Poor Mans Netbook sees more potent successor, created a monster

Do you know what the new hotness is? We'll tell you -- computers in suitcases. Big, brawny, rugged suitcases. After seeing the Poor Mans Netbook offered up to the least poor bidder on eBay, one Daniel Spalding has concocted a more powerful successor dubbed the Poor Mans Notebook. Within the near-bulletproof suitcase, he managed to shove an 8-inch touchscreen (1,024 x 768 resolution), 2.5GHz dual-core E5200 CPU, 4GB of DDR2 RAM, 64GB OCZ solid state drive, WiFi / Bluetooth 2.1+EDR modules and a GeForce 7100 graphics set. He won't deny that it purrs like a vacuum cleaner when really taxed, but c'mon, it's a computer in a suitcase -- cut the thing some slack.

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 13th 2009 8:32AM]

talk about DIY

[OneLove Posted Apr 13th 2009 5:41PM]

suitcase nuke.

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 13th 2009 8:36AM]

Complete with USB ports and a poor man's e-SATA. I like it.

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 13th 2009 1:07PM]

Agreed, that thing is full of win.

[Information Central Posted Apr 13th 2009 7:23PM]

Oh, except... NO KEYBOARD. WTF?

[bombastinator Posted Apr 13th 2009 8:39AM]

Computer in a suitcase is sometimes actually handy for on site hardware diagnostics. This doesn't look like it would be good for that though. The whole point is to be able to do things like swap out cards, drives and processors easily.

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 13th 2009 8:45AM]

Try taking that to the airport...

[Dreamscape86 Posted Apr 13th 2009 11:56AM]

Exactly what I was thinking... the TSA will be ALL OVER anyone who tries to fly with this.

[rduran Posted Apr 13th 2009 4:33PM]

The TSA doesn't like anything homegrown or hand-hacked together since they can't determine whether it's a threat to the plane or not. Since they don't have hobbyist Electrical Engineerers in all the airports.

[Indefinite Implosion Posted Apr 13th 2009 8:48AM]

I wonder what the battery life is life...

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 13th 2009 8:47AM]

awesome!

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 13th 2009 8:52AM]

Created a what? Better be careful, don't want to get sued by you-know-who!

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 13th 2009 11:16AM]

i c wat u did thar

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 13th 2009 9:05AM]

Boy talk about retro !!!! What is this 1985 ? Cool then....Kluge now.

[bluespirit Posted Apr 13th 2009 9:11AM]

The Poor Mans Netbook he created had a 14" screen, however, the Poor Mans Notebook has a 8" screen? In any case, thats pretty freakin cool.

[brotato Posted Apr 13th 2009 1:30PM]

The case was smaller. This was the only vga monitor this size that wasn't overpriced I could find. Plus it has a touch screen!

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 13th 2009 9:12AM]

It's like going back to 1982... http://oldcomputers.net/compaqi.html

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 13th 2009 9:24AM]

Dammit, I've wanted to do one of these for over a year now, but now if I do I'll look like a poser jumping on the bandwagon.

[bombastinator Posted Apr 13th 2009 9:49AM]

Dude is already a poseur. These things have been around for years as tech tools. They're usually a lot uglier and more functional.

[Indefinite Implosion Posted Apr 13th 2009 10:08AM]

@bombastinator
only posers spell poser "poseur"



:P
/jokes

[brotato Posted Apr 13th 2009 1:21PM]

@bombastinator

link?

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 13th 2009 9:33AM]

Hey! It looks like an Osborne!!!

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 13th 2009 1:20PM]

I came in here to say that... We had one with dual 5 1/4" bays!

[aubreyq Posted Apr 13th 2009 9:36AM]

You said "monster."

Call your lawyers! (Nilay?)

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 13th 2009 10:01AM]

Take that MBA!

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 13th 2009 10:08AM]

Whoa whoa whoa Engadget. You used the word 'monster'

You're totally getting sued.

[magallanes Posted Apr 13th 2009 10:30AM]

With a little more of polish, this netbook can become a steampunk machine.

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 13th 2009 11:12AM]

"c'mon, it's a computer in a suitcase."
Yes, a small, useless computer, with an equally small and useless screen, tossed into a huge suitcase. LAME.
On the plus side, you can get a matching luggage for a keyboard and mouse.

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 13th 2009 11:22AM]

I'd buy it for looks alone

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 13th 2009 11:26AM]

I fail to see a keyboard...

[ran Posted Apr 13th 2009 11:39AM]

It's a touchscreen.

[Oli D Posted Apr 13th 2009 12:27PM]

So hes using the Zotac nForce 630i Mini ITX motherboard then huh...

[coldwave007 Posted Apr 13th 2009 12:58PM]

In Russia, computers put you in a briefcase!

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 13th 2009 1:29PM]

But.... I thought netbooks were for poor people who couldn't afford laptops anyway?

[kadajawi Posted Apr 13th 2009 2:06PM]

Geez, such case mods have been around for ages, also with (at their time) speedier hardware (since some of them were used as gaming rigs for LANs). Case mods including a screen have been rarer, but I'm sure those existed as well.

[78ernico Posted Apr 13th 2009 3:09PM]

will sure be fun at airport security

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 13th 2009 3:38PM]

not the prettiest thing ever....

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 13th 2009 3:50PM]

DO WANT...to make one (rampage2+i7+4870x2) of my own!
By the way, it would need 2 car batteries to be able to run for 10min. So plug-in only I think!?

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 13th 2009 3:53PM]

Really old news here. These things are more common than you seem to think.

[simonromin Posted Apr 13th 2009 6:18PM]

haha, sweet, that guy has used the Lilliput 889GL! i think that's gotta be the most creative use of that monitor i have EVER seen! check out the specs below...

http://www.carcomputer.co.uk/component/page,shop.product_details/flypage,shop.flypage/product_id,40/category_id,47/manufacturer_id,0/option,com_virtuemart/Itemid,26/

[brotato Posted Apr 13th 2009 6:29PM]

except I payed quiet a bit less than you are selling it for

[mex Posted Apr 14th 2009 8:00AM]

and when the netbook for poor in a Barbie suitecase? :)