My girlfriend's daughter's bedroom is getting smaller as she gets bigger. Her normal desktop pc is way too big and we need the space. A laptop solution springs to mind as does having to shell out for repairs the first time she spills water over it! Her brother also has a pc in his room but more space would be nice. So...

I could hide the base units in a far off out of the way part of a wardrobe and run extra long cables for the keyboard, mouse and flat screen monitors. But how long can these cables be and where would you get them from? Would infra (?) red (wireless) mice and keyboards work to a distance of 5 - 6 metres?

Could a pair of monitors, keyboards, mice be run from a single base unit as a network without interfering with two users on the pc at the same time.

Any other cheap (ish), better alternatives. Looking for sleek and out of the way. Pc's to be used for homework apps, bit of light gaming and possible insertion of tv applications.

Help gratefully received.

Stu

Hmmmm....tricky.

Don't forget the considerable expense of a lapdog too - they're not cheap. You'd do better going for a compact desktop - I've seen some at work (not sure of make) that are tiny.

I don't think wireless mice/keyboards have anything like 6m range - more like 6ft...and if you're talking through walls then forget it.... you might be able to buy such kit but I reckon it'd be expensive as it's quite a specialist application.

I'd be tempted to just do better with what you've got - how about stashing the base unit:

- under a bed (with a bit of dustproofing)
- up high on a shelf
- under the floorboards
- bolted to the underside of the desk

or something crafty like that?

stu said:

I could hide the base units in a far off out of the way part of a wardrobe and run extra long cables for the keyboard, mouse and flat screen monitors. But how long can these cables be and where would you get them from? Would infra (?) red (wireless) mice and keyboards work to a distance of 5 - 6 metres?

Click to expand...

You can find extension cables by searching for them within UK sites on Google (www.google.co.uk) (ie "Monitor Extension Cable", "Mouse Extension Cable" etc). Lengths can vary from 1.8m to 50m for Monitor extensions and 1.8m to 11m for mouse/ keyboard (PS/2) cables. Prices vary so it is worth having a shop around. As Bubba has already said, IR mouses and keyboards have a very limited range, so not really a good option.

stu said:

Could a pair of monitors, keyboards, mice be run from a single base unit as a network without interfering with two users on the pc at the same time.

Click to expand...

You could if you are willing to go to the expense of purchasing a Server base unit, which would then allow for multiple users at once. You would also require a slave station monitor unit..........not a cheap option.

bubba said:

I'd be tempted to just do better with what you've got - how about stashing the base unit:

- under the floorboards

Click to expand...

Not advisable - your PC would have a life span of about 5 weeks! If it does not burn out through overheating due to lack of airflow, it will clog up after pulling all the c**p from under the boards through the fan system.........besides, would be interesting to see you turn it on via the power switch.......

Hope this helps.

It's not the simplest solution, but it can be done:

see http://www.fortunecity.co.uk/skyscraper/byte/30/pcunderground.htm

You could try http://www.mini-itx.com for quiet and small (but that also means not cheap)

Interesting article, bubba. Just goes to show that we all learn something new every day!