which laptop?

Mark0055 · 06-20-2006, 11:00 AM

Hi People,

I'm about to embark on this kind of project for the 3rd time - it was coming across this excellent site that spurred me on again!

1st time - 1995 bought P75 laptop for £100, never got round to it
2nd time - 2005 bought "geek you ride", never got round to it
3rd time lucky?

I've decided to use a laptop and docking station because it seems to me if you can arrange it so the laptop can be pulled from the car and used for other things its two 'puters for the price of one!
Plus laptops are designed for lower power consumption and they have integral battery that will help out the car battery.
I'll still be doing the molded in dash screen and gps etc etc and connecting that lot to the docking station, not just sitting the laptop on the passenger seat.

So my question is:
Is there a preferred or noticibly superior variety of docking station/laptop?

The ones we have at my work (newish compaqs) seem entirely unsuited and can barely dock a laptop when theyre sitting on a desk, never mind under a car seat or vertical behind the rear seats!
do some laptops get too hot is another worry.
any suggestions?

Thanks for reading,
Mark
(Mk3 Supra)

shotgunefx · 06-20-2006, 11:08 AM

Most of my laptop experience is with Dell. They do tend to have a lot of docking options and usually they can be found pretty cheap on ebay.

Though the newer laptops have a "smart" plug. These newer ones suck because no one makes a replacement so you have to get one made by dell and they tend to be more expensive as there is no competition. Though you can usually scope one on ebay for not too much.

As a for-instance. I'm now using a Dell Inspiron 8600. I get a dock and monitor stand. I go to plug it in and it doesn't work. Tells me the powersupply isn't rated high enough, which is BS, it would be fine as I'm not running the lcd panel. So then I had to go buy a bigger ac adapter.

You also can't use something like the Carnetix laptop supply to power it. This point really sucks.

Rafster · 06-20-2006, 01:37 PM

Click the big link in my sig for a great place that has answers to many questions!

Good Luck!

Peace,

Rafster

Mark0055 · 06-21-2006, 02:20 AM

I take it a smart plug is one with more than just a 18v / 2wire / +ve & -ve ?
Thats worth bearing in mind! sounds like it would rule out any dc to dc solution and force you use an inverter unless theres a car adapter for that model.
lol - rafster i spotted your giant sig when i got here and read the newbie sticky thingy

very informative.

gospeed.racer · 06-21-2006, 02:24 AM

I also like the Dell series for the same reasons. I have a C600 and a C610 (P3's) and the full size docking station- gives you 2 pci slots too

You can get a Codi dc-dc power supply off eBay pretty cheap to power it all. Easy hack for the power button on the dell docking stations as well. All around, they work very slick.

Rafster · 06-21-2006, 02:35 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by Mark0055

lol - rafster i spotted your giant sig when i got here and read the newbie sticky thingy

very informative.

Great, the members of MP3car and I would like thank you for being one of the smarter Newbs!

Peace,

Rafster

ODYSSEY · 06-21-2006, 02:37 AM

MatrixPC · 06-21-2006, 08:50 AM

To help you move on, this is the best tip for you.
http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=73932

Mark0055 · 06-21-2006, 11:35 AM

Hi Matrix, I actually read your thread yesterday as well - did a search for "supra" . Fantastic job M8! I hope mine looks that good when i get to the moulding part. I'll be scrutinizing your pics very closely

I cant seem to find much in the power supply part of the shop that would suit an 18V laptop, they all seem to supply smoothed 12v or less . not surprising as this exactly what a desktop pc wants.
can anyone point me at a suitable bit of kit?

How do these voltage uppers work anyway? do they convert to ac run though a transformer and then dc again? cos that would be an inverter wouldnt it?

shotgunefx · 06-21-2006, 12:11 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by Mark0055

Hi Matrix, I actually read your thread yesterday as well - did a search for "supra" . Fantastic job M8! I hope mine looks that good when i get to the moulding part. I'll be scrutinizing your pics very closely

I cant seem to find much in the power supply part of the shop that would suit an 18V laptop, they all seem to supply smoothed 12v or less . not surprising as this exactly what a desktop pc wants.
can anyone point me at a suitable bit of kit?

How do these voltage uppers work anyway? do they convert to ac run though a transformer and then dc again? cos that would be an inverter wouldnt it?

I'm using an inverter myself as I have to due to the proprietary "smart" ac adapter.

What you probably want is a Carnetix 1900.

dsballer2000 · 06-21-2006, 12:53 PM

I am using a laptop right now while i get my parts all hooked up. I don't have a dock so I have the ghetto "open the trunk and turn the laptop on" method going for me. It sucks. I will not keep this as my setup even if i wired a power button to the front because i don't want my laptop lcd screen to crack because of temperature/bumping reasons.
Remember its so much easier to replace a desktop component than it is to replace a laptop component. Plus its a lot cheaper.

Mark, if you follow my steps for when I did my fabrication I would change a few things.
First, use 3m or higher quality bumper repair. In the long run it'll be worth it, especially after putting so much time into it.
Second, before applying the plastic repair kit, make sure you rough up the areas on the bezel that you will apply it to. I mean deep cuts so that the plastic forms to it an holds the plastics casing and the bezel together nicely.
Last, make sure you go to the edge of the bezel when applying the plastic. This will hide all the imperfections between the plastic repair substance and the actual bezel.

Hope this helps! Matrix will vouch for this also, working with the bezel in an mkiii is a pain and you will spend a lot of time and frustration with it. Mine took about 20+ hours to finish

but it was def worth it all.

cheers

shotgunefx · 06-21-2006, 01:02 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by dsballer2000

I am using a laptop right now while i get my parts all hooked up. I don't have a dock so I have the ghetto "open the trunk and turn the laptop on" method going for me. It sucks. I will not keep this as my setup even if i wired a power button to the front because i don't want my laptop lcd screen to crack because of temperature/bumping reasons.
Remember its so much easier to replace a desktop component than it is to replace a laptop component. Plus its a lot cheaper.
...

Is this a common thing? I've not heard anyone complain of it, but maybe I missed something? I'd hate to ruin my screen.

dsballer2000 · 06-21-2006, 01:21 PM

I'm in Canada where we get hot summers and very cold winters. The extreme conditions can't be good for it. I worry about my touchscreen alone.

shotgunefx · 06-21-2006, 02:13 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by dsballer2000

I'm in Canada where we get hot summers and very cold winters. The extreme conditions can't be good for it. I worry about my touchscreen alone.

I hear you, I'm in New England so we got quite a bit of that.

Lot's of sub-zero days during the winter and hot as hell in the summer.

dsballer2000 · 06-21-2006, 07:30 PM

lol please tell me that's not an actual picture!