This you have to see – Eric Wilson
Where to begin? How about at the beginning. I first stepped on the scene at Overclockers.com with this laptop back in July of 2002 with this article “Time To Start Something New.”
After receiving close to around 470 emails I was urged by popular demand to do another article on this same idea.
So I continued with this article “Let The Real Mods Begin.”
Well after 2 years of toying with the idea, I decided to go ahead and put the laptop on Ebay. To my surprise,
there where a bunch of people that didn’t, and couldn’t, understand why I did this to a perfectly good laptop.
All I can say is because I had the ability, knowledge, and it was time to try something new!
This is exactely what brings me to write my newest article over 2 years later.
First, I would like to thank Overclockers.com for placing my Auction on the front page in an attempt to help me sell
my laptop. Unfortunately it didn’t sell. The very next week after my laptop didn’t sell, I decided to make some use of it.
So I sat down and thought to myself, “What would grab people’s attention”? This is when I came up with the “Laptop Picture Frame”.
I noticed that some of the high priced stores have LCD picture frames. You know, the ones you stick your smart media or memory stick in to
display your family pictures. They cost several hundred of dollars and are only 3″ x 5″ in size. Anyhow, this gave me a great idea!
Then I started thinking that maybe it couldn’t be done! I mean the weight, the thickness, how would you operate it? Then thats when I said,”hell lets try it”!
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I’m going to make this journey quick and to the point! This mod might look easy, but in fact it took me close to a month to design, create,
and set in motion the concept. I quickly tore down the laptop and put aside the pieces I could do without. After all, you
dont want a ton of weight hanging on your wall.
I then proceeded to figure out how to get the screen turned around and right side up. I figured out that the wire linking the screen to the main part of the
laptop was in fact long enough to flip over, and it would fall right into place! So I started to unbolt the laptop’s screen and disregard all the framing pieces,
and anything that was used for decoration (covers, battery, framework, CDROM, floppy, keyboard). You can see this in the picture below. Notice how the outside
of the screen is missing around the LCD:
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Next on the agenda was trying to make a frame to house this beast. After about 3 days of cutting and running the router, I quickly
tossed the idea of making my own frame in the trash and started looking for a frame that was already made. At this point cost was not an option,
considering the amount of frustration I went through trying to make the frame. LOL!
I found a frame at my local Wal-store and quickly tore it apart. I then found a way to place the laptop in the center while surrounding the laptop with the wood slat I purchased.
I had my friend Gary Delong cut and plane the boards down to size for me.
In the pictures below, you can see some more of the the frame work I did using the planed down 2×1’s and then how I set them down into the frame around the laptop itself:
I had to figure out a way to keep these boards inside the frame, and that’s when I came up the idea of using “L” shaped brackets. I really wish I could have placed
these inside to help make the visual aspect from the side more pleasing, but I just couldn’t figure out a way to make it work. I now have my box, but how to keep the laptop
from falling out? Turn the “L” shaped brakets around and have then mount on the 2×1’s faceing towards the laptop. And a good’ol strip of VELCRO! LOL!
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Next I started cutting some holes into the wooden framework so that I could get to the controls. Things like the on/off switch, the mouse connector and a few other
slots located around the laptop that might be needed later. Remember – this thing will be updated by using the internet. I will just slide the old PCMCIA LAN/PC card into its
slot and start uploading, because there’s no CDROM or floppy left in the laptop.
After giving the thing a try I noticed that the copper fan I put on in a previous article on Overclockers.com was sounding a bit weird and extra loud! Thats when I noticed that it might not
be getting enough air. What am I going to do now? I already have all my wood cut to size and my plans have been set in motion. Had I not thought about this little,
yet big, problem?
Luckily the light bulb above my head managed to strike a tiny spark one more time! Use the feet on the bottom of the laptop to lift it up about an 1/8″. Will it work?
YES!!!
Now it was time to see if this puppy would spring to life! I mean after all, I haven’t even given a thought that the laptop might not like its CDROM or floppy missing.
I might have hurt something that would keep it from starting. Have I disappointed you yet? I hope not! So let’s hang this thing on the wall and get started!
It’s booting! So far so good! It works, it works!
I really hope you enjoyed reading this article, along with some of my past articles I’ve posted here on OVERCLOCKERS.com. I will be honest and say that I love doing these projects as much
as I enjoy writing them for you to read. Please feel free to email me with any comments, questions or complaints.
Thank you and enjoy the rest of the pictures. From Eric Wilson and family, HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!
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