pack at one venue (canopy club, champaign illinois) because the "section" is FOB and there is a 2ft wide solid wood rail,a dn then the floor is a couple feet lower so there werent any probs with people being able to get to it at all

[silverbullet]

my lappie is pretty large. Nothing but a table for me and often I bring my own table.

[caymanreview]

my lappie is pretty large. Nothing but a table for me and often I bring my own table.

that would suck to have to carry in a small table to setup gear on

[kskreider]

I usually set up on a table with my lid closed too.  My laptop is rather big (Sony K13) and actually runs pretty hot too, so I can't really do the bag thing.

Most of the small clubs that I tape in all have small tables available.  Either that or we have scoped out the venue to the extent that we have key spots where we can have access to a Lazy Boy and a table (Lost Dog), or be able to set it up behind the sound board where it is drunk-free (The Haunt), or just far off to the side of the stage (Castaway's). 

Regarding wandering beers, cover your laptop with a bar towel (you should have one in your gear bag regardless).  I don't usually use one, but my buddy here in town uses a dry cleaning bag.  It is clear enough to see your screen through and light enough to fold up and keep in your gear bag while maintaining the desired beer-free state.

...Kk 

[Craig T]

I run my Fujitsu Lifebook closed with the end that has the vxpocket and cooling vents sticking out of the top of my bag.

[dklein]

Know that I know my levels and don't have to look at it, usually closed and in a laptop bag, with the air vents exposed.  It ends up being upright, but upside down if that makes sense.  It stays pretty cool that way.

[MattD]

I have to go out of bag for mine, since I'm yet to find any bag that can hold it in it's partially-open state (my powerbook goes to sleep if closed). I wedge foam in there to prop it open, but I can't fit it in a bag. I don't need to look at it at all, though it's nice to check a few times during the show to ensure it hasn't errored out or anything. I check levels on my ADC itself.

[scb]

when i ran a 12 inch powerbook, it fit perfectly in the middle shelf of a rakgear deluxe notebook backpack.

the uln2 was in the back pocket, v3 on the top shelf of the rakgear, powerbook in the middle shelf and batteries on the bottom and sides.  could have a whole v3 > uln2 > powerbook in the backpack, standing up,  with it all zipped up

[Scooter]

I like to check my levels every once in a while, and I don't like to run it w/ the lid closed, so I run it sitting on top of my closed bag with the lid slightly open.  Works for me, just have to keep folks away from my rig...

[dklein]

yeah - I used to to that ...until the green sticky drink incident.

[Scooter]

Ya, not looking forward to that possibly happening .  Luckily, it's a cheap 2nd laptop that I use for taping, not my main one.  As long as my VXpocket don't get hosed, i'm cool.

[fsulloway]

Here's what I just set up for myself and it's worked perfectly so far.

www.photobucket.com/albums/v505/fsulloway

[sygdwm]

Here's what I just set up for myself and it's worked perfectly so far.

www.photobucket.com/albums/v505/fsulloway

very nice setup. +t.  i dont have pics but i keep my laptop in a neoprene case w/ holes cut for ventilation and cables on a target shelf which sits on top of my valence w/ my usbpre inbetween. they sit in my backpack and can open/close w/ fair ease to check levels or restart.