Cased.tableTop

[AJ@PR]

Hello everyone :) :santa:

Here's a wierd project, I hope we can build together.
There's this laptop by the side of the xBox... it's a decent machine.
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o196/45NN2121/BriefCase1.jpg

It has seen better days
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o196/45NN2121/BriefCase2.jpg

But everything works.

Now, the other day... browsing through Home Depot... we stumbled upon... an interesting """tool""" case. :bunny:
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o196/45NN2121/BriefCase8.jpg

Which looked just about right for our transplant...

Here's the girl placed on top... as we can observe, it fits quite well... and we will still be taking out the tool-case's guts (organizing dividers) out.

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o196/45NN2121/BriefCase11.jpg


So, initial plans suggest to modify ((WHO?! WE??? No way!!!)) the laptop's case... she gets too hot for comfort... plus, we know we can improve the cooling of her internals.

It'd be cool to have the laptop installed in the case, with her power supply brick neatly stored inside (just a 110v cable comes out?).
It'd also be cool to have some external speakers... to blow most other "laptops" out of the water regarding sound volume.
An external USB hdd would be cool, also neatly packaged inside the case.
Maybe some flush USB hub...
In fact, the other day there was a UPS in CompUSA that was sort of a "brick"... THAT would be cool for this thing.

A wireless optical mouse and keyboard?
USB WiFi antenna smartly attached to the inside of the case.
Hmmm...

So many possibilities.

Any ideas?! :) :)

The specs:::
ProStar 8080
1GB RAM
3.2 P4
80GB hdd
CDburner/DVDplayer (external DVD burner?! :twisted: )
big LCD screen (16"? something like that).


One shot of the undies :p
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o196/45NN2121/BriefCase6.jpg

Please post ideas and suggestions!!!! :) :santa:

[progbuddy]

Dude that laptop must have been bashed, battered, tattered, spilled upon, etc. Wow.

For ideas, I vote for a neat plexi window on either side of the ""case"" with lighting. Also, replace the fans from the laptop with quieter 120 mm fans. Bigger heatsink, ext. speakers, and a wireless mouse would also work.

[.Maleficus.]

Hmmm...

You'll definitely need to have a black trench coat and black sunglasses when you take that places. I mean, you can't have a badass laptop steel case without the badass trenchcoat/sunglasses, right?

[Omega]

Hmmm...

You'll definitely need to have a black trench coat and black sunglasses when you take that places. I mean, you can't have a badass laptop steel case without the badass trenchcoat/sunglasses, right?

xD

This mod would suit ME perfectly, then. I have said badass trenchcoat and glasses.

Maybe I'll post a picture sometime. xD

[xmastree]

Lots of potential there, for a few extras. I like the built-in power supply idea, also the hub. I would use a powered one.
Can you extend the PC card slots? or relocate them?
Heh, carry a wifi card round your neck on a chain, then plug it in like a key to use it, like some sort of nuclear missile launcher.

That really needs a big radioactive symbol on the lid too.

[AJ@PR]

Dude that laptop must have been bashed, battered, tattered, spilled upon, etc. Wow.

For ideas, I vote for a neat plexi window on either side of the ""case"" with lighting. Also, replace the fans from the laptop with quieter 120 mm fans. Bigger heatsink, ext. speakers, and a wireless mouse would also work.
hAHAHHA....
It was the personal laptop... and although I don't do "stupid" stuff with it, I never treated her like a Queen either.
Sometimes it got bashed... and battered... probably tattered... but I don't think it got spilled upon.
WAIT!
Yes... that's why half of the keyboard doesn't work... it was by the window, when it started raining and I wasn't @ home...
So it definitely got spilled on. :rolleyes:

THANKS for the ideas!!!
I hadn't even thought of using plexi... the side windows are a definite posibility. Upgraded fans are a definitive. As is bigger speakers :bunny:

Thanks for posting ProgBuddy :)


You'll definitely need to have a black trench coat and black sunglasses when you take that places. I mean, you can't have a badass laptop steel case without the badass trenchcoat/sunglasses, right?
Hahah... that sounds cool.
Maybe paint it all black... flat black?
Gloss?

Hmm.... thinking... thinking...


xD

This mod would suit ME perfectly, then. I have said badass trenchcoat and glasses.

Maybe I'll post a picture sometime. xD
Pictures are always good! :)
When she's done, you can have her whenever you want... to go hack into the Matrix or something. Hahhaa...
:santa:

Thanks guys... modifications will start this weekend...
In FACT!, a trip to Sears or HomeDepot is warranted... as we're in need of the cutting discs, and the routing bits.

w00t w00t w00t :D

EDIT:::

Lots of potential there, for a few extras. I like the built-in power supply idea, also the hub. I would use a powered one.
Can you extend the PC card slots? or relocate them?
Heh, carry a wifi card round your neck on a chain, then plug it in like a key to use it, like some sort of nuclear missile launcher.

That really needs a big radioactive symbol on the lid too.

God! I hadn't thought of that... :D
As the "built-in power supply"... I think it'd be really cool if two or four 110v 3-pronged plugs where present on the inside...
So the case can get one cable connected to the wall, and all other stuff powered out of the electrical multi-plug.

As to the "powered one"... you refer to the USB hub?

RELOCATING the PC card slots...
We're talking about the PCMCIA cards, right?
She has two on the.. left side.
We need to crack open the case to see what we have... :evil:
Hehehe :evil::evil::evil:

[xmastree]

As to the "powered one"... you refer to the USB hub?Yeah, something like the one I bought here (http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6486). You could fit the small psu for that inside the case too. Alternatively, tap into the 5V supply somewhere.


RELOCATING the PC card slots...
We're talking about the PCMCIA cards, right?Yep. I think that'll be very tricky though. Even if you could do it, the extra cable length involved may cause problems.

Edit: Looks like extenders are available, but at a price:
http://www.alliedelec.com/Search/ProductDetail.asp?SKU=977-0031

It would look cool though, and that's what it's all about. 8)

[AJ@PR]

Aight... well, looooong times laters....
We're back on track! w00t w00t!

I took apart the computer today...
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o196/45NN2121/laptopzz.jpg

Now, I need to figure out how I'm attaching the thing to the case.
I was thinking of laying a piece of acrylic down on the case... then using 'risers' to hold the motherboard in place.
What you guys think?

[SgtM]

Looks like an exciting project! +rep.

[Scotty]

Make sure you remember what bits plug in where, i sort of had that problem wih mine... plug the touchpad connector into the leds and power switch didn't go too well, in fact i fried the touch pad as it died a poor death :(

I reckon just for the hell of it you should watercool it ^^ lol that would own.

[AJ@PR]

I thinkkkkk...

That...

"If you mod it, they WILL come."

I'll leave you to your own devices now.

00101110 00101110 00100000 01001000 01101111 01110111 00100000 01111001 01101111 01110101 00100000 01100100 01101111 01101001 01101110 01100111 00100000 01100110 01100101 01101100 01101100 01101111 01110111 00100000 01100100 01100101 00101101 01100010 01101001 01101110 01100001 01110010 01101001 01111010 01100001 01110100 01101111 01110010 00101110 00100000 01010100 01101000 01101001 01110011 00100000 01101101 01100101 01110011 01110011 01100001 01100111 01100101 00100000 01110111 01100001 01110011 00100000 01101001 01101110 00100000 01110010 01100101 01110000 01101100 01111001 00100000 01110100 01101111 00100000 01001101 01101001 01101110 01110100 01111001 00101100 00100000 01100010 01110101 01110100 00100000 01110111 01100101 01101100 01100011 01101111 01101101 01100101 00100000 01100001 01100010 01101111 01100001 01110010 01100100 00100001 00100000 01010101 01101101 00101100 00100000 01001101 01101001 01101110 01110100 01111001 00101100 00100000 01111001 01100101 01100001 01101000 00100001 00100000 01001100 01101111 01001100



Looks like an exciting project! +rep.
:up: :up:
Yeah! Man, I hope this turns out really good.
I plan on using toggle switches for on/off button, reset, hdd on/off, etc.
Also, 'radio-style' knobs (switches) for the volume level, LED intensity (if done), etc.

I'm going to find out the cost of 2GB of ram for this machine... it has 1GB right now, in two 512 boards. Only those two slots available. ((bah.. stuff for the future))



Make sure you remember what bits plug in where, i sort of had that problem wih mine... plug the touchpad connector into the leds and power switch didn't go too well, in fact i fried the touch pad as it died a poor death :(

I reckon just for the hell of it you should watercool it ^^ lol that would own.
I hope I remember everything correctly.
I snapped like 70 pics or something disassembling it.

You know, you mention water cooling, and I initally thought that 'no'.
It won't be modded for speed... just a really cool case.
But, now I think that we should keep that water cooling window open.
Who knows, maybe with the water cooling, there's better/easier packaging. Maybe?

We'll have to check.

[=][-][+][=][-][+][=][-][+]

The LCD's cable needs to get an extension...
Is that moddin' style, cut-and-solder?
Or do they sell extension cables for such? I'll do a search...
Or will you guys think less of me cause I didn't build my own? :p

PEacEE!!! :)

[NocturnaL]

Looks like you have some great ideas going, hope this turns out as you expect it to. Btw i love your work bench, aka your kitchen floor lol

[dgrmkrp]

The LCD's cable needs to get an extension...

maybe this would help:
they talk and talk, but those are some ideas.. I read it.. And you could try the salvaging of cable ideas :)

[lukeisthecoolest]

the invisible link isn't helping anyone :(

[AJ@PR]

Looks like you have some great ideas going, hope this turns out as you expect it to. Btw i love your work bench, aka your kitchen floor lol
Thanks! :D
Yeah, my workbench varies depending on the task.
The grass behind my house is also useful sometimes. :p



maybe this would help: [/URL]
they talk and talk, but those are some ideas.. I read it.. And you could try the salvaging of cable ideas :)
Ok, here's [URL="http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/lcd-display/77661-laptop-ttl-lcd-cable-extension.html"]the link you provided (http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/lcd-display/77661-laptop-ttl-lcd-cable-extension.html).

Gonna check that out.
THANKS! :D


the invisible link isn't helping anyone :(
Haha... when I quoted him, I saw the link.

Ok, gonna upload pics now... need some help.

||_+=+_||_+=+_||_+=+_||_+=+_||

Ok, here's the rough, rough rough ROUUUGHHH draft of the thing:::
LCD on the cover.
You can see the motherboard fits quite well inside the main chamber.
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o196/45NN2121/SpaceConstraintsupload.jpg

Now, tiny bit of a hurdle here:
Hard disk.
The hard disk, I placed it more or less where it goes... under that green PCB that extends towards the front.
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o196/45NN2121/SpaceConstraints1UPLOAD.jpg

That PCB has the connector for the hard disk, other stuff, and the connect-back plug for the motherboard.

Now, my problem is, I want to hack (ie, Dremel the crap out) the front part of the laptop's old case, as I don't need it.
But what do I with that connector for the hard disk?

Here's the connector removed, the hard disk removed, and all placed on top of the motherboard.
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o196/45NN2121/SpaceConstraints4UPLOAD.jpg
Any ideas?

Here's what I want to cut out:::
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o196/45NN2121/CopyofSpaceConstraintsupload.jpg
(( ph34r my p41n7 sk1ll5 ))

[Helix666]

Just thinking (uh oh. :D) If you wanted it watercooled, wouldn't it be better to raise the mobo up so that you could fit stuff like the pump and res underneath it?
Then, if it leaked (or you cooled it to subzero temps :D and condensation formed), any moisture would remain at the bottom of the case (preferably separated from the mains potential stuff. otherwise... :eek:) where you could have drain holes.

Admittedly, you would probably have to put a layer of something (plexi?) to support the mobo.

(If you want I'll sketch something to show you what I mean.)

+rep for being braver man than I , and modding a laptop.

[Vertigo]

Awesome idea, and I love the case. My suggestion, plexi with window tinting and maybe some subtle lighting behind it. Or just paint the back end of the plexi black so it has a finish similar to my iPod. Be looking forward to seeing this one completed.

[purdy]

Haha, you threw me off there in the first post with saying that it was sitting beside the xbox and you wanted to do a transplant. Anyways, what I think would be really cool is if all of the guts of the PC were showing (protected by some plexiglass of course). I just think it would be so cool to be carrying around a mysterious looking briefcase and when someone asks what's in there, you open it up and because of all of those parts showing (as well as some really cool lighting wouldn't hurt either), they take a step back, not immediately sure if what they are looking at is a joke or a bomb. Haha, anyways that's what I think. Keep up the good work. I am not a terrorist.

Best regards,
purdy

[Drew]

I just think it would be so cool to be carrying around a mysterious looking briefcase and when someone asks what's in there, you open it up and because of all of those parts showing (as well as some really cool lighting wouldn't hurt either), they take a step back, not immediately sure if what they are looking at is a joke or a bomb.

Seconded.

However, in the US at the moment, maybe not the best idea......

+rep for killing a laptop. Waddya mean, it'll work again? Of course it won't. He took it apart.....

[DaJe]

The title of this thread gave me an idea. To have the computer built in unto the top of the desk, with the top of the desk being clear. So you have the computer on the underside of the side, under where the monitor would go, and you can see inside it.

[Crazy Buddhist]

The title of this thread gave me an idea. To have the computer built in unto the top of the desk, with the top of the desk being clear. So you have the computer on the underside of the side, under where the monitor would go, and you can see inside it.

Thats an idea someone else had. I am just waiting on my smoked glass to complete the build ;)

[Crazy Buddhist]

AJ - I see room for a bigger screen in that there briefcase