Computer to use with HD machine

[Eagle55]

My CNC Shark Pro Plus HD machine is on the other side of my state and is to be delivered Tuesday. I've been trying to work out some mechanics here to get things going asap. From reading the forum it sounds like a dedicated machine is in order. Although I don't have one that I can just leave out there full time, I have one I can configure to to use on nothing but the CNC Shark at that time. Has anyone used something like the Acer Aspire One little "Netbook" to run their machine. It is running XP with the latest service pack and is really nice size to sit on a small attached shelf and operate from. My plans are to design the piece and generate the code on a 17" laptop or desktop and then take the project files either on SD card (or transfer over wireless network) to the Netbook computer. Then use the Netbook in the shop to do that work with the CNC Shark. I know I have to disable the screen saver and sleep modes. Has anyone used a Netbook or have any insight as to the workability of the whole scheme as I am proposing? Also what is the license agreement in relation to having Vcarve installed on multiple machines? I have a desk top that I would like to use on long projects with a lot of design time and a laptop that I would normally do smaller jobs on. Is this something that could be done within the license agreement?

Anxiously awaiting my first project run (and bulldozing the garbage in the shop)

Roger

[Sallye]

Hi Roger,

I'm using a tiny Asus Eee "netbook" running XP to run the control panel software and it works fine. Although I have a wireless router, it doesn't quite reach consistently to the shop, so I use "sneakernet" and copy the .tap files to a jump drive (aka 'thumb drive') to transfer over from my desktop computer. You don't have to have VCarve installed on the laptop, unless you want to use it for design also. You only need the control panel software. The folks at Vectric did tell me that they allow their software to be installed on 3 machines, as long as there is only 1 user.

-Sallye

*** GEAUX TIGERS!!!! ***

[Joraft]

I just bought a Dell Inspiron (3.2 Ghz dual core Pentium, 4 Gb ram) that I will use as a dedicated computer for the CNC. Total cost was under $400. It is a mini-tower and should fit nicely on a shelf under the table I'm building for the Shark HD.

I plan to do all my design work on a more powerful computer that I have in the office, and connect the two computers over the network (hardwired).

[Eagle55]

Excellent!! I just didn't want to get myself going in a direction that would be terminal. I have been using the little netbook as my main computer since my desktop crashed a year ago but recently got a new big laptop that will become my secondary computer and have had a desktop that will be my "big~fast" computer. I want to design on both of these and retire my netbook to just traveling and the CNC Shark, just wasn't sure of its capabilities in relation to the CNC Shark. I can easily turn off the wireless connection on it with the flip of a switch so it won't distracted or interrupted by online crap. I'm so glad many program owners have allowed the 3 computer rule instead of one license-one computer rule that they used to. I am like some people I know and have far many more computers than I have sense and think that I have to have a computer everywhere that I sit down (and one on my hip when I walk~the iphone). (BTW that comment wasn't aimed at anyone here ha ha ha, but I imagine it may happen to make some of you think ) Thanks for the response ~~~~~ Two days til carve time