Looking for a minimal PC

[marinaldi]

Hi,  I'm wondering if any of you can recommend a minimal PC running Windows 10 that I can purchase as my AP setup that will comfortably run BackYardNikon2.0.   I'm currently borrowing my wife's DELL E7250 which works fine but I'd like my own and don't want to spend too much.  I'm a Mac person so my laptop is a MacBookPro 15" (a little heavier than what I would like and I need to run Parallels).

 

Thanks,  Mike

[admin]

I use the ZOTAC ZBOX pico PI331

 

[marinaldi]

Looks minimal as required and quiet.  But what do you use for a screen?  I'll be in the field and was thinking more of a light laptop with 12" screen.

 

Thanks  for the prompt reply!   Mike

[astroman133]

If you are going to connect BYN with your imaging camera, the scope with PHD or Metaguide, a planetarium program and a plate solver; a focuser with an with BYN or another application; a guide camera with PHD or Metaguide you need to make sure that the USB throughput is enough to support autoguiding and BYN image downloads at the same time without saturating the internal USB hub in the computer. You also need to make sure that you have enough memory to run all of that.

Some folks who have tried to use some old netbook that they had lying around have found that they got camera disconnects due to USB saturation...Just keep that in mind.

[admin]

1 hour ago, marinaldi said:

Looks minimal as required and quiet.  But what do you use for a screen?  I'll be in the field and was thinking more of a light laptop with 12" screen.

 

Thanks  for the prompt reply!   Mike

Oh, I bring my laptop and do remote desktop.  This is not for everyone.  This mini pc sits on top of my telescope and I have a full network/router in this setup.