Thread: Laptop vs desktop

I saw some replies on people rewired the laptop power/standby button to the front of the car, while this served the purpose it also removed one of the biggest advantage of the laptop carputer. That is you can't pop the laptop out and take it with you anymore.

I could, but it was ugly, mine had quick disconect plugs on it
- you had 2 wires with plugs on the end of them hanging
out of the laptop - You could if there is room use a mini phono
plug inside the laptop - or maby use the MIC plug and rewire it,
but yes there is a way

sound an old thread on the same topic...
what is the better option, laptop or regular computer?

Originally Posted by will1384

I could, but it was ugly, mine had quick disconect plugs on it
- you had 2 wires with plugs on the end of them hanging
out of the laptop - You could if there is room use a mini phono
plug inside the laptop - or maby use the MIC plug and rewire it,
but yes there is a way

Yeah, i know you could make it so it's detachable from the extension wire, but it would be ugly. i rather people think "gee, that kind of geek brings a laptop to starbucks?" than "gee, don't get too close, I might get electrocuted by the 2 lose wires sticked out of that laptop."

it seems to me getting a dockstation and rewire the power on the dockstation might be the way to go. This way, you can have the best of both world.

I opened my laptop up, soldered 2 wires to the power button and snaked them out the
back. Then I just put a plug on it to make it easy to rip out of the SUV if I need too.
I removed the screen from my laptop and sold it on ebay, so I'll never use it alone so
the wires are fine.

If you are using a laptop you want to take out and continue to use, a member back in the
day used a small r/c plug that he made fit in the side of the laptop and looked very clean.
I just did another laptop yesterday for a friend, and I ran the wires out of the docking
station port area, that has a cover so the wires can be hidden when removed.

As far as the remote start, you have many options... I made my own timer circuit so
it turns on and off with the key and has delays built in for startup and shutdown.
When we did my friends install, he just wanted to be able to control it by a button
on his dash, and that works out real well also.. you just have to make sure
you protect the wires coming off the switch with a relay so you don't fry the
laptop... (there is +5v on them).

I still think a laptop solution is cheaper and easier than a desktop imho

and yea docking station that you mod keeps the laptop virgin too...

^^^I would like to know how you build your timer circuit. Though I am not looking to wire it to the power switch. Eventhough, I have a docking station.

wei2cool........

The direct wire to the battery?
I simply got an extender for the post on my battery, that had a spot that I could attach another smaller wire. hardest part then was drilling through the firewall, to create a path for the wire. Wouldve used an existing one, but too new, there wasnt one. Cut the plug off the triple head socket, and wire directly to wire from battery.
Was pretty easy in my full sized pickup. probably a pain in a small car.

Originally Posted by Squid

and yea docking station that you mod keeps the laptop virgin too...

Thats what i did. The Dell docking stations (at least for the inspiron) has a little screw panel in the back that opens up to show a PCB with the momentary switch. Soldering just takes stady hands and a pair of reading glasses!

Plus the laptop stays unopened.

I just ran two thin (18 or 20 AWG) wire to the trunk and had a push button switch in my ashtray.