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Here is how to use an Evo T20 thin client as a stand alone Internet radio receiver :
Why do it Well I did it for 3 reasons
1] because it was a challenge
2]To have a noiseless low consumption unit only 20 watts at peak rather than run a noisey power hungry Full Desktop PC ( I have measured mine and once Booted uses 8 Watts)
3]To find a use for something that otherwise was junk -
These older thin clients are currently getting pulled out of many businesses and can be picked up for anything from a few dollars to $50 dependant on how lucky you are. Have a look on Ebay or better still in the Dumpster out the back of a Network Dealer. Once fully configered no Screen key Board or Mouse is needed - Simply press the on button and after the 2 minutes of booting - Audio of your favorite Internet radio station comes out of the 3.5mm stereo plug ready for headphones or a suitable amplifier - Once you have finished press and hold the same button and the unit turns itself off
To Make things easier a Networked computer on the same Network with a "Shared" directory as a place to store files in the build stage helps, as does an extra mouse keyboard and monitor. The networked computer needs to be running Windows 2000, XP or Vista I do not Know about 7 yet!! There is a way round this using a pendrive which I have posted here http://www.instructables.com/id/Adding-Memory-to-an-EVO-T20-with-NT4e-to-make-a-u/
Why do it Well I did it for 3 reasons
1] because it was a challenge
2]To have a noiseless low consumption unit only 20 watts at peak rather than run a noisey power hungry Full Desktop PC ( I have measured mine and once Booted uses 8 Watts)
3]To find a use for something that otherwise was junk -
These older thin clients are currently getting pulled out of many businesses and can be picked up for anything from a few dollars to $50 dependant on how lucky you are. Have a look on Ebay or better still in the Dumpster out the back of a Network Dealer. Once fully configered no Screen key Board or Mouse is needed - Simply press the on button and after the 2 minutes of booting - Audio of your favorite Internet radio station comes out of the 3.5mm stereo plug ready for headphones or a suitable amplifier - Once you have finished press and hold the same button and the unit turns itself off
To Make things easier a Networked computer on the same Network with a "Shared" directory as a place to store files in the build stage helps, as does an extra mouse keyboard and monitor. The networked computer needs to be running Windows 2000, XP or Vista I do not Know about 7 yet!! There is a way round this using a pendrive which I have posted here http://www.instructables.com/id/Adding-Memory-to-an-EVO-T20-with-NT4e-to-make-a-u/
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Not all Evo T20 thin clients are the same some are quite high specificationed and some are basically Junk - To do this you Need one of them that Runs Windows Nt4e or Windows XPe with enough flash memory basically the 64 megabyte or better . The Windows Ce ones are totally unsuitable for this Project and are basically a Door stop: They all look the same and use the same 5 volt 4 amp power supply the only way to tell them apart is by the part number ; This is located underneath the unit. Other Thin Clients that I have tested and work are the Compaq EVO T30 Thin Client and for the Ultimate Version the " Hp T5700 which can be used as a Video Host".
Fortunately lots of information is available online at the HP web site and other sources http://h18000.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/10865_div/10865_div.HTML
The following Part numbers are the ones it should work on from the HP list
305253-xxx 308791-xxx 311334-xxx
306480-001 is what I have used (128megs of ram and 128meg of flash ) in the demo After several trials any T20 or T30 with 64 megs or more is a possible candidate. With a 64 meg flash you have the options to source a 32 Meg smart media card ( if you can find one ) - slip that into the socket on the EVO's mother board then reflash it as a 96 Meg unit.I have found no way of making a Ce Unit into a NTe. With Windows media player installed a 64meg flash unit still has 9megs of spare space
You will also need a USB mouse a USB key board and a VGA monitor and Wired Internet (a Rj45 cable feeding broadband Internet From a router Ideally set in DHCP mode to give out network Ip addresses)
Fortunately lots of information is available online at the HP web site and other sources http://h18000.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/10865_div/10865_div.HTML
The following Part numbers are the ones it should work on from the HP list
305253-xxx 308791-xxx 311334-xxx
306480-001 is what I have used (128megs of ram and 128meg of flash ) in the demo After several trials any T20 or T30 with 64 megs or more is a possible candidate. With a 64 meg flash you have the options to source a 32 Meg smart media card ( if you can find one ) - slip that into the socket on the EVO's mother board then reflash it as a 96 Meg unit.I have found no way of making a Ce Unit into a NTe. With Windows media player installed a 64meg flash unit still has 9megs of spare space
You will also need a USB mouse a USB key board and a VGA monitor and Wired Internet (a Rj45 cable feeding broadband Internet From a router Ideally set in DHCP mode to give out network Ip addresses)
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Windows 2000 - INACCESSABLE BOOT DEVICE
Windows XP - Reboot loop, no safe mode will get around it.
Windows 95 - Does not do anything, it goes to network boot
BartPE - ERROR 16
That didn't work that well.