While many users have had fine luck recording into their laptops with FCP or On Location or using a Focus Enhancements recorder, in the heat of production, especially long form event in a foreign country, you would be doing yourself a favor to take Michael's advice, less hassle, fewer pieces of gear to go wrong, lower power requirements.
I have never trusted my work to recording to a laptop. I was one of the first to Beta test Focus' first recorder for the HVX200 and I didn't trust it then and I still don't trust it for MY applications. P2 cards have never let me down, they are relatively bulletproof.
Dan
A Producer Who Is Also A DP? Yep, that's Me.
http://www.danbrockett.com
