Building the Competitive Whitebook
To help you stay ahead of the competition, this TechBuilder Recipe will show you how to quickly and easily build a whitebook. It also updates my earlier Recipe on this topic, Build A Custom Whitebook. Back when I wrote that earlier Recipe, whitebooks were pretty much inaccessible to all but either the highest-volume resellers or those willing to delve into unknown territory at relatively high prices. Since then, however, manufacturers have caught up with Intel's unrelenting marketing muscle behind the Centrino platform. This has made buyers aware of fresh new opportunities for customized notebooks from trusted partners.
Also, while early whitebooks were technologically sound, finding reliable, dedicated distribution partners was a challenge. What's more, the hardware platforms were somewhat limited, as early whitebook entries were aimed at users of thin and light machines (that is, those weighing about five pounds). Today, more accessible channels of distribution have come online for new whitebook chassis, the framework of any system. So system builders can finally add high-end, desktop-replacement machines to their product catalogs.
Since an ideal whitebook shouldn't take significantly longer to build than a whitebox PC, today's whitebook platforms offer a solid mix of flexibility and ease of construction. In fact, the latest wave of whitebooks offer as much internal expansion as possible without requiring technicians to remove multiple layers of parts and screws. Building a whitebook requires fewer components overall than a desktop, because a number of the components that would be specified separately in a desktop build are already integrated into the whitebook chassis provided by companies such as Sabio Digital, ASUS, Chaintech, and FIC. Consequently, system builders have a chance to create a unique machine from the ground up.
What's more, building a better whitebook does not require in-depth training. You may need to forge new distribution relationships to obtain the more specialized notebook components, such as the required 2.5-inch hard drives, mobile-grade CPUs, SO-DIMM (Small Outline, Dual In-line Memory Module) RAM, and optical drive upgrades. But most of the required parts are available in growing quantities on the replacement and primary whitebook markets. So there's no excuse for system builders with only modest industry connections to take part in this market.
The chassis and components I deployed for this particular Recipe were kindly supplied by Sabio Digital, a whitebook supplier recently launched by former Gateway executives.
Ingredients
- Notebook Chassis: I used the Sabio SD-KN1A, a notebook chassis that is aimed at builds for power users and desktop replacements. When fully assembled, it weighs just over six pounds. The slots and sockets are all easily accessible on the bottom of the machine. With an 8X/24X DVD-ROM/CD-RW optical drive pre-installed, our sample unit would cost less than $600 in quantity one.
- The Sabio chassis includes the case, motherboard, keyboard, touchpad, battery, and integrated wireless antenna, along with all necessary screws for securing add-on cards. The motherboard provides four USB 2.0 ports, a single four-pin IEEE 1394 port, 56K modem and 10/100 Ethernet, along with one PCMCIA slot, a multi-format flash memory reader, and S-Video out. The display is a 1280 x 800 widescreen LCD.
- Intel Pentium-M CPU: Intel's mobile CPU has proven to be the new standard in the notebook market. It offers a compromise on speed to gain battery life. Intel has found that prioritizing low-power consumption over breakneck speeds has impacted the market quite favorably. For this Recipe's CPU component, I recommend Intel's 1.6 GHz CPU, an entry-level choice that still provides enough muscle for power travelers.
- 2.5-inch IDE hard drive: I suggest a 40 GB, 5400-RPM Fujitsu model for your test install. It is a high-capacity, high-speed drive without a tremendous sticker price. But virtually any standard 44-pin notebook drive will do. The Sabio SD-KN1A chassis does not use a custom cable or card-edge attachment, and the pins of the drive will mate directly into a socket on the motherboard.
- DDR2 SO-DIMM memory module: The Sabio SD-KN1A chassis sports two slots for system RAM, allowing a maximum of 2 gigabytes of memory. I recommend you use a single 512 MB, PC2-4200 MHz module. That's more than enough to run Windows XP, but still leaves one memory socket free for high-end expansion.
- Intel PRO/Wireless 802.11a/b/g Mini-PCI card: This card provides the wireless networking portion of our mobile notebook. The low-cost 2915ABG model covers all popular WLAN standards in a single package, giving users the ability to connect anywhere.
- Windows XP Home OEM edition SP2: This is the standard, though you may of course substitute another Windows variant, Linux, Solaris, or any other OS your customer requires. In fact, providing OS flexibility is a big selling point for the independent system builder. It's rarely an option from large notebook suppliers, and most OEMs simply are not prepared to fulfill orders for alternative OS notebooks in any real quantity. System builders, on the other hand, can be poised to take a large chunk of that business.
- Logo/brand stickers (optional): The whitebook chassis is completely unbranded. A square area on the lid will hold a sticker or metal plate logo. And there's ample room on the keyboard area and display border to add an insignia to your customized whitebook.
Now that you've assembled your components, let's get started building. Place your laptop parts on an anti-static workspace. You'll need only two tools: a small Phillips-head screwdriver and a small flat-head screwdriver (which you'll use mainly as a lever).
- Unpack the notebook chassis. Set aside the AC adapter and battery for now. Ensure that you have handy the bag of screws provided by the chassis provider; you'll use these screws to secure the keyboard later on. Inspect the case to ensure that the screen hinge operates properly, that the keyboard is not yet installed, and that all bottom panels and screws are in place. You will need to access the area under the keyboard before the build is done.
- Flip the machine over. With your Phillips-head screwdriver, remove the six screws holding down the largest access panel. This will open to reveal the CPU and RAM area. Remove the three screws securing the system fan, and lift the fan assembly out of the way, taking care not to snap the thin power leads. Then loosen the three spring-loaded screws that hold the copper heat sink in place. The captured screws will not come off, so simply loosen and lift. Set aside the heat sink.
- Inspect the CPU socket. The Pentium-M socket is a screw-operated ZIF (zero insertion force) mechanism. Ensure that the socket is unlocked. If it's not, turn the socket with your flathead screwdriver to the unlock symbol. Next, unpack the Pentium-M from its carton, then place the CPU in the socket by aligning the triangle on the chip face with the similar triangle on the socket, where there will also be a filled pin location on the grid. Using the flathead screwdriver, gently rotate the ZIF screw 180 degrees. The socket should slide in slightly as the pins are brought into contact.
- Reattach the heat sink, then replace the system fan. Tighten all screws.
- Unpack the DDR2 SO-DIMM module, and then insert it. Make sure the two SO-DIMM socket levers have locked onto the notches in the side of the module. Use the lower socket so that a second module can be added easily later, if needed. When you're finished with this step, replace the CPU/RAM module cover and tighten all its screws.
- Unwrap the keyboard. Carefully use the small flathead screwdriver to pry off the top upside-down U of the keyboard cover. The good news about this portion of the project is that the power and quick-launch application buttons on this long plastic panel don't have any wiring attached, so there's no need to worry about working the screwdriver underneath them. Also, most of the actual resistance holding the panel in place is located at the screen hinges, so you can focus your efforts in that area. The bad news is that this plastic panel is susceptible to scoring or even cracking if you're not careful. So work slowly and carefully.
- Flip the laptop over, so it's now right-side up. Open the screen all the way, until it's flat with the work surface. Pull forward the white sleeve of the ribbon cable socket. Insert the ribbon cable and push back on the socket to lock it into place. Slot the notches along the bottom row of the keyboard into the chassis, then secure the keyboard along the top row with two of the included screws.
- Replace the top U-shaped trim piece to the keyboard. The keyboard secures with five additional screws: three in the bottom (the holes are labeled K and K/C) and two on the aft side of the machine at the keyboard hinge.
- Flip the machine over again, so you can see the underside. At the forward edge of the chassis are two screws that secure the hard drive tray. Remove these screws, then slide out the tray. Secure the HD to the tray with at least four screws. Note that the circuit board edge of the drive will face downward when the laptop is in its normal operating position.
- Slide the populated tray into the HD bay. There should be some resistance, as the pins in the hard drive mate with the socket in the machine. Re-fasten the HD bay with the two original screws.
- The final component in this build is the WLAN card, the Intel Pro/Wireless 2915ABG. First, unpack the Mini-PCI card, and remove the one screw holding the Mini-PCI card cover in place. Set the cover aside. The card has two sockets to accept the leads from the WLAN antenna, which comes pre-installed in the chassis. Inspect the open Mini-PCI bay. You should see the antenna's two wires: one black, the other white. They may be taped to the interior; if so, remove the tape and attach the antenna leads to the wireless card before attempting to slot it in. The black wire is the main antenna, and the white wire is aux. Once the antenna leads are attached, place the Mini-PCI card in its socket. As with the memory module, ensure that both clips have latched to the side when securing the card.
- Snap in the battery, connect the AC, and power up. The default boot settings are appropriate for most environments. But to customize them, enter the BIOS with the F2 key. For a desktop productivity machine, such as a Windows XP Pro build, use the Main/Set Video Memory option to lower the shared video RAM to 64 MB; this will provide the most system memory for applications. In the Security section, you can define passwords for Supervisor and hard-drive access.
- Install Windows XP or whatever OS the customer has chosen. If you're installing XP, the included, generic-looking driver CD provides Windows software support for all the included hardware, with the drivers stored in clearly labeled folders. Use the sequence directly following to get the machine up to speed, and reboot where indicated.
- Install the drivers located on the CD in this sequence. The name of the driver is also the name of the directory containing the software. Here are the steps:
- Chipset. Reboot.
- Touchpad.
- LAN. Browse to the Intel ABG directory to find this driver.
- Wireless.
- VGA. Install by opening the Windows Device Manager, selecting Video Controller VGA Compatible properties and the Driver tab. Click Update Driver—and for the search location, use D:\VGA\Intel—and then reboot.
- PCMCIA.
- Audio. (Note: Modem installs automatically when complete).
- Now it's time to install the Quanta Manager. The included driver CD is well-organized to quickly enable all of the Sabio SD-KN1A chassis' hardware, as depicted in this screenshot:
- This final tool in the stack, Quanta Manager, lets you customize the application buttons on the chassis, as well as a number of key combinations. For example, if a user wants to use a browser other than Internet Explorer, the "e" button on the case can point to that application. Open Quanta Manager by right-clicking the small KB icon in the system tray and selecting Show. Click the relevant button, then change the Execute option to the program of your choice, as depicted here:
If you'd like more information on whitebooks, a good source is Intel's custom site Mobile Channel Leader and Build-To-Order.
There are still powerful opportunities for system builders in the whitebook market as customers increasingly shift their purchasing preferences to mobile machines--and as new, more accessible partners join the distribution chain. Adding whitebooks to your slate of offerings will help you compete for more deals.
JASON COMPTON is a technology writer who has covered topics ranging from 8-bit entertainment to supercomputing for more than a decade.