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Smallest computers that are also cheap ? (Bartop)
spystyle:
Hello from Maine
CRT monitors - they are being given away like hotcakes. They are free. I see them everywhere and I even have a bunch myself.
Bartop arcade machines are unquestionably good :)
Keeping CRTs out the of landfills and saving the environment, probably also good :)
So I'm thinking of designing and building simple and affordable bartops to use up many of the extra CRTs and maybe even employ some of my pals who are broke :)
So I have the design for a simple bartop in mind, and a simple control panel, and it can all be scaled around the free CRT :)
But what I can't really think of is the computer... For my own bartop I have a Pentium 4 laptop that had a broken LCD. I removed the LCD entirely, extended the power button via wires, and there you have it a bartop computer.
But I don't have a bunch of Pentium 4 laptops with broken LCDs laying around, and they are pricey. I wonder what computers are small and cheap that are good for a bartop.
I think of those "all in one" mainboards, the ones that have everything built onto the mainboard and don't require any add-on-cards. Those could lay flat and a power supply and hard drive could be next to it. But those are kind of a pain.
Then I wonder if there is something else I am overlooking... Like an single board computer (SBC) or a dumb terminal or something like that. Or maybe something I don't know about.
What do you guys think ?
Wanna help me design a cheap and simple bartop that anyone can build, and that uses a CRT ? We might have a positive environmental impact and entertain some kids LOL :)
Tell me what you think of my fuzzy idea.
Thanks :)
Craig
leapinlew:
Use the 48-n-1 boards. As for a computer, I use these:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813121399&nm_mc=OTC-Froogle&cm_mmc=OTC-Froogle-_-Motherboard+/+CPU+/+VGA+Sets-_-Intel-_-13121399
It's cool for running freebox jukebox, or other emulators. Still need a hard drive and PSU.
Ed_McCarron:
With the 80 buck board, by the time you add a drive, psu, memory, and an OS, you're getting close to the price of an Aspire Revo.
Think I paid 199 for a 512M, 160G, XP Home machine with HDMI out a few months ago.
Edgedamage:
--- Quote from: pinballjim on July 12, 2010, 10:43:21 pm ---Get an Optiplex SX270 off E-bay. I paid $65 shipped and got 40GB HD / 512MB RAM / 2.8 GHz / WinXP etc etc
With the side cover removed, it's thinner than a 2x4 is wide.
Power on to AtomicFE menu in ~23 seconds.
--- End quote ---
Gotta love those old dells.
spystyle:
Thanks for the replies fellas :)
Optiplex, itx, small form factor, carputer, fanless, these are good keywords to scour eBay with :)
I see the "thin clients", those are really cool. I wonder if any of those can have a hard drive and Windows XP added to them? I've never messed with one but I get the gist that they run off of a server rather than alone.
OK have fun :)
Craig
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