Ben Heck Creates ''Coach Section'' Laptop

Famed PC modder Ben Heck has modified a laptop that should make coach seating a bit more easier.

Called the Coach Section Laptop, the laptop mod addresses the problem where a passenger seated in the next row ahead reclines the seat back and thus reduces a normal laptop's physical viewing space. Coach seating is minimal at best-- reclining seats eat a good chunk of what little space the airplane can accommodate. The laptop screen typically starts to fold unless you drag the entire device closer to your face.

But the Coach Section Laptop eliminates the folding screen problem by detaching the LCD from the main laptop body and lifting it up and out using sliding aluminum arms. The user can then use knobs to lock the screen into the desired position and continue to type underneath the screen. Heck said that the only thing it's missing is a cup holder for your half can of soda.

The mod itself is based on a generic, off-the-shelf Toshiba Satellite notebook. The only drawback is that cord connecting the LCD screen to the laptop remains out in the open and can get in the way. Heck actually wanted the cord to be longer, however he said that had it extended even more, signal degradation would occur. "I’m sure a company could build it into the arms with no trouble," he said.

Of course, the mod wouldn't be complete without the Heck stamp of approval. "The back of the LED-lit screen is also illuminated, which I used to make a glowing "heck" logo, which is automatically 10,000X cooler than a glowing chuck of half-eaten fruit," he added.

To see the Coach Section Laptop mod, check out the video below:

  • liveonc
    Looks like a Dell Inspiron Duo. ;-)
    Reply
  • elcentral
    i culd c the use of this ewen if i arent on a plain and you culd turn it around and get only the screen and not the keys turn the screen into tuch and you got a new moddel hot to get a laptop to a much power fuller pad
    Reply
  • Pyroflea
    elcentrali culd c the use of this ewen if i arent on a plain and you culd turn it around and get only the screen and not the keys turn the screen into tuch and you got a new moddel hot to get a laptop to a much power fuller pad
    What in god's name is that supposed to say.
    Reply
  • kelemvor4
    "A bit more easier." So basically, you can afford to spend a ton to pimp out a laptop with customizations yet you can't afford to sit in business class? I think there's far better solutions to this problem.
    Reply
  • overclockingrocks
    Great idea there. I think that what elcentral was trying to say was that similar to the dell that was released with the screen in a swivel frame so it could be run in a tablet mode. Well same with this one. Flip the screen around and lay it down and have it be touch sensitive and away you go. More fully featured DVD playing Windows based Ipad
    Reply
  • lashabane
    PyrofleaWhat in god's name is that supposed to say.Allow me to translate.
    elcentrali culd c the use of this ewen if i arent on a plain and you culd turn it around and get only the screen and not the keys turn the screen into tuch and you got a new moddel hot to get a laptop to a much power fuller padI could see the use of this even if I'm not on a plane. You could turn it around and get only the screen and not the keys. Add a touch screen and you have a new model. That is how to turn a laptop into a much more powerful iPad.
    *edit*
    Now it's time to take a couple aspirin.
    Reply
  • dEAne
    What kind of laptop is this?
    Reply
  • shadamus
    Nice DIY job, but I think HP did it better Tom's article. It's an idea that's been around for quite a while -- I saw a similar screen tilt treatment to what Heck did here was done back in the late 90s on a 10" ultra-portable by either Sony or Sharp at Fry's Electronics in Phoenix back in the day... I hope people will keep trying until someone knocks it out of the park.
    Reply
  • deletemach_kernel
    you gotta love this guy
    Reply
  • Love the "You've got the power" song in the background of this "transforming" laptop video... :)
    Reply