|
Posted by Jeff on November 19, 2005, 6:00 pm
Please log in for more thread options
Notebook computers have been around long enough, now, to have evolved
into niche markets. One of these, the "desktop replacement," suggests
to me that I am not the only person to discover the convenience of a
fully powered and featured yet self-contained and portable computer,
which can easily be moved from room to room or placed on a board
balanced across the arm-rests of my favorite recliner. :)
However, shopping the notebook market places a person squarely into the
hands of the manufacturers. Having assembled my own desktop PC's, I
appreciate the range of choices available for each and every component,
which makes a truely customized system possible. I have discovered,
too, that a homebuilt PC can frequently be less expensive than an
off-the-shelf model with the same features and specs. That is assuming,
of course, that a comparison can even be found-- "off-the-shelf" system
manufacturers frequently cut corners in ways that they hope the
PC-buying public won't notice, so that they stand a chance to actually
make a profit.
If there is an industry standard architecture for notebook computers
that would permit a home builder to assemble one from components, I
haven't heard of it. With the exception of 2.5" HDD's, memory modules,
and external peripherals that plug into firewire, USB, and other ports,
the internal architecture of a notebook is entirely proprietary. I have
found one company on the web (sorry, I don't have a link handy) that
builds notebook computers to customers' specifications (as one might
imagine, they are expensive); otherwise, a notebook customer is at the
mercy of the manufacturers. One needn't be accustomed to the "have it
your way" experience of home-building to become frustrated with the
necessary compromises that usually must be made when choosing a
notebook.
Thinking about this problem lead me to an idea, a crude first
approximation toward a solution: a PC case for building a self-
contained, portable computer. If someone were to design it, and if it
were to succeed, it could evolve into a standardized notebook computer
architecture that would give users more freedom, and open the market to
the "small enterprise" system integrators who are currently limited to
building desktop systems. My "concept case" :) would have the following
features:
It would lay flat like the old-style cases, rather than be upright like
the newer towers. On the top would be installed a hinged (folding) LCD
screen, and an integrated keyboard and pointing device-- just like a
notebook computer. The case would include the electronics necessary to
drive the screen from a standard VGA port. Integrated amplified
speakers (also like a notebook) might also be a plus.
The case would accomodate standard form-factor motherboards and
daughter cards. It would include connector/risers that would set the
daughter cards at some angle less than perpendicular (90 degrees)
relative to the motherboard, which would make possible a flatter,
smaller case.
The HDD bay(s) would be designed for 2.5" notebook drives. That would
save internal space, and ensure the use of a HDD that is (supposedly)
designed to withstand physical shock better than a 3.5" desktop drive.
Fortunately, cables already exist to adapt a notebook HDD to the ATA
connector on a motherboard.
The case could include a notebook floppy drive already installed or, if
possible, a bay for one.
A full-sized 5" bay (or two) for the optical (or another kind of) drive
could be possible without making the case too large, and would maximize
options. Depending upon available choices and level of standardization,
a notebook optical drive bay might be possible, and might be a better
choice.
Power supply considerations may be the largest obstacle to a successful
design. An internal one would have to be "low profile" to fit a flatter
case. Something suitable may already exist, perhaps for use in "slim"
desktop designs. Existing external power adapters for notebooks may not
provide enough power. The Targus APM12US, designed for power-consuming
notebooks, delivers 90W continuous and 130W peak, which may not be
enough. (If it were enough, such a universal adapter would make it
possible to use this portable design in a car or RV.) If it is
necessary to custom-design a power supply for the case, the expense
could be a project-killer.
A battery is almost certainly out of the question, at least at first.
If a home-built portable computer market springs to life, however,
manufacturers could perhaps see some benefit to producing battery-
optimized components for it. This could evenutally evolve into a
notebook computer component industry standard.
Thoughts? Ideas? Flames (I'm ready :))? Could it succeed? Would you
buy one? Would you develop it? By any chance...does it already exist?
I repeat, it's a crude, first approximation of an idea, but it could
possibly grow into something useful.
|
|
Posted by Quaoar on November 19, 2005, 9:45 pm
Please log in for more thread options
>
Notebook computers are not a "niche" market; they outsell desktops.
What you have described is the 'small form factor' or 'bare bones'
computer. www.newegg.com for the basics.
Q
|
|
Posted by Curtis Newton on November 19, 2005, 10:09 pm
Please log in for more thread options wrote:
>Notebook computers are not a "niche" market; they outsell desktops.
>What you have described is the 'small form factor' or 'bare bones'
>computer. www.newegg.com for the basics.
>
>Q
>
How are the 'bare bone' systems at newegg considered "portable", which
is the thought behind the poster's idea.
How would you carry that barebone system, monitor, keyboard and mouse
around with you in the house?
|
|
Posted by Jeff on November 19, 2005, 11:43 pm
Please log in for more thread options As seen from comp.sys.laptops, on
Sat, 19 Nov 2005 20:09:32 -0700,
>wrote:
>
>>Notebook computers are not a "niche" market; they outsell desktops.
>>What you have described is the 'small form factor' or 'bare bones'
>>computer. www.newegg.com for the basics.
>>
>>Q
>
>How are the 'bare bone' systems at newegg considered "portable", which
>is the thought behind the poster's idea.
>
>How would you carry that barebone system, monitor, keyboard and mouse
>around with you in the house?
Not to mention that I never called notebook computers, in gereral, a
niche market. I said they've evolved =into= niche markets, and so they
have: desktop replacements, light 'n' thin ultra-portables, all-around
good performers for business applications, souped-up multimedia
powerhouses for gamers and video editing, workstation class notebooks
for CAD and such, etc., etc.
My focus, then, is on one of those niches-- the desktop replacement.
Wouldn't it be great if you could build you own, custom designed to
your own specs?
|
|
Posted by johns on November 20, 2005, 3:28 am
Please log in for more thread options I'm seeing something out there that I think might work like
you say, but I've only seen one of them. Guy had it at the
local county fair, and he said it was a satellite TV box.
I looked at it closely, and what I saw was that every peripheral
was connected to the box by a small antenna ... keybd/mouse,
LCD monitor, harddrive, DVD/cdrw, usb floppy. The main box
was about 6 x 8 inches, and nothing except the power module
was connected to it. Guy said it had a super good video
built in to it. He had the monitor and keybd on the table in
front of him, and the main box was about 10 feet away, and
I had a hard time realizing that it was the computer. Most
interesting was that it was running WinXP Media !!!!!!!!! He
said that he was selling that system with subscriptions to
sattellite TV, and he was trying to start a small business.
I asked him if this was a "game box", and he looked at me,
and finally said "yes". I think it was a PS2, or something
like it. He clammed up when he realized that I was a
tech.
johns
|
| Similar Threads | Posted | | Can you re-use a XP Product Key? | October 30, 2006, 5:59 pm |
| frustration with product activation | November 28, 2005, 6:27 pm |
| WHY have a product key and a validation code??? | March 26, 2007, 1:28 pm |
| HD swap between HP product numbers? | November 11, 2007, 1:31 pm |
| portable dvd drive help | November 5, 2007, 10:16 pm |
| Portable GPS LG x110 | September 5, 2008, 6:46 am |
| Portable GPS LG x110 | September 5, 2008, 6:48 am |
| Lightweight laptop in Dell product line | November 22, 2004, 6:30 am |
| Does this product exist? Mini-PCI networking card... | November 10, 2006, 12:10 pm |
| any product out there to clamp on to a loose laptop hinge? | May 23, 2007, 10:57 am |
|
XML Sitemap