piano computer

[artoodeeto]

hmm...my title might be a bit misleading. Rather than build a computer that looks like a piano, here's what I want to do - build a VERY basic computer, keyboard, mouse, and screen into my digital piano.

Quite literally all the computer needs to do is display pdf files. The goal is to be able to sit down and play music straight from pdf files rather than having to have a printed score. I currently have about 35,000 pages printed (SUPER freakin' heavy come moving time, probably a good 300 pounds worth) and I'm adding a whole lot more to my collection.
Luckily I have an extra screen, keyboard, and mouse.

So, I'd need a PSU, motherboard w/built in video, processor, RAM, and 2.5" hard drive. Any recommendations on the MB, processor and RAM? Cheaper and smaller = better (one of those mini PSU's and a mini ITX is what I'm thinking, but I don't know anything about them). Again, it only needs to display pdfs, I'm not even sure I'll set it up to go online. I don't need a huge hard drive. I think all my current pdfs amount to around 10GB. A lot for pdfs, but not taking up much room overall on the HD. A 60GB HD would be more than enough. I'll also need to build an accessible front USB port into it so I can load files onto it, and so I can attach a DVD drive and load Windows onto it.

I also want some kind of 2 button device programmed to page up and another to page down, so I don't have to find the key on the computer keyboard when I'm in the middle of playing something. Any ideas if something like that exists?

Thanks for any help!

PS - Sadly, I don't have gainful employment at the moment, so implementation will have to wait til I'm getting a real paycheck again. But if I can at least get it planned out now, then building it should be a snap.

If anyone has any old stuff they'd like to offload/donate, either free or super duper cheap, pm me

[nevermind1534]

If mATX will work, I can give you a mobo and processor (3.2GHz P4) and probably some memory really cheap.

[x88x]

For the page up/down thing I would get a keyboard with those 'media button' things, and extend two of them over that you could then map to whatever in software.

For hardware, I have an 800MHz P3 with 256MB of RAM on a mATX MBB you can have for shipping if you want it...could throw in a 3-4GB HDD too if you want. Probably won't run XP (at least not the normal version), but throw a lightweight Linux distro on it and it'll scream (well, ok, not really...but it'll display PDFs just fine), and it won't produce hardly any heat, and has onboard video. ...I think it works...it did last time I tried it.

[d_stilgar]

I have a mini-itx C7 motherboard. It's the one I used in my NES PC. I just ordered a an Atom version because it will do media better. A small confession is that I've never been able to get the darn thing to output to a display. It posts, but I can't get an image on anything, not a monitor, not a TV. I worry that my monitor is too high res or something. Anyway, let me know if you are interested. I won't be needing it any more.

[slaveofconvention]

I think I'd look into booting from a compact flash card and wireless to access files on another PC - it'd make adding stuff really simple, and bring the footprint down even further

[Luke122]

iPad + This: http://airturn.com/press-releases/ip...om-airturn-inc

[artoodeeto]

iPad + This: http://airturn.com/press-releases/ip...om-airturn-inc

That would be ideal in some ways but not others - I'm thinking a mini desktop for the screen size, so I can view 2 pages at a time like a normal book, rather than just one, and cost. It's also very new tech, so I'd rather spend a small amt. of $$ now and get exactly what I want, even if it's a little clunky and not portable, then switch it out to something streamlined later when the designs have matured more and I have more money.

I like the ideas on the mATX mobo and such...hmm...and I especially like the thought of using, say, an SDHC 32GB card connected via USB to run the computer off of, or at least store all the pdfs on it. I can easily port that between my real computer and the piano comp to add files...and, I could design a small case to house the computer and bolt it to the back of the screen - if I get one of those tiny PSU's like they sell here http://www.mini-box.com/Power-Supplies-Kits then the whole setup won't weigh much more than the mobo itself. The case would double as a stand for the screen, and I'd have some portability.

[SXRguyinMA]

I've got an 80GB IDE HDD I'll let go for super cheap if you want. I'm currently using it, but once Red Comet is done I'm doing a fresh isntall on a 160GB one I've got laying around, and will have no use for the 80GB. PM me and we can talk

[d_stilgar]

Hmm . . . I have a case with AC-DC PSU, Mini-itx motherboard with C7cpu, old dell CD rom, and a 60gb IDE HDD.

Here's the case:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811165041

I noted the motherboard above.

I'm willing to sell it all on the cheap if you want it. I need to get rid of it. I have too much junk. What price is fair for you. All you would need is ram and to figure out why the silly thing won't display anything, which is probably some simple error I've been making.

[artoodeeto]

Looks like I'm going to go with the P4 mATX option that nevermind is offering - still have yet to finalize, but my concern with yours was that if it is indeed a screen whose res is too high, I'll have the same problem. My extra screen is 1920x1080, and the only other screens I have are 1600x1200 (although I do have an older tv at 1280x760).
Still, I'll keep it in mind, thanks!!! I like the fact that it's smaller than the mATX setup would be...