Replacing the classmate?

[Doc Wu]

The images (supplied on the USB flash drives in the KOP) are only for updating the two Classmate models that were issued in the KOP over the past two years. You do not want to try to use them on any other computer!

Almost any laptop can run the driver station and be used as a replacement for the Classmate. We do it all the time with our development computers. (Dell and Toshiba laptops running XP and Win 7)

You want to be sure to do the updates that install the latest Driver Station. (and any future ones) You'll probably want to install this year's LabView, the updates, and utilities. It'll take an hour or two.

Use the version of Windows that you have. If you're buying a new computer, it will probably be some version of Win 7, and should work fine with that. Vista and XP should do as well. Be sure all service packs have been installed.

To make the computer, such as a netbook, work like the Classmate did, create a user account and name it Driver. Then put a shortcut to the FRC Driver Station in the Startup folder in that user's account. When it boots into that account, the Driver Station and Dashboard will open and tile just like on the Classmate. If the screen size is similar, it should look the same too. Exiting the Driver station will log out of the account just like the Classmate did too.

I've done this on my Acer One netbook, running XP, and it works just fine. It'll make a backup just in case.