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53flyingcloud · 03-31-2004, 05:18 AM

Just in time to feed those with, "Spring Creativities Fever".
Lately, there has been an increase interest among A/S owners to take the computer along while traveling.The choices of hardware are many but, the most common question one hears is:
How to best set up a system that's live-able. While no single answer can nor will address everyone's special needs.The following information may "spark" the creative flow toward a neater appearance and, workable solution.

Exotic Wood Crafts,
http://www.exoticwoodcrafts.com/NewWoodCaseKits.html

ciao
53FC

67caravel · 03-31-2004, 05:54 AM

Nice! And not as expensive as I thought they would be...

Do they make any for laptops?

X

RoadKingMoe · 03-31-2004, 06:48 AM

The curbside "writing table" is perfect for a notebook computer and rechargable battery-powered Canon i70 or i80 inkjet printer. Nice for boondocking.

Silvertwinkie · 03-31-2004, 06:52 AM

Looks nice. But in just a quick peek, I'd think a laptop would be much less hassle--if I'm reading the link correctly.

jpurdy · 03-31-2004, 02:31 PM

I'll agree on a laptop.
It is designed to be in a mobile environment and would offer a workable solution.

53flyingcloud · 03-31-2004, 03:59 PM

I completely agree about the versatilities of laptop.. In fact, I have two of them but, my main puter has tons more features than the laptops could ever dream of. Plus, with the 17" LCD NEC monitor not taking up very much foot space. This makes it at-least worth looking into, as I have a huge, empty dead space right next to the front door.This concept works perfectly for the use of this wall space..

ciao
53FC

Silvertwinkie · 03-31-2004, 04:06 PM

I can see how fulltiming might make that worth it or if you are still living in the PCI days where FireWire and USB wont' cut it....if you are not bound by blood to wintel box, then perhaps this 17" laptop:

67caravel · 03-31-2004, 05:23 PM

Twink,

Is that your Mac?

Cool!

X

Silvertwinkie · 03-31-2004, 05:33 PM

It is. The one in the pic is my primary computer....I have about 5 Macs!

Thanks!

I was using it in the Bambi last year. I had the main door open and there was a path next to the camper....some folks looked in and I overheard one say...hey they even make a laptop that looks like the camper!

Eric

MaShep · 03-31-2004, 05:43 PM

[QUOTE=53FlyingCloud] my main puter has tons more features than the laptops could ever dream of. >

Wow... What kind of features are you referring to?

overlander63 · 03-31-2004, 06:00 PM

[QUOTE=MaShep]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 53FlyingCloud

my main puter has tons more features than the laptops could ever dream of. >

Wow... What kind of features are you referring to?

I agree, what features? My laptop is almost the equal to my desktops, and nothing that a few more $$$ can't bring up to snuff. Laptop is a P4, 2.4 Ghz, windoze XP, 40 GB HD, 256 ram, DVD R+W, ethernet, etc, etc. What more could the average Airstreamer want?

Terry

mtpalms · 03-31-2004, 06:12 PM

The first thing I'm going to do when we get our Safari Monday is put one of those white Apple stickers in the window. What a swell carrying case for my TiBook!
One of the justifications for getting it (almost 3 years ago) was it came with a dvd rom, so we could watch movies when we were boondocking. I even bought a spare battery, just in case the battery croaked before the film ended. Also our trailer was a 16 footer, so space was at a premium.

For the last 2+ years it's also been my primary business machine, which means I tote it back and forth to work everyday, and it runs and looks as good as when it was new. Unless one is doing professional sound or video editing, I'm not sure whether having the latest and the greatest is worth the cost. Not that there is anything wrong with the latest and greatest [drools all over Twink's 17" PBook]!

53flyingcloud · 03-31-2004, 06:15 PM

[QUOTE=MaShep]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 53FlyingCloud

my main puter has tons more features than the laptops could ever dream of. >

Wow... What kind of features are you referring to?

For starters,
The hard-drive is removable, cage supported from the front panel. (I have three 80 gigs WD, each with it's own WINXP O/S and, full complements of software.) The main chassis has 756mbs RamBus chips, Creative Audigy, (front panel control audio) 6 each USB2.0, 5.25 floppy drive, PlexWriter CD- RW 16/10/40, Panasonic DVD, "nVIDIA GeForce4 Video board w/256mbs, 1.8gigs P4 on ABIT motherboard (with 850 chip-set). 17" Multisync LCD 1765 monitor.
All on hi-speed cable, which regularly clocks at 3.2 to 3.4mb for my Internet.
Looking into WIFI for the future.(Traveling, you know?) HP's PSC2210 all in one printer/fax/scanner/copier and, numerous memory sticks inputs for photos work.
I know it's slightly dated but, it's so finely tuned..I'd hate to part with it in total favor of a laptop.

overlander63 · 03-31-2004, 06:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 53FlyingCloud

For starters,
The hard-drive is removable, cage supported from the front panel. (I have three 80 gigs WD, each with it's own WINXP O/S and, full complements of software.) The main chassis has 756mbs RamBus chips, Creative Audigy, (front panel control audio) 6 each USB2.0, 5.25 floppy drive, PlexWriter CD- RW 16/10/40, Panasonic DVD, "G-Force Video board w/256mbs, 1.gigs P4 on ABIT motherboard (with 850 chip-set). 17" Multisync LCD 1765 monitor.
All on hi-speed cable, which regularly clocks at 3.2 to 3.4mb for my Internet.
Looking into WIFI for the future.(Traveling, you know?) HP's PSC2210 all in one printer/fax/scanner/copier and, numerous memory sticks inputs for photos work.
I know it's slightly dated but, it's so finely tuned..I'd hate to part with it in total favor of a laptop.

It may have a few grey hairs on it, but I am sure when you put it together it was pretty much state-of-the-art. It is personal preference, but I like my HD inside the 'puter. I have a bad habit of losing things, I would not want a wayward Hard Drive with a bunch of possibly sensitive info wandering about loose.

Terry

mtpalms · 03-31-2004, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 53FlyingCloud

For starters,
The hard-drive is removable, cage supported from the front panel. (I have three 80 gigs WD, each with it's own WINXP O/S and, full complements of software.) The main chassis has 756mbs RamBus chips, Creative Audigy, (front panel control audio) 6 each USB2.0, 5.25 floppy drive, PlexWriter CD- RW 16/10/40, Panasonic DVD, "G-Force Video board w/256mbs, 1.gigs P4 on ABIT motherboard (with 850 chip-set). 17" Multisync LCD 1765 monitor.
All on hi-speed cable, which regularly clocks at 3.2 to 3.4mb for my Internet.
Looking into WIFI for the future.(Traveling, you know?) HP's PSC2210 all in one printer/fax/scanner/copier and, numerous memory sticks inputs for photos work.
I know it's slightly dated but, it's so finely tuned..I'd hate to part with it in total favor of a laptop.

...and that leaves you what, 2 sq ft of living space left on your Sovereign? Good thing you have an LCD instead of a CRT.

Silvertwinkie · 03-31-2004, 10:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mtpalms

The first thing I'm going to do when we get our Safari Monday is put one of those white Apple stickers in the window. What a swell carrying case for my TiBook!
One of the justifications for getting it (almost 3 years ago) was it came with a dvd rom, so we could watch movies when we were boondocking. I even bought a spare battery, just in case the battery croaked before the film ended. Also our trailer was a 16 footer, so space was at a premium.

For the last 2+ years it's also been my primary business machine, which means I tote it back and forth to work everyday, and it runs and looks as good as when it was new. Unless one is doing professional sound or video editing, I'm not sure whether having the latest and the greatest is worth the cost. Not that there is anything wrong with the latest and greatest [drools all over Twink's 17" PBook]!

You know, last summer when I had the Bambi, I had the 17" with me. I had only the screen door closed. The Bambi was near a pathway....and a few folks walked by...like most of us know, folks really gawk at Airstreams....well, the long and short of it was that I as in the Airstream on the 17" these folks walked by and I overheard one say..."look, they even make a laptop that looks like the camper!"

I thought that was really neat.

At any rate, I can see how some folks need a bunch of stuff on their confuser, but for me, my motto is kiss. Keep it simple stupid.

I like to just plug things in, turn things on...I get to do the easy stuff so rarely in life, it's nice to have something that just works!

Working for a school system that is all Macs as a I.S. Manager, I ususally get to play with a bunch of stuff for testing...iBooks, G5 xServes... Besides liking the 17" Powerbook, I really love the 20' Flat panel iMac. It's a real beauty. I have what I would consider a fairly good relationship with the local folks and a few in Cupertino. They actually used us once as propaganda for advertising in one of their products. I also once in a while get to beta test some of the pre-release stuff which is really nice as I can provide feedback--and they really listen! It's a great working realationship. Ever since Steve came back, it's like a whole new world. I was just out in Cupertino a few months ago and we ate at the famous Cafe Macs on the Apple Campus. Picture a large mall's food court-- it's that size and all great food...no trashy stuff...really good stuff....anyway I digress!

Macs aren't perfect, but to me, they do what I need them to do and then some.......

A bad day with a Mac still beats a great day with a PC in my book!

67caravel · 04-01-2004, 04:37 AM

After so many years on PC's (my systems looked like 53FlyingCloud's) I switched a year and a half ago to MAC for the same reason Twink says, KISS. I've since had two Powerbooks and two iPods. I'm on wireless (Apple Extreme) cable connection and I emulate XP on Virtual PC so I can continue to run Quickbooks, the only PC software I prefer. I run dual flat panels and put XP in one and OSX in the other. I haven't looked back. My wife still uses a Dell laptop but is always looking with envy at my Powerbook...

The Mac is has a certain elegance that makes my workday more peaceful and organized - less frenetic, somehow.

Anyway, I bought Apple stock. The company rocks.

X

53flyingcloud · 04-01-2004, 04:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by argosy20

It may have a few grey hairs on it, but I am sure when you put it together it was pretty much state-of-the-art. It is personal preference, but I like my HD inside the 'puter. I have a bad habit of losing things, I would not want a wayward Hard Drive with a bunch of possibly sensitive info wandering about loose.

Terry

Terry
From reading your reply, I think you misunderstood something.
Namely, the HD is inside the 'puter~! It's just that, I can remove or change over to another HD via the front panel. In other words, I don't have to open the puter's case to switch over to another HD.. This allows me to be able to keep right on working even if something were to go wrong with one, by just switching HD. (like HD failure, etc.) In the beginning, I had WINXP on two of the HD and, WINME on the third. I'm thinking of switching over to Linux on the third HD and, use it to get familiar with that O/S..
"Twinkie",
I agree with the idea of KISS, for the very reason, there's alot of folks out there that just don't have a clue as to what makes puters work and, for them..that's the best route.
I like to built my own puters from the ground up and, then see what can be done with them. I'm working on the plans for a newer one, one that'll include features that I'll be able to use while traveling. Laptops will always be a part of where I go, so please don't go into this tirad of laptop verse desktop..okay?
I've always been impressed with Apple puters from the earliest days (should have bought stocks when it was down to the penny stock level..lol)when I had my first VIC20..Remember those? Heck, I used to play on-line chess(over the fone) with the VIC20 against a neighbor of mine in town who had the Apple11 puter.
MtPalms

Quote:

and that leaves you what, 2 sq ft of living space left on your Sovereign? Good thing you have an LCD instead of a CRT.

I'm not even going to get into My trailer is BIGGER than your's lmao...I agree about the LCD..IT'S just the kewlest~!~! The whole family loves it~!! including my cat, as he can see himself when I have the video camera on..lol
ciao
53FC

67caravel · 04-01-2004, 05:08 AM

Ever notice how those desktop users always get so defensive?

'53, I think your system sounds terrific - would love to have it. I just wouldn't want to haul it around on my back all day!

X

85MH325 · 04-01-2004, 05:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 53FlyingCloud

Terry
I've always been impressed with Apple puters from the earliest days (should have bought stocks when it was down to the penny stock level..lol)when I had my first VIC20..Remember those? Heck, I used to play on-line chess(over the fone) with the VIC20 against a neighbor of mine in town who had the Apple11 puter.
ciao
53FC

Ah... the VIC 20!!! And the Atari, the TI 994A, The Apple II. 300 baud modems and 160k single-sided floppies. Those were the days... I still have my first PC... a Sinclair ZX81 with a whopping 1k internal RAM and 16k external RAM module; black and white TV-analog monitor, and a "compact cassette" for serial storage. Wow... those were the days...

My all-time favorite machine tho was my Radio Shack TRS80-Model 100 laptop. One of the very first, and most elegant for it's time. Just think, 53FC, my Sinclair is older than some of the folks on the forums!!!

FWIW, I currently use an NEC Mobilepro 900 with WIFI as my on-the-go computer. What a machine!

Roger