Yes, those USB/RS232 adapters can be a PITA to work with. I remember having a Palm Pilot PDA that only had a serial port, and trying to get that to sync with a USB/RS232 adapter. Sometimes it'd work, other times it wouldn't. Just frustrating.
You may need to look at something like these:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16839328005http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16839200014That may, or
may not, be more stable than the USB/RS232 adapter. Something to think about, anyway. If this idea works for you, then your options for a new notebook would be greatly increased, as most notebooks have PCIExpresscard slots these days. Do you have access to any sort of forum of folks that are doing what you're doing with the EM monitoring software? I'd think that they would be running into the same problem of not having notebooks with dedicated serial ports any more. I'd think that there ought to be some consensus on which adapters work and which don't. They might be able to point out notebook/adapter combinations that work for your intended application.
I like the netbook idea. But be sure you've got enough connectivity and hard drive space to do what you need to do. Your port options and expandability will be somewhat limited with a netbook. And if you're using XP, make sure you get a netbook with XP on it. Many come with Ubuntu (linux). Ubuntu is great, but it might not work for you if your OBDII software is XP/Windows based. A little $300 Asus eeePC 904H (9" screen, XP, 160GB HD) might be just perfect for you. It's just a matter of whether it has enough connectivity and processor power to do what you need to do. I bet it'd have enough raw power to work for you. I'd just be a little concerned about the connectivity aspect. With a netbook, you're going to have to use that RS232/USB dongle to make this work. And I don't know if that will be even more problematic when using a netbook.
A buddy has an eeePC that he just absolutely loves. He has a nearly brand new $2,500+ gaming notebook, but he seems to adore that silly little $300 netbook more.
They are pretty sweet. The size and value is simply unbelievable.
