Author Topic: Body Design (Read 59607 times)

Da_Blitz · « **Reply #60 on:** November 03, 2006, 05:40:39 am »

from what i saw they fold thier designs from falt sheets, what i worder about is if they can do 2d and 3d curved surfuces (ie a rounded bezel around the edge)

speculatrix · « **Reply #61 on:** November 03, 2006, 06:57:05 am »

I think they use a combination of folding + welding edges and stamping/pressing, and then weld in pillars and reinforcing structures; then cut apertures etc.

For EMC compatibility, you can either use a polymer loaded with metal for shielding, or they can use a form of electroplating to put on a very fine metal coat.

I just remembered another similar company:
http://www.beechcraft-ltd.com/

A useful google link...
http://www.google.com/search?q=custom+enclosures

--edit - removed CIE page link as it wasn't that useful

Da_Blitz · « **Reply #62 on:** November 04, 2006, 02:14:25 am »

hmm, i was hoping for some heavy internal compartmentization for ethier the battery or IO slots (which could hold a battery, standerdisation is a great thing)

suppose i should send the a message or two

speculatrix · « **Reply #63 on:** November 09, 2006, 08:25:35 am »

OKW have some interesting enclosures...
a simple handheld design:
http://www.okw.co.uk/products/okw/soft-case.htm
a wrist-worn case:
http://www.okw.co.uk/products/okw/ergo.htm

I also found these people:
http://www.pactecenclosures.com/

Da_Blitz · « **Reply #64 on:** November 09, 2006, 09:40:08 pm »

i think i should just drop the case for now and get back to building, must reinstall windows as the #$@^!$%*&^( thing expired on me so i give myself 30days to get the design working

let you guys decide on the case

stampsm · « **Reply #65 on:** November 10, 2006, 06:13:00 am »

Quote

i think i should just drop the case for now and get back to building, must reinstall windows as the #$@^!$%*&^( thing expired on me so i give myself 30days to get the design working

let you guys decide on the case
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was it the os or the software you were using that expired? if it was the software with a trial period here is a tip. get the free vmware player with a windows xp os image and install on there so you can have a copy that you just reuse the fresh demo every time you have the trial software expire.
it is so nice of vmware to give away a free version of the player now. you can even create your own images with free/opensource software that vmware player can understand, so you don't have to buy the full version of vm ware if you want to create you own images.

speculatrix · « **Reply #66 on:** November 10, 2006, 07:32:13 am »

to carry on off-topic...

Quote

it is so nice of vmware to give away a free version of the player now. you can even create your own images with free/opensource software that vmware player can understand, so you don't have to buy the full version of vm ware if you want to create you own images.
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or, download/install the non-free version with the eval key and create a bunch of VM's for different purposes, they don't occupy much disk space until you fill up the drive.

you can tweak the VM if you're willing to edit the config file directly.

vmware server is still free and it works pretty well.

but if you want more free, go for qemu, which is damn fine, just not as pretty.

Da_Blitz · « **Reply #67 on:** November 10, 2006, 08:44:15 pm »

actually i have a xen 3.0 setup with full system emulation (so i can boot windows under linux) with the nice fancy dual core and 4Gig of ram (comes in handy when you want to virtalise windows several times)

windows is the one that has expired as it dosent pass the authentication/WGA process

but due to a problem with the recent kernels (2.6.15 to 2.6.18) i cant boot unless i use an older kernel, of which there is no pre compiled nvidia drivers and unfortunattly fedora makes it a habit of deleating the older kernels from the repositories meaning i cant use thier source to recompile the nividia drivers

never really had a problem with linux up till now, but i will say that windows XP is not ready for a natvie boot on my system ethier, in fact it has worse hardware support than linux (there are a couple of things but the sound card drivers seem to be tha main one, they just dont work )

software wise i am fine, i have never had a problem navigating the underweb (not that i need to scince i went to linux) however if this goes even slightly comercial i wouldnt want to be using somthing like that. perhaps i should just look into getting a licsence or asking them nicly for a cheaper version

Ragnorok · « **Reply #68 on:** November 25, 2006, 01:00:34 am »

Quote

i would love to get my hands on a psion

- PM me and I'll send you a fully functional Psion 5, in the original box. It has one stipulation and one stipulation only: If you do not use it for the PocketPenquin you must send it back to the return address on the box, in the condition received. If you do use it for the PocketPenquin project feel free to dismantle and re-arrange to your heart's content, even if that is not the ultimate form factor.
- Oh yeah. I have to *find* it. It's in a box somewhere in the new house, but I'm pretty sure I at least know what room it's in...

wsuetholz · « **Reply #69 on:** December 04, 2006, 10:45:39 am »

One thing that has been bothering me about my Z, is the power button.. I shut it off, and put it in my pocket. Later when I take it out, it has turned itself back on. All I can think is that I must be bumping the power button somehow.

So, if the power button could be designed in such a way that it is protected somehow that would be nice.

speculatrix · « **Reply #70 on:** December 04, 2006, 11:52:35 am »

Quote

One thing that has been bothering me about my Z, is the power button.. I shut it off, and put it in my pocket. Later when I take it out, it has turned itself back on. All I can think is that I must be bumping the power button somehow.

So, if the power button could be designed in such a way that it is protected somehow that would be nice.
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dunno if its just my 3100 and/or cacko, but I cannot wake Z up from deep sleep when lid is shut. I can turn it off ok. So I guess the OS is not permitting wake-up when lid is shut.

Da_Blitz · « **Reply #71 on:** December 05, 2006, 12:04:21 am »

actually i have had that problem with turning on on every PDA but my Axim (axim had the power button on the frount face). i actually thought about this the other day and decided to make it a sliding switch that went

OFF => ON => Hold

onto the psion, if i was going to get one i wouldnt pull it apart for the pocket pengunie. i guess i am a PDA collector, personally i would rather get my own on EBAY.

that said i do have a casiopea A-11A without RAM (it had ethier 4MB or 8MB of ram. and i wish i had the pinout so i could make a new ram chip as the ram chip had the OS image on it as well (it had flash chips). keyboard wasent the greatest but it was the perfect form factor, large screen (wide but nice, unfortunattly B/W) and an alright keyboard. it did however have pcmcia and run off AA batteries. it looks like the psion with a crappier keyboard

i have also been thinking of the sub laptop size/UMPC size one and how to make it a more powerful device compared to the PDA version. mainly to do with video cards and how to make it a dual processor machine (stand alone, not plugging in the PDA)

this is mainly due to me looking at the cerrunt state of the hardware and assesing what i want out of a mobile platform (not what is avalible). the PDA is nice to whip out quickly but somtimes you want the form factor of a laptop but still retain the portability. this has alot to do in my mind with location aware programs and HMD (of which i am doing a bit of side R&D. ill split this into another fourm post as i think its worth discussing.

i think the biggest hang up with the project at the moment is the design tool and my lack of ethier windows or openGL and wine under linux (i sware those nvidia drivers are nothing but hell, not to mention that any kernel greater than 2.6.15 wont boot on my PC so no precompiled modules). but fear not work will progress, i dont think ill meat the december deadline i gave myself but i am also waiting to see if any new tech comes along while working on the project

speculatrix · « **Reply #72 on:** December 05, 2006, 07:44:44 am »

I think that'd it be better to get a working version out of the door before trying to make it perfect!
After all, if the price isn't huge, many would buy too, one as unstable/development to start with, and then the 2nd version will be the polished/finished version to use for non-hackery stuff.

Ragnorok · « **Reply #73 on:** December 06, 2006, 08:16:49 pm »

- Okey doke. I'm not technically a PDA collector, but I do seem to have a collection none the less. (grin) Today I was wishing I hadn't sold Cricket, just because that's one of the few mobile computing devices I've bought over the years that I don't have any longer.
- I don't have any trouble turning on Hiro. There is typically a delay, so I have to mash the power button for a few seconds, but he's always been that way. (shrug) I wouldn't expect Hiro to turn on with the lid closed ... there is a switch that should prevent that, but I can safely say I haven't tried, either...

Da_Blitz · « **Reply #74 on:** February 11, 2007, 11:39:48 pm »

hah funny after reading this thread for the first time in awhile just some of the issues that come up.

man the Zs ability to turn on reliably every time without fuss is great, one thing i hated about wince was its all or nothing aproch which was seemingly random

back on topic

had an idea for teh case design, everyone wants the ability to have the screen face up or down right (actually most people want to be able to rotate it but follow this throgh as its the same thing)

why not have a screen that slides on 2 swivel points. think of the sony umpc however once the screen is fully extended and the keyboard exposed the screen could fold face down against the keyboard

im thiking of somthing like this:
========================O <= body
========================D <= screen

its hard to imagine however you may have to rotate the D 90 degrees. basically the only place the screen can rotate face down is when its fully extended so that the D shape rotates inside the O shape. unless the screen is folded out fully the D wont slide into the === channel and so it wont slide (ie it will only swivel, not slide. however swivel it to its full extent so its face is pointing up and the D watches the = and it will slide over the keyboard

it needs pics but at the moment the design in my head is a mixture of the OQO 2s keyboard and the sony vaio umpcs case desin (sliding screen recessed in to sidebars that have controls on them and would hold battries well)

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Author Topic: Body Design (Read 59607 times)