Jotto Desk for DSM Link or Other Applications
This a small article pertaining to the installation and use of a product called Jotto Desk or a Mobile Desktop for mounting laptops and other top mounted applications.
Back when I bought my DSM Link I had been in the market for some type of contraption to mount my laptop in my car as seen in most police cruisers. The problem was I couldnt figure out what to search for on the net and search results were limited on this topic. But at the time there wasnt much use for one well I ended stumbling across a website called www.jottodesk.com I talked to a lot of different companies with varying price ranges and applications. I ended up going with these guys based on price and functionality.
Before I ordered I called there info line and they were very helpful and answered all my questions. The price is high if you ask me. I ended up paying somewhere around 200-250 in the end for the setup I wanted which worked out great in the end. They have all kinds of attachments from power converters to cell phone and PDA holders for there desks.
Pros: Function ablility, Lightweight, Solid construction, Being able to still fit a passenger with ease, Being able to disassemble with in a few seconds, the ease of being able to move it around to any position.
Cons: Installation! Price
When I received the desk it came in a small box with a lot of parts I had my doubts at first and right off the bat I could tell the mounting floor screws werent going to work. I will try to describe how to install the best I can I dont have many pics because I am still deployed to Iraq but I will use what I got.
There is only one piece to really install and thats the base plate which is what the desk mounts on. I opted to mount mine the long ways being that is rectangular in shape for those hard pulls so I wouldnt loose my laptop. Now with the mounting screws being to small a quick trip to the hardware store with your base plate you can size up some nuts and bolts for your liking what ever works for you. I decided to drill holes all the way through the floor and put a bolt through with a nut and a lock washer for a rock hard installation. I ended up using 6 bolts and washers with the bolts through the inside and the nut screwing on underneath the car. I mounted mine in the upper left hand corner by the shifter and passenger seat. Just make sure when you drill your holes you watch what youre drilling underneath so you dont hit any wires or lines running underneath. Once that is done just put your plate in and screw done the nuts and bolts and vola! Hard part is done.
Now when you install your desk dont just screw down the plate make sure you assemble it and test fit everything to see how you want to set it up. There is about a million combos for this desk so the possibilities are endless. Now on to the pics.
Here is a picture of the install in the car it looks to be leaning a bit but thats mostly the pic and the way I had it configured at the time. You can fit a passenger in there with no problem and they are comfortable If you want to remove it all you need to do is turn a knob and the whole assembly comes off with the laptop still attached to the desk part. There is to wires that secure the laptop to the desk it seems flimsy but it actually holds quite well. What youre seeing in the picture is USB GPS in the window a thumb mouse in the console that black wire plugged into the right side runs to the radio and sound system in the car. And the card in front of it is my wireless network car for internet on the road. Out of the whole setup the most expensive thing was the Jotto desk. I got the laptop for only a 100 bucks! Also this whole setup runs off a small 350 watt power converter from Wal-Mart which is buried under the passenger side dash. I hadnt had a chance at the time to hide all the wires but the best way is to run them down the mounting pole with zip ties there is also Velcro tabs on the pole to help hold the wires.
Here is a picture of the GPS up and running this program also allows for voice commands which is nice when youre on the road so you dont have to take your eyes off the road. And it talks to you telling you what turns are ahead etc. This great if you have a passenger to navigate for you. And this is 10 times more powerful than those 1000 dollar small screened systems.
And of course DSM Link! If youre serious about DSMs I cant stress enough this is the way to go for total control over your DSM. I could write 10 pages on why this will save your DSM at one time or another. For those not familiar with DSM Link there is a 1000 topics on it and also you can find them at www.dsmlink.com but what youre looking at in the picture is what my car is doing from the ECU. Basically what ever the ECU sees is displayed there on the screen in the form of graphs and raw numbers. DSM Link is the way to go if you want to tune your car right. With the setup in my car I can watch exactly what my car is doing with a quick glance over at my screen see how fast I am going when my speedometer cable plug pops off the transmission
. And the best thing is the look on Honda guys faces when you pull up to them at the light and they see a laptop displaying ECU values .
In closing the possibilities are endless when it comes to computers/laptops in cars Jotto desk helped me bring it all together. I am finding more and more sites dedicated to these applications they are more referred to as Carputers. A good site to start with is www.carmp3.com tons ok knowledge here and other great contraptions.
Feel free to pm me with any questions I have extensive knowledge and experience with these setups I have been running my setup for almost a year now with no problems. And I have had all sizes of passengers with no complaints just a lot of ooos and ahhs.
For legality well the cops got it right? There is no rule against it that I know of. I have been harassed about it once by the local PD. And got pulled over for watching a DVD while driving
Have fun.
Josh
Sites of interest:
www.jottodesk.com where I found the desk at.
www.carmp3.com A lot of good info ideas and products on this type of stuff
www.dsmlink.com these guys are the best super helpful best DSM product on the market!
This a small article pertaining to the installation and use of a product called Jotto Desk or a Mobile Desktop for mounting laptops and other top mounted applications.
Back when I bought my DSM Link I had been in the market for some type of contraption to mount my laptop in my car as seen in most police cruisers. The problem was I couldnt figure out what to search for on the net and search results were limited on this topic. But at the time there wasnt much use for one well I ended stumbling across a website called www.jottodesk.com I talked to a lot of different companies with varying price ranges and applications. I ended up going with these guys based on price and functionality.
Before I ordered I called there info line and they were very helpful and answered all my questions. The price is high if you ask me. I ended up paying somewhere around 200-250 in the end for the setup I wanted which worked out great in the end. They have all kinds of attachments from power converters to cell phone and PDA holders for there desks.
Pros: Function ablility, Lightweight, Solid construction, Being able to still fit a passenger with ease, Being able to disassemble with in a few seconds, the ease of being able to move it around to any position.
Cons: Installation! Price
When I received the desk it came in a small box with a lot of parts I had my doubts at first and right off the bat I could tell the mounting floor screws werent going to work. I will try to describe how to install the best I can I dont have many pics because I am still deployed to Iraq but I will use what I got.
There is only one piece to really install and thats the base plate which is what the desk mounts on. I opted to mount mine the long ways being that is rectangular in shape for those hard pulls so I wouldnt loose my laptop. Now with the mounting screws being to small a quick trip to the hardware store with your base plate you can size up some nuts and bolts for your liking what ever works for you. I decided to drill holes all the way through the floor and put a bolt through with a nut and a lock washer for a rock hard installation. I ended up using 6 bolts and washers with the bolts through the inside and the nut screwing on underneath the car. I mounted mine in the upper left hand corner by the shifter and passenger seat. Just make sure when you drill your holes you watch what youre drilling underneath so you dont hit any wires or lines running underneath. Once that is done just put your plate in and screw done the nuts and bolts and vola! Hard part is done.
Now when you install your desk dont just screw down the plate make sure you assemble it and test fit everything to see how you want to set it up. There is about a million combos for this desk so the possibilities are endless. Now on to the pics.
Here is a picture of the install in the car it looks to be leaning a bit but thats mostly the pic and the way I had it configured at the time. You can fit a passenger in there with no problem and they are comfortable If you want to remove it all you need to do is turn a knob and the whole assembly comes off with the laptop still attached to the desk part. There is to wires that secure the laptop to the desk it seems flimsy but it actually holds quite well. What youre seeing in the picture is USB GPS in the window a thumb mouse in the console that black wire plugged into the right side runs to the radio and sound system in the car. And the card in front of it is my wireless network car for internet on the road. Out of the whole setup the most expensive thing was the Jotto desk. I got the laptop for only a 100 bucks! Also this whole setup runs off a small 350 watt power converter from Wal-Mart which is buried under the passenger side dash. I hadnt had a chance at the time to hide all the wires but the best way is to run them down the mounting pole with zip ties there is also Velcro tabs on the pole to help hold the wires.
Here is a picture of the GPS up and running this program also allows for voice commands which is nice when youre on the road so you dont have to take your eyes off the road. And it talks to you telling you what turns are ahead etc. This great if you have a passenger to navigate for you. And this is 10 times more powerful than those 1000 dollar small screened systems.
And of course DSM Link! If youre serious about DSMs I cant stress enough this is the way to go for total control over your DSM. I could write 10 pages on why this will save your DSM at one time or another. For those not familiar with DSM Link there is a 1000 topics on it and also you can find them at www.dsmlink.com but what youre looking at in the picture is what my car is doing from the ECU. Basically what ever the ECU sees is displayed there on the screen in the form of graphs and raw numbers. DSM Link is the way to go if you want to tune your car right. With the setup in my car I can watch exactly what my car is doing with a quick glance over at my screen see how fast I am going when my speedometer cable plug pops off the transmission
. And the best thing is the look on Honda guys faces when you pull up to them at the light and they see a laptop displaying ECU values . In closing the possibilities are endless when it comes to computers/laptops in cars Jotto desk helped me bring it all together. I am finding more and more sites dedicated to these applications they are more referred to as Carputers. A good site to start with is www.carmp3.com tons ok knowledge here and other great contraptions.
Feel free to pm me with any questions I have extensive knowledge and experience with these setups I have been running my setup for almost a year now with no problems. And I have had all sizes of passengers with no complaints just a lot of ooos and ahhs.
For legality well the cops got it right? There is no rule against it that I know of. I have been harassed about it once by the local PD. And got pulled over for watching a DVD while driving
Have fun.
Josh
Sites of interest:
www.jottodesk.com where I found the desk at.
www.carmp3.com A lot of good info ideas and products on this type of stuff
www.dsmlink.com these guys are the best super helpful best DSM product on the market!
