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How To Travel With LCD Gaming Screen?
johnpagenola asks: "My 17 year old son will start traveling this Fall to fencing tournaments, but he needs his gaming fix over the weekend. How best to travel with an LCD screen to protect it from damage? Is there a way to put together a storage device for LCD with speakers, SFF system unit, keyboard and mouse?" Other than "buy a laptop," can anyone suggest some travel-proofing tips for such a set-up?
Don't the PS1 and PS2 LCD screens clamshell shut on top of the console? I would think those would be pretty sturdy. The PS1/LCD combo that's selling now has a nice form factor that should travel pretty well...
Buy a pelican case and carve out some nice foam indentations for the monitor, keyboard, etc. It's an air tight, waterproof seal with all the fixings.
I use a Pelican Case when I ship my stuff. They are fantastic.
On of those metal suitcases with foam on the inside? A notebook bag with some extra foam, basicly foam to protect and something around it to keep everything in place..
A piece of plastic of the same size as the screen (with some foam..) and some velcro to keep it in place?
just some ideas..
Nobody expects the spanish inquisition!
You can mod one of those metal 'briefcase' style boxes with the foam inside pretty easy. The boxes are designed for electronics, test equipment, stuff like that and they come in a variety of sizes. They aren't all that expensive, either.
But does anybody find this to be exceptionally wrong? If you can't go a weekend without playing video games, I think you should have some priority adjustments. He's going to fencing tournaments so why not read books that enhance the mind? I'm speaking directly of combat philosophy books. Granted, there aren't that many out there but it seems better than playing video games in the commute.
Now, back on subject, I'd suggest going with the Sony Glasstron goggles. I have a friend who had a setup with N64, PSX, DVD (Before PS2/Xbox) with these in his car. It worked really well for him.
Dacels Jewelers can't be trusted.
I'm sure that it is good he traels to fencing tournaments and all, but does he really need to game? Travelling for work/athletics/whatever is a great way to see this wodrous country of ours, and I find this trend of going somewhere and isolating yourself with nothing but video games, movies, or whatever reprehensible.
Why do you need to game over a weekend where a laptop doesn't suffice? Is there a reason you need a bring a gaming rig, and if so, why aren't you using a CRT to get some REAL gaming? This is pretty ridiculous, did you just want to see your name on the front page of Slashdot?
Is your browser retarded?
How many LCD screens is he trying to sell off?
Really though, why does he need to take his computer with him? That's a bit sad. Get him some fake ID instead so he can go out on the lash after the tournament... in my experience it was always fun as fencing left me quite dehydrated. You'll be doing him a much bigger favour for later life. I liked going away to tournaments - I would take advantage of being somewhere I wouldn't normally visit to go and have a good time and see new places. I really enjoyed going to Montreal to fence, although I always got my arse kicked very severely.
If he wants a gaming screen for an XBOX, one company is developing this.
Get a life besides gaming on holiday!
If you don't need the protection (and weight) fo a hardtop case, you should check out the variety of computer carrying equipment at CaseAce. I haven't used their new LCD harness, but the regular old CRT carrying harness has been a great investment. Turns something that's awkward into something easy to carry.
By 'a storage device' did you mean a box?
Wow. I have to admit that's pretty neat getting a first post on your 1000th post. Good work.
http://www.willowdesign.com/
They have a large number of monitor and LCD display cases. They also have a specific line for the Apple Cinema Displays as well.
/// Zoid.
They have very nice stuff, and the prices are not draconic http://www.cases-cases.com Also, if you're up for it you can try and make your own suitcase PC with the LCD on the side, like those produced by [forgot the company name].
Get a Pelican case as used by anyone who carries expensive electornics into the field includeing journalists world wide. These cases are a hard plastic shell lined with foam that you can easily cut to your needs. Find them at a camping goods shop, or better photography shop near you.
It will help him to prepare for a normal adult life. Perhaps instead of gaming on the wekends, you could set it up so that he interacts with the other tournament participants. I know he's not old enough to start drinking, but just about anything is better than playing games!
People: don't sit back and let your children turn into yourselves! Humans are social animals, geeks especially. If you start them early, there's no telling what they can become!
"gaming fix on the weekends"?
seriously, if he can't go 2 days a week without playing games he's got some problems.
We had a monster case custom built for a 'luggable' desktop system and LCD screen that had to go from shutdown to shutdown. While they are normally used for musical equipment (consult your local music shop for more info), they work beautifully for computers.
Feed the need: Digitaladdiction.net
If someone can't travel without the need for playing games then a life would be the best fix imho. :) Don't mean to sound harsh but make him get out an enjoy the places he will be visiting. There are so many people to meet and things to see out there. I myself wouldn't be worried about how I will play UT or some other game.
:)
Well that's just my 2 cents
"I believe in everything in moderation. Including moderation." -Dean DeLeo, Stone Temple Pilots
Tell your son to grow up - get drunk and chase loose women... far more fun than 3D gaming when you're off on a jolly.
I'm sorry but anyone that can't go a weekend with their "gaming fix" probably has an addiction problem. Maybe this is just my preference, but if I got to travel all around at 17 fencing, then I would probably find something more interesting wherever I went than computer games. Like something I couldn't do at home. But maybe that's just me
Two words - "original packaging".
Besides, most manufacturers won't repair a damaged TFT if it is damaged while in transit and the manufacturers' recommended precautions about using a container designed for the task haven't been followed.
Yet another reason to hang on to those boxes, kids!
"Be vewy vewy quiet, I'm hunting wuntime ewwors!" - Elmer Fudd
buy him a new one when he gets back.
where to obtain a 486 in Dallas to install Slackware Linux on - please tell me.
Why does a 17 year old need his father to ask Slashdot how to carry around a computer?
.. and throw the computer in the trunk .. No need to tote it around like a suitcase to the actual fencing tournaments .. and if you don't want to buy him a laptop .. lease one ..
Lend him your car (presumeably he has a license by now)
if this is a school sponsored event, or hell, if it's an event of any type; let's remember it's an event for you to SOCIALIZE at. the only time a computer is used (well) for socializing is possibly a lan party and (more remotely) email/aim. not computer games. when going to speech tournaments (verbal fencing), the most enjoyable part of the whole tournament was the socializing factor. if you lock yourself in your hotel room and play computer games, you're not even getting half of the value of going to these events in the first place.
if anything, i'd MAKE him get a laptop with a sub-par video card in it just so he wouldn't play games on it. or maybe just a cheap PDA.
moox. for a new generation.
He should carry a 19" CRT instead. It's also less likely to get stolen at the airport / bus station / wherever.
Of course, you're packing a different kind of heat. A 2 gun case should be enough for the monitor and some other "goodies"
Maybe I'm old fashioned but whatever happened to the ancient art of reading? Humans have occupied themselves for thousands of years without having to get their "gaming fix." Instead of worrying about satisfying your sons raving video game addiction that apparently can't go a single day without gaming, maybe you should buy him some good books.
is to make him either design the "storage device" himself or not play at all.
There are some goggles out there that can replace your monitor... that way you can buy a mini LAN-party case which you can carry-on along with a pair of goggles...
...
n g- Fool
** PLUS! THINK HOW COOL YOU'LL LOOK! **
Imagine, fencing whilst goggling, defeating TWO OPPONENTS at once!
In fact, you should buy one of those remote-porno suits so that you get the full gaming experience... you'll be a
Walking-Action-Cyber-Killing-Opponent-Functioni
--otherwise known as a--
WACKOFF
(for short)
*******
Never underestimate the power of the wang... WA WA WA WANG!
Measure the dimensions of the unit, then check eBay for a anvil-type case. They can be had very cheaply, and provide the best possible protection when travelling. Something briefcase-size should do. In eBay, search for "anvil case" and work through the listings until you find something that will fit...
P.S.- Anvil is a brand name, but most cases of this type are commonly referred to as "anvil" -kind of like "xerox", and "palm". The primary application of these travel cases is for musical instruments and electronic equipment.
Even if you made it to these so called 'fencing tournaments' safe and sound with the LCD intact, I would kick your kid's ass for being a geek.
Game Boy.
Why lug a whole damn system around? Get a Game Boy, put it in your pocket.
SIGFEH
This may sound unpopular with the slashdot crowd, but how about leaving the computer behind and reading, or seeing the sights in the new town ya'll are visiting. He'll appreciate his games that much more when he comes back, and maybe come to enjoy otherthings as well.
If all he's looking for is some gaming while traveling, I'd recommend buying a GBA. The units are really cheap ($90) and some of the games are actually amazingly good (Tony Hawk, Advanced Wars, ...). In addition, since it's small and battery powered, you can play while riding in a car, while waiting for your next bout, etc., where a PC isn't an option, and without the hassle (and risk of damage) of hauling around a PC, monitor, cables, CD's, etc.
Get a metal case (larger than you need) and put a plastic window in it, then hook the lcd screen up to the case on the inside. Get a wireless kb/mouse and have the reciever in the case. Good pair of headphones, and a case tote and you're all set. Only wires you have to worry about are the power for the case and monitor. Not the best for gaming, but nice and compact. Now like half the other posts I must say why? If this were for a few weeks traveling that would be one thing, but for a weekend? If he were mine, I'd be telling him to either do it himself or go out and do something, if nothing else go find an arcade, at least there are people you can play face to face with.
Other people mention Pelican, but that company appears to be rather half-assed about the way they make road cases - they seem to be a -lot- more interested in selling plastic flashlights. Strange.
Try instead SKB. I've been using their gear for years, with never a problem. Well-made, water-tight, light-weight, and (optionally) ATA-rated.
More serious companies include such names as Starcase and Anvil. These are heavier, and generally made out of fiberglass-laminated plywood with aluminum extrusions holding the joints together. They don't mind being loaded up with equipment and dropped off of a truck much at all - something not easily said about any plastic case. Both Starcase and Anvil will gladly build a custom box for whatever it is that needs moved, which isn't so easy with plastic.
Or, build your own. TCH sells all manner of hardware and materials for building serious road cases and racks. They've got extrusions, fiberglass/plywood laminates, and all manner of hasps, clasps, latches, and hinges, brackets, doohickeys, hoosiwatsits, and other very important widgets for case-building.
Kid-proof tablet..
The Samsonite Hardlite series is made for suits travelling with laptops.
I've encountered the same problem when moving in and out of college with my lcd screen. Their great for deskspace but a bitch when moving cause im always woried about breaking it. And Since I long ago ditched the box to keep them in I usually wrap it in a few tee shirts and put it in the same box as my clothing/bedding for the extra padding.
Should this sound a bit shakey, let me assure you that it isn't. Besides, if I'd like some more protection, all I need to add is a layer of plastic or something on the cardboard box "doors" to protect the screen.
Sometimes, what sounds simple & cheap, is actually a good solution :)
I would have to recommend the Case Ace Gear Grip LCD Shield Harness from http://www.caseace.com
I've used their Gear Grip Computer and Monitor harnesses for transporting my precious system to various LAN parties for the last year now. They are extremely durable with large, comfortable handles. Transplant
I was in a similar predicament. I have heard plenty of horror stories where LCD panels got cracked while being subjected to the pressure of books and odd objects in backpacks.
When I got my new laptop, I was worried about taking it on-campus in my backpack. So, I built a custom aluminum box to protect the screen.
I picked up a 12-foot aluminum bar from a nearby sheet metal warehouse. I took it to a machine shop near campus and spent a couple of hours measuring, cutting, and drilling holes in the aluminum. I put it together with machine screws and corner brackets, and then I covered the inside with cardboard. I have three bars spanning the width of the box. While it doesn't completely encase the laptop, it is sufficient to keep the pressures of books off the computer.
The result is a fairly lightweight protective box that fits in my backpack and then protects the LCD panel from cracking (you could stand on the box with the laptop in it, and it would not put any pressure on the laptop itself). So far, it's worked like a charm. I am still careful not to drop my laptop into my backpack while it's resting on the floor, since longitudinal forces on the screen can also do damage.
An unjust law is no law at all. - St. Augustine
Get a GearGrip product here for your LCD:
http://www.geargrip.com/
They're made with travel and gaming in mind.
I'd have to add that those remote porno suits are pretty cool....
... did anybody ever stop to think that THIS GUY's SON doesn't EXIST and this guy is actually the one going on weekend trips and needs to game...
Hey
MAYBE THE SON IS JUST A COVER!!!
Come on people. Can't we get a way from our computers for a weekend? A gaming fix? for crying out loud. When have we become so attached to our computers that when we go away for a tourny of some kind we just HAVE to play games. I don't know about you people, but when 5 o'clock comes around, the last thing I want to be doing is sitting in front of my computer playing games.
"Dear Slashdot, I'm a 30 year old geek who has never gotten laid and still lives at home with my parents...can you recommend a treatment for my ever growing baldspot"
Your 17 year old son should be going outside, exploring the cities. He should be seeing America (or whatever contry he is in) with a group of friends he works and plays with. He should be growing and writing in a journal.
If you need to buy him something, buy him a digital camera. Give him some spending money. Buy the team nerf balls. Give him a guide to all ages clubs in your state / province. Give him rollerblades, frisbies, and waterguns. Give the coach specific instructions to not let him rot in his hotel room.
I love games. I haven't come across a game yet that I can't beat in 2 days, and my Maniac ERA continues to be a real crowdstopper. But they 're not everything. Your kid is 17, and is about to go on an oddessey. Would Homer sing of a developing young man staring at a slightly glowing fire and occasionally poking it with a stick?
It may be scary as a parent to think that your kid may be out in the real world, but he soon will be an adult and will have to make mature, adult decisions based on what he has experienced and shared with you. I'm sure if you have raised him well, he will do great. But don't love him so much that he isn't given those experiences until it is much to late for him to look to your guidance.
Part of your guidance should be to forbid him from taking his Playstation.
-Chris
This Sig is a mnemonic device designed to allow you to recognize this author in the future.
Buy a Laptop Fool!
You can buy a decent one for under $999.
For $150 you can get a small PS1 and PS1 LCD screen.
Fool!
Or you can be like the L@merz and buy a cheesy handle for your computer as Ace Hardware.
Buy a laptop.
Why not let the kid figure out how he is going to spend the weekends himself? If he makes a stupid decision, he won't have his precious games to play, and he will be forced to do something more interesting than frag his day away. Go to the zoo, find a museuem, try to get laid, go to a show at a club, anything but sit in some hotel room and play games all night. At least rent something good on spankovision if you insist on avoiding human contact. And you Pops, I am sure you are an awesome father, but you really should let go a bit at 17. Let the kid mess up now! Let him pay the price for mixed up priorities now or he is never going to learn.
Make sure the screen travels as hand-baggage. If it goes in the unpressurised hold, it will break, either from the atmosphere or from the rough handling.
qts
wget -r How to travel with LCD gaming screen | grep 'pelican' | wc
Just a thought, how about putting it in the original shipping box? LCD monitor boxes almost always have something along the lines of "Save this box in case you ever need to ship this hardware later!" on all four sides. Too bad nobody pays attention to it...
You know, those cardboard boxes that things are shipped in also make great shock-proof carrying boxes, and they're cheap to boot!
Are you planning on investing a bunch of money in this or do you just want something that will work?
There are plenty of pointers above for expensive solutions, so here's a cheap solution that works for most things you want to pack.
Get a box big enough to put the screen in. Get some garbage bags. Get some Great Stuff (available at any hardware store).
Put a garbage bag in the box, put the screen in the box, now fill the bag with great stuff. Fold the bag over so the goo doesn't come out & lay the box on it's side w/ the screen laying on the bag full of great stuff.
Put another bag on the other side. Fill it with great stuff. Wait. Ta-da. Just slide out both bags together and there you have it.
Works with just about anything, totally re-useable, and works pretty damn well.
Never trust an atom. They make up everything.
Geez, you guys keep telling this guy how to run his (and his son's) life rather than giving constructive criticism to the question at hand. Do you think he hasn't thought about his son's gaming "addiction"? He came here with a question and all you can do is tell him how to raise his son. You have no idea how their family is set up. Perhaps his son is only allowed to play games on the weekends when he doesn't have to think about school? Rather than asking him to make the choice between fencing and gaming, his father could be trying to work out a compromise. You don't know the situation, so how dare you pretend you know what's best?
The Shuttle SS51G cube has its own bag. Some clothes along with the wires, keyboard, mouse, etc., are thrown into this bag.
That's the "keep it simple" method.
Journal
While I agree with those who question why a person can not go for a weekend without playing a video game, the bigger question is why the father of a 17 year old is asking! What a pathetic situation. Your son may have many talents, but evidently solving a simple problem for himself is too much.
--- I would prefer a prehensile tail....
Not with LCDs of course, but with similarly delicate instruments and electronics. Search Google for 'ATA approved cases', and you'll see what I'm talking about.
An example
If you're moderately handy, you can build a case yourself that, while heavy, will protect the screen just fine. The parts, such as handles and corner railings are all available if you look around.
Paradise carries a good selection.
Build it out of 3/4" plywood covered in laminate, and use corner and edge protectors and beefy latches. Line it with impact absorbant foam, and you'll be good to go.
A case like this can be knocked out in an afternoon, and would only cost a couple hundred dollars.
K.
cardboard box with peanuts and lots of tape on the outside
Damn flautists.
I would suggest investing in a cheap Game Boy Advance or something like that. It's more durable than your typical laptop and the games are cheaper. There's no moving parts, either, so you don't run the risk of "crashing" anything. Good luck.
Confucious says: Man who runs behind car gets exhausted.
// jeku.com
http://www.rabidhardware.net/features/frag2k2/inde x3.shtml
saw this mod at a lan-party...
look for: Fifth Place - FunkyCheese
I'm with Xenolith on the foam and velro option. I've used cardboard and tape a number of times on my LCD. These days I just throw it in the car and forget about it. I've had mine over 3 years now. It has handled quite well going from Maine, to Florida, to Arizona, and to Oregon where it's made frequent trips to the euglug (euglug.org).
Your *17* year old son is going to *fencing* tourneys and *has* to be able to play his 'puter games?
/.
Colour me a misanthropic nihilist, but piss off.
I don't care if this is a troll, SUV-driving, private-school-attending, prig kids who need their fix are not what I want to be reading about on
--- Do you believe in the day?
Come on, it's one weekend. Your son can't go one weekend without using a computer?
I have an even better game that he could play - the game of life! Why not actually try talking to people in Real Life(TM) and making friends in Real Life(TM)?
And could we please stop modding off-topic trolls up as insightful? This is not an answer to the question that was asked.
I know you said "other than 'buy a laptop'", but nevertheless, I have to say that that's the most legitimate solution. The elements you've described were built for a stationary environment, and they are best used as such. If your son is serious about his fencing, he'll forgo the gaming while he does his best to win.
It's all going according to
They are airtight, water proof and in almost every sci-fi movie! Check them out.
I personally don't give a rat's ass about how he parents "his kid."
For all the people talking about stuffing a PC into a pelican case, [or whatever] it sounds to me like some of you are saying to use the machine while it's still in the case. I see HUGE problem with this. IF this "kid" need a machine powerful enough to play today's 3d-rich games, that machine will be producing a crapload of heat! If the machine is inside the sealed environment of a plastic case, how is said heat going to escape? I'd say he'd get about 30 minutes or less of playing time before the machine has baked itself to death. Or simply won't run anymore because the temp sensors on the MB will shut itself off. [I wouldn't go disabling them for this application.]
Frankly, This idea is just stupid. If you MUST have your gaming fix, take a bunch of quarters and find an arcade or something. If on the other hand, he needs to do actual WORK [word processing or something for school, BUY A LAPTOP! THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE THERE FOR!]
-Mike
I'm sure you think that you know how to spell dying, but I'm quite sure that dieing is incorrect...
-Thomas maerz HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
I have a nice 15" LCD panel monitor (Gateway FPD 1500) that I've hauled around, using a simple cardboard slip cover to protect it from getting scratched up... not nearly as good as some of the other foam padded / hard shell cases mentioned here.
That said... I also have a Dell Inspiron 8000 900mhz with a GeForce 2 Go (It's a year old). Nothing beats being able to take this to work, to LUG meetings, and to LAN parties. I have the Dell backpack case. I can walk in to a LAN party in one trip, usually with the backpack and one other small bag.
If you are travelling a lot, then the laptop is well worth the investment. A new Inspiron 8200 starts at about $1500.
-dc
Seriously. He's planning to travel to new places, meet new people, then sit in a hotel room playing computer games all weekend? Even I wasn't that lame when I was 17.
He simply can't live without the games? Get a mid-range laptop. Sure, you can pack up a desktop and move it around but it's a pain in the ass and they aren't designed to handle being moved frequently. This is why laptops exist. A desktop consists of the computer, monitor, keyboard, mouse, and two speakers. That's 6 different pieces and all of their associated wires and cables.
Why go through all that?
"...the right tool for the right job."
OK, first you raise the (perfectly valid) issue of game addiction. Then you suggest buying an expensive appliance that'd affords video game access all the time, everywhere. Kinda sending out mixed signals, aren't we?
I demand pictures! Specifications! This is an ultra-cool project that would be widely imitated and even turn into a business (if you're not careful)!
Just buy a laptop, it will make your life easier and with the new radeon 7500 you can play any game anytime and not loose your favorite resolution or a a decent frame rate. I suggest a Compaq 2800 series notebook.
Wouldn't a Gameboy be well-suited for "gaming on the go" ?
Kids today, back in *my* day we only had Gameboy! 3 colors, and we loved each one of them.
Buy roll of bubble wrap
Wrap monitor in several layers
Transport
I've Fed-Ex'ed an LCD monitor this way, no damage whatsoever.
Is there something wrong with the original packing materials? It was good enough to get it across the pond from asia. And the the retailer, and your house after. Works for me.
"Politicians are interested in people. Not that this is always a virtue. Fleas are interested in dogs." P.J. O'Rourke
As a touring stagehand, I spend the better part of my life moving sensitive equipment around the world in trucks and containers. Most computer (and other electronic) equipment travels in ATA style cases, which are aluminium-framed, wooden faced cases. These give a nice strength-to-weight ratio, especially when compared to all-steel or all-wood cases. As mentioned, Anvil and SKB are two of the larger (and more expensive) companies in this field, but for a project like this you will get about the same quality product for a much better price from a smaller company. Other companies producing custom cases are Big Deal Custom Cases, and Upstate Case Company, and a list of custom cases companies is listed on this page.
Use a 15" LCD, and encase it in a clear lucite /
box, vented at the top and bottom sides. Affix
heavy duty snaps (you find them on the lapels
of motorcycle highway jackets) at four corners,
and use that to affix it to the side of a PC,
with the PS for the LCD patched into the PS for
the PC. Fabricate metal brackets for a holder
for the keyboard and beside it a smallish vinyl
toolbag affixed with the same snaps for mouse
cables beside it.
It's what I did, and it works wonderfuly.
-Bume, baby
I can just see it now, some idiot security guard will demand that you 'turn it on' and demonstrate that it's not a bomb.
-josh
My god, get this guy a girlfriend! At 17 he shouldn't be so worried about not going a few days with out playing a video game. And he shouldn't be fencing either.. thats gay, whats he going to be? One of the three musketqueers??
This guy is going to grow up to be like one of thoes guys at work who work like 12+ hours a day and get props from the boss. Meanwhile, I get passed over for rasies becasue I have a social life and I am not as "dedicated" to the job as they are. BS.
Tell your son to get over it. it's only a weekend. Jeez
Reserve space for a blow-up doll, cause that's probably as much as that kid is gonna get...
Look at http://www.theportablepc.com/portable.htm. Hope it helps. Regards.
the shipping cases for lcd screens are
remarkably thin, easy to carry around,
lightweight and offer lots of
protection - often handels too.
- if you dont still have yours, find some nearby
college and contact thier res network department,
by the end of summer they usualy have bought a
bunch of lcds.
~clearcutting prevents forrest fires
It would be a good idea for your son not to have the lcd screen out while he is practicing his fencing moves.
My box has a couple storage devices... cd-rw... a couple of hdd's...
And then there's network storage...
No, Beowulf clusters can't imagine in Soviet Russia.
I agree with your statement to a point. (Pun intended) I bring a laptop with me when I go on fishing trips. Do I use it instead of fishing? Hell no, I enjoy the sunshine, salt and being out on the open ocean - and if I'm lucky, a good fight with a few fish.
Why do I bring the laptop then? The road trip to/from the boat is boring as hell. If I'm not the one driving, it gives me something to pass the time and lets me catch up on my VB projects or a few rounds of Worms Armageddon.
It seems to me if this almost-adult 17-year-old has the time and space to set up a full desktop computer system, he's missing the point of travel. Save for lan parties, desktop systems were meant to be left behind.
If it's an absolute necessity that he travels with a PC, a laptop is truly the only way to go... That way if a few friends come over to his hotel room, he doesn't have to face the embarassment of admitting he brought his PC with him.
---
Siggy, siggy, siggy, can't you see? Sometimes your puns just irritate me.
I'm guessing it is to late for this, but I would have just kept the packaging it was in from the store. Might not last for years, but definietly provides a snug fit and adequate protection (as long as the kid isn't thrusting his epee at the thing....).
"Infants flesh will be in season throughout the year." -Swift
life is so hard, all of these terrible problems the beset the elite, my oh my, what's the world coming too ... ;(
OK, overprotective dad, here's what you have to do: Buy your kid a bottle of liquor. Perhaps a bottle or two of 1L Blackhaus, for starters. It's good-tasting stuff that's great for your first alcoholic experience. Or maybe some Absolut and orange juice! Your son can then go into the hotel room, tell his buddies (I'm at least hoping he has aqcuaintances), and then they will bring some girls. Everyone has a fun, drunken time, and he learns what it's really supposed to be like away from a goddamned video game.
This is what we did for Model UN tournaments, and we became the party club of the high school. Those were the days...
Trust me, at 17, your son is not yet completely out of the running for a NORMAL SOCIAL LIFE. But time's running low, and you've got to encourage better things than this (and yes, having a few drinks with friends and girls is better, regardless of anyone's spoon-fed Americanized moral objections).
Berto
card board box and great stuff (foam in a can) the no1 invention of the world
Hey,
#1, you've got a cool dad.
#2, take the advice of these people and leave the system at home. As you get older, you'll lose all your good friends and your life will turn from wide open with possibilities and endless acquaintances to share it with to a binary choice of submitting to the boss or submitting to the wife. THEN you'll want to play video games.
Until then, ditch the games and try to get some action.
I thank god for every crazy thing I ever did, I wish I would have done more so that I would have more to look back on.
When your old, all you've got are your memories.
I hope you can remember something besided up up down down left right left right B A Start.
We polled over 10,000 people, interviewed industry experts, conducted focus groups, market studies, hired teams of nuclear physicists and asked all what was the best way to transport a computer or LCD without damage. We tabulated the results, input them into a terrabyte database, mined the data and examined the results with an expert system. The results:
Don't throw away the box it came in.
Like, duh...
Two words - "original packaging".
I use my original box to carry around my LCD. But every time I pack/unpack the screen, I lose a few bits of the styrofoam.
Any suggestions on how to keep the styrofoam together? I use packing tape, but was thinking maybe some spray adhesive and saran wrap? Any one have a good solution?
-- If god wanted me to have a sig, he'd have given me a sense of humor.
Maybe I'm old fashioned but whatever happened to the ancient art of hunting? Humans have occupied themselves for thousands of years without having to get their "boox fix." Instead of worrying about satisfying your son's raving book addiction that apparently can't go a single day without reading, maybe you should buy him a good bow and arrow. Aftel all, hunting and gathering is all we should ever aspire to do.
(For those of you still reading, I find it very presumptuous far anyone to dictate what people should and should not do in their spare time -- it is their choice. That this was ever modded up is a symbol of just how many bitter, jealous people read this site. This post is not unlike a law against sex between two consenting adults in the privacy of their own home.)
--
Internet Explorer (n): Another bug -- that is, a feature that can't be turned off -- in Windows.
Why reinvent the wheel?
... Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed...
Well, having just travled 5 hours to get back from Quakecon, and having taken a 17" LCD monitor, the best way I can think of is to use the orginal box it came in. However, if that fails, I'd say pack it in bubble wrap, and pack it inside of something rigid...
I'd have killed to be able to go on cross-country fencing trips when I was 17. And this kid wants to play video games instead?
No fucking justice in this world.
If you get a modern P-4 laptop with a GeForce4 440 Go and a decent set of built in speakers, and you have the core components of a good portable gaming system. Get a nice big screen, preferabbly 1600x1200.
sigs are a waste of space
Dammit, I already have too many books to read right now...but you've gone and done it! Now I gotta read something else :-)
thanks for the link, i'm checking it out right now.
...there was no time for gaming. (Although, I'm a stereotypical girl and am not really into gaming.) Anyway, I tried bringing books on my college fencing trips, but there was never really time to read them. The van rides to the meets were too full of good discussion, juicy gossip and just plain silliness. And while there cane be a lot of down time during the fencing meets, that time is best spent rooting for your teammates or watching fencers who are better than you. And after a day full of fencing, we had enough energy for a dinner out and then we were tired. As far as I can remember, guys on the men's team didn't bring much in the way of gaming eqipment either, aside from the occasional game boy. (And this was the Johns Hopkins team, so they're as geeky as they get :-)
IMHO, going to all the trouble of coming up with a portable gaming setup will ultimately be a waste of time. He's not going to have that much time to use it, and if he does, then he's missing the point of going away to fencing meets.
-margaret
is there any limit to the amount of money we are willing to waste on useless diversions?
Where do we draw the line between healthy entertainment and prima-dona breeding in a world that still hasn't managed to address famine?
so you want an lcd screen for your gaming experience? I sure hope you only play games that run in the native resolution...
No answer to the original question, but someone mentioned books, and I just wanted to mention that, if the kid fences epee, or to some extent foil, The Dao of Jeet Kune Do by Bruce Lee makes the absolute best between bout reading material.
find this wrong? I mean...sure...the kid has to game. That's completely understandable. Don't listen to the lamers who say "Don't game on your down time." Who says you can't game AND go out and see new places?
/. articles nowadays that are very simple and could be answered quickly with common sense or atleast a google search. What's the next ask /. article gonna be. What should I pack my eBay sellings in? Foam peanuts or bubble wrap? Give me a break.
/. articles to be posted. (esp. mine on Community-Wide Wireless Networks ;) ) Is there anyone else who agrees? Or am I just burning my karma?
But does it really take an ask slashdot article to find this out? Come on! There are so many ask
Go ahead and mark this post as a troll. However, I think there are more worthwhile ask
Hard work usually pays off over time, but procrastination pays off now.
I see all these people complaining about how this kid shouldn't be gaming during a fencing tournament. How do you know this isn't commonplace? How many of you actively compete in fencing tournaments?
Metal cased, with an adequate amount of cushioning foam...
Just because you can mod me down, doesn't mean you're right. Shoes for industry!
I used to design LCDs, and they are quite susceptible to electrostatic discharge. Garbage bags may not be the best choice if you want all of your pixels to still be active in the future. I'm not familiar with the ES properties of Great Stuff, but that might be worth some caution as well.
I have one, & I use it to carry around my laptop in. If you buy one in a solid colour (black or silver) then your son can put stickers on it, draw on it in various permanent (Sharpie) markers, and generally personalize it to suit his own tastes... Mine's a matte black case with a giant International-Safety-Orange BIOHAZZARD warning logo across both sides... You'd be surprised at how willing people are to leave it the hell alone for some reason... (MUH HAHahaha)
Anyway, the adjustable foam blocking allows you to create niches "just the right size" for every piece you need to fit in there & pads it *very* well against shock...
The case itself protects against the elements, and being sealed it doesn't hurt if some dingus spills their soda all over it while you're standing in line at the airport ticket counter... (Yes this has happened to me, unfortunately.)
I've got my laptop, power supply, an inverter, international power adapters, spare batteries, a USB optical mouse, an external storage device, and still have enough room left over for a decent collection of DVD's inside the case, and after two years of traveling, my laptop has *never* suffered any damage...
For that reason alone, the Pelican case has been worth it's weight in gold.
that this is the best "ask slashdot" there was...
I don't wanna upset anybody, but if this kid has something like an "addiction problem", my guess is that he has heard it ten thousand times before, and probably doing something about it. If not, that's his choice. Besides, online gaming, and tournamentgaming are cool =)
give him several thousand dollars to spend on drugs prostitutes and liquor. tell him no more gaming while ur on the trip and let him 'live his life'. tell him to smoke all the weed and eat all the shrooms he can get his hands on. that way he'll be living his life. heck give him something extra and maby he will be able to get addicted to heroin. tell him to meet new people at a rave.
Then he will truly be living his life
My option would be to make a metal sleeve for the screen, thus preventing it from flexing and such. This would be the best option if, say, it'd be too cumbersome to transport it in its original box.
What, you haven't read this guy's FBI files yet? Get with the program, dude.
What we call folk wisdom is often no more than a kind of expedient stupidity.-Edward Abbey
Man, I'd write in and post about how lame this questions is, but I'm far too busy to spend my time writing to slashdot, I HAVE A SOCIAL LIFE. [/sarcasm]
:-/
For gods sake, answer the guys question or don't, but just posting about how this kid should get high/wasted/laid instead isn't really constructive, you know?
Shame on you anonymous cowards...
Oh, and another vote for keeping the original box... it may be big but it's more or less guaranteed to keep it safe, unless of course a courier firm get their hands on it...
maybe im wrong but he would be traveling around .......... e.g. not at home during the week so the week ends is his own time he the guy wants to play on a computer who are you lot to tell him to go out and see the world or read books its his choice. Gameboy, PS2's and XBox's are go good for playing PC game such as Unreal Tournament ........
I would get him a laptop/lease one but TFT's suck for games
... transporting my LCD from home to the dorm 2000 km away. I taped a plastic cover to the screen (it came with a little sheet blocking the screen - I kept it), wrapped it in a thick comforter, and put it in my suitcase.
Not a single scratch or dead pixel on it.
--- Ãther SPOON!
Again, let's take a step back. If this kid can't go 48 hours in a new city, at a pretty intense tournament, without being jacked into a console, what's going to happen when he shows up on the East Overshoe campus of Mindless State U.? Can you say M-I-A? Do yourself a favor and take a brand new charge of all this. Offer him WHATEVER each tourney city offers, ride roller coasters, do something that requires locomotion. As for the he-can't-socialize-if-he's-not-gaming-between-bout s.... WHAT?! glued to a controller sitting next to many others glued to controllers is now considered a social activity?! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr... At the VERY LEAST - MAKE HIM FIGURE ALL THIS OUT! HE'LL EITHER LEARN SOME ENGINEERING AND RESPONSIBILITY, OR HE'LL BUST THE SCREEN AND HAVE TO HEAD OUTSIDE FOR A BREAK!
I gotta go...
"Win treats sysadmins better than users. Mac treats users better than sysadmins. Linux treats everyone like sysadmins."
These are the boxes that you see bands transporting their gear in. Some of their models can be configured just like the Pelican cases, but more interesting are the boxes which are essentially portable rack mounts.
So, what I did was build a 2U computer box into an anvil case, and included a rack mount 12-port switch. Also, for convenience a rack mount power strip, and a light bar, that has little pop out lights so I can see the front panel in darkness, and it looks really cool.
With that, I've got a complete computing rig in a very durable frame. All you'd need is one of the previously mentioned slings for the LCD panel.
Certainly not the most compact solution, but it is definitly very survivable, and looks pretty cool.
OK -- so you didn't want to buy a laptop, but what about a portable LCD-based DVD player? Most of those should have inputs to plug into any console, and although the screens are small, they close (like a laptop) to protect them from scratch damage etc.
-Turkey
If he had a Gameboy, he couldn't surf pr0n on the hotels' internet connection at night.
The little ankle-snapper does without his fucking "Gaming Fix" for a weekend?
Ever think of that?
Weenies.
Can't everyone just answer the man's question? He didn't ask for comment on whether or not his son should be play computer games, just how to move his LCD screen around. :P
I bought a hardcase trolley suitcase (similar to a Samsonite) craved a "window" in the front covered it with lexan (plexiglass will also do) and mounted the display so the the hieght siuted me when the suitcase was placed on a normal table. Inside the suitcase I mounted a PC (1.4 GHz Athlon, 512 Mb DDR RAM, Geforce4 Ti4600 GRX ect...) And carved a hole to power and net connection (door on hinges) inside the suitcase there is also room for a wireless input setup, cables and CD's! It's the perfect lowprice travelling gamming computer!
But I'll help, *then* provide my opinion.
What you'd do best with is a hard case with foam rubber. You can then cram the LCD and speakers in the top half of the case, and the PC in the lower half. Leave room for ventilation, and make sure that the front of the LCD is covered with foam rubber when not in use!
The problem is that your son is carrying many pounds of gear, though. It's insane, since he's just asking for trouble carting something like that around. A laptop really is a better choice, especially with the new ones carrying Nvidia GPUs.
The better choice? A Gamecube or a PS2 with a flipdown LCD. Just get a padded bag, and you're ready to go. The best choice? Gameboy Advance. Good games, good battery life, and if it gets stolen, you're out what, 70 bucks?
As an avid gamer, I still think that he's better off not gaming all the time, unless he's really doing so with friends. A PC doesn't lend itself to social gaming as much as a console, though, and dedicated gaming hardware is just cheaper. I've been known to visit friends with a Gamecube in tow. My PC is much better off staying at home.
Raptor
"Procrastination is great. It gives me a lot more time to do things that I'm never going to do."
Hotels have internet connections now?
One solution I've seen that works really well is velcro and Plexiglass. Put a spot (1" square or bigger) of velcro in each of the four corners of the LCD screen, cut the Plexi to be slightly bigger than the velcro distances, and put the other side of the velcro on the Plexi. Protects the most vulnerable stuff without great investment... and you can pull it off and be running in 15 seconds.
FWIW, not my idea. A contractor in the office used this solution to bring in his own screen and I just thought it was neat...
UserAdvocate: The voice of the user
I just use an aluminium flight case (you know, the aluminium box things, metal catches, and foam inserts). They are about £30 from most good camera retail shops, as they are generally use them for carrying camera lenses, but they work just as well for LCDs.
what a lame slashdot thread generator
Slashdot Eds Link Anonymous Posts With Logged Posts
They Are Vermin Feeding On Each Other's Feces.
I Hate \.
Man oh man, is this really slashdot material? Just figure it out your self and don't post this insignifegant... *mumble* *mumble*
Get the little bugger a GamePark 32. He can play fps's on them.
Or buy a freakin laptop. For the cost of your special protective rig, you'll probably be more than halfway there.