ChromeSE5

iTrader: (3)

I was trying to google it but found little info other than buying some products. Anyways, i want to go with an indash touchscreen monitor hooked up to a PC, the p4 in the small tower which is about 6 inches tall and 5 inches wide (from an AC/DC converter). This will be a stow away unit. I wil have a mouse but the ones that you hold in ur palm (made for laptops). Anyways, i just wanted a project since my stereo got jacked day of christmas eve. Anyways, I wasnt planning on running a head unit but just get some 8mm jack to rca outputs from a really decent sound card and hooking that up to an AMP. I would have a keyboard but prolly the mini ones without the number pad and my vid card would have to have an RCA output. Think this is feasable for under $1000? I already have speakers and I am not planning on getting a sub anymore. Is there anything else i should look out for?
thanks
eugene

luckee2bhere

iTrader: (1)

i talked to people who have done it for about that money...let me know how it comes out...

RichMax

iTrader: (2)

There's a couple problems with it, and therefore I chose to abandon it.

Power is easy enough, but either you will need a stripped-down PC/OS, or you will have to deal with agonizingly long start up times (taking short trips, the PC will seem to take an eternity to start)

The functions will not be as great as you might hope. You will buy a hodgepodge of parts/software if you decide to do navigation and/or voice command, and neither will work hugely well, or at least not as well as a dedicated, pre-fab system, which if you think about it, is, in essence, a stripped down PC (take the AVIC-N1 or Eclipse AVN).

GodsmackMAX

iTrader: (4)

This is going to be my next project as well. It is easily doable under a grand. Check out mp3car.com and mini-box.com.

I'm going to buy a mini-ITX board through the second website. Don't even mess with a power inverter because if you think about it, you are just converting DC to AC right back to DC. Mini-box.com has DC-DC power supplies as well and a cool little feature that will time how long after your ignition has turned and automatically shutdown your Carputer so you don't run down your battery.

I'm thinking about just going with one of their kits and get a slimline dvd drive and probably about a 40Gb harddrive and somehow stash all of this in the glovebox...

Hope that helps!
drew

ChromeSE5

iTrader: (3)

yyeah im not really looking for navigation or voice command... i just want a really nice mp3 player with really nice graphics and have the ability to play solitaire lol. but seriously, i just want to bypass the head unit and use something that is very GUI. i guess the mouse function i will have to get use to and maybe someday i will def. upgrade to a touch screen. I would use a headunit if i did have a 4th gen, but 5th gens dont have that kind of space, esp since i have a manual. well, ill do more research.

PhillyDonut

iTrader: (3)

There’s a lot of info on the web, but it'll take some time to find. As you search you'll start to find some very interesting stuff. Here are some starter links. I had more but lost them due to my pc crash. My friend did his for little over $1000 (with touch screen). My primary concern is heat in the cabin during hot summers. Nonetheless, I am still proceeding with my project... Good luck.

This is one of the BEST reference sites b/c it has a lot of helpful links in it.
http://www.thisstrife.com/carproject/index.asp

Also:
www.dashpc.com
www.xenarc.com


Edit:
Definitely go with a touch screen!! See xenarc. No reason to be using a keyboard/mouse... unless emergency meaning touch screen not responding.

l3ftonm3

iTrader: (2)

touchscreen is good, but I would still want the mouse. Im also thinking of doing this cause I have a crap load of spare pc parts laying around. Im thinking of prefabricating a case for it so I can mount it to the top of the trunk in the rear. My biggest concern too is the heat issues in the trunk during the summer. It would just boil.

l3ftonm3

iTrader: (2)

Maybe tapping into an ac vent and routing it to the rear would help, or just simply keeping the rear passenger trunk pass through open so air could get in there.

PhillyDonut

iTrader: (3)

I personally am against the idea of a PC in the trunk b/c I wouldn't be able to fully utilize the DVD bay and access to power button and usb port for "stuff". I would need to load movies/data/etc, but that's just me. If you are trying to make use of ur parts and am going to fabricate a case, then consider getting a mini-itx board. This way you can build a mini box and put it.... nm, you wanted it in the trunk.. silly me.
http://www.mini-itx.com/

I have considered tapping into AC vent, but this would also mean tapping into the heat vent unless you make something that can open and closed. Also, I can not find an adequate path to rout tubing without making it look ghetto.

I would also recommend keeping a wireless mouse in the car. Wireless hand held track ball is probably the cheapest way to go OR more a expensive motion sensor mouse would be better.

PhillyDonut

iTrader: (3)

Almost forgot to mention. Another GREAT reason to have a PC in your car is EMULATORS!!!

You can pretty much sikp on an external gaming system.
Therefore, I would need the PC in the front cabin for a usb or serial controller access.

EDIT:
or add video camera should you want to record ur driving experience or a video diary of ur trip.

myktek

www.mp3car.com go to the forums, the best info u can get on it....and there are some maxima users on there also.. =)

SublimeI30t

Im definitely not a mac user, but have you seen the new mini mac? Its 6.5" square and 2" tall. You could mount it nearly anywhere. Just a fun idea, im sure it could play mp3's and solitare, but I'm not sure about the emulation possibilities.

l3ftonm3

iTrader: (2)

well to upload stuff I was just going to get a wireless betwork card, cause I have a wireless router so I could just park my car in the driveway and transfer stuff that way. No need for dvd drive, its all about divx store everything on the hard drive. Im basically looking at power supply, motherboard, hard drive, and 2 fans in a closed case. Im thinking wood, then insulated by some type of styrafoam, then rubber mounts to place the mobo on top of. Then just run 2 fans blowing air out of it. For the power switch, thats easy, just run a push switch to the front to turn the computer on in the back, just simple power wires. But like I said before heat is my biggest issue. Could do some water cooling, but that would make my setup larger. Im try to keep the height of the box as high as the power supply.

HomerMAC

iTrader: (5)

.... ahh well dont mean to sound stupid but if u have a small enough enclusure u can put it under ur seat.. thats where i have my tire pump(getto little airpump that saved me with flat on highway) but yea.. so you can fit somehting under there.. and as far as heat.. ahh u can always underclock the system a bit... and the whole idea of bypassing thehead unit all together.. is a bit toomuch... and no cd drive..? what if u wanna pop in a cd..? i really wanted to do the carputer idea..

l3ftonm3

iTrader: (2)

oops, yah I wouldnt be bypassing the headunit for sound at all. I have aux rca for input in the back of mine which I would just run from the computer. Also I thought putting it under the seat, its just that So much crap gets kicked under there during the summer and winter ie. dirt, small rocks, that I wouldnt want to chance it getting sucked into the pc if I was to have a intake fan. I could just see a friend of mine in the back seat kicking it around while trying to get comfortable with his feat under one of the front seats.

wylie-c

CD/DVD is simple, use a USB enclosure. Gut the electronics and dash mount the drive. I also have a 4-port USB hub between the seats for any game controllers, keyboard etc. And if your only concern is mp3 and divx, an old 400MHZ P2 will do just fine and cost almost nothing.

________________________________________
CarPC
P3-667, 128Mb, 10G, DVD-rom, ATI All-In-Wonder 128Pro, Remote Wonder, Microsoft GPS receiver, Mobile Authority 7", Coleman 400w inverter.

sterlingmissile (the .org scammer)

BUMPiTY BUMP

MiniRX7

Orderd my Xenarc Casing, and i already have the GXE kit so once it arrives, i am going to be molding it into the GXE kit.

If my project goes well, I will be buying a xenarc screen.

I already havev a screen in my car with my xbox and a 160gig that plays divx, mp3, etc.. but i need more integration.. See my cardomain for details.

PhillyDonut

iTrader: (3)

Which Xenarc casing did you get? Keep us posted on it.

I'm a fan of PS2 so here are some interesting resources about emulating the PS2 with your PC. You can always consider adding this to your setup as well.
http://www.pcsx.net/
http://www.pcsx2.net/

MiniRX7

I am getting the VGA/touchscreen one...

Even with my xbox and tons of SNES, N64, Arcade emulators, and the XBOX games i have, i never play them in the car (maybe once every 2 months for like 1 hour)... so games are not really my thing. But i was just board of the interface, really, i relocated the IR sensor and the power switch up front on the dash, so my xbox resides in the trunk. HOwever even still, i was bored because it didnt have GPS, and the fact i had to use a freakin remote to control the xbox.

PS2 may be good for gaming but as a multimedia center, the XBOX modded will blow the PS2 to bits..

Lytheum

ok...didnt read all the posts, but i had a computer for a while

i did this all right whent he mini itx form factor came out. i even forget what board it was...but i had the case under the drivers seat. hooked a touchpad up on the center console and mounted a 7" xenarc vga monitor in my dash. it all worked pretty good, but it was to much of a hassle to use. my trip to work was less then 10 minutes, so by the time it booted up, loaded winamp and began playing i was most of the way there....then i had to shut it down. i had gps navigation hooked up to a delorme reciever mounted in my back window. that was pretty cool feature. i never did use the dvd player. its a good idea, but just wasnt practical.

l3ftonm3

iTrader: (2)

it would definitely be something to use for long trips.

PhillyDonut

iTrader: (3)

Yeah, a PC would mainly benefit long trips or to unfamiliar places. I remember running across a site where someone stripped down a version of windows that boots up much quicker. Also, I believe Linux boots up quicker though don't quote me on this since I'm not familiar with Linux. There are ways around the boot up issue, but what would you do with it in 10mins?

As for the shutdown, there is a device (or what it config) that allows windows to perform shut down process once the power is cut off so you can just turn off the ignition and the PC will shelf shut down. I don't have the link anymore but look and ye shall find.