Laptop to Picture Frame Done!

fromplanetbob · 03-19-2006, 09:09 PM

I thought all you hacking and fab types might like to see my laptop to Digital Picture Frame project. The trick was what to use as a border around the screen (the white border). What I ended up using is the thin colored foam sheets they sell in Wal-Mart in the Crafts section. Just cut it with a utility knife.

Pictured is my own application recently finished today and installed. It gives the current weather from rssweather.com and 5 day forcast. The spot between the time and the forcast turns red when there are weather warnings and posts the warning their. The picture rotates through all the picture files in a folder and the time/weather and picture swaps sides left to right every hour to combat screen burn.

I've got two more laptops on my desk ready for the conversion. I might give out the pFrame program, but it's got some manual settings in the INI you would have to configure.

xBrady · 03-19-2006, 10:35 PM

Wow, that is pretty hard core! Nice work.

fooshizn1x · 03-19-2006, 11:23 PM

Thats really cool!

I used to work at an industrial computer place for a while and had a guy inquire about some (200,000 pcs!) tiny motherboards we sold, unfortunately I couldnt land the sale due to the engineers not wanting to make it thinner (was 1" thick.. he wanted 3/4 inch thick) Those things as a completed project sold for a pretty penny.. keep up the creativity!

will1384 · 03-19-2006, 11:49 PM

yea thats cool - good job - been wanting to do that but all the laptops
I got are too nice or two old - I got a 486 with a nice TFT screen
but I want to keep it - for old games - I gess I could leave the ports
were I can access them - it runs off of 12v - I could make a big game
boy

or game gear, but it has no sound tho -

I need one with sound for weather warnings - I think we are going to
get hit by a tornado soon - I have that feeling - that and I live
in a trailer house

I can get a p2 laptop for about $50 - might try that
get one with ethernet, sound, usb, ect ect - make it easy
to work with

some one should make a linux ISO for this

fromplanetbob · 03-20-2006, 12:01 AM

I set this one up to be WiFi Internet Ready. The only thing I don't like is the Power cord hanging down from the frame. No real way to hide that though... Unless you do it in the wall...

sfay93 · 03-20-2006, 01:30 AM

Good job! I have just started playing around with the same project. I used an old 233mhz IBM laptop I had laying around collecting dust. It is running Damn Small Linux and using xzgv for the picture viewer. Also wireless internet, keyboard, and mouse. The picture files are on a USB flash drive so they are easy to update. One thing I did a little different than your's was I went to Hobby Lobby and got the deepest shadow box picture frame they had to use for my frame. It's a 16 5/8" x 12 3/4" frame measuring outside to outside. It's nice because everything is enclosed aside from the power cable but since I plan on setting mine on my desk, it's not a problem. Have had no problems with it getting hot even after many hours of leaving it on. Some pics:

fromplanetbob · 03-20-2006, 01:45 AM

Nice! I might have to look into using Linux, then I could pull the HDD entirely!

97GST · 03-20-2006, 02:25 AM

holy ****, I have a Satellite 100cs and a 500cs and a 730cdt, the two higher models have 12.1" screens and the lower model has a 10.4".. I wonder if I could do this to them... But the problem is I just finished doing all new walls to finish off the redesign of my house, this would be great, but I wouldn't be able to hang them. It would be too thick and I'd be to tempted to hide the computer in the wall.

hmm, time to start thinking of idea's before I hook these guys up into a few of my crew's cars for Datalogging and tuning.

will1384 · 03-20-2006, 04:14 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by sfay93

Good job! I have just started playing around with the same project. I used an old 233mhz IBM laptop I had laying around collecting dust. It is running Damn Small Linux and using xzgv for the picture viewer. Also wireless internet, keyboard, and mouse. The picture files are on a USB flash drive so they are easy to update. One thing I did a little different than your's was I went to Hobby Lobby and got the deepest shadow box picture frame they had to use for my frame. It's a 16 5/8" x 12 3/4" frame measuring outside to outside. It's nice because everything is enclosed aside from the power cable but since I plan on setting mine on my desk, it's not a problem. Have had no problems with it getting hot even after many hours of leaving it on. Some pics:

what if the tape comes lose

- what no duct tape

I like the idea of using the shadow box - but with my luck it would
short out like you have it - I would keep the bottom plastic - just remove
every thing else you dont need - I gess you could use some wood or peg
board and nylon pull ties - to hold every thing and not use the bottom
plastic - I have realy bad luck - unless I over-engineer things a bit

I am worried about your CPU - were is the heat sink & fan - or have
you measured the temperature

sfay93 · 03-20-2006, 04:25 AM

This was more of a test fit than permanent. I want to remake the matte or have Hobby Lobby make a custom one for me. The processor is under the silver square on the right side of the motherboard in the botom pic. I haven't measured temps but as I said, it has ran for well over 24 hours straight with no issues yet. I do plan on venting the panel that goes on the back and possibly putting a small fan as well. It's kinda lke my carputer, I never know what will end up in the final version.

will1384 · 03-20-2006, 05:45 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by sfay93

This was more of a test fit than permanent. I want to remake the matte or have Hobby Lobby make a custom one for me. The processor is under the silver square on the right side of the motherboard in the botom pic. I haven't measured temps but as I said, it has ran for well over 24 hours straight with no issues yet. I do plan on venting the panel that goes on the back and possibly putting a small fan as well. It's kinda lke my carputer, I never know what will end up in the final version.

that metal plate is not the heat sink - its the interface to the heat
sink, or metal plate / heat spreader under the keydoard - your
running it naked, that why I was worried -

I would try to add a heat sink if you can

at any rate good luck

97GST · 03-20-2006, 01:22 PM

My laptop mainboard's heatsink is small enough that it should fit a good sized frame good enough, I can't wait to do this!

tbird2340 · 03-20-2006, 02:32 PM

I did the same thing a couple years ago.. I installed a wireless card in to copy pictures / vnc / etc.. I really don't use it all anymore because of the glare. If your not looking straight at it it kinda looks like crap.

xdjxklusivex · 03-20-2006, 11:36 PM

lol wow not to be rude but some people have no life.... good idea tho :-) id just think its a waste of a laptop esp if it wasnt old and slow

greenman100 · 03-21-2006, 02:05 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by xdjxklusivex

lol wow not to be rude but some people have no life.... good idea tho :-) id just think its a waste of a laptop esp if it wasnt old and slow

except it is old and slow.

much teh same way you have a fondness for your bike, some people have a fondness for memories, and a LCD picture frame is a great way to display those memories

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