bluetooth port replicator

YESindeed · 10-24-2007, 04:06 PM

So i have a latitude d620 i would like to put in my car but i also want to be able to eaisly take it out every day for school. i was looking around for docks for it and i found that in order to dock a latitude, you have to set the laptop on the dock.. this is less than ideal for me because i wanted to be able to slide the laptop under the seat to dock it.

so i got to thinking it might be easier to use a universal dock and just plug in usb or maybe if theirs a dock that has bluetooth so i can connect to it using my computers built in bluetooth.

any feedback would be well appreciated.

THANK YOuuuuu

YESindeed · 10-24-2007, 04:09 PM

i just realized i forgot to ask a question in that post.

Is their such thing as a bluetooth dock? if not, how horrible are universal usb docks?

turbocad6 · 10-24-2007, 04:15 PM

no such thing as a bluetooth dock...

YESindeed · 10-24-2007, 04:21 PM

well i should invent one then. thanks turbocad. any suggestions on what i should do or maybe a really nice usb port replicator?

turbocad6 · 10-24-2007, 05:33 PM

yeah, good luck with that,

that would be a communications nightmare & bluetooth itself would never support it, video & all, sooo..

your not going to do it unless your willing to plug everything in & out manually, or use a real dock. you will need vga out for the screen, all usb docks that have vga use a funky cheap video card that won't even do full motion video, so usb dock is out.

why not a real dock again? dude, this is the best way, close to what you want to do would be to plug everything in on your pass seat, bring all the cords togeather & make a harness, feed from under the seat then plug it in I& out & slide it under the seat. this is not a good idea for way to many reasons for me to go into, just get a dock or get a laptop that can just stay in the car, only options I see here really

hithere · 10-25-2007, 12:58 PM

If your lappy has expresscard, there are a few good universal docking options out there in that vein.

turbocad6 · 10-25-2007, 01:02 PM

with vga too?

YESindeed · 10-25-2007, 01:51 PM

ok thanks turbocad i guess a usb one is out of the question. i dont want a port replicator for this laptop because you have to set the laptop ontop of the replicator, in other words, the connector is on the bottom of the laptop so it requires vertical movement to connect the port. What i want to do is have only horizontal movement when docking the laptop so i can effectively slide the computer under the seat. i think i might just make a dock like bugbyte made for his mac mini.

FusionFanatic · 10-25-2007, 09:20 PM

if you insist on installing the laptop under the seat, then you'd be much better off building/buying a dedicated PC/laptop that you can just leave in the car.

if you insist on using your "school laptop" as your carPC, then you should get a real docking station (not a USB port replicator) and mount it in the trunk. if trunkspace is a corcern, then make a shelf and "hang" the laptop/docking station from the rear deck
.

turbocad6 · 10-25-2007, 10:17 PM

yeah, trunk is a good idea, if you must have it under the seat, maybe theres room to just have the dock slide in & out like a drawer? slide out, dock the laptop, then slide back in? depends how much room you have really...

hithere · 10-26-2007, 07:56 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by turbocad6

with vga too?

Sure...(but not sure if your queston was directed at me)

http://www.targus.com/us/product_det...sp?sku=ACP60US

There are a few others...expresscard is, after all, just a link to the PCIe bus. No problem at all doing high-res VGA out (and the HP ones have digital and analog audio out along with it). In fact, there's a module you can get ($$$) that will house an outboard PCI express video card. The new ViDock (coming soon from the folks that make VTBook) is also basically a video card that fits in the expresscard slot.

To the OP: Turbocad is one of the more experienced members of the board, I'd take what he says to heart. I'd do a trunk mount with a regular dock, if one is available. You don't want to be sliding things in and out of drawers and under seats, not for a system that depends on multiple wire connections. That's just asking for inconvenience and eventual failure. A dock is meant to be connected and disconnected routinely, and gives you access to a power switch you can mod without molesting your lappy. Don't underestimate that if you are looking to build this into a sleek and easy to use system. That, and your odds of being the victim of a smash-and-grab go down considerably with the laptop in the trunk.

dmart23 · 10-26-2007, 11:24 AM

yeah some one get on that, i'd buy one.

YESindeed · 10-28-2007, 01:20 PM

ok thanks guys. good tips but my problem now is i dont have a trunk, its a s10 blazer. but i was thinking i could hang it from the headliner and then reapolster the headliner so it looks good.