Hard Drive survival in a car .....

[David]

If you have a free PCI slots and prefer USB2.0 over 1.1 get a PCI USB card.

Also for shock:

F = dp/dt

For the same change in momentum, over a longer period of time, the actuall average force exerted on the drive will be less. So an elastic band type enclosure where the drive is suspended, and moves for longer rather than just experiencing a breif bump will mean that less average force will be exerted on the drive. Of course, the drive will be experiencing said force for longer.

 

[Bulwark]

I think it sounds like a pretty good idea so far. Only issues would the hard drive and how an old dell would respond to being run in a car. I might take out the CD burner though, it doesn't seems like it'd have much use and why add something else that might go wrong. And I've never considered using a gaming pad as a mouse, does that work? If not maybe you want to try and find either a trackball, or maybe a touchpad/ touchstick if they sell'em for desktops.

 

[HeXenViRii]

I think it sounds like a pretty good idea so far. Only issues would the hard drive and how an old dell would respond to being run in a car. I might take out the CD burner though, it doesn't seems like it'd have much use and why add something else that might go wrong. And I've never considered using a gaming pad as a mouse, does that work? If not maybe you want to try and find either a trackball, or maybe a touchpad/ touchstick if they sell'em for desktops.

it took some looking but i did find some programs that let u use a joystick as a mouse ... and i do have a trackmouse if i really need it