'Rugged' Netbook

[terrawombat]

I looked into getting a Panasonic Toughbook laptop for when I go out on site for my job. Unfortunately, my boss didn't like the $3,500 model I had picked out, so we compromised. Instead, he got me one of these for my personal Samsung NC10 Netbook: http://www.netbookmounts.com/cart.php?m ... t_list&c=4

 

The fitment is great and it's pretty functional. It does take away some of the convenience of the tiny size of the Netbook, but it's not that bad. When I first opened the case today, I noticed a sticker on the inside that said, "Unlawful to use computer while driving a vehicle." I thought to myself, "yea, that could be dangerous." It also got me thinking...a trip to Home Depot, about $15 in supplies and a couple hours of work and here's how I spent my Friday night.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am now a mobile command station :D I'll be honest, I'm somewhat embarrassed of the workmanship on project and I will definitely be going back to it when I have more time to refine it. I'm going to reroute the pipe a bit so that the passenger seat can move forward more than it does now. I also want to CNC a piece out for underneath of the laptop and use thumb screws so it'll be easier to remove the laptop from the car mount. Once I'm satisfied with the product, I'm going to remove the mount, paint it black, and add some sort of sheathing to clean it up. For now, it's fully functional and I have a 300 mile roadtrip ahead of me tomorrow. The iGuidance GPS software on the PC along with the USB GPS unit will be helpful along the way :brows:

[mrsinister]

Thats pretty cool! thanks for the link, I need something like that for when i deploy. I take a netbook now because if it fills with dust and sand, I'm only out a few hundred :roll:

[Automan2164]

Thats pretty cool! thanks for the link, I need something like that for when i deploy. I take a netbook now because if it fills with dust and sand, I'm only out a few hundred :roll:

 

I picked up a used toughbook out of a Government surplus auction. The fully rugged model, touchscreen, rubber backlit keyboard, magnesium case, all sorts of goodies. Its my garage computer, I have the '92 MJ FSM loaded onto it, and its nice to be able to page through the touchscreen while laying under the jeep. I picked it up for $50, and bought the factory internal mounted WiFi card and antenna to keep it waterproof for $100 and put it in myself. I run yahoo radio through some CPU speakers for tunes while wrenching, and keep it on CC for the important stuff. For $150, its a great tool to have in the garage.

 

 

Rob L.

[Philistine]

I like the DIY mount.

 

A friend of mine did something similar. Yes, those are spring loaded shocks.

 

From the driver's side

 

From the passenger side

 

Close up of the mount and stabilizer bracket.

 

Close up of the shocks...HAHAHAHA

 

View with Google Earth on the screen.

[terrawombat]

I've been looking for Toughbooks for a couple weeks now on e-bay and CL and there is a very specific model I want (CF-18) with the screen that will swivel 180* and turn into a tablet PC. Cheapest I've seen one go for was $200 and change and it was BEAT UP. Ones in semi-decent condition go for well over $300 and that was more than I was willing to pay for a used laptop that has been through god knows what. My boss also didn't like the idea of buying a used machine with no warranty. A new equivalent of the CF-18 is $$$$.

 

I did think about putting some sort of shock mount in and I definitely need to do something since the hard drives in these aren't shockproof. I'll eventually hit enough bumps to rattle the hard drive enough to kill it. I've got a couple ideas and will mess with it more when I go back to this a second time.

[terrawombat]

This contraption worked out pretty well for me this weekend. Went to visit my girlfriend at her parents place in Maryland (about a 3 hour drive) and all was going well until I came upon a 2 car/1 motorcycle accident on the highway. Traffic came to a dead stop and people were getting out of their cars to check to make sure the motorcyclist was alright/still in one piece/alive. He was, but barely. He couldn't be moved and was sprawled out in the middle of the highway. The other two cars in the accident were blocking the other lane and both drivers refused to move until police showed up. So, booted up the netbook, put my iPhone on internet tethering mode and surfed the web. Checked for some MJ's in the immediate area on CL, bought a replacement LCD for one of my laptops, and then Skype'd one of my friends who I haven't seen in a couple months. 20 min. later and traffic started moving again. Nice to have something to pass the time :D