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Laptop -> Digital photo frame

  • 12-12-2007 4:25pm
    #1
    Alkers
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,867 ✭✭✭


    Hope I've got the right forum here, looking to mod a crappy old laptop (PI or II) to make a photo frame for displaying pictures. Problem is the laptop I've got has no OS. I've got XP but the machine doesn't have a hope in hell of running that so I was wondering does anyone have an old copy of Win 95/98 etc that I could install on it.
    I've read up a few similar build logs, with most people being able to use wireless cards etc but I think I'm going to have to go for a more lo-tech option!


Comments

  • #2
    greglo23
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,028 ✭✭✭greglo23


    why not try Ubuntu.http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download
    the x86 desktop version should run okay on an old laptop and support most modern peripherals


  • #3
    L31mr0d
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,067 ✭✭✭L31mr0d


    lol, I was just looking into to this the other day, trying to source a cheap sub €100 laptop atm.

    here is a good example of what you'll need to do:

    http://www.thesandersens.com/blog/linux-powered-digital-picture-frame


  • #4
    Alkers
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,867 ✭✭✭Alkers


    I have the laptop, want to get it up and running before I rip it to shreds first. I'll have a go with Ubuntu I guess, never used anything non-windows though and see how I get on.


  • #5
    KamiKazi
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 6,201 ✭✭✭KamiKazi


    its actually a really good idea, make sure to let us know how it turns out


  • #6
    Alkers
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,867 ✭✭✭Alkers


    Had a first stab at this today and I've encountered some problems very early on!
    Had a first proper look at the laptop:
    No Cd Drive!
    Will only do High Colour (16 bit) @ 800*600
    No USB
    No Ethernet

    I sourced a copy of Windows 98 on adverts but I now can't install it as I've no CD drive.
    Played around in the BIOS to find the machine was set to boot from floppy, set it to boot from HDD and it booted up to a copy of Windows 95. This was password protected so off I went onto google trying to find out how to get around the password before I noticed the cancel button! Clicked that and now I have a usable machine.
    Put up a few pictures using the floppy and they look grand when being displayed as wallpaper background. The only way I have of opening JPGs is Internet Explorer 4.0!!!
    I now figure I have three options:
    1: try and find an application that's small enough to fit on a floppy that can display JPGs and works with Windows 95
    2: Find a way of installing 98 and proceeding from there
    3: Scrapping the whole thing.
    Any ideas?
    *Edit* Pic attatched


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