New topic: How much computing power do you need, v/s how much electrical power do you have?

[Pugwinkle]

I bought this computer amazonminicomputer a couple months ago, it runs on 5.4 volts fits in the palm of your hand runs windows 10 8 gig of memory ect. and love it. Not sure how many watts of power it consumes, but am sure not much as at this time I only have 200 watts of solar and getting by just fine.

What solar power station are you using to run the mini computer?

 

[LeftTown]

I am struggling and could do with some help.

I've got two 100 watt portable panels and a yeti GoalZero 200. I don't have an online job or any friends, family, Facebook page, etc.

When I was in stix n brix I ran Hyperbola Gnu/Linux-Libre on a librebooted Lenovo X200. Currently I buy crap and look up customer service numbers on a Moto E6 smartphone running Android i-dont-give-a-(euphemism for sexual intercourse deleted) that I want to smash most of the time.

I have a Pinephone Beta[1] in storage that works to send and receive voice calls and SMS messages with Mint Mobile, but I get no data.

I also have a JMP[2] account that allows me to interact with smartphone peeps without actually owning a smartphone.

I am interested in using the smartphone as a mobile hotspot. I would like to continue enjoying my computer as a hobby and file storage device and interacting with my friends in the free software community from time to time.

I am not interested in monetizing a YouTube account, selling anything, collecting followers, etc. much less stirring any pots or accidentally kicking any bruises about controversial issues.

Any suggestions? The laptop is pretty well stripped down: window managers instead of desktop environments and I'm not afraid of the command line.

Thank you in advance.
[1]https://www.pine64.org/pinephone/
[2] https://jmp.chat/

 

[user 29855]

For myself, I prefer Apple products because of the seamless tie between my iPhone, iPad, and computer. As a result, I have been converting older Mac Mini's to operate directly from 12vdc. They are very compact, (7 x 7 x 1-1/2 inches) and can feed directly into a monitor or tv that you already own. This eliminates any need for inverters or regulators, which means a very power efficient install. You can run them from shore power with just a 12 volt adapter. They work very well for most applications, and are a lot cheaper than other solutions. I have converted several for friends of mine, and they seem pretty happy. One of them is currently running an eBay store. The other issue to keep in mind is that of customer support. Many products on eBay and Amazon are sorely lacking in support of any kind, and having to wait on hold for 30 minutes to get to a representative who knows less than you do can be frustrating!

 

[user 29855]

What solar power station are you using to run the mini computer?

sorry for the delay in answering. I don't use a power station. I have two 100-watt solar panels and a pair of six-volt golf cart batteries wired in series. I have also run the Mac Mini for a short time on a 12 volt motorcycle battery.
My 12 volt tv/monitor is a SuperSonic that I found on Amazon. I design electronic prototypes for clients, and I don't have any issues with reliability or power.

 

[user 29855]

What solar power station are you using to run the mini computer?

It looks like the unit that you linked to runs on a rechargeable battery.