Using your vehicle as a mobile office...?

montytheferret · 23-10-2011 8:21pm #1

It would be handy for me on some occasions to do a bit of work in the car...

So im thinking of a tray big enough to support a small laptop (13") could be fitted to one of the front seats and i could do a bit of work in the back seat??

Bit like what they have on aeroplanes!!?

Or maybe something that could be used whilst sitting in the front passenger seat..

Any comments, suggestions or alternatives welcome...any businesses out there that would sort this out for you.?

CiniO · 23-10-2011 8:23pm

What about van with a desk and some shelves in there.
Desktop PC, printer, copier, etc....

mickdw · 23-10-2011 8:25pm

I do a bit in the car, got the car with a 220v socket so thats handy. I can do all I need to do with laptop on knees in passenger seat. Occasionally bring a printer too if Im stuck.

Eric Cartman · 23-10-2011 8:26pm

what car is it ?

if your going to use your vehicle as an office , id suggest fitting a 300 watt or so inverter to charge laptop / run a printer, and getting a mifi modem http://www.o2online.ie/o2/business/soho/detail.php?pid=82 to give you wifi broadband in the car

montytheferret · 23-10-2011 8:30pm

probably only be using it for an hour at a time so could probably get away with the laptops battery...can tether with my mobile and have a decent data allowance but wouldnt necessarily need the internet.

montytheferret · 23-10-2011 8:34pm

Eric Cartman wrote: »

if your going to use your vehicle as an office , id suggest fitting a 300 watt or so inverter to charge laptop / run a printer,

Would charging a laptop not drain your battery to the point of not being able to start it?? Also where would you get one of this inverter things fitted??

dr.fuzzenstein · 23-10-2011 8:34pm

You will need an extra battery, the laptop plugged into the cigarette lighter can run down your battery in an hour.

Owen · 23-10-2011 8:35pm

Sortimo do a storage box which fits perfectly into a passenger seat and has a laptop tray.

montytheferret · 23-10-2011 8:39pm

Owen wrote: »

Sortimo do a storage box which fits perfectly into a passenger seat and has a laptop tray.

cheers, had a look at their website didnt see it.. might email them.

montytheferret · 23-10-2011 8:47pm

how about this thing?

http://www.halfords.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_11101_catalogId_15551_productId_185370_langId_-1_categoryId_212549#dtab

Owen · 23-10-2011 8:47pm

Image of the Sortimo box :

From this page :
http://www.gizmag.com/go/8017/

unkel · 23-10-2011 8:48pm

Eric Cartman wrote: »

and getting a mifi modem http://www.o2online.ie/o2/business/soho/detail.php?pid=82 to give you wifi broadband in the car

Sod that

If you have a smartphone, you can use the free JoikuSpot app, that will turn your phone into a Wifi router. Works perfectly!

challengemaster · 23-10-2011 8:50pm

unkel wrote: »

Sod that

If you have a smartphone, you can use the free JoikuSpot app, that will turn your phone into a Wifi router. Works perfectly!

Assuming you've a decent data allowance on it... a 3 mifi device would probably be cheaper if you haven't tbh.

montytheferret · 23-10-2011 8:52pm

Had a look at the sortimo catalogue...that storage box/laptop tray yoke is nearly €370...

Sod that..laptop on the knees i reckon..

Ah my phone has a wifi hotspot anyway... that joiki app is only for nokias and the likes.. im on android!!

-Corkie- · 23-10-2011 8:54pm

montytheferret wrote: »

Had a look at the sortimo catalogue...that storage box/laptop tray yoke is nearly €370...

Sod that..laptop on the knees i reckon..

Ah my phone has a wifi hotspot anyway... that joiki app is only for nokias and the likes.. im on android!!

Laptop on the knees is a balls, well roasted balls actually..

challengemaster · 23-10-2011 8:54pm

-Corkie- wrote: »

Laptop on the knees is a balls, well roasted balls actually..

yup, if you ever want kids, avoid at all costs

montytheferret · 23-10-2011 8:55pm

-Corkie- wrote: »

Laptop on the knees is a balls, well roasted balls actually..

thats balls, didnt think of that

montytheferret · 23-10-2011 8:55pm

challengemaster wrote: »

yup, if you ever want kids, avoid at all costs

prefer dogs to kids to be honest.

23-10-2011 9:00pm

-Corkie- wrote: »

Laptop on the knees is a balls, well roasted balls actually..

I wonder where the name came from :pac:

dougie-lampkin · 23-10-2011 9:00pm

dr.fuzzenstein wrote: »

You will need an extra battery, the laptop plugged into the cigarette lighter can run down your battery in an hour.

In fairness, an hour is a bit of an exaggeration, and a second battery is definitely overkill. A typical laptop uses about the same power as the car's sidelights unless you put it under full load.

C4Kid · 23-10-2011 9:29pm

If you were afraid of draining the car battery while charging Your laptop maybe You could just start it for a minute or two after half an hour or at set intervals if parked for considerable length of time.

I know it wastes some fuel but it is sure better then the hastle of gettting stranded and wasting time trying to jump start.

rcdk1 · 23-10-2011 9:33pm

-Corkie- wrote: »

Laptop on the knees is a balls, well roasted balls actually..

Could try something like this: http://www.ikea.com/ie/en/catalog/products/60115791/

Cuddlesworth · 23-10-2011 9:36pm

dougie-lampkin wrote: »

In fairness, an hour is a bit of an exaggeration, and a second battery is definitely overkill. A typical laptop uses about the same power as the car's sidelights unless you put it under full load.

Average car battery is five times the capacity of the average laptop battery. Add in the loss of energy for the voltage conversion, still sounds like overkill. Would take a few hours to kill it.

montytheferret · 23-10-2011 9:53pm

dougie-lampkin wrote: »

In fairness, an hour is a bit of an exaggeration, and a second battery is definitely overkill. A typical laptop uses about the same power as the car's sidelights unless you put it under full load.

i think he means a second laptop battery or is he talking about a second car battery?..

Could do with a spare battery for the laptop as charging points are scarce in the college... but its over €100 for my laptop for a spare battery..!The decent one is €150 i think!

montytheferret · 23-10-2011 9:53pm

rcdk1 wrote: »

Could try something like this: http://www.ikea.com/ie/en/catalog/products/60115791/

cheers.. something like that would be good.

barura · 23-10-2011 9:59pm

Myself, I just place the laptop on a decent piece of card or plywood (cut to size) on me lap. Battery should last you long enough for whatever work you need to do.

In fairness, most of the work I need to do in quiet is a plan for an essay or whatever so I do it on a pen and paper. Then I get home, crack on rainymood or something similar on youtube which has and loop via endlessyoutube.com and get that sucker done and dusted!

Stinicker · 23-10-2011 11:10pm

Get an iPad, problem solved!

scoobymunster · 23-10-2011 11:25pm

What about a lap tray with the bean bag underside like this:

Should only be a couple of quid. . .

langdang · 24-10-2011 5:51am

Several older mazda models (626, 323, premacy...) had a passenger seat that had a hard plastic back and flipped forward to give a flat table. Used a laptop on it on occasion while sitting in back seat. Not a great seating position for long use, but beats balancing it on your lap!
Dunno if this feature made it into any newer mazdas from 04 on.

vetstu · 24-10-2011 8:42am

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-Car-Van-Vehicle-Multi-Tray-Steering-Whl-Laptop-Lunch-Snack-Drink-Holder-Sale-/140608190804?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item20bce6b954#ht_702wt_689

Only about a tenner

Using your vehicle as a mobile office...?

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