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[Darq Eternal]

I've been reading some of the standard forums and came across a thread talking about cutting down an old laptop and turning it into a digital picture frame.  There were a few different flavors.  one just had a cd tray that popped out of the side for a cd then just flipped through what ever was on the cd every 30 sec.  The second had USB so you could plug in and download files.  The 3rd had a wifi PCMCIA card so you could download.  The frames were wood and only about 1-2 inch deep then about the LCD size for the other dimensions.  Granted you still have to plug it into AC power but still.  

Anyway on to the questions.

What laptop would you recommend to try this on.  I'm looking for cheap first and foremost.  A nice bright LCD would be second, hopefully not too washed out so you can see it clearly across a bright room.

OK fire away guys.

Thanks.

linkage
http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?s=87ffa4cd0ef0b977f3f3db0f68ce678b&threadid=653476

[Darq Eternal]

no one?

[modnut]

i would look at http://www.mini-itx.com/projects/pictureframepc/
it isn't a laptop, but it will give you some ideas for something.  i couldn't see sacrificing a laptop for a picture frame though.  good luck and i hoped i helped.

[DurocShark]

i would look at http://www.mini-itx.com/projects/pictureframepc/
it isn't a laptop, but it will give you some ideas for something.  i couldn't see sacrificing a laptop for a picture frame though.  good luck and i hoped i helped.

Well, an old 386 or 486 lappy would be worth it... Problem is the crappy screens on most of those. If you can find an old lappy with at least 800x600 resolution TFT screen, you'd be good to go. The DSTN screens suck butt... They're the ones in iOpeners and such too.

[TemplaraPheonix]

Such a waste for a PC...I wish somebody would get a color LCD and microcontroller together, he or she would make a killing since every modder would buy one.

Something like that coupled with a wireless 802.11a card, they have $50 developer's boards that have serial interfaces, would be all you would need to have a constant stream of pictures coming from your PC. The microcontroller could have a CF slot and thus you could store a bunch if the PC was off or the network was down or busy. I do believe somebody tried selling a pictureframe like this (without wireless but with CF) a while past, but it flopped.

[timid1]

Ceiva is a company that comes to mind.  It requires a monthly subscription because you're using their hosting space to store the pictures.  The picture frame isn't cheap.  It's $200 if I remember correctly.

To make a long story short, the product exists in the form that you want, but it's not available EVERYWHERE simply because there aren't too many people willing to pay the price!  Do a google on the net and see what you come up with.  Digital picture frame.   I'm sure it'd be cheaper than trying to buy an inexpensive laptop and modding it.... and to boot, the picture frame will look better and take up less room.