Cabinet computers

Being a geek with multiple computers under, on and around the desk, I find one of my biggest tasks finding a way to have them available without being in the way of other things. Most of my computers are built for specific purposes. Though I admit, some are built just because........
One category of computers I have would be classified as utility computers. I have one energy efficient computer dedicated to my Magic Jack telephone service. Another is used as my chat computer used for IRC chat, instant messaging etc. In an effort to reduce the number of computers sitting around, I've decided to build multiple computers in a single case.
The multiple computer case won't be a typical computer case. It will be a resin cabinet approximately 36'H x 30"W x 20"D. It will have the components of multiple computers built directly on the shelf of the cabinet. The rear of the cabinet will have cutouts for the i/o ports of the computers. It will also have AC electrical outlets with surge protectors built in. It will have internal switchable lighting to make it easier to work on the equipment. Ventilation will be handled by silent intake and exhaust fans. Initially it will house 2 computers but it will be able to house several more as the need arises.
Does this sound like a Geeky thing to do? Well keep following, I will be posting the progress of this build.

My latest computer project

In my quest to build cheap computers, this is my latest build.
Requirements for this computer.
1. As always, low price (as in cheap).
2. Energy efficient. This computer will be running 24/7 to support use of my Magic Jack telephone.
3. Compact size. I want this to be a small box that can be set out of the way and essentially forgotten.
Having had a couple computers using the embedded Intel Atom processor, it was my first choice for this project. While searching the web for an Atom board, I found the Intel D201GLY2 itx board. This board is similar to the Atom itx boards except it uses an embedded Celeron 1.2 Ghz processor. It seemed more than capable for the task at hand. The $44.99 price tag from Geeks.com clinched my decision. Note: As of this writing Geeks.com has the price back up to $49.99. There are 2 models of this board, one with a cooling fan and another with a larger heatsink and no fan. I would have preferred the board without the fan, but I understand they are hard to find.


Wanting to keep things small, I opted to go with a compact Flash drive rather than a conventional hard drive. The Compact Flash card uses an IDE adapter from mini-box.com. I use an 8GB Compact Flash card. with windows XP and a couple basic applications, I'm using 3.6 GB of the 8 GB card. If I find myself needing additional storage, I will plug in a USB flash drive.
Phase II of this project will see the computer mounted in a much smaller case using a DC to DC power supply and an outboard 12 volt Laptop type power pack.
My goal was to provide a computer for my Magic Jack telephone. It does it well. The computer is also more than capable of web browsing etc.

The Magic Jack Solution

Once again I'm trying another alternative to the typical Ma Bell landline telephone service. Namely the Magic Jack voip service. Magic Jack is a dongle that you plug into a usb port on your computer then plug a conventional home telephone into it and you have telephone service. I will be doing a review of Magic Jack after I've had a chance to use it for a few weeks.
The one weakness Magic Jack has is that the computer it's plugged into has to be turned on for it to work. Not wanting to leave one of my primary computers run 24/7, I'm going to press an older computer into service strictly for use with the Magic Jack. I'm using a Pentium II 350 Mhz computer for the task. The monitor and all unnecessary components in the computer will be turned off to conserve energy. I'm quite sure the annual cost of the Magic Jack service + the power consumed by this computer will be far cheaper than conventional telephone service.
To further reduce this cost, I'm planning a future project. I'm going to build a mini itx Intel Atom processor energy efficient computer to run the Magic Jack. I plan on powering it with a battery charged by a solar panel.
My technology on the cheap program is constantly on the move. Feel free to leave your comments/suggestions here or:
email me at miiikeeeworld@gmail.com
leave a voicemail at (586) 298-2311