Mechanic workshop computer choices ?

[lugnut71]

Wanting to buy a laptop or all in one desktop for on top of my toolbox. If I purchase a hutch a would like either an all-in-one or some type of monitor to hang on the back wall. What are you guys using that has already done this ? Thanks for any info

 

[jd_1138]

I'd get a laptop (Dell or Lenovo) with HDMI out (to connect to a monitor in the future if you want), 8 GB of RAM or more, SSD. A laptop is more flexible and can be moved about. One with a touchscreen would be cool if your hands are dirty (can use a stylus).

If you're just going to use it to watch YouTube videos, surf the web, play Pandora, etc., I'd go with a Chromebook. They're lightning fast with no malware issues. If you get a CB, you only need 4 GB of RAM but more is not a bad thing.

 

[nh_yota]

Laptop all the way and get a port replicator if you're going to move it around a lot. Unless it's a dedicated-use PC with no reason to ever move it, such as at a reception desk or hooked up to non-portable equipment, I always tell people to go with a laptop.

In my industry (IT/software) desktops were the norm for decades until about 10 years ago when there was a big shift to laptops due to the proliferation of fast/stable wireless networking. Laptops were only slightly more portable that desktops because I still needed to plug into a network jack, but now I can roam all over my office, house and the neighborhood wherever Wifi is available.

 

[Aaron_W]

What are your plans for it? Controlling 3d printer, CNC machines etc or mostly youtube and Netflix?

If you are just web surfing, watching occasional videos, playing music and such a tablet might be a better option.

I've got a small tablet I use in the shop and the car for music. In the shop I can connect to the wi-fi to look something up real quick. I haven't looked for any but I know there are a number of shop related apps available.

Generally cheaper and it seems like tablets are better sealed so less worry about dust and fumes in the shop getting into the works.


Understand there are uses that require a computer, and some don't like tablets.

 

[lugnut71]

To be honest , I just want to use it for alldata, Mitchell, and ordering parts thru ford, gm, carquest and napa weblinks. I guess if my quickbooks was on it I could start invoices and if customer calls wanting some history or their balance I could pull it up instead of walking to office. Figured large monitor would be nice for wiring schematics

 

[jd_1138]

To be honest , I just want to use it for alldata, Mitchell, and ordering parts thru ford, gm, carquest and napa weblinks. I guess if my quickbooks was on it I could start invoices and if customer calls wanting some history or their balance I could pull it up instead of walking to office. Figured large monitor would be nice for wiring schematics

You can still use a large monitor with a laptop. Make sure the laptop you buy has HDMI out (most do). Then you can perhaps mount the monitor on a wall with one of those adjustable mounts or just sit it on the toolbox or bench. Monitors are pretty cheap -- like $80 for a 22 inch or so. Or you could even use a flat panel HD TV. Besides for computing, you can watch movies on it.

Quickbooks probably doesn't work on Chrome OS, so maybe go with Windows. Quickbooks probably as a website version, though, so Chrome OS may work.

 

[nh_yota]

To be honest , I just want to use it for alldata, Mitchell, and ordering parts thru ford, gm, carquest and napa weblinks. I guess if my quickbooks was on it I could start invoices and if customer calls wanting some history or their balance I could pull it up instead of walking to office. Figured large monitor would be nice for wiring schematics

Yes but would you always do that from your shop? Or would it be nice to look up schematics or order parts from the comfort of your patio or living room? How many other computers do you have?

 

[lugnut71]

This would be at work on top of my toolbox, I have a desktop as well at work in my office. Just would be nice to save hundreds of trips to office everyday, and repair procedures would be 8 feet away from where the vehicle is being worked on. Would save on printing out information to take to the vehicle.

 

[cvairwerks]

With all you envision doing on it, I'd go with a low cost desktop. Trying to do a lot of typing on most of the inexpensive laptops is a pain. You will end up with a mouse and external keyboard after a few frustrating hours trying to get stuff done. We've got very high end Toughbooks at work and it's terrible trying to pull the data we need off of them.

Hang the box in a cabinet and run extensions for the mouse and keyboard, and use the garage tv for a monitor. You can be fancy, and go with a wireless mouse and keyboard instead.

 

[shawhite]

all in one computer without a doubt. Small footprint basically the size of a monitor, external keyboard and mouse so if it gets greasy no problem pitch it and get another one for $20. Another option is a mini/micro tower. Of course you would need an external screen, mouse and keyboard.

 

[dclassical]

Yes but would you always do that from your shop? Or would it be nice to look up schematics or order parts from the comfort of your patio or living room? How many other computers do you have?

Why not do a remote desktop for that.

I would build a cheap desktop based on a mini-ITX board and case and use the $99 AMD APU.

 

[ItsNemo]

all in one computer without a doubt. Small footprint basically the size of a monitor, external keyboard and mouse so if it gets greasy no problem pitch it and get another one for $20. Another option is a mini/micro tower. Of course you would need an external screen, mouse and keyboard.

This. Not a laptop, you'll endlessly set things on top of the keyboard or get it gummed up and then your laptop is toast. Cheap keyboard/mice that you can chuck when they stop working without having to replace the entire computer is key.

I just use an old small desktop with a regular monitor and then a wireless keyboard/mouse I already had floating around.

 

[lugnut71]

I like the idea of the all in one, with wireless key and mouse. The ones I have looked at don't seem to have the mounting holes on the back to hang like a tv. I will keep looking

 

[lugnut71]

might go with laptop, add wireless mouse and find a 24" monitor that has the four mounting holes on the back.

 

[Aaron_W]

I've used desktops, laptops and tablets, but I wasn't familiar with all in one computers.

I could see a cheap one of those finding its way into my home shop at some point.

I'm glad you asked the question, it is one of those things I would never have even thought about for that purpose.

 

[lugnut71]

I think it would be great for me, hang it on the back wall of my hutch and when keyboard and mouse need replaced buy wireless units.

 

[Mikeske]

I actually just went through that looking a laptop for use in my garage and I found at a computer recycler a used Apple MacBook Pro that had Windows 7 and OS X 10.11 operating systems loaded on it. The computer could be booted into either system on startup. Price was just under $330.00 for the laptop. The unit has wifi and connected to my home wifi with no real issue. Might be a cheap option to check your favorite computer recycler.

 

[WhiffySpark]

I had a laptop with an external monitor and keyboard and mouse for my entire professional career. Zero issues on that. Eventually a added a asus transformer laptop that was awesome to use on wiring diagrams

 

[shawhite]

There are options available to mount all in one pc that are not vesa mount ready. Of course they don’t look as slick but they work. Here is an example

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01L...tor+mounts&dpPl=1&dpID=51AcFWJiyBL&ref=plSrch

 

[turbodave]

might go with laptop, add wireless mouse and find a 24" monitor that has the four mounting holes on the back.

I use a 26" TV on a cheap articulating mount above my toolbox. That with a $200 Lenovo Thinkpad laptop, just a cheap celeron processor, added some ram so it has 8gb and a 128gb solid state hard drive. It has a crappy 11" display but works fine output to the TV screen. I've got a wireless keyboard and mouse that were $15 on Amazon. Been really happy with this setup in my garage, mostly used for some pdf parts and service manuals and online parts ordering and web surfing, but it also does excel just fine.

 

[lugnut71]

Was hoping for a vesa mount, snap on makes that bracket that hangs in the slots of the hutch panel . I can buy a 24" scepter monitor for like 88 bucks and a $ 249 dell laptop.

 

[WhiffySpark]

Was hoping for a vesa mount, snap on makes that bracket that hangs in the slots of the hutch panel . I can buy a 24" scepter monitor for like 88 bucks and a $ 249 dell laptop.

Nothing wrong with that combo. I’d recommmend cheap keyboard and mouse.

 

[stonesfan68]

For your purposes you might find that a computer stick would work pretty well. You plug it into a HDMI port and connect a wireless keyboard and mouse.

https://www.amazon.com/Intel-Compute-Computer-Processor-BOXSTK1AW32SC/dp/B01AZC4NHS/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1519944605&sr=8-3&keywords=Computer+stick