Where to 'hide' a laptop...
#21
Registered User
Originally posted by gwhayduke
Thanks for keeping me in a job!...I'll teach 'em chemistry.
Thanks for keeping me in a job!...I'll teach 'em chemistry.
Last edited by Cebby; 03-25-2003 at 07:38 PM.
#22
Registered User
Mini-ITX boards
Instead of a laptop have you considered one of the mini-itx boards? Here's a link to check out http://www.mini-itx.com
The board is roughly a little bigger than a CD case and uses only 9W of power. It comes in 800mhz and 500mhz. The 500mhz one doesn't even need a fan to stay cool! Has built in TV-out, audio, LAN, USB, and serial ports. I purchased the 800mhz board for about 150$ a few months back with the intention of building a car-pc but it ran so well as my gateway that I kept it there
Check out this site for a really nice mini-itx car setup (with GPS/radio/mp3/touch screen/wireless the whole nine yards) http://www.thisstrife.com/carproject..._chapter_3.asp
The board is roughly a little bigger than a CD case and uses only 9W of power. It comes in 800mhz and 500mhz. The 500mhz one doesn't even need a fan to stay cool! Has built in TV-out, audio, LAN, USB, and serial ports. I purchased the 800mhz board for about 150$ a few months back with the intention of building a car-pc but it ran so well as my gateway that I kept it there
Check out this site for a really nice mini-itx car setup (with GPS/radio/mp3/touch screen/wireless the whole nine yards) http://www.thisstrife.com/carproject..._chapter_3.asp
#23
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Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Lexington, KY
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PoBoy - That's the exact same setup I started out to create last weekend. Creepy... Where'd you get the ezgo for $350? How loud is the fan in it? The one I was looking at, which appears to be about the same thing, was around $1000 (which is why I had to rethink). Saw one here and another place... I think it'd be pretty sweet to hook up the BR-3 and have it there in your dash while driving... Also have a Clifford 7000iq with the serial interface. Always screwing around with that thing in one way or another...
Also, if anyone else is really going to get into this, check out This guy's site. There's a pictures link on the left. He did a pretty nice job with the screen. Uses a normal PC in the trunk. There's also some info on a custom circuit built on a basic stamp that will turn the pc on a few seconds after the car starts, and send it a shutdown command when you turn the key off. Kills power after the PC is done.
-Byron
Also, if anyone else is really going to get into this, check out This guy's site. There's a pictures link on the left. He did a pretty nice job with the screen. Uses a normal PC in the trunk. There's also some info on a custom circuit built on a basic stamp that will turn the pc on a few seconds after the car starts, and send it a shutdown command when you turn the key off. Kills power after the PC is done.
-Byron
#24
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Join Date: Dec 2002
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Wow...its $319 now: http://www.directron.com/directron/ezgo.html - search google for directron coupon and you'll run into a 10% off coupon somewhere...or maybe it was $10. Either way it'll pay the shipping.
I cant hear the fan over the sound of my engine...its actually pretty quiet...its a little little fan and makes much much less noise than my desktops.
Heh..all those guys hang out on mp3car.com
I cant hear the fan over the sound of my engine...its actually pretty quiet...its a little little fan and makes much much less noise than my desktops.
Heh..all those guys hang out on mp3car.com
#25
Registered User
Originally posted by PoBoy
Wow...its $319 now: http://www.directron.com/directron/ezgo.html -
Wow...its $319 now: http://www.directron.com/directron/ezgo.html -
A minimal system with a 733mhz CPU, 64meg RAM, 10gig drive, and Win98 runs $615.98.
#26
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Heh...yeah, but if you pricewatch ram, hd, and cpu...you can prolly do it for well under $500. There is no reason to buy it all from directron when you can get it elsewhere cheaper. I found a 2 gig notebook hd for $20, got 128mb ram for $20, and the cpu was $8?. I bought a IDE HD to USB converter and used a 40giger I had lying around. Converter was like $45...try and use what you have lying around...
EDIT: Why do you need windows 98? Dont have a copy that you no longer have on a computer? You can buy win 98 for $10 at a computer show.
EDIT: Why do you need windows 98? Dont have a copy that you no longer have on a computer? You can buy win 98 for $10 at a computer show.
Last edited by PoBoy; 03-25-2003 at 09:19 PM.
#27
Registered User
I agree with ya', I was just looking to point out that $319 won't get you a booting machine.
The notice of what you're getting for $319 is pretty well hidden on that page. I didn't want someone hitting up the site thinking that they're getting what you're running for $319.
The notice of what you're getting for $319 is pretty well hidden on that page. I didn't want someone hitting up the site thinking that they're getting what you're running for $319.
#28
Cebby,
Hello I am the owner of the Xterra in this topic. Currently I have a wireless 802.11b usb network adapter I use to access the internet/network when it is in the driveway at home or in the parking lot at work. In the future I will be adding a cable that will connect to my cell phone for internet access on the road.
OKC-X
Hello I am the owner of the Xterra in this topic. Currently I have a wireless 802.11b usb network adapter I use to access the internet/network when it is in the driveway at home or in the parking lot at work. In the future I will be adding a cable that will connect to my cell phone for internet access on the road.
OKC-X
#29
Registered User
OKC-X
Thanks for the post. Will you see a slowdown going the mobile phone route? What is the speed on the wireless (11Mbps?). They were talking about blanketing the Pittsburgh downtown with WiFi. With that setup, do you also have a way to synch a PDA?
That is one awesome install by the way.
Thanks for the post. Will you see a slowdown going the mobile phone route? What is the speed on the wireless (11Mbps?). They were talking about blanketing the Pittsburgh downtown with WiFi. With that setup, do you also have a way to synch a PDA?
That is one awesome install by the way.
#30
Cebby,
Thanks for the compliment!
Yes I will see a significant slowdown going the mobile phone route. I believe it is around a 14.4 kbps connection thru it so I plan on keeping the wireless 802.11b(which is 11 mbps currently) connection intact.
The BookPC is a full fledged computer with 2 usb ports so I could sync a pda with it if I needed to. I am going to add a usb hub sometime soon and integrate it into the center console for use of items such as a pda.
OKC-X
Thanks for the compliment!
Yes I will see a significant slowdown going the mobile phone route. I believe it is around a 14.4 kbps connection thru it so I plan on keeping the wireless 802.11b(which is 11 mbps currently) connection intact.
The BookPC is a full fledged computer with 2 usb ports so I could sync a pda with it if I needed to. I am going to add a usb hub sometime soon and integrate it into the center console for use of items such as a pda.
OKC-X
#31
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If any of you are looking for a bookPC, im selling mine. It looks identicle to okc-x's.
Celeron 400mhz - plays dvds no problem
DVD-Rom
64mb Ram
Power Switch already soldered - just run the 2 wires to anywhere in your car to a on/off switch.
And any software you want...
Here are some pics of the old setup I had with it: http://www.poboytech.net/4Runner/Interior/frontseat.htm - I had the DVD player under my center console where that purple USB hub is now...
Celeron 400mhz - plays dvds no problem
DVD-Rom
64mb Ram
Power Switch already soldered - just run the 2 wires to anywhere in your car to a on/off switch.
And any software you want...
Here are some pics of the old setup I had with it: http://www.poboytech.net/4Runner/Interior/frontseat.htm - I had the DVD player under my center console where that purple USB hub is now...
#33
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Was running an inverter, then got a DC-DC psu...then sold it when I got the ezgo. So yeah...I used it for a good 2 years with my midtower setup and bookpc. Used the DC-Dc for a few months....
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