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Mounting PowerBook in Car?

iJon

iJon

macrumors 604
Original poster
Feb 7, 2002
6,590
236
I'm getting a new Acura RSX soon and for a while I have been wanting to figure out a way to mount my powerbook in my car. i felt now this is a good time to look with the new car and everything. I have a 12 inch powerbook so it should make it easier. the kind of solution i was looking for is having some kind of device of the glove compartment the only solution i have found so far here. but i could not find a price or anything so i will contact them tomorrow. of course i know i will have to get measurements of the glove box and all of that, but i was just wondering if anybody here on the site has done this before and can point me in a certain direction. of course this isnt a big deal but i just thought it would be cool and come in handy, so i will do it if i can. thanks

iJon
 
I'm gonna look around TechTv's site, I know they have reviewed something like that. You may want to ask your local police department, sometimes cops have laptops in the car and they might know where they got the stand...so long as your not on any lists with them I"m sure someone will be able to answer.

edit: looks like they are called mobile desks

http://www.airdesks.com/CarDesk.asp ~ removable too, so maybe you don't have to war drive on dates....

http://www.laptraveler.com/hd-13series.htm

http://www.profilon.us/jottodesk.htm

good luck, and you'd better post pictures once you find one you like, the epitomy of geekdom.
 
Re: Mounting PowerBook in Car?

Originally posted by iJon
the kind of solution i was looking for is having some kind of device of the glove compartment the only solution i have found so far here. but i could not find a price or anything so i will contact them tomorrow. of course i know i will have to get measurements of the glove box and all of that, but i was just wondering if anybody here on the site has done this before and can point me in a certain direction. iJon
Click to expand...

I don't think there is any way you are going to fit this into your glove compartment. Did you notice the glove compartment in their illustration ? It is huge, goes all the way to the bottom...

And I thought it was tricky finding a neat solution (tidy) to install an ipod in your car ;)

Why would you want to mount a laptop in your car anyway ? Just curious.
 
I think he wants to war-drive and maybe hack...i remember iJon saying he bought one of those wifi detectors...
 
Watch out... I don't know where you live iJon, but in many states, some of those solutions are really illegal. In Los Angeles, CA, having an active video screen used by the driver is a heavy fine. (and I believe the way car makers and aftermarket stereo makers deal with it is through approval with the DOT, and most have "electronic" restrictions. My car's screen system allows you to watch TV and DVDs and such in the front compartment when the car is in Park, but the minute it moves into Drive, those items stop for the front seat and only dedicated functions are available (trip-nav, a/c controls, radio features) I was once pulling out of work with my laptop open on the passenger seat and a police officer gently "reminded" me of the laws and I promptly closed my laptop into sleep mode :eek:. Just a head's up.
 
well when i wardrive it will come in handy, i just find it really cool though. i would also like it so when my phone rings i can look at my screen and see who is calling me without digging in my pocket while i drive to see who it is. i probably wont do it, but if i can find a easy solution and i could do myself i may do it. its just a thought, not really a necessity. oh and thanks for the warning with the law, chances are its illegal since all the underglows and all that is too in my area, but i will double check with my bro, he used to be a cop.

iJon
 
Car-Puter

I've seen a lot of people doing this on the web. I noticed that they are mostly PC mods ('cause they are cheap I suppose) but, you may want to consider getting an in-dash LCD unit. (here, here or Panasonic's site )

I was thinking of getting my hands on a Cube logic board and some fans, mount it and a 20GB laptop drive inside my dash, and keep a fan on it when the vehicle is running.

Unfortunately, my airvents are above my stereo location, so if I do that, no heat, ever! lol.

Of course, the whole new machine just for the car would be expensive, however putting in the LCD means you could put your laptop anywhere and control it via an in-dash touchscreen, or via in-dash LCD + some sort of pointing device.
 
Re: Car-Puter

Originally posted by AnotherMortal
I've seen a lot of people doing this on the web. I noticed that they are mostly PC mods ('cause they are cheap I suppose) but, you may want to consider getting an in-dash LCD unit. (here, here or Panasonic's site )

I was thinking of getting my hands on a Cube logic board and some fans, mount it and a 20GB laptop drive inside my dash, and keep a fan on it when the vehicle is running.

Unfortunately, my airvents are above my stereo location, so if I do that, no heat, ever! lol.

Of course, the whole new machine just for the car would be expensive, however putting in the LCD means you could put your laptop anywhere and control it via an in-dash touchscreen, or via in-dash LCD + some sort of pointing device.
Click to expand...
yeah i thought this solution not to long ago, the problem was finding os x drivers for the touch screen. i remember reading on spymac about some guy who did it with his powerbook in his xterra, but he had to stay with os 9 becuase of drivers.

iJon
 
Yeah, I read that article too about a Powerbook G3 in an Xterra, but honestly, it didn't look too cool. The problem with the G3 Powerbook is its size. Which is why I thought a Cube logic board would work better, especially if I had an extra fan running on it while the engine was running.

Not certain about touch screen driver problems in OS X, but I'm sure if a touch screen can work on linux distros, it'll work under OS X with some porting. It ought to act merely as a pointing device.

Another possibility is to use something like Belkin's Nostromo n50 gamepad to control applications. I use it sometimes to control my itunes.
 
you could use your T68i to control the computer, put a luetooth chip in your machine and you would be sweet.

iTunes, Keynote, iPhoto, even use the joystick on you T68i to contorl the mouse,

I've donei t and it works really weel (controlling the mouse with the mobile...)
 
my 12 inch powerbook already has bluetooth and i use the phone to control it. im probably not gonna do this since no solution has proven to be easy, didnt think it would be. i was just thinking of more cool stuff to do my car since im all exicted about getting a new one. ill probably think of this more after i get my system, tinted windows, and remote care start then i will think more about this.

iJon
 
Originally posted by pseudobrit
Why would you put the logic board in the dash?

Wouldn't it make more sense to locate it somewhere else and run the video and peripherals up to the dash?
Click to expand...

Well, yea it would. If I had a car, but I don't. I have a Jeep Wrangler, which doesn't exactly have a place outside the elements except for a small (very!) glovebox, an odd-shaped console, and my dash.

Unless I buy a $150 lockbox for the back, behind the seat, and then run wires back and forth. Kinda expensive. Or build a box that is (mostly) waterproof, but yet doesn't allow high heat buildup.
 
well i got my car today and im not im thinking of license plates and i figured i should get something mac related because of my love for apple and because of my job. i have thought of many but only few will work. there is 7 spaces for the license plate. if its two words ill probably want a space between, so it limits it to 6 letters. the best one i have thought of so far is "GOT MAC". i thought about mac god, but i would probably make my really strong believing friends angry or something, only reasons i thoght of it is because some of my friends refer to me as that. i wanted to get iJon, but you cant have lowercase letters so i think people would pronouce "IJON" wrong. let me know if you guys get any good ideas, can be computer related as well, actually any cool ideas are more than welcome, i want it to be cool and clever.

iJon
 
man i feel like such a big loser. my new acura tl has got me on the acura-tl.com forums page. and whats the first thing i do, search for mac and defend against os x and macs on a car forum. i knew i shouldnt have registered.

iJon
 
well i may hve changed my mind, since im getting an apple stainless steel license plate on the front i think I am just gonna get JTAYLOR on the back. as for you powerbook method i may have found a solution. on the acura tl, right above the bose stereo there is a pull out tray for all kinds of crap. i saw a guy on the tl forum who put a tv going in there without replacing his bose stereol. if i get that i can wire my powerbook from the trunk to that lcd in the dash and be set. then using my t68i to control itunes. now i gotta do some pricing and figure otu what needs to be done.

iJon
 
Originally posted by iJon
well i may hve changed my mind, since im getting an apple stainless steel license plate on the front i think I am just gonna get JTAYLOR on the back. as for you powerbook method i may have found a solution. on the acura tl, right above the bose stereo there is a pull out tray for all kinds of crap. i saw a guy on the tl forum who put a tv going in there without replacing his bose stereol. if i get that i can wire my powerbook from the trunk to that lcd in the dash and be set. then using my t68i to control itunes. now i gotta do some pricing and figure otu what needs to be done.

iJon
Click to expand...

I think target has some fugly mountable LCD screens from Eddy Bauer or something like that. I don't think they accept VGA, just NTSC/PAL, but that might be enough for controlling itunes.
 
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