I like my "new" TAM, but . . .

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dankephoto's picture
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I like my "new" TAM, but . . .

it's waaay too old and limited. I'm more determined than ever to build a similar device using a TiBook as its basis. I want something of the same general form-factor, with an LCD in the top-center and speakers on the sides. I want SPEED, FW, TV (USB tuner?), bigger LCD, built-in speakers (soundsticks?), more, more, more!

I snagged a gen-yoo-wine TAM base (with clutches) on eBay and I think that may be a good start. It's slightly wider than a TiBook, but with a pair of soundsticks on the sides it'll be perfect.

Haven't decided on the structure yet. I can fab it from most anything I want. Stainless tubing, cast alum, PVC pipe, solid wood, carbon fiber, GRP, rebar, sheet steel, wicker, fishline, twigs, shards of glass, twinkies, whatever.:D The material will heavily influence the design, so I've got to decide that first.

Seriously though, I'm looking to make a "classy" computer. I'm honing my industrial design chops and think this will be as good an excercise as any.

Dan K

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It would be cool to keep the

It would be cool to keep the TAM look as close as possible, I think. What's GRP??

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GRP = . . .

Glass Reinforced Plastic, otherwise known to the masses as "fiberglass".

I'm still working out the design brief. Not sure how (or with what) to fill the area below the screen, ala TAM. Don't need a CD drive there, and the scattershot goofy controls as on the TAM won't cut it.

I think it should have at least a port panel of some sort, to allow FW, USB, audio to be plugged in/out from the front. I'll add a TV tuner, probably a USB device, so that can hide under the LCD somewhere, along with USB (and FW?) hubs, plus the power supply. All those bits could be hidden, or maybe even visible (behind plexiglass), kinda neat if I pull their PCBs out of their casings.

I'm also contemplating some sort of height adjustment, like telescoping vertical columns or something. Might be interesting to use cables, pullies and springs, with the mechanism visible. I'd like to keep the whole thing light enough to be transportable, be as compact as possible, and include a handle like a classic Mac. It should bundle up into a self-contained unit, carrying the KB and all other parts in the one package.

Not too ambitious, am I? Biggrin

Dan K

jt
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Nope!

. . . sounds like a lot of fun! Have you checked out AppleDesign for inspiration? I think almost every design study and prototype for "Spartacus" was at least 23% cooler than the TAM that finally shipped!

jt :ebc:

p.s. btw . . . ::) WHERE'S MY FREAKIN'SCAN ALREADY!?!?!?! (the backside of LCD adapter!) Wink

dankephoto's picture
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scans

new macdan TAM page, just the LCD driver board scans so far:
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/macdan/tam.html

The link posted above is now dead, use this new page instead.

Dan K

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