Build An Under-the-Cabinet Kitchen PC From An Old Laptop

I imagine a netbook would work well in this situation as well.

Fun stuff.

soggy_cheerio

I love these DIY which puts old computer to good work. This one is particularly cool though because of it's usefulness. It's not just a picture frame. Pretty good location if you're following a recipe online, or drink mixes, etc.

Jay Beezy

Would there happen to be a program that could flip the on screen image so those of us with less than stellar MacGyvering skills could do this without breaking a perfectly good laptop?

Frapp

@Frapp: If you mean just rotate what's displayed by 180 degrees so it's upside down, that option is available in most OS's display settings.

If you mean flip as in mirror, it's at least available in ubuntu/KDE, not sure about other OSes

AndyMan1

@Frapp: Dell drivers can do this...

@Frapp: ya, use Gnome. I can just change the rotation of the screen under System -> Preferences -> Screen Resolution or for thoes wh want to know the program name gnome-display-properties

tagno25

@Jay Beezy: I agree, these DIY projects are what I love.

@Frapp: if you mean to rotate the image upside-down as in the picture, then most graphic cards offer that setting under rotation

Bennett Blodinger

So where's the keyboard?

SushilaBattus

Here is another cool one.
[www.instructables.com]

tyep

I like this. Maybe add a wireless keyboard and mouse, like the media keyboards with the mouse built in.

bbobjoe

@[www.entechtaiwan.com]

wogdog

@SushilaBattus:

Obviously wireless.

Bryan Roessler

It should have touch screen... a wiimote might help.

Charles Jorgensen

@Frapp: depending on your OS, use ctrl+alt+t then the arrow keys

RaphaelaRubis

What about heat issues? im guessing the heatsinks wouldnt be working 100% efficiently whilst upside down?

EverettZeiram

My god, I've always thought this would be amazing, and have wanted to do it. I figured that a folddown tv as a screen and a small form factor pc in a cabinet would be the way to go, a laptop didn't occur to me. Checking this out right away.

How do you rotate the display like that in Linux?

Chad Laurent

@kg4dni:

Too easy! Thanks broseph.

Chad Laurent

@Chad Laurent:

It's easy in Ubuntu. I'm not sure about the other OS's.

[ubuntuforums.org]

@soggy_cheerio:

Except Netbooks are new... unless you like using a new $300 netbook for this purpose.

MichaelScrip

That's rather spiffy

Nok

Controlling this thing might be an issue in the kitchen. A touch screen is inconvenient due to food stains and the resultant contamination, and a mouse and keyboard would just look awkward.

@MichaelScrip: $300 netbook

$200 netbook

/$220 after you slap 2GB of ram in it from newegg

/read slickdeals more often ;)

We've thought about doing something similar but running XP. But like Ev said, the heat might become an issue.

Any suggestions on how how to fix that?

I'm working on re purposing my old 12" Powerbook G4 to a webtablet. Brian could easily add a touch panel to get around a keyboard/mouse issue.

@elgilicious

A touch screen would work great, you just need to get the right type. The most resilient is most likely the Capacitive type, but for better clarity Resistive and Surface Acoustic Wave types are better.

[blogger-off.com]

@[VoiceFlux.de.vu] - free, despite it's name - and you're good to go!

This is really nifty! I will definitely keep this in mind if I ever buy a small netboook. I would probably just end up using my giant laptop I have now strictly as a PC and mount it upside down under the shelf on my desk to save desk space. Ah, the possibilities.

fauxtrot

I was just thinking about doing something like this yesterday. A cross between this and the wall mounted pc to use as a juke box, digital picture frame, limited browser, and news/weather/rss display. Maybe even tracking todos and ebay auctions all from a central hub.

Going to have to give this some serious thought.

FrightenedByPenguins

@Charles Jorgensen: Definitely touch screen.

nortexoid

Extremely cool idea!

Michelle Turner Unser

@EverettZeiram:

no, they would work just fine

Todd Fernandez

Maybe I'm an idiot (probably), but why take the monitor off and flip it around? why not just turn the laptop around and have the screen drop down away from you instead of towards you? Then you wouldn't have the problems with the power/ps2 ports, not to mention the task of dismantling the laptop/screen. All you'd have to do is flip the screen with ctrl+alt+t+down. Most cabinets are at least half the width of the countertop, so if it flipped towards to you like in Brian's demo, it seems to me it'd be too close to your face if you did in fact want to use a keyboard on the counter.

All that said, this has inspired me to do it (my low-fi version)!

Jon Zander

@[www.instructables.com]

tyep

Wow, new life for my iBook!!! Perfect for a small NYC apt! @JonZander, I'm with you on the low-tech solution.

Now, the $1M question: any req's on recipe software for Mac??

@Frapp: Yes, in windows, just type CTRL + ALT + (UP, DOWN, LEFT, RIGHT) ARROW to change the orientation of the screen -- no program needed, just windows.

EthanCoeurl

I have an older Dell laptop (PIII) that I use for my under the cabinet kitchen PC. Heat doesn't seem to be an issue and I used the ATI drivers to turn the screen upside-down, so no need for dismantling the screen. Wife uses it for recipes and we keep the weather, etc. loaded for quick reference. Been running it there for at least 2 years now with no issues. Wireless keyboard, mouse, and internet attached.

Jason Wonn

@Jon Zander: because the screen has to be way back under the cabinet unless you flip it.

SamburgerHandwich

You'll actually find thats not a windows feature - but a graphics card shortcut.

Support for it is hit and miss - but the settings usually available in the graphics options even without the shortcut.

Linux however would use different drivers.

Mike Hayward

Great stuff, but I only have one laptop that I still use regularly. I'd love to see more stuff about putting old desktops to use; I've got one of those and the parts to build two more!

mistshadow2k4

@Charles Jorgensen: Not in a kitchen where cooking is going on! Spill-proof keyboard and cheap wireless mouse for my recipe box.

Velifer

@Mike Hayward: Indeed it is. I occasionally have users hitting it by mistake and flipping their screens around.

Now it would be ironic if you surfed upside-down Youtube on this screen.

unekdoud

@MacHeist 3 Software bundle at 39 bucks, together with great apps like LittleSnapper or Acorn.

@Jay Beezy:

I actually asked about this in the guide LH mentions. Now to see if I can get my old Toshiba working.

Setup shared calendars in GCal,unify the paper address book etc.

No excuse now to forget an appointment.

And no more dirty emails to the better half.

ursa

@Jon Zander: You make a good point. But by mounting it unmodified it would have been too far back for us. My wife and I are both very tall (6+ft) and wouldn't have been able to see it in the back with out bending over. Since the LCD is almost flush with the cupboards we can angle it upwards at us and it works perfect.

Bryan English

hand gestures would kick ass here if it worked properly.

metalmarious

@Bryan English: yeah, makes sense. Picturing it in my head, I thought you could get away with it, but I'm also 6'2" and I can see how that would be a problem. I've decided to go a different route. :) Think your idea meets this:
[www.mediacenterhouse.com]
I'll be sure to submit pics/video as soon as it's finished.

Jon Zander

Okay, it's official. I'm going to do a laptop project. Is there a forum where I can discuss this DIY project? Basically, I have a lot of wallspace between my stove and the overhead cabinets... so I want to cut a hole in the wall and mount a laptop screen there, put it behind protective glass, frame it so it looks like a picture frame and then let the actual CPU sit on a shelf on the other side of the wall (it's a stairwell behind a closed door that we never use. Considerations? I'll run an audio cable to the stereo above the cabinets... get a presentation mouse for simple stuff and get a wireless keyboard to keep in a drawer when needed. Then, I'll install the voice activation software and keep a mic above the cabinets so I can do most of my common tasks just by shouting at the screen. I can't wait to get started...

Jon Zander

Disclaimer: this will sound really stupid, but I like the idea very much and could not figure it out myself. I undestand how to flip the image on the screen and think that the screen would be a lot more useful if closer to the user instead of closer to the wall, what I do not get is how to get the laptop screen to bend that far. Please be patient, I am not a geek!

DrewAetolus

@EthanCoeurl: That will only work if you're using a video chipset/driver that has global hotkey support for rotation, it is NOT a Windows feature.

ShefaliFennec

@bbobjoe: here ya go.
[www.fentek-ind.com]

what im going to do, is set up my laptop to my tv, later down the road when i upgrade, and use that wireless type keyboard. if you dont want to see that link, its like a laptop keyboad.

@d4rlp3nc1l: i bet you could find those keyboards cheaper on the web somewhere also.

@DrewAetolus: Heh heh... Drew, you didn't read the actual article did you? He didn't bend the laptop screen to that position, he actually took the LCD off of the laptop, flipped it around and reattached it. At the end of the lifehacker article there's a link that says KitcheNET. Click that for step by step instructions on how he did it.

Go nuts!

Jon Zander

@kg4dni: If you're running XP, it is as simple as CTRL + ALT + >

So to flip the screen: CTRL + ALT + DOWN ARROW KEY

aaronburke6

One commenter says they've had a computer upside down for two years. I just wondered what the wear on a laptop disk drive is like in that position? Is there an issue with that?

cynvision