building laptops?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Matt Lobegeiger
  • Start date Start date
M

Matt Lobegeiger

Hi,
I've built many PCs from scratch but never a laptop. Is there much
difference? Is there anything I should keep in mind. Any advice would be
appreciated.

thanks

matt
 
Hi,
I've built many PCs from scratch but never a laptop. Is there much
difference? Is there anything I should keep in mind. Any advice would be
appreciated.

thanks

matt
Click to expand...

This must be one hell of a crazies idea :-). Forget about it 'cause it is
"ALMOST" impossible for a person to build a laptop from scratch.

I said it's "ALMOST" impossible, but in the end your home-built laptop will:

1) The finish product/laptop or what ever it might look like might not work
(very likely).
2) Will probably would take you 10 years or so to get all the right parts
and to make them work together.
3) More likely will spend much, much more $$$ to buy individual parts (if you
can find it -> see #2) than just go out and buy a current top of the
line laptop.

So basically it's not very "smart" or feasible to build your own laptop.
 
Phil said:
This must be one hell of a crazies idea :-). Forget about it 'cause it is
"ALMOST" impossible for a person to build a laptop from scratch.

I said it's "ALMOST" impossible, but in the end your home-built laptop will:

1) The finish product/laptop or what ever it might look like might not work
(very likely).
2) Will probably would take you 10 years or so to get all the right parts
and to make them work together.
3) More likely will spend much, much more $$$ to buy individual parts (if you
can find it -> see #2) than just go out and buy a current top of the
line laptop.

So basically it's not very "smart" or feasible to build your own laptop.
Click to expand...

There's some (well, at least one :) crazy dudes out there that have
built Amiga laptops. I've see one - it looked like a brick!

I suppose if you started with an old dead laptop something might be
feasible (Micro ATX?).
 
There's some (well, at least one :) crazy dudes out there that have
built Amiga laptops. I've see one - it looked like a brick!

I suppose if you started with an old dead laptop something might be
feasible (Micro ATX?).
Click to expand...

1. MicroATX is too large. Mini-ITX (Via Epia, etc) might fit.
2. LCD display requires custom controller, not VGA.
3. Battery would be a problem. Even if ran on AC, PSU would be a problem.

Could probably do a lunch box style. Still companies that sell the
enclosures, etc. After you have done that, you have spent enough for 3
really nice laptops.

JT
 
1. MicroATX is too large. Mini-ITX (Via Epia, etc) might fit.
2. LCD display requires custom controller, not VGA.
3. Battery would be a problem. Even if ran on AC, PSU would be a problem.

Could probably do a lunch box style. Still companies that sell the
enclosures, etc. After you have done that, you have spent enough for 3
really nice laptops.
Click to expand...

I seem to recall that micro ITX (or at least a version of it) included a mini
onboard AC power supply. If that's true, it could form the basis for a decent
transportable PC (more like the original "laptops" than the current
"notebooks"). That would mean better serviceability, better upgradeability, can
select any compact VGA LCD monitor, and most importantly (for me anyway) a
PROPER keyboard grafted on. Not totally out of the question.

Tony (remove the "_" to reply by email)
 
Hi,
I've built many PCs from scratch but never a laptop. Is there much
difference? Is there anything I should keep in mind. Any advice would be
appreciated.

thanks

matt
Click to expand...

If you want to do a custom job, like doing a custom desktop box, I'm
not sure it's possible. With a desktop, all the internal parts are
pretty much interchangable and standardized -- something laptops don't
have.

Just for familiarity, morbid curiosity, and to be able to say I've
done it, a couple of years ago I got a few non-working "parts-only"
things from ebay to assemble something which works.
First an old 386, then a 486, then an IBM T20 Thinkpad.
I got them all to run at the cost of some lost hair and about what I'd
spend for an already working refurb of each model.

All in all, there's not much to be said for it as Groovy Interesting
Projects go --
The internal architecture is very propriatary and eccentric, the parts
too delicate and small (at least for my aging eyes and fingers). The
Thinkpad for example, requires special screws which can be used only
once, and have no other purpose in the world then to hold Thinkpad
guts together. Difficult also to find decent documentation/diagrams
for a rebuild.

If the goal is to learn, try assembling something from a collection of
trashed machines, and be prepared for frustrations.
If the *real* goal is to have a good working laptop, you'd do better
to buy one.

Hope this helps.
 
Back
Top