Need Direct Scan help

[tb3]

I just bought a used Direct Scan. I got it in the box and everything is in nice shape everythings there including manual. I was told when I bought it that it wouldn't be compatible with my HP laptop with XP. I was told I needed a older laptop with DOS. I just figured I could grab a used one off ebay. I went to Direct Scans Website and read their requirements:

100% IBM XT-compatible laptop
Standard parallel port
512K free memory, 512K free HD space
MS-DOS 3.3
3.5" high-density floppy drive
CGA graphics adaptor (required for graphics display)

How will I know if a older used laptop will have all these? I know I probably sound like a hack, but I have to get started somewhere, and I want to learn. So if anybody could point me in the right direction of what laptop to get, I would be very appreciative. Thanks in advance

[2QUIK6]

Almost any laptop made in the last 10 yeasr will work as far as the specs go, it does not need much. I have an 11 year old IBM laptop I use with Win95 on it and 266 processor, works beautifully, have a couple of others as spares cause I use this one laptop for DS on my GN, DataMaster on my LT4 and LT1 motors, and Tunercat to reconfig bin files for the eCMs, and a Pocket Programmer software to burn chips all on this little old laptop

[tb3]

Thanks for replying. I have a 3 yr old hp laptop w/ XP. I have tried to find the "hearts properties" page where I can supposebly select from which drive I want to boot from so I could have it boot from a usb port with a 3.5 floppy drive and see if that works. But haven't been able to find it yet. (I saw this in another post) The laptop doesn't have a floppy drive installed.
I pretty much leave my 87 gn alone since it is absolutely flawless from bumper to bumper. Its the 84 gn that needs to be brought up to speed. (and is funner to drive for me anyway, I really like the lear seigler seats). I have everything for it to convert to 87 ECM at this time except for air temp sensor and connector. I'm going to order that from caspers electronics next week. When the ECM conversion is finished, and my direct scan harness is hooked up to it in the car,.... then I'm going to have to start figureing out how to get the program to work on my computer. In the meantime, I've been looking at older laptops on ebay, trying to find one that has dos already installed. I've also been debating just going and buying a external usb floppy drive and fooling around with it and seeing if I can end up making it work. I'm sort of computer savvy, but not as good as some of the people who mess with them every day. Also debating on maybe partioning the hard drive (one for XP, one for DOS). But am a little scared of trying since I've never done that. What it comes down to at this point I think,... Is either go and try to find a place here locally and have them set my computer up, or, was hoping somebody could point me out a few easy steps (if there are some) here on turbobuick.com. But I understand that could be difficult if somebody doesn't have my computer right in front of them.

[2QUIK6]

I'd just get an old computer and reformat the harddrive and load it with Win95 or 98 and thats all you need to install and use Direct Scan and most any other automotive software. Then when you want to use DS, I just go to the "Shut down" screen, and select to reboot in DOS Mode...then if you just shut the power off to the PC while still in DOS mode, when you reboot next time, it remains in DOS mode.
DS will work by going to the "Run" command input and typing 'cmd', but that pulls up the DOS prompt in a Window and DS does not work as well that way.
All my other automotive software pgms run in Win95 or 98 like DataMaster, Tunercat, and the Pocket Programmer software.

[tb3]

A older laptop w/ windows 98 or 95 it is then.