9. Put it on Paper
We show you how to turn your car into a complete wireless office with all the extras. Be safe out there. Don’t work and drive.
I know we’re supposed to live in a paperless society where everything is done online, but I like paper and need to print a multitude of documents on the road. I have a Canon Pixma iP100 stashed in the back by the power inverter. This inkjet printer is a mighty marvel that can pump out letters, presentations and cards—whatever the work day throws at me.
To cut down on mobile clutter I have the BU-30 Bluetooth adapter, which replaces the printer with a Bluetooth connection. Before I get to the car, I need to install the Bluetooth radio, which looks just like any other USB dongle. Installing the Bluetooth adapter starts with opening up the machine by prying open the printer’s side panel with a screwdriver and sliding it off. Then, I plug the adapter in until it snaps into place. Next, I close up the panel and head out to the car.
The hardware’s done, on to the software. Now, I connect the printer with the computer using a USB cable and load the Canon Setup Utility from the CD. I click on Bluetooth settings, enter the passcode (0000) and the printer’s ready. Finally, I unplug the USB cable and click on the computer’s Add a Device icon just as I did for the keyboard and speakerphone’s Bluetooth connection. After typing in the passcode, I’m ready to print anywhere I happen to be. The 35-foot range of the wireless connection is plenty for working in the front and printing in the back.
I think instead of the tray you use, you should have gone with this one instead. Make sure you read the comments and user reviews, and have a look at the pictures!
http://www.amazon.com/Mobile-Offic [...] pg__header
I was seriously expecting to see you rip out the center console and stuff a mATX motherboard and components in there then run a touch screen mounted on the dash somewhere... but at the end of the first page I saw the words "Velcro" and "magnetic tape" and sighed in disbelief
Gamber-Johnson have been making vehicle notebook mounts for years. I've used one in the past with a Panasonic Toughbook and it worked quite well. It even had a mount for a small printer underneath. I believe the LAPD uses a similar setup in their cruisers.
To be honest, the car he used is more of a bottleneck for this project. On my car I replaced the factory headunit with a double-DIN JVC with BT and NAV. Now I can use my phone without a second BT gadget, and not worry about keeping it charged either. A simple $20 12V adapter keeps my 3G smartphone charged, and I can tether my phone too, making the MiFi device totally unnecessary. My data plan doesn't subject me to a 5GB cap either. As for notebook power, I carry a second charged battery, giving me all-day power, be it in the car or on-site with a client. Much less gadgets, much simple to hook up, and much less to carry. Never mind leaving nothing in the vehicle for thieves to break in and knock off.
His set up is definitely not typical, but it's important to remember to go with what works best. This may work well for him, but it is not something another road-warrior may consider functional for their need or efficient for their budget. There are better ways to do what this guy did here.
I am a big fan of duct tape, super glue and velcro. It took me 2 minutes to velcro mount my KVM switch under by desk, then another minute to super glue the velcro a year latter when the adhesive gave out.
Go ahead and put that magnetic tape right in front of your center channel speaker. It won't harm your transducer at all
Geez, it's like when I see people sticking magnets to their PC case. Just idiocy.
This article is nothing more than a marketing attempt, put the laptop on your lap, coffee in the cup holder, use the keyboard on the pc?, use the gps and bluetooth that is already installed in your Benz?.