Renewable Energy Laptop:

For camping I decided I needed a small, low power consumption laptop. Because my beefy modern laptop draws up to 90w when working, I decided to use an old laptop I was given for free. I converted it to 12v and it seems to run great. It draws between 10 and 30w depending on what it is doing.

So what are the specs I hear you ask? Well not much. Take a look at them:

Processor: 166MHz Intel Pentium
RAM: 32MB
Hard Drive: 2GB
Screen Size: 11.5 inches
Battery Life: approx 30 mins (it refuses to charge past 50%)

I intend to use the laptop for keeping the camping and RE journal while I am away. Its really only good enough to do that anyway.

A few problems Ive found with it:
- The sreen sometimes flickers annoyingly. The only way to stop it is often to close the lid and open again. If that fails, restarting the laptop.
- The power supply socket is dodgy. The plug has to be in a certain position while its plugged in for power to flow. This can be a problem because it will be running purely on that port when Im away.

Here are some pictures: