Laptops

 

 

This section might not be that useful for the majority of investigators out there, because SEPRS is firmly in the Apple Macintosh camp. Our main computing resource for investigations is a Powerbook with:

1.25 Ghz G4 processor
768 MB of RAM
15" Monitor
60 GB HD

We've always sworn by Macintosh for investigations because when you're recording audio and video evidence, you simply can't take the chance of having something that is crash-prone. We're running 4 video cameras at 30 frames per second and audio into the laptop, and it has never had a problem with stability. At this point in time, we're considering upgrading to one of the new Core-Duo Macbook Pros, but it's not that high on the priority list because our ol' Powerbook is still serving us quite well. Powerbooks are no longer in production, but you can usually find them for about $1000 on eBay, or go ahead and make the jump to a Macbook Pro starting around $2000, available from Apple retail stores and the online Apple Store.

Aluminum Powerbook G4The 15" Aluminum Powerbook G4

With the Powerbook we're using an Canopus ADVC 110 analog to digital converter to run the camera feeds into the Firewire port. You can also find these at Apple retail stores and the online Apple Store, and it's going to run you about $200. The software we're using for video and audio capture is Security Spy and allows you to run 4 or more surveillance cameras in on a single Firewire port, but to have individual control over each camera. You can get that software here. We also like to have the laptop available to transfer .mp3 files in from the handheld Digital Voice Recorders. Once you've got the .mp3 files on the hard drive, there are a variety of software options available for cleaning them up and slowing them down, and we haven't made a definitive pick on that yet, but we'll let you know when we do.

So now you've got a general overview of computers in paranormal investigations. Are computers necessary for paranormal investigation? No, not really. Between our surveillance system and our computer system, we've got several grand tied up. In some ways, it makes things easier. We can set up the cameras, tie them in to the computer, get things running, and to a large extent, walk away. Which in some instances is great. However, computers, with paranormal investigation as well as so many other areas of modern life, gives one the temptation to slack on the human element. So, in summary, a laptop is a great thing to have for an investigation, but it's not really necessary, and it will never replace human investigators using sound investigation techniques.