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LAN Party Forums => Jokes and Fun => Started by: AXE on April 06, 2007, 10:41:11 AM
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People are always asking me if it's possible to build a laptop computer. I always say, "Sure, same way it's possible to build a car with parts from the autoparts store. You'll pay several times as much as buying a car from a factory, but you can do it." However, the idea of building my own laptop has been stuck in my brain for a while, and I've started collecting junk laptops, not for repair, but to tear them apart and reverse engineer the basic assembly technology. A great engineer (or maybe it was Newton) once said, "If I have seen farther than others, it's because I stand on the shoulders of giants." So I'm starting at square one and building my first laptop with the technology I already know.
([url]http://www.daileyint.com/build/laptop/laptop_1.jpg[/url])
([url]http://www.daileyint.com/build/laptop/laptop_2.jpg[/url])
The two basic components required to build a laptop computer are obviously a lap and a computer. Being blessed with both, I dove right in, but it quickly became apparent my computer didn't have a battery, so I plugged it into a wall. One possible enhancement would be to carry around a car battery and an inverter, but we'll get to mobility later. The next challenge was building a laptop with user friendly interface devices. I've wanted a laptop with a full size keyboard and I always use an external mouse, problem solved.
([url]http://www.daileyint.com/build/laptop/laptop_3.jpg[/url])
People who talk about building laptops in discussion groups go on at length about the difficulties of procuring LCD screens and what to do with them. I decided to build my laptop with a genuine 15" computing friendly Samsung LCD, not one of those letterbox things intended for watching DVDs. If I wanted to watch DVDs on my lap, I'd be sitting here with a DVD player and a TV. Having solved the power issue early on by using a wall socket, it's just a matter of making the connections.
([url]http://www.daileyint.com/build/laptop/laptop_4.jpg[/url])
Now I seriously considered building wireless into my laptop just to be fashionable, but the truth is I don't trust the security on wireless networks, and the real range (through walls and such) of my router can drop as low as 50 ft. I decided that since I'll usually be using my laptop in one spot, I could afford to go with the proven laplink technology to sync my laptop with my desktop. I wonder if plugging both ends of the laplink cable into the same motherboard will confuse the software?
([url]http://www.daileyint.com/build/laptop/laptop_5.jpg[/url])
A laptop wouldn't be complete without a shoulder bag. Since the laptop I'm building won't fit in a shoulder bag, I found a better use for it. This patented technology, which I'm calling "Extension Cord" gives my laptop a 50 ft roving range, a little longer if you count the power strip. I worry that it may set off alarm bells at airports, but you can't expect everything in a prototype.
([url]http://www.daileyint.com/build/laptop/laptop_6.jpg[/url])
So, here's my homemade laptop solution. It has all the power of my desktop, and is fully expandable and upgradeable with standard ATX and PCI components. I can use it anywhere in the house, and with the extension cord technology, I have capability of operating throughout the front and back yards. Note how the design allows easy operation of a standard mouse, though the keyboard position is a little to close to the body for my taste. Still, it worked the first time I plugged it in, so I'm calling it a success and moving on to building a lunchbox computer.