Albert,

I have tried to do the same thing with a notebook computer as you, with
no success.  All of the notebook units I have seen must be connected
though a box of some sort.

The best units I have seen connect to the USB port of the notebook.
The 'boxes' I have seen are usually a little larger than a cigarette
pack.  From the MIDI unit 'box', you usually have three MIDI plugs, in,
out, and through.  The PowerRoll plugs in to the MIDI out plug.  This
is the way I have seen Larry Broadmoore (creator of the PowerRoll) run
his PowerRolls.

Like me, I think you are looking for one simple notebook computer with
a MIDI plug on it, and no extra boxes.  If you find one, I'd like to
know about it also.

I currently have my PowerRoll connected the same way you do, to my home
desk type computer at the other end of the house.  Of course, the MIDI
cable plugs directly in the sound card of that computer.  I think I
have about 60 feet of MIDI cable fed down through the basement between
the computer and piano.  Like you, I was pleasantly surprised to find
that it works fine with that cable length.  One neat thing about this
installation is that I can be at the other end of the house at the
computer, with the piano off, hit the computer play button, and my old
Steck Duo Art grand just magically wakes up and plays!  This is great
for surprising my children's friends!

I am copying this to Larry Broadmoore.  Perhaps he knows of other
notebook computers configured the way we would like to see them.

Gary Rasmussen