Pimping A Sony VGN-TX - I need your skills

[Corksil]

Hey all, I am about to buy a Sony VAIO VGN-TX series notebook. (The little one.)

The one I am buying comes with the following specs...

CPU: Intel Pentium M Processor (Ultra Low Voltage) 753 @ 1.20GHz, 2MB L2 Cache (400Mhz FSB)
RAM: 512MB PC-3200 400MHz DDR2 (512 MB x 1) (Expandable to 1.5GB)
HDD: 80GB (4200rpm) Ultra ATA
GFX: Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 900 - 128MB dynamically allocated shared RAM video memory
LCD: 11.1” WXGA display (1366x768) with XBRITE tech
LAN: Integrated Wifi B/G w/Bluetooth
DVD: Dual-Layer DVD Burner

Various: Cingular wireless allover internet antennae, couple USB ports, PCMCIA slot, 2.76lbs....

I am wondering how I can pimp this computer out, and I mean just that. I have owned many laptops and I am past the point of buying the powerful ones and trying to use them for games and the like. I understand that laptops are designed to be mobile, and using them for their intened purpose yields the most performance.

I'm already thinking of throwing in some more RAM, probably 1GB. Maybe a bigger HDD in the far future when the 80GB gets full. I will probably throw some graphics on it, maybe some stripes or something...

What I am wondering is what else I could do to get the most out of this computer?

 

[killernotebooks]

Get a 7,200 rpm hard drive and custom notebook skin

 

[Corksil]

Yeh, when I do get a different hard-drive, that will be on my list of specs to lookout for.

On the note of the skin, no thanks, I do my own customization. I'm thinking about designing a template or something before the computer shows up. Keep the ideas coming peeps!

 

[killernotebooks]

Yea, that's the point... you design your own aluminum skin and it is machined for you.
You can't get any cooler than that... it;s not some sticker like DELL.

 

[Corksil]

Except doing it yourself, and saving cash . I'm the tightwad. I take it you sell those skins?

.:EDIT:.

Tightwad indeed. And sell them indeed. For $150 indeed.

 

[killernotebooks]

Yea, you can't do it yourself... that is unless you have a quarter of a million dollar machine shop at your disposal.

It's 150 for your custom design, but when the machine shop told me it took them 30 hours of CAD time to design my customers scorpion request, and it took an hour and a half for the machine to cut it out...

I got a new appreciation for how cool it actually was.

 

[Corksil]

www.corksil.com/sketch.bmp

Brief sketch idea, something like that. maybe do the black in silver, seeing as the notebook is dark in color already.[/img]

 

[killernotebooks]

That would be easiest to do with a brand, if you could live w/o the red stripes. That's only like $45. Would look almost exactly like that.

 

[Corksil]

My friend, I am unfortunately not interested in any of your products. I am interested in your creative contribution, however should that be availible without my money.

I have looked through your portfolio, and I see nothing that catches me in the way I want to be caught.

Seeing as you are in the business of building custom laptops, is there anything else you may suggest to me that I may like the idea of?

 

[killernotebooks]

Well, if you don't want to spend any money you can go about it a couple of ways where you will spend a very small amount of money (like $10).

1. Air Brush (if you already have one) / Spray Paint
2. Stickers (If you have some lying around, because $10 is going to get you many of those either)
3. You could mask the machine, cut out your design use a Q-Tip and "Goof Off" and remove the coating in a funky way. That's unique. I wouldn't recommend it, but it's unique.
4. If you have a dremmel tool you could do the same as above and carefully "engrave" the design into the top.

If $45 is out of the budget, any custom designed skin is going to cost you that on the internet, so a semi-professional look with anything but an airbrush, or possibly #3 or #4 above (if you take an incredible amount of prep time & application time) is probably not going to be achieved. Just to manage expectations.

 

[Corksil]

Excellent, that is EXACTLY the kind of thing I was looking for. Anyone else?

 

[kyleawesome]

I my friend have the PERFECT solution to your needs...

check it:

how to laser etch a notebook from instructables.com

 

[killernotebooks]

Be careful with this solution.
I too saw that, and was going to offer laser etching in my machines. when I brought it to the shop he highly recommended NOT to laser a computer, especially on the lid like that.

The lid on the mac is aluminum, most are not. The machine I brought in was aluminum also, but the aluminum on these computers is only a few thousandths thick.

A laser generates heat, and a lot of it. It also creates a tremendous amount of static electricity. Right on the other side of the lid is what? The LCD. Probably the second most expensive part of the machine.

It looks totally cool, but when I thought about the risks, we took a different route. Here is another pic of a machine I had branded yesterday. Just as permanent as a laser, won't scrape off, peel off and can't be taken off with solvents.

You could conceivably remove the bezel and take out the LCD to have it done. Another thing to consider is that if you have to send your machine in for waranty work, and they see a laser burned image on the cover, you may get your machine back with a little note that says, "Warranty Void - Have a nice day"

 

[grog23]

That's my daughters' :twisted: notebook. Right now it is in Chicago USA according to my fedex tracking#. I'll be giving my complete review when I get it, so far everythings been going great.
Mark, do you ever sleep?

grog

 

[killernotebooks]

I try not too because I might miss something new!

Then how could I answer all the questions?

 

[killernotebooks]

 

[Strabo4]

That looks awesome. 8)

Is the design textured like that, or is that just fingerprints?

 

[killernotebooks]

That is right from the machine shop so there is still dirty, it needs to be sanded smooth, it has a slight texture from the sandblaster. I will post when it is all done and anodized from a couple angles.