I've been thinking about this for a while and decided it would be good to put my thoughts up for discussion.

Technically it should be possible because the M9 has a built in LCD controller Sam440ep can be specified with an LVDS connector making it much easier and neater to hook up a laptop screen than with conventional motherboard designs.

How much would it cost to finance a run of 50 complete systems, what would be projected cost to the end user and would there before enough demand to make it viable.

I chose 50 because I understand that to be the minimum amount for Acube to produce a run of boards and you'd need your own run in order to specify LVDS, soldered on RAM and no simm socket in order to keep make it as low profile as possible.

Loriano Pagni AKA TheDaddy has shown that it is possible to make professional quality cases in small numbers. Obviously a laptop case would be more expensive than a Minimig case due to it being larger and having more parts.

Would a PicoPSU be suitable for charging a battery as well as powering the system.

How easy is it to hookup a laptop style keyboard and touch pad to the internal USB.

What is the minimum size that it could all fit into. I had a little chat about it at Mag Bash with Rigo and he reckons a 17" shouldn't be too difficult but could it be smaller without running into problems.

What would be the best placement of components in order to maintain an even weight distribution.

@Rob

Quote:

Would a PicoPSU be suitable for charging a battery as well as powering the system.

In theory yes, but you would also need a suitable battery charging circuit as well.

Kind regards,

Francis

_________________

@Rob
I don't know how easy could be to make a SAM laptop.

The only thing I will say is that I will buy it sure.

What is Acube System doing now?

I am sure it will kick ass to my new Vista system.

_________________
AMIGA 500 1.5 MB ACA500/ACA1232 accelerators
AMIGA 500 German
CD32 unexpanded
Amiga 1200 Tower on AmigaKit since years
AMIGA 1300 030/50 Mhz/32 MB WB 3.9 with lots of games&demos
AMIGA ONE XE G3 PPC 800 Mhz/1 GB RAM/RADEON 9250 128 MB/SATA CONTROLLER

@newlight

Quote:

What is Acube System doing now?

Maybe they are...

1 Tuning on their Sam440
2 Working on a Sam460
3 Working on a Sam Laptop

_________________
AmigaOS 4.1 FEu2 on Sam440ep-flex 800MHz 1GB RAM
C128, A500+, A1200, A1200/40, AmigaForever 2008+09+16, 5 x86/x64 boxes
Still waiting (or dreaming) for the Amiga revolution...
m4rko.com/AMIGA

@Rob

It depends what you mean in "can it be done"

I think one difficult part can be to find a suitable keyboard and monitor.

_________________
Philippe 'Elwood' Ferrucci
Sam460 1.10 Ghz
AmigaOS 4 betatester
Amiga Translator Organisation

@Rob

Many difficulties.

In DIY project it should be "easiest" to assemble SAM to second hand laptop frame, where touchpad and kbd are usb peripherals.


In addition you need battery charging circuit and "some" circuity to connect svga or dvi to panel. Maybe it is possible to steal everything needed from normal flat monitor`?

Possible but pretty expensive and not answer to your question.

@Rob

I have got a few 15" laptop screens but AFAIK the current batch of SAM boads doesn't have the LVDS connector.
I would have bought a board to play with this winter but with no LVDS connector I wouldn't know where to start:(

_________________

@Rob

I've been planning to build a kind of laptop, or computer-in-a-suitcase thing around the Sam but finding a low-power enough screen in around 12-15" that runs on 12 Volts and is not thick as two ordinary laptops already has proven really difficult.

I have no clue how to hook up an actual laptop monitor. Guess they use some kind of ribbon cable type with custom signals in it. Sounds too difficult anyway..

_________________
- Don't get fooled by my avatar, I'm not like that (anymore, mostly... maybe only sometimes)
> Amiga Classic and OS4 developer for OnyxSoft.

@Rob

I've been pondering this same idea for a while and figured that it would be a viable undertaking as using mostly off-the-shelf components the end-user cost of the finished product could be somewhere between $1200-$1500.

What I'd do to keep the cost low is use a slim aluminum briefcase instead of a laptop case, something like...

...giving it more of a James Bond look while making it easier to fit all the components without ending with a case that looks like some old fat laptop, with the added benefits of being sturdier and waterproof.

To fit a SAM in such a thin space does require a custom batch of motherboards as all the connectors must be facing at a 90 degree angle, and the miniPCI slot would need to be present, allowing the use of a miniPCI wireless adapter (assuming a driver can be written for it).

It may be cheaper and faster to just dismantle some 12V-powered 15" or 17" LCD monitor and relocate its inverter and pre-amp/speakers than buy just the panel and having to custom-make the inverter and everything else.

For that matter the only parts which need to be custom-made are the power distribution circuits (for charging the cells and 3.3/5/12V supplies) and cover plates to seal the keyboard and display sides.

Unfortunately, with the lousy economy around here my budget won't allow me to make even a single prototype though I'm hoping I can pull it off in time for AmiWest.

_________________
AlexC's free OS4 software collection

AmigaOne XE/X1000/X5000/UAE-PPC OS4 laptop/X-10 Home Automation

and don't forget different keyboard layouts for different coutries

@marko

Yes thats right, 460 is a possibility. but none of us know if they are going to upgrade the current sammotheboard to accomodate a 460 cpu and then upgrade the grapihcs, and DDR2 ram socket to 1 gig.

But i woud love for them to do something that is heading up to medium range hardware specs.

_________________
Courtesy of SAM440Flex & Amiga OS4.1 only
Flex is 800mhz
A1000 with Classic 520 Amiga OS3.2.1
AmiKit 12
MorphOS PowerBook G4 (which can play youtube vids)

https://blitterwolf.blogspot.com

@Gebrochen

I hope that IF Acube is working on any portable stuff they will use a processor with more power than the SAM board have.

Personally I would like to see something around the 1-1.5Ghz speed. I wouldn't like a system with less CPU power than my old A1 has.

If people want low power systems it might be better if Hyperion worked with these guys: http://www.limepc.com/book.shtml
No need to reinvent the wheel

_________________

i thought you could run a laptop panel off the svga connector on the board im sure you can,you would have to pick a screen thats got a good res thats easy part,download the laptops service manual and see the pinouts of it too the laptop board,im sure its on net somewhere,

@Rob

http://www.mini-itx.com/projects/itx-laptop/

All I can say about this is eeeewwwwww... Ugly as all getout.

_________________
All glory to the Hypnotoad!

here is some links for you to start your project.

http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/faq-emporium/51040-faq-using-laptop-lcd-your-car-pc-screen.html


http://www.geocities.com/p9019/lcdpanel

and these lot sell controlers for just about any screen.

http://www.digitalview.com/controllers/csg.php

Last edited by webhead on 09-Feb-2009 at 11:47 PM.
Last edited by webhead on 09-Feb-2009 at 11:39 PM.

@Rob

Hmm, we've all soon efforts to make an Amiga "laptop". Honestly I don't think it is worth the trouble. Acube should manufacture Sam boards in "laptop" format to do this properly; otherwise we will end up with another round of ugly looking amigas in suitcases... just looks bad... and sends the wrong message out to the wider market!

Again; and I have said this many times before... it is best to do one or two things properly for the Amiga... If an Amiga laptop is not practical now; better concentrate on kick ass desktop case designs and decent desktop boards that make the machine comparable to todays PC's; otherwise what is the point.

I would really love to go with the Sam now... but I will not give up my Linux/WinXP system until I feel "we have arrived"... it is just not worth it now... either do it properly or not do it at all...

I would rather use my A1200 for now; and tinker with the classic hardware and wait until Os4.1 (etc) and the hardware are further updated to be relevant today. As far an Amiga laptop... a suitcase Amiga would just look wrong...

Q!

"i aM hOMe"

Last edited by QuBe on 10-Feb-2009 at 02:30 AM.

@Troels

I concur with the need for more CPU power, It would allow me to have better multitasking and a seriously fast responsive amiga system. As right now, I am still slowing it down too much with the SAM440EP.

Cheers.

_________________
Courtesy of SAM440Flex & Amiga OS4.1 only
Flex is 800mhz
A1000 with Classic 520 Amiga OS3.2.1
AmiKit 12
MorphOS PowerBook G4 (which can play youtube vids)

https://blitterwolf.blogspot.com

@Gebrochen

Exactly... just not worth the trouble... unless you are a lucky individual... retired (or very wealthy) where you can spend your time tinkering all day long... Something I am sure the majority of us would like to do... but in a fast moving world where you need decent up-to-date systems to get a job done; it is too much for the average Joe (no disrespect to people named "Joe" of course).

I am still waiting for an Amiga revolution... 20 years... thanks for nothing Amiga Inc!!!

Q!

"i aM hOMe"

Last edited by QuBe on 10-Feb-2009 at 12:39 PM.

I would be careful because unless a SAM Laptop is designed with protective circuitry then it is more likely that you will have a battery malfunction with 6 foot flames and 1,000 degree heat. I know that a lot of Amiga users may be do it yourself kind of people but you have an engineer who is experienced and really read up on the deal. Please see all three links:




Sony Laptop Fire

http://www.pcpitstop.com/news/video/pcsafety.asp

The above video shows how slowly a laptop battery can catch fire. We're talking about six foot flames and 1,000 degree temperatures.

http://www.pcpitstop.com/news/rob/rcheng0610.asp

This is a commentary on the safety of a lithium ion battery which are in rechargeable devices like cell phones.

Smoke detectors only work if and when someone hears them and fire damage can result in minutes which is shorter than a fire company can respond so this is why we have to be alert and someone has to be around to catch batteries malfunction if it ever does happen.

Last edited by Chuckt on 10-Feb-2009 at 01:20 PM.

@Chuckt&all

After reading all the thread I would like to point that a laptop is pointless until Amiga rises up again.I agree is better to concentrate on the desktop and revive the Amiga preparing and finishing outstanding new machines that can make a better place for the Amiga brand that investigating on something still unreleased by Amiga and very innovative but of unsuspecting and probably uncertain scores and results.
For my point of view as a faithful and long Amiga user,despite buying a new AMD laptop due to lack of Amiga during my winter holidays,I prefer more a desktop Amiga with at least 2 Ghz of PPC power,more Ram,better and more integrated USB stack,better graphics,etc...
than a laptop.

What could be the running costs of a SAM laptop compared to a new and powerful Amiga desktop system like the mentioned?

I prefer to wait and stay cool with my Amigas until a new desktop Amiga comes to us.

And I am sure that a kicking ass desktop is a better key to open market than a financially
heavy SAM laptop.

_________________
AMIGA 500 1.5 MB ACA500/ACA1232 accelerators
AMIGA 500 German
CD32 unexpanded
Amiga 1200 Tower on AmigaKit since years
AMIGA 1300 030/50 Mhz/32 MB WB 3.9 with lots of games&demos
AMIGA ONE XE G3 PPC 800 Mhz/1 GB RAM/RADEON 9250 128 MB/SATA CONTROLLER