Laptop in cocktail cabinet

[JeffB13]

I am getting ready to build my cocktail cabinet and I'm using an old laptop I had laying around.  Should I bother decasing it or just set it up to run with the screen down and lay it in the bottom of the cabinet?

[lamprey]

I don't see much point to decasing it. If you have the space, I'd just leave it as is.

[nitrogen_widget]

Leave it in the case.
You probably won't save that much space.

However, I looked at doing this with an old Pentium M laptop & determined without a docking station I still needed to open the lid, turn on the PC, & manually hit the key combo to turn on external monitor.

Don't know if this the same with yours.
Also, irotate is a good tool for laptops with older ibm graphics that don't give you the option to rotate the display.

[JeffB13]

I didn't think of that.  I have had it up and running on the dining room table.  I'll have to see if I can get it to power on with an external monitor attached with the lid closed.

[lamprey]

I used a netbook for mini-build a while back. I had to remove the lid-switch and solder a new switch in order to make the power switch mounted on the outside of the cab. But, I was using the native screen so, hopefully, an external one won't cause you too much grief.

[Generic Eric]

However, I looked at doing this with an old Pentium M laptop & determined without a docking station I still needed to open the lid, turn on the PC, & manually hit the key combo to turn on external monitor.

That is my experience too.  Its a hassle at this point to have a laptop.

[PL1]

However, I looked at doing this with an old Pentium M laptop & determined without a docking station I still needed to open the lid, turn on the PC, & manually hit the key combo to turn on external monitor.

That is my experience too.  Its a hassle at this point to have a laptop.

Agreed on the greater hassle tapping into the power button. 

One bit of good news is that some laptops (like my Toshiba) will remember the monitor setting.  YMMV.


Scott

[Draco_Elessar]

I'm using a laptop for my cocktail build. I removed the LCD (and the lid), so that it will use the external monitor by default. Also soldering some wire to the power button, so that you can extend it, and use a pushbutton is worth it.

[Le Chuck]

I'm using a laptop for my cocktail build. I removed the LCD (and the lid), so that it will use the external monitor by default. Also soldering some wire to the power button, so that you can extend it, and use a pushbutton is worth it.

I've done this too to great result but don't know if I'd call it "worth it", if a laptop is free and all I have then I'll take the time to save to green but if I can use a desktop or just a free mobo I will every time.  I've got a laptop pulling duty as my HTPC right now and it sucks. 

[nitrogen_widget]

I have older laptop as my HTPC in the bedroom just running XBMC.
I found a dirt cheap docking station off e-bay & it made things so much better.
with the docking station I can boot it up to the external display without lifting the lid just by pressing the power button on the dock.
it's so much nicer than before.

[Draco_Elessar]

I'm using a laptop for my cocktail build. I removed the LCD (and the lid), so that it will use the external monitor by default. Also soldering some wire to the power button, so that you can extend it, and use a pushbutton is worth it.

I've done this too to great result but don't know if I'd call it "worth it", if a laptop is free and all I have then I'll take the time to save to green but if I can use a desktop or just a free mobo I will every time.  I've got a laptop pulling duty as my HTPC right now and it sucks.

If the laptop is easy to get to then I agree you don't need to, its just a preference then. Generally you are better off with a motherboard over a laptop, because its cheaper for the same thing, and easier to upgrade. A laptop with comparable specs to a pc will usually run just the same as the pc when plunged in.

[Alistair Keith]

Decasing it would be a hassle, if you don't need to save space then no reason to do it.

You may want to make sure the cabinet has appropriate ventilation, as some laptops tend to overheat a lot when playing games on them.