Ask Slashdot: Instead of a Laptop, a Tiny Computer and Projector?

rover42 writes "I travel a lot, usually on a tight budget and often on airlines with tight luggage weight restrictions and high fees for going over, so traveling light is very important to me. So is connecting to the net when traveling, which creates a conflict. I do not trust machines in Internet cafes and my laptop adds significant weight & bulk to my luggage. I could buy a small netbook or a MacBook Air, but is there another choice? There are quite a few tiny computers available, Raspberry Pi and the like. Alone, they don't solve my problem because you need a screen and that is at least as heavy as a laptop. However, there are also quite a few tiny projectors. Would a tiny computer plus a tiny projector do the trick? Which ones? All I need for software is some open source Unix (any *BSD or Linux distro should be fine, or even Minix), a browser and an editor. I don't need large storage or a fast CPU. Has anyone done something like this? Does anyone have a recommendation for either the computer or the projector?"

Go further: do it on a phone?

[metrometro]

For once, a great Ask /. question.

For extra bonus points: any way we can do this off a currently available phone? For discussion purposes, I'll scale back the reqs to merely a browser and a text editor.

PicoProjector+Pi+CubeLaser=Fun Hobby solution

[duckgod]

You aren't going to come close to the ergomonics of a laptop so lets assume you are thinking hobby solution. I have long wanted to combine a Cube Laser Virtual Keyboard, Pico Projector, Raspberry pi like computer to make some sort of laser cube of awesomeness. So do it and post about that because I would like to see results without spending the $600 myself.

Re:This is a terrible idea

[AngryDeuce]

Not to mention that, when traveling, you'd most often be in places where this is totally and completely impractical. You can't break this crap out at the airport (well, you technically could, but most airports I go through are pretty bright places and besides, what a pain in the ass compared to opening a freaking laptop), so you're effectively cutting yourself off from the net anytime you're not parked in a hotel room. Seems like more than I'd be willing to sacrifice even if it did free up some space.

My little ASUS netbook weighs like 3 pounds or something and is the size of a thin hardcover book. If that's considered a lot of space then I'd hate to see what you're wearing when you travel.

Glasses?

[PPH]

Forget the projector. Does anyone make glasses with a suitable HUD?

I Googled and found Vuzix [vuzix.com]. These appear to be designed mainly for video use, so the resolution might not be great. But if you are going to be projecting an image on any old surface, how much worse can these be?

Re:This is a terrible idea

[Intrepid imaginaut]

Yep, touchscreen phones and tablets are largely commuter toys, I needs me a keyboard to get any work done.

Re:Just get a netbook

[Anonymous Coward]

I know! What the hell has happened to Slashdot? Ten years ago, posters here would have chuckled and made suggestions for components, asked him if he thought about X, or said "If I was going to do this crazy thing, I'd probably do it like this" and they'd have ended with a "if you make it work, post again!"

  But I came here and reloaded this story three times today hoping for some interesting thoughts and ideas, and was disappointed. Virtually every comment on this is some form of "Creative ideas are wrong. Just purchase a consumer product off the shelf and use it exactly as the manufacturer intended, like all of us."

  Where is the geeky soul of slashdot that once relished the wacky/awesome/impractical hobby projects?