Viewer Challenge : Desktop table *** portable case

actually they do make very powerful laptops that do match up with a decent desktop but enough with that, on to your suggestion. To use a phrase "You are not thinking out of the box" quite literly. Watch again the episode with the pelican box and you will see that Ben took the PS3 out of its case. My suggestions would be remove the case from the computer and build the computer in the base of the case. You can usethe motherboard standoffs to keep the motherboard away from the case. You can even make this a water cooled system.

The only downfall I see is that this case will not be very practical for placing on a desk to work at. A pelican case is very large and you would need to find a place big enough to put it. You would need extra space on the area to place the keyboard and mouse (it would be to high to work at comfortable.)

Laptops that cut the mark cost upwards of $2000, whereas a similar, if not better, desktop is available for $1000. Budget is a big issue for a college-going student. Even if you somehow manage to buy one, they have heat issues, are heavy, and have negligible battery life, besides a cramped keyboard and a small screen, and other issues.

I did watch the Pelican case episode, and the face area of the case is just too big. If you've seen college rooms, you would know that it would take almost all the vacant space available to you. You need something that can stand on its face with lesser surface area, and I don't think any case does that.

And you figured out the last problem as well, unlike in a game console, which can be kept anywhere since the viewer doesn't actually need it to have a specific elevation. Two feet up or down won't make much of a difference. But with a computer....

here is something I got today. Its a I7 core sony Vaio with:

16.4 display

500gigabyte hard drive

DVD burner

Nvidia Geforce GT310M 512 MB Graphics card

Geunine Windows 7 64-bit

One year limited warranty

regularly priced 949.99

but for this week only you use coupon code ONP19174 and they bring the price down to 899.99.

hwere is the webpage.

Sony Vaio

if you want the black version use code RNH19705

Thanks a lot, but there are a couple of problems.

1) 310M is just not good enough for me. If I were to get a lappy, I'd need at least 460M. Even that has problems (prices are 10%-40% higher in my country).

2) I don't live in US

3) I can't buy one right now. The only way I get one is if I make it to a 'MIT-like' college, as a gift from my parents, which means, at least 2-3 months from now.

I too, am looking at doing a Desktop PC in a Travel Case. The Design i was thinking was to build the Computer piece by piece inside the "base" of the case, with the speakers next to the circuitry. (facing upwards). Then add a wooden "shelf" above the Motherboard and other parts, that had straps that hold the keyboard and mouse in place when the case is closed, but allowed the two to be lifted out without disconnecting them. (as well as holes for the speakers to "speak" through.) then mount the screen to the "top" section of the case, with custom moaning arms (like what ben heck used in the Laptop for frequent flyers episode. The overall idea for mine would be that your computer rests in an easy to carry case when not in use, but can open up and have the keyboard and mouse extend out onto a table, while the Monitor swings down and causes the case to form a triangle shape, Thus allowing it to travel, though it wouldn't have the portablity options of a regular laptop.

You would easily be able to get all the parts for less than an equilavent laptop (Being that you can build a decent custom Computer for around 300-500USD, or get the same specs in a laptop for 500-1000USD (May vary depending on where you buy computer parts, where you live, if you buy a fully assembled computer vs buying each part individually...etc..etc)

Something optional you could add to my rough design would be a flat wooden board resting on 3 pairs of moaning arms that allows it to lift up, over the side of the case, and down. So you'd be able to adjust the height of the mouse and keyboard to your needs.

Just some ideas:

1)By placing the Monitor on arms it could be moved about and angled to fit your preferences.

2)Same with the Keyboard/Mouse Shelf concept. Placing them on 3 pairs of arms would allow them to lift up, over and back down to move the mouse and keyboard out of the case without losing an area to use the mouse/keyboard on.

3) Building the computer part by part is significantly cheaper than buying a stock already made computer/laptop, and it allows you to know exactly what specs you're computer will have.

4) by making the shelf above the CPU's primary parts you allow yourself the needed ability to replace individual parts without having to disassemble the entire system. (Example: replacing the intial 4 sticks of 512mb ram (sum total of 2gb) with 4 sticks of 1gb ram (for a total of 4) (these are examples i myself use no less than 4gb for any computers i build) )

5) Placing the speakers in the bottom verses the top allows more room for a bigger monitor. (i believe ben heck used a 21.5 inch screen.)

and as Mr. Heck always says :"Build it so it can be Taken Part."

Thanks for sharing your idea. Since I was gonna be a first time modder, I had decided to do it in a suitcase, since my idea (what I posted at the top) was gonna require more skills. A crude sketch I made :-

http://twitpic.com/3zx5u9

Here's the bummer. Power supply in my country is erratic. While I've got backup power and everything at home, but in college, I doubt there'll be something like this. A UPS for a gaming system I intend to build (i5 2500K, HD6870) would be very heavy, take up a lot of critical budget, hinder(if not kill) portability, and take precious floor space in a college room.

what size monitor are you looking at?

where do i send in a build challange

I was thinking of going with a 21.5" (Dell U2211H). The 23" version (2311H) is priced similarly, but I guess it'll make fitting everything within the case more difficult.

Anyhoo, I've dropped the idea now. Specifically due to backup power problems. Gonna live with a laptop for four years, unless I learn some designing and programming in college and earn some extra bucks.

@Ikcarfrey

I guess you can create a new topic with the title "Viewer Challenge : <Your Idea Here>". I also tweeted a link to @benheck though.