Ralph77

I don't own a fancy phone but my buddy does. I don't know how you guys deal with it.
Sometimes looking at the internet on his phone frustrates the hell out of me and I want to throw it
in the stream that runs next to the house. I don't see how you can have multiple windows open,
scrolling to look at the whole page, want to back space to a previous page, etc.

The laptop was my very first computer bought about 12 years ago from Best Buy on Black Friday.
Never owned one before and only had limited experience with them.
I used to tell people the internet was invented for 2 things.
And they both begin with a "P". LOL.
Then I built a desktop and never really used it again. Cause I really don't like laptops either.
If I had a garage I would be using a desktop instead. But in my driveway the laptop will have to do.
But I use a regular mouse, cause that pad annoys me, plus a keyboard that I picked up for $5 from the
thrift store cause laptop keypads annoy me too. Like the one at the link.



Even use a laptop cooler on hotter days just in case.
Until I did this I would have all the info I needed pulled up on my desktop.
Go inside, try to remember what I read or the picture I looked at, do that step, go back inside again,
so on and so forth. And that was getting old.
Fortunately my WIFI works just fine in the driveway.
Oh and even despite how old it is Windows 10 seems to run really good on it.

RockyMtn96XJ

Yes I agree a desktop would be even better for the garage. I only have this fancy phone, well, because they duped me into buying a fancy one many years back with their sales techniques and pretty pictures. Plus it's pretty handy for GPS and looking up stuff on the internet while I'm at AutoZone or home depot.... I wonder if I can use my laptop, hook up a monitor, keyboard, and mouse, and use it that way, almost like a desktop.....

Ralph77

Of course you can.
With that laptop I used to hook it up to a 37" Sanyo 1080P flat screen.
Bought about the same time as the laptop.
But was able to cause the TV had a VGA input and that was all I had on the laptop for an output.
Newer laptops have HDMI's so depending on where you are at will determine how easy it is.
I used to use a wireless keyboard and mouse. Had the laptop just tucked away somewhere
only touching it to turn on. One of the reasons I bought the laptop cooler way back when cause
I used to leave it on all the time. I bought that roll up keyboard cause it fit on my laptop bag in case
I went on the road with the laptop.

RockyMtn96XJ

Sounds like I have a project.... So I can make it easier to do.... Projects hahaha.... My garage is insulated so I wouldnt worry about heat, or cold really. If it's 95 out, it's about 78 in my garage. 20° out and it's about 50 in there. Those are just guesses. I should go measure now since it's colder than a witches tit in a brass bra right now...
i can see it now. 37" tv on the wall with nice big pictures, easy to read from a few feet away, and surround sound for the Zeppelin jamming in the background. I just got 8 4' LED shop lights to hang up as well.....!!!!!

RockyMtn96XJ

All I need now is a urinal in the back wall with a rock pit outside for drainage to go along with my beer fridge. And since I have a bathroom just on the other side of one of the garage walls I can run some plumbing for hot and cold water in a large tub basin for washing my hands and what not...

Ralph77

Yeah just figure out what you have for video outputs on the laptop, see what you have for inputs on the monitor/TV that you are going to use, and go from there.
Remember that cables can be bought with different inputs on either end. Plus there are adapters too.
You won't want to show the desktop just on the monitor/TV from the laptop or extend it IMO.
You will want to duplicate it instead so it show on both.
Easy to do.

RockyMtn96XJ

And if I can use the tv for computer AND TV use, I won't have to leave the garage on the weekend during football season.....

Ralph77

Yeah. Just have to toggle back and forth between whatever input you are using for the laptop and the incoming TV signal with the remote.
Don't see how you can have both up at the same time though. Unless your TV is fancier and has that split image thing I remember from years ago.
But I never had something that fancy for a TV so I don't know.

RockyMtn96XJ

Neh I doubt I would need to use both at the same time. If I'm watching football, or baseball, that suffices. I would just work on something I don't need instructions for hahaha

RockyMtn96XJ

Then the urinal would be a must ...

Ralph77

What kind of outputs are on the laptop and what inputs on the TV?
Realized I had a picture of my little set up.
And since I put all my music in the laptop, cause I listen to music when working on the Jeep,
I use my Bose Sound Dock with a 3.5 mm cable. Sounds so much better then through the laptop speakers.
If I don't have my laptop out there with me I just use the Sound Dock with an old iTouch for music.

RockyMtn96XJ

Looks like I have 1 HDMI, 3 USB, and one that I assume is for hooking up to a monitor. It's about half and inch wide, quarter inch tall, and has 15 tiny holes. Not square, but the bottom edge is shorter than the top.
i have a mini Bose also that's real handy. It's Bluetooth, but my laptop isn't. I may be able to use a 3.5 Jack for it to the laptop...

Ralph77

So having a HDMI on the laptop is perfect cause I am guessing that your TV also has HDMI.
I believe the other one you are describing is a VGA.

That would hook up to an older monitor. Chances are a more newer one would have that and a DVI.
And a newer monitor then that both those and an HDMI.
With the HDMI hooked up to a TV with HDMI you can get the sound to come out of the TV speakers.
They carry both video and audio.
With a cable with male 3.5mm headphone jacks on both ends you can plug into the laptop and the Bose.
You can also buy something like this to make the laptop emit a Bluetooth signal.

RockyMtn96XJ

Nice BT accessory!!!!
thats what my other one looks like, but it's black, and the icon has verticallines to the left and right of the square...

RockyMtn96XJ

So it's about 28 degrees outside right now and it's 70 degrees in my house and it's 60 degrees in my garage....
ill take that !!!!!!!!
I have a large air duct that runs through my garage for a couple, or 3, of the bedrooms on that side of the house and there is about four 4" holes cut in the sheetrock that surrounds the duct so it allows heat and or A/C to escape and get into the garage.... It's not exactly blowing air in there but just from the duct being warm or cold, and I'm sure the duct isn't 100% sealed with silicone or tape. So I'm sure a very small amount of air comes out. but not enough to feel air movement when you put your hand to one of the cutouts in the sheetrock....