"anonymizer" wrote in news:jJEab.4692$ snipped-for-privacy@sea-read.news.verio.net:
I wouldn't be too concerned about the truck's wiring being able to support the laptop: I'd be more concerned that the proper in-vehicle adapter was being used.
Laptops (which consume far less power than desktops) are measured in milli-amps of power even under the highest CPU and add-on load.(CD-ROM, External Drive, etc)
Under a full load, even the beefiest laptop only sucks up enough juice to power a 100-watt lightbulb. (Sustained power that is. They do exceed that, but unless you're using literally every device on the machine at the same time, you'll not likely see that.)
Desktops typically use 4 different voltages: 1.60-1.75 for the CPU, 3.3 for the memory, 5 volts (distributed) for fans and input devices (keyboards, mice, etc.) and 12 volts (distributed) for drives (Hard drive, DVD, etc.)
Obviously take normal precautions to prevent the laptop from running down the vehicle's battery, but in addition to that, *never* start or stop the engine with the laptop plugged in and running.
Plug it in after you start and shut it down and unplug before you turn off the engine. A spike of +/- 0.5 volts can fry your motherboard as well as just about any other component in the machine. (Memory being particularly vulnerable to excessive voltage.)
Hope this helps,
Your friendly neighborhood IT guy,
Godflesh