laptop stand
Submitted: Thursday, Oct 20, 2005 at 23:16
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122295
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Kilcoy Yowies
We are thinking of getting set up with a laptop connecting to a GPS to use while driving along.
Has anyone got a good way of mounting their laptop on a stand of some sort. We have been in touch with Johnny Appleseed etc and its all a bit confusing and complicated.
I am sure that we need something to rest the laptop on as it would drive you mad hanging on to it in your lap for a length of time. We have an F250 vehicle.
Would appreciate any ideas from someone who uses one.
A belated thanks also to the kind people who proudly showed us through their pride and joy(s) at Copeton as we were finally able to make our final decisions re our layout. Take delivery early December and CAN'T WAIT!!
We took advise and are installing a washing machine but its so small! The Lemair 2.2kg looks like it wouldn't hold more than a pair of knickers and a hanky. Hope we are doing the right thing.
Cheers, Maureen and David
Kilcoy Yowies
Reply By: Bushtracker Buck & Babe - Friday, Oct 21, 2005 at 01:54
Friday, Oct 21, 2005 at 01:54
hi maureen and david,
our lemaire washing machine held a king size doonah cover but only that. we used ours on a daily basis whilst living in the van full time and it more than adequately coped with the washing load for a busy working couple.
as for the laptop stands, try this link:
http://www.jottodesk.net/jotto_desk_laptop_desk.htm
it's an american site but i see they do them for the Effie's.
Brian Fox also had a good arrangement for sitting his laptop on the console between driver and passenger. There are photos around somewhere but perhaps he will read this and get back to you. it was mainly a board and velcro that he used to secure his.
angie
AnswerID:
567326
Follow Up By: Dunrootin Lodge - Friday, Oct 21, 2005 at 21:25
Friday, Oct 21, 2005 at 21:25
Hi M & D, Our van is due for pickup in March, Judy and I flew over from WA in July and spent 4 days picking our layout and gear. We also asked BT to make a laptop table of our own design, but in the van not the car. Seems to make more sense to have it in the van as you will be parked for longer than you are driving, and you can do all the things like your banking, printing of photos and emails while in the comfort of the van. If you are interested in looking at our design I could email you a copy of it. We connect to the net through a CDMA mobile on a plan with Telstra. We would be interested to find out what method other travelers use for communication to family and friends and to the banking institutions etc. Also the cost of it. We are currently at home and are using a land line, so we have to re-negotiate a plan with Telstra when we have our BT and set off on the road again. We did have a $10 plan with free connection but on a timed basis in 15 min blocks, to a max 10 hours free. On the downside every connection was for 15 mins whether it took only 2min. If we were on line for 16min we were charged for 2 X 15 min periods. So we only went on line a couple of times a week to keep the mobile phone bill down.
Kind regards. Ian.
FollowupID:
845091
Reply By: Flipp'n Lorry - Friday, Oct 21, 2005 at 21:48
Friday, Oct 21, 2005 at 21:48
re using laptop with GPS - I have also wanted to do this, but can't find a satisfactory solution to mounting the laptop. You will also need a power adaptor to the cig lighter, as it is almost impossible to read a laptop screen in a car when it is running on batteries at reduced intensity.
AnswerID:
567327
Follow Up By: Kilcoy Yowies - Friday, Oct 21, 2005 at 23:02
Friday, Oct 21, 2005 at 23:02
Thanks for the feedback re stand in car for the laptop. Bowerbird, we want to use the laptop linked to the GPS in the car so that we can see where we are going and hopefully not finish up down a one way track as Steve did once and have to reverse back, not a pleasant thought!. However I would love a photo of your laptop setup you designed in the van please.
I am still a fair bit in the dark re a stand for the car and Brians idea of the velcroe is getting more attractive..but how do you swivel it so both the driver and co-pilot are able to see it Brian.
Will have to pay a visit to Johnny Appleseed and talk GPS's.. They recommended a GPS 60, does anyone use one of those?
Glad the Lemair will do the job.
Cheers, Maureen and David
FollowupID:
845092
Reply By: Flipp'n Lorry - Saturday, Oct 22, 2005 at 00:44
Saturday, Oct 22, 2005 at 00:44
The 60C would be a Garmin portable unit, great for both in-vehicle and walking or fishing. We actually have the 60C - go to Garmin website to compare differences.
A couple of recommendations:
1) If you are going to use it in-car a lot, then be sure to get the City Navigator map upgrade. The standard maps are fairly basic.
2) The most recent version is City Navigator 5.0, don't get old stock 4.0 version
3) It is a bit of pain to install the map upgrade to the GPS and to the laptop - I am fairly tech savvy but found their "unlock" procedure very difficult and time consuming. I would strongly suggest you get the dealer to do the installs as part of the deal (be sure to get your unlock code in case you change computers at a later date).
Phil
AnswerID:
567328
Reply By: The Hob - Saturday, Oct 22, 2005 at 04:10
Saturday, Oct 22, 2005 at 04:10
To enable the laptop to be seen, it could face one way for say passenger or driver and the other have a 2nd display such as a lilliput lcd screen which could even have a reversing camera feed going into it.
Some use touch lilliput screens so that they can give basic instructions to the computer without fumbling with keyboards. Others use a wireless mouse for the same purpose.
http://www.bitdistribution.com.au/?stg=47
I have seen photos on the
forum of a laptop table attached to the panic handle of a LC but don't know if it works for a F250.
http://www.exploroz.com/OntheRoad/Navigation/GPS_MovingMap.asp
If your F250 has the centre console, I believe some velcro the laptop to the lid of the console and some use a notebook type computer that allows you have the screen on the outside and all folded up.
Personally, I take a laptop for photos, fuel charts etc and for indepth navigation (but when staionary) and use a PDA for my onroad navigation screen.
Cheers
Alan
AnswerID:
567329
Follow Up By: The Hob - Saturday, Oct 22, 2005 at 04:12
Saturday, Oct 22, 2005 at 04:12
Forgot to add that the purpose of the PDA is that it is all solid state with no moving parts.
A laptop used for navigation has the harddrive spinning and I've heard but experienced damage to hard drive over rough roads.
Alan
FollowupID:
845093
Reply By: Burt & Mary - Saturday, Oct 22, 2005 at 17:05
Saturday, Oct 22, 2005 at 17:05
we use an iPaq HX2190 $469
unless your laptop has a daylight screen it is next to useless
the iPaq is a daylight screen and can be placed in a position you do not have to take your eyes off the road. iPaq also has easily used touch screen
the mounts for the PDA to fit your specific vehicle are obtainable from
http://www.neovox.com/products/clicon.html
AnswerID:
567330
Follow Up By: The Hob - Sunday, Oct 23, 2005 at 01:11
Sunday, Oct 23, 2005 at 01:11
Roger to Burt & Mary
I use a iPaq HX4700 $750 it has a slightly larger screen and ubeaut graphics for display and as Burt & Mary said it is easily visible in daylight compared to the laptop screen with light across the screen.
I use an Arkon mount ($220) which incorporates the GPS and has an amplified speaker. This means only one wire to power (cigarette) and the PDA acts an MP3 player while running OziEplorer to give me moving map display all with no moving parts. It sticks to the windshield with a sunction cup and rests on the dash very close to enable viewing. I could not mount a laptop as close.
This site gives a similar setup and looks like it might be a great deal
http://www.ja-gps.com.au/travroute_n35.html
Alan
FollowupID:
845094
Reply By: Kilcoy Yowies - Sunday, Oct 23, 2005 at 01:21
Sunday, Oct 23, 2005 at 01:21
We are off to NZ for 3 weeks so will have lots to think about with the replies to our GPS questions. Many thanks for all the input you have given us. I hope it will all become clearer when we get a chance to go into a GPS business and have some demos and actually see the products available.
There is so much to learn and become familiar with and really appreciate the help from people on this
forum.
Cheers from Nu Zillun.
Maureen and David
AnswerID:
567331
Reply By: Noosa Fox - Sunday, Oct 23, 2005 at 05:44
Sunday, Oct 23, 2005 at 05:44
Just back after 2 weeks in the van.
In our F250 we have the Garmin Street Pilot III which gives all the highways and navigation to addresses etc. We turn this on almost everytime that we drive the vehicle and have it powered from auxilary battery so that it can stay on while ignition is not on. This can be linked to the Laptop to give a bigger viewing screen.
We also have TrackRanger maps on the lap top that is linked to a seperate GPS as the settings to transfer information for TrackRanger and Street Pilot maps are different and it is fiddly changing the settings to change programs, much easier to just change a lead over, and I had both GPS's anyway.
The F250 has a large centre consol where we can place the lap top and it is easily viewed from driver or passenger seat depending on which direction it is placed, and secured by Velcro.
The TrackRanger maps are really only a toy for most driving, and are only really of any value when you are in remote areas where Topographic maps are the only maps available of the area, and they show you where all the features and wells etc are, while ploting your position and GPS grid references as you move.
I haven't scene the ExplorOz mapping but everyone that I have spoken to who has seen both says that it is far superior to TrackRanger.
ALL Mapping programs are only as good as the Updated maps that are loaded into them, and you need to keep updating maps regularly. Some of the Topographics maps that we have in TrackRanger are up to 20 years old in areas like the Kimberley, but not much changes in that area anyway.
If your vehicle doesn't have a suitable flat surface between the driver and passenger to place the Laptop then the only option would be for the passenger to have it on their lap while in remote tracks.
I will be away again from Monday so will not be able to reply again for a couple of weeks.
Brian
AnswerID:
567332
Reply By: Deleted User - Tuesday, Nov 15, 2005 at 07:12