I need a new laptop and none of them come with RS232 serial ports any more. Has anyone tried one of the adapters like this one.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ExpressCard-Expr...QQcmdZViewItem

Ive tried the USB cable from AKM and went back to a serial port cable b/c I was frying PCMs with the USB about 25% of the time and Ive never fried one in 7 years with the other cable.

 

If you have an Expresscard slot, this will work. If you have the older Cardbus/PCMCIA slot, you'll need that style adapter.

 

buy an old laptop just for tuning. Ebay has them for under $200.

 

Thats what I currently use, but I am buying a new laptop anyway to replace my desktop, so I would like one that I could use for tuning also.

This is what I am thinking of buying.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....#productdetail

 

I didn't have any luck with the adapters. I got one from ebay but no go. I picked up one of the USB cables from Moats.net for $80. Its the full cable setup for tuning like the old serial setups, but for USB. Works like a champ.

Ken R.

 

I had one of those full USB cables from AKM, I fried 3 PCMs in like 8 tries.

 

I'd stick with your old laptop for tuning. Especially if it already has WIN98 on it. Even with the RS232 adapter card, you're still better off using WIN95/98 and DOS to do your tuning. WINXP is no where near as bad as Vista (I don't recommend ANYONE uses Vista, it's a pile of garbage), but it still doesn't have quite the compatibility as WIN95/98.

Doesn't mean you can't get a new laptop. Just take everything you don't use on your old laptop anymore and just use it as a tuning tool. That way, you can even leave it in the car most of the time and not have to worry as much. I mean, even if someone breaks into your car and steals your old laptop, you can replace it with an old one from Ebay for less than $200. Not so with your new one.