MacBook Look-a-Like

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baballin328

Limp Gawd
Joined
Sep 7, 2006
Messages
437
I have a Compaq Presario V2000 with a 1.8GHZ Turion, 512mb RAM, 80GB hd, integrated graphics, running Ubuntu skinned to look like a mac. Now I want to turn my ugly Compaq into a MacBook look-a-like. Now this is only an idea.

Things I would like to do:
1. Paint it all pearly white
2. Carve an Apple logo into the lid
3. Integrate an webcam into the screen lid
4. Install LED's under the keyboard and in the apple logo

I have a pretty good idea on how I would do the first two things. But not the last two. For the webcam, where would I find a slim (but cheap) webcam that can fit in the screen lid? How can I connect it?
For the LED's, I have a Sunbeam Chameleon, which are 4 LED's attached to a controller which can control the light colors. Now this is for a desktop, but is there a way to strip down the LED's and integrate it into my laptop? I would like to have the controller to change the colors (outside the laptop obviously), but how will it get powered? If I don't have the controller box, can I just make each of the LED's all three colors light up to make a white light? Also how can I make my keyboard keys light up from the LED's?
I'm sorry for asking so many questions, but I think this mod will be pretty cool if all works out well. And please, don't tell me to go buy a MacBook.
 
I have a compaq presario m2000 that is just a bit bigger then yours and i love it, it is better then my friends dell inspiron 1501's but my battery only lasts like 1hr unlike my friends inspirons that last for hours. And it will be hard making it look like a mac book know even though they sorta look like one, well there shape is like one.
 
Yeah, I know its going to be difficult. But I don't expect it to be an exact clone of the MacBook, just something that looks similar to it.
 
baballin328 said:
For the webcam, where would I find a slim (but cheap) webcam that can fit in the screen lid? How can I connect it?
Click to expand...
The Apple iSight is USB. You would have to do some soldering if you wanted it to be integrated. You could mod something like this. The only other thing I could think of is purchasing a replacement Apple LCD assembly and cannabilizing the iSight.

baballin328 said:
is there a way to strip down the LED's and integrate it into my laptop? I would like to have the controller to change the colors (outside the laptop obviously), but how will it get powered? If I don't have the controller box, can I just make each of the LED's all three colors light up to make a white light?
Click to expand...
Where do you want to put them? You could cram the controller board in the PCMIA slot but you may need some kind of inverter to power it along with more soldering. Maybe you could set the lights with the control knobs and then just remove them.

baballin328 said:
Also how can I make my keyboard keys light up from the LED's?
Click to expand...
Do you mean like the keyboard on the Macbook Pro?

This is pretty ambitious. Maybe you should just go out and buy a...
baballin328 said:
And please, don't tell me to go buy a MacBook.
Click to expand...

ohh
 
The webcam doesn't have to be fully intergrated. I would like it to be in the lid, but is it possible to, say run the usb cable along the bezel of the screen and through a hole and then to a usb plug? Yeah, I know the keyboard is kinda over the top. If the keys weren't transparent, it would still be nice to have a keyboard backlight thing that just shines around the keys.
 
baballin328 said:
but is it possible to, say run the usb cable along the bezel of the screen and through a hole and then to a usb plug?
Click to expand...

Probably yes. It depends on how much room you have in the interior (between the screen and the top of the bezel. If you look at the MacBook, there is space allotted between the top of the bezel and the screen (if that makes sense). You would most likely have to partially remove the sheath and expose the wires to slim it down.
 
Hurshai said:
Probably yes. It depends on how much room you have in the interior (between the screen and the top of the bezel. If you look at the MacBook, there is space allotted between the top of the bezel and the screen (if that makes sense). You would most likely have to partially remove the sheath and expose the wires to slim it down.
Click to expand...
Yeah or if I can find a webcam with a slim usb cord...hmmm. My wireless mouse receiver has an extremely slim usb cable, so it might be possible to find a webcam with one.
EDIT: I've opened the bezel of my screen, and there is a perfect spot for the webcam to go. Also the space behind the lcd seems to be big enough for a slim usb cable. I've found a couple of webcams with a retractable usb cable. think that will work, if its possble to take the retractor off. I really like the looks of the Genius Slim 310NB, yet I cannot find anywhere in the US that has it. Also the SYBA CL-MC-C099 I've never heard of this China based company, but can't be too bad can it?

Also I've been thinking that making my laptop look mac-like will be too poser-ish. So I've been thinking to just paint my laptop all black and my keyboard dark gray.
 
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