Laptop in Car - ADVICE REQUEST Please

**nill** · 03-01-2007, 01:00 PM

I need to use my laptop in car for GPS.

what is the best way to keep the laptop in a car?

I don't want to buy an expensive mount (I am a student) nor drill holes for a mount. But if I just keep it on the front seat, it has few drawbacks:

1. Laptop gets HOT quicky

2. Takes up space on front seat - or if a passenger is sitting, he would have to hold it

3. I have to turn my head all the way to the right and down to look

Any suggestions? I will be thankful!

**nkotch** · 03-01-2007, 05:04 PM

You don't really have a whole lot of options if you want to use your laptop. It's gotta go somewhere and you've already eliminated pretty much anywhere it can go. A while ago I saw someone with one of the small Scion SUVs who made a some sort of mount that pretty much held the laptop vertically against the dash (like the HP laptop docks). I've seen some cheap laptop car mounts on ebay but they are cheap and are just made from metal tubing and some aren't all that sturdy.

I would say your options are:
1) fabricate some sort of mount similar to what you've already looked at to save some $$$
2) Get a small LCD screen and then hide the laptop under the seat or something and just mount the lcd on the dash
3) If all you want it for is navigation then get an older HP ipaq or other similar PDA. Can sometimes find a slightly older model (windows or palm) for not very much. I've got an old iPaq that runs iGuidance and it's exactly the same as running it on the computer, except for the smaller screen. And I've just got a cheap little a/c vent holder thing that holds the pda using an air vent and I can move it from car to car if needed.

**MrCummings** · 04-03-2007, 10:51 PM

My laptop is one of the toshiba models that is known for overheating. I still put it under my seat. If the overheating is something new your heatsink may be clogged. I have a 7 inch monitor molded into the dash where the factory GPS screen would normally be so everything looks factory. I also soldered a 2 wire momentary switch to the power button so that I dont have to search for the power switch everytime i turn it on.

**mwmcginn** · 04-04-2007, 01:32 PM

The above is probably the way to go.

**Marvin Hlavac** · 04-04-2007, 04:43 PM

More info:

**perpetualjon** · 04-04-2007, 04:51 PM

Same Idea but metal pipe instead of PVC. I was inspired by this guy who is selling his "kits" on eBay.

My full write-up on the [H]ardforum. I actually like the grill design on Marvin Hlavac as it allows the laptop to breathe better.

**shotgunefx** · 04-04-2007, 04:56 PM

Originally Posted by perpetualjon

Same Idea but metal pipe instead of PVC. I was inspired by this guy who is selling his "kits" on eBay.

My full write-up on the [H]ardforum. I actually like the grill design on Marvin Hlavac as it allows the laptop to breathe better.

Just don't get into an accident without a seatbelt or with a passenger

**perpetualjon** · 04-04-2007, 05:15 PM

'yea, that thought has already come up. I have room for a passenger but they would get cut in two if we had a collision. I'm already planning on replacing the laptop with a touch screen that's closer to me and won't be in the way of the passenger as much...

**Laidback** · 04-05-2007, 04:36 AM

Originally Posted by Marvin Hlavac

And never be caught short again!!

**hiddenagenda** · 04-05-2007, 07:15 AM

I am about to reinstall an old ThinkPad in my '96 Buick Regal, using it for music only. For quick startup and shutdown, I use DOS as my OS and MPXPLAY to play my mp3s. I use the Superlock strips (similar to Velcro, but much stronger) from Radio Shack. The best way I found to mount it in my car is over the center console. Once it is installed. the strips are not visible, and the laptop doses not move.