[LeeG]

As the subject says, just got a new 867 TiBook, and I want to retire my Wallstreet G3/233 as a digital picture frame in the living room.

Anyone done anything like this before? Or disassembled their wallstreet to use for a similar purpose?

My first thought was to build a wooden enclosure to cover the keyboard and frame out the screen, but now I am thinking that dismantling the case and actually framing the LCD while stuffing the guts behind may look even better. Also do I frame the entire LCD, or just a center portion so most pic's are not artifically scaled large and blocky, or with a large black border around them?

I have a PCMCIA 802.11b card that I plan to use as the network access to this picture frame. Suggestions as to the method of controlling the slideshow from remote network access (and slideshow software for that matter) are also greatly appreciated. Currently running 9.2, would wiping the drive and installing X.2 help in either presentation or network access?

I am very new at this sort of project and don't want to destroy the PB - Any advice or help is appreciated...It would be great if we as a forum could pool some knowledge and advice and make this thing really cool..



Lee

[TomHMeredith]

Hi

Firstly, let me say that I haven't done anything like this before, so someone else may know better, but here are my 2 cents anyway...

I took my Pismo apart over the weekend, and I don't think it would have been a problem to turn the screen around, so that it faced out (thus so the guts are behind the LCD). I assume that the insides of the Wallstreet aren't that different (when it comes to wire length etc.)

I think there are 2 ways you could run it.
i) Use Remote Desktop to gain access to the machine, have the screensaver as your desired picture and then use RD to change it as and when you wanted
ii) Use you .Mac account and publish a slideshow that the laptop subscribed to.

About how much of the frame to cut off. Obviously (i assume) you want as large a picture as possible. It all depends on how good a quality the pictures you want to display are. Try displaying them on the laptop as it is now and see what quality you are happy with. As long as the quality is reasonable, you won't notice if it is slightly 'blocky' from a couple of feet away.

Hope this helps.

Tom

[LeeG]

Thanks a bunch, I don't know much about remote desktop, and the .mac slideshow hadn't occurred to me - thats good thinkin'!

I was gonna just appleshare to the picture frame and manually copy over pics now and again - the .mac slideshow is PERFECT, I can upload from my tower, with iPhoto, and the picture frame will 'automatically' adjust and start the new pix. Brilliant. I guess I need to put Jaguar on it. Ohhs its gonna crawl...

Lastly about turning the LCD around - lovin that idea, I had a picture of myself with the whole thing dismantled and an LCD hanging by wires - it wasn't good. Can you let me know some specifics about the screen, did you simply take it apart, turn the screen around and put it back together??

Thanks,

Lee

[TomHMeredith]

I didn't actually turn my screen apart. I took it apart to do some case mods. Although I got a pretty good idea of what it is like.

The wires should be long enough to have the screen facing outwards. If it wasn't for the clutches, and a bit of plastic, then you would be able to open the LCD by almost 360 deg (if u imagine you open it just more than 90 for normal use)

All I can say is, take it apart, and don't rush yourself.

Tom

[COmie JOe]

I did a simular project with a 5300CE into a fish tank imac, you need make sure the screen cable is not bent too much, you can rip or break the contacts in the cable very easily.

[MarkLT1]

I did this with a powerbook 3400 which should be very similar.

What I did was this:

Step 1: decide on software. Since I cant use OS X on a 3400, I decided to go with jpeg view. I am currently tweaking a series of apple scripts to control jpeg view, and update the slideshow when new pictures are added. I am also thinking of writing my own OS 9 software to do this. The way my frame works- it nabs pictures which are stored on my iMac. Get the software working before you rip appart the computer. Much easier to troubleshoot on an 'book, then on a frame.

Step 2: Rip appart the powerbook. Carefully take the whole thing appart. Figure out what size frame you need to fit the screen (the 3400 screen fit nicely in a routed out 8x10 frame). Also figure out how to mount the components to the back. I ended up building a box behind the frame, that holds the motherboard from the powerbook. I ended up ditching the keyboard, adding a wireless networking card, and cutting the PB case, to hold just the motherboard/power managment hardware/ethernet/video stuff.

Step 3: assemble.

Here are some pics of my final product. I would take a bunch more for you, but unfortunately my digital camera just went in for servicing (darn dead pixel.. at least I had 5 days left on the warranty!! )

If you need more info, dont hesitate to email me. m(nospam)dobossy at princeton.education (sorry.. trying to keep the spam bots at bay, just drop the (nospam) and cation..


here is what it looks like. In this pic, the picture looks fuzzy and green, and dull.. from the flash.. it is actually VERY bright and VERY sharp.. looks GREAT!!


here is the open frame. I put the box on hinges, so the whole thing hinges down, ala an apple tower. Notice the wireless network card, and access to the power plug, and keyboard plug.

-Mark

[LeeG]

Thanks mark, very helpful. I am planning on getting started soon, I am especially interested in disassembling the powerbook and reassemling the guts in a new enclosure, but I am not sure which 'guts' can be removed and whats needs to stay? I plan to ditch the keyboard, and trackpad, do I need the heatsink? I assume so, but I'm new to this stuff.

Here's my plans so far:

HARDWARE:
? I think I am going to go with the wallstreet G3 powerbook (my old 'book) for the guts - I know its a little overkill, but I am not using it for anything else, and I hate to just ebay away a nice mac. Besides this'll be fun.
? I would like a design that is somewhat compact, but would fit on the mantle over my TV in a nice frame.
? It must be available on the local wireless network.
? Since it remains on AC power, both the internal battery and optical drive can be removed, saving on weight
? As the actual design specs have not even started to materialize, the big question is do I dismantle the G3 into a new enclosure for the frame? or simply package a frame around the entire current enclosure? Or some way between the two?

SOFTWARE
? Original plans were to use the machine running 9.2 as it is now. I had figured I would use a copy of jpegview running a slideshow from a folder that was network-shared so I could make changes to it from my G4, and the picture frame would reflect that change - pretty cool. However, I decided to use X.2 for the following reasons:
? Stability, much less likely to crash/freeze as often as the machine running 9.2 continuously trying to display networked images
? .mac integration and iLife integration: The wallstreet frame on the airport network is perfectly suited to run MacOSX - jaguar, with no apps running - the ultimate in stability, just a .mac slideshow screensaver. Whenever the .mac slideshow is updated, the frame is updated. Which leads into iLife - iPhoto2 is supposed to sport the new feature of one-click .mac slideshow sharing. Create a new iPhoto album, click .mac slideshow, and the picture frame displays new images. Very Cool.


Thats as far as the current brainstorming has gone. I am starting to look into formatting the book, installing jag, and testing the .mac slideshow saver idea once iPhoto2 comes along.

Any help is always appreciated...

Lee

[LeeG]

One more thing, looking for a software solution to either shut down and restart while I am sleeping/at work, or sleep and wake (preferable). I'd like the machine to be awake from about 4pm to midnight, automatically.

Any thoughts?

Lee

[TomHMeredith]

I know OS 9 had options in the Energy Saver to wake up the computer, put to sleep, restart etc. However, there is no such option in OS X, maybe there is an application out there, try looking on version tracker, or download.com

If I see anything, i'll let you know.

Tom

[LeeG]

Thanks tom, I just found a program called iBeeZz on versiontracker that claims to wake and sleep (daemon based). It is 30 day shareware, I would definitely support the developer, but I worry this is a "yet to be seen Panther feature" that may end up being free...

Lee

[israces]

Please keep posting your progress on this project!! I have been sitting here for a few weeks now looking at my Walstreet wondering just how to start in on this. Never even thought about the wireless card or the .mac publishing. Outstanding!!

[passmaster16]

I recently posted some information in a Lounge thread...mine wasn't a powerbook but it may help.

http://forums.macnn.com/showthread.p...+picture+frame

[LeeG]

Thanks for the input, I am still in the planning stages, organizing my software solutions before I begin the hardware hack. I am also awaiting iLife, since iPhoto2 supposedly has 1-click updating of .mac slideshow - which is how I am gonna go for now. I am a little pissed that you can't adjust the display time for .mac slideshow pix (unless I am missing something). The pix change too fast - I would like 5-10min delay time, which means I may need to change to a slideshow program. Not a big problem, but I would've liked the 1-click iPhoto solution. I will format the wallstreet drive, install jaguar, and test out the wireless software solutions with .mac once iPhoto2 arrives.

I am planning on wireless updating, so that should minimize the hard drive use also, and I plan to remove the optical drive and battery to save on weight. I also found this iBeeZz program to schedule sleep/wake so its only on when people are home.

It may be some time, but I will post updates (with pictures) when available...


Lee