Got a friend who is thinking about making a digital picture frame. Basically a LCD that you can upload pictures into and display them, make a slideshow, etc.

His basic question is the one I am asking tech talk. How would you go about designing a prototype? I mean, the idea is simple, but without strapping a laptop to an external LCD, how could a group of friends come up with a prototype to market?

I know there are already some out there, but how come no one has one?!

Just wondering if anyone knew of a way to rig an old laptop LCD into a digital camera or anything. LOL.

11/17/2005 2:53:10 PM

there's small ones already out there.

and they're expensive as shit.

this does a pretty good outlining job:

http://www.grynx.com/index.php/projects/laptop-on-the-wall-walltop/

[Edited on November 17, 2005 at 3:00 PM. Reason : *]

11/17/2005 2:58:50 PM

We have them at Circuit City.

11/17/2005 3:01:30 PM

^^exactly.

anythign else like that is what I was looking for.

^i worked in imaging at BB and they did not have them(1.5 years ago).

11/17/2005 3:14:00 PM

im l337!11!1one!1




made it about a year ago, its been sitting in a box since ive moved. maybe i should pull it out.

[Edited on November 17, 2005 at 4:20 PM. Reason : .]

11/17/2005 4:19:20 PM

http://www.buy.com/search/q/loc/101/search_store/8/querytype/electronics/dcii/2/mfgid/27871/showall.html

there's some there, neat lookin but expensive, as was said..
still might be less than buyin' an lcd and trying to wire one yourself...

11/17/2005 5:03:53 PM

I want to try making one.


I have an old ass windows NT laptop that I may try the project on.

11/17/2005 5:49:50 PM

its cool until you realize its like 4 bit color

11/17/2005 5:56:16 PM

yeah, i think it'll only do 256 colors and 800x600.


it's more about the satisfaction of saying "yeah, i built that shit."

11/17/2005 6:09:47 PM

<- choir

11/18/2005 1:20:49 AM

i got my mom one last christmas

she loves it

11/18/2005 1:21:37 AM

^dont you have to pay a monthly fee for it? Dont they lock u into some dumbass service just to get the pics to the frame.

11/18/2005 1:57:20 PM

paying money for digital pictures to be sent to your screen just doesnt make sense.

11/18/2005 2:06:21 PM

^^ I don't think al do that. The service kinda makes sense for someone like my mom who refuses to own a computer. A monthly charge is too extreme however. I would pay a flat fee for each picture she got over their network.

Otheriwse its easier for her to mail me the card and have me update it.

11/18/2005 2:16:00 PM