In Car PC

dizbo

hey guys.. need your help on this one. I've decided i'm going to build an in car pc for my car. Now i aint good with computer parts and what stuff i need so i was wondering if someone could give me some help. I'm looking for a monitor which will fit in my dash (single din) with touch screen but i would also like it to play the radio and if at all possible to connect up to the 6cd changer in my boot (not neccessary). pc wise, i'm looking for something with a bit of speed. doesn't have to be majorly fast. but i'm looking for something with a lot of memory (to store mp3s) and i'll prob install windows xp, and have a small wireless keyboard and an instant bootable media player so that i can play discs without having to boot up the operating system, possibly sat nav (i have a garmin already but if its cheap enough i'll put it on the computer). i also want to connect to the internet (when i'm at home via wireless internet, just to update windows and anything else that needs updating). and last but not least car diag, just basic stuff like car temp and stuff like that (if its not too much trouble to install it all). anyways... i'd be grateful for your help as i think it'd be a cool project to do. and i wont refuse any offers to come help me either

Why do you need a PC in your car?

dizbo

so i can have all my mp3s in the car, so i can use the internet, so i can watch dvds and get all my car diag. it'll work out near enough the same price as an in car single din dvd player. so if i'm gonna pay big money for a dvd player in the car i may as well go all out and put a pc in it or a carputer as i've heard it being referred to.

Rovi

Vast amounts of information on the subject here-
http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/

dizbo

dizbo wrote:

so i can have all my mp3s in the car, so i can use the internet, so i can watch dvds and get all my car diag. it'll work out near enough the same price as an in car single din dvd player. so if i'm gonna pay big money for a dvd player in the car i may as well go all out and put a pc in it or a carputer as i've heard it being referred to.

Usually people have a thing called a house for those kind of things

Personally I don't think its worth the hassle. Get a good ipod compatible head unit with a built in LCD screen. Video ipods can play on some of the newer ones.

That just leaves diagnostic software which for all the times you would use it isn't worth the hassle. At times a computer would be useful to a limited degree but waiting for it to boot and shutting it down right every time you wanted to play music or DVDs on it isn't worth it for me, its a huge distraction when you are driving.
Its good for pimp my ride pose factor but thats all in my opinion.

drdre

What car do you have, My friend made an amazing computer for his mk5 golf.I had pictures but i dont know where i put them.I will try find them for you.He got his information from mp3car

dizbo

ronoc wrote:

Usually people have a thing called a house for those kind of things

Personally I don't think its worth the hassle. Get a good ipod compatible head unit with a built in LCD screen. Video ipods can play on some of the newer ones.

That just leaves diagnostic software which for all the times you would use it isn't worth the hassle. At times a computer would be useful to a limited degree but waiting for it to boot and shutting it down right every time you wanted to play music or DVDs on it isn't worth it for me, its a huge distraction when you are driving.
Its good for pimp my ride pose factor but thats all in my opinion.

Whats a house?? is that one of those big things with running water and electricity???

the whole shutting down and all when you want to play a dvd etc... thats why i was talking about the whole instant bootable media player so i dont have to shut it down etc.... and i get bored easliy so this way i'll keep occupied and being doing something new.. and no, i'm not a boy racer or anything.. i drive a skoda octavia TDI. how many boy racers go around in them?

dizbo

drdre wrote:

What car do you have, My friend made an amazing computer for his mk5 golf.I had pictures but i dont know where i put them.I will try find them for you.He got his information from mp3car

a 00 skoda octavia TDI. Yeah that would be sweet if you could find those photos. i'm just trying to get a bit of money first then i'm gonna start on it. just trying to get all the research out of the way.

drdre

dizbo wrote:

Whats a house?? is that one of those big things with running water and electricity???

the whole shutting down and all when you want to play a dvd etc... thats why i was talking about the whole instant bootable media player so i dont have to shut it down etc.... and i get bored easliy so this way i'll keep occupied and being doing something new.. and no, i'm not a boy racer or anything.. i drive a skoda octavia TDI. how many boy racers go around in them?

Boyracers cant even afford a whole in car pc, they just buy the 100 euro tacky screens

dizbo

dizbo wrote:

Whats a house?? is that one of those big things with running water and electricity???

the whole shutting down and all when you want to play a dvd etc... thats why i was talking about the whole instant bootable media player so i dont have to shut it down etc.... and i get bored easliy so this way i'll keep occupied and being doing something new.. and no, i'm not a boy racer or anything.. i drive a skoda octavia TDI. how many boy racers go around in them?

Well straight away you are looking at dual booting with linux then. And you are not going to get anything that is near instant and you won't be able to play music and dvds while you are running windows apps.

Never said you were a boy racer! Its a matter of taste, its not my cup of tea. From a technical point of view most of want to do is possible but I don't think it will perform like you want.

Voipjunkie

If your interested I have a Karputer Icepac for sale in the adverts section

http://www.adverts.ie/showproduct.php?product=14814&cat=all

dizbo

Voipjunkie wrote:

If your interested I have a Karputer Icepac for sale in the adverts section

http://www.adverts.ie/showproduct.php?product=14814&cat=all

thats not bad. has nearly everything i want.. what about fm radio? and i'd still want a single din lcd. dont want one that anyone can see just walking by the car.

Voipjunkie

dizbo wrote:

thats not bad. has nearly everything i want.. what about fm radio? and i'd still want a single din lcd. dont want one that anyone can see just walking by the car.

Yeah it has FM radio.

Cosmo K

Check this out, I know its in german, but you can still see the tec spec


http://www.car-pc.info/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=49

Jack Bauer999

dizbo wrote:

so i can have all my mp3s in the car, so i can use the internet, so i can watch dvds and get all my car diag. it'll work out near enough the same price as an in car single din dvd player. so if i'm gonna pay big money for a dvd player in the car i may as well go all out and put a pc in it or a carputer as i've heard it being referred to.

Can someone please explain to me what scenario would make you want to
watch a dvd in your car??
I can understand a dvd player in the back or something if you have kids and
go on frequent long journeys, its not like you will be watching a movie while
you are driving so why oh why would you want to sit in your car for 2 hours watching a dvd on a crappy little screen?

daedalus2097

dizbo wrote:

so i can have all my mp3s in the car, so i can use the internet, so i can watch dvds and get all my car diag. it'll work out near enough the same price as an in car single din dvd player. so if i'm gonna pay big money for a dvd player in the car i may as well go all out and put a pc in it or a carputer as i've heard it being referred to.

Hmmm... The hassle of starting up and shutting down Windows XP is enough for me to say I'd never bother, unless you can get a system to shut the computer down after you switch off the ignition. If it were just for your MP3s and videos there are portable hard drives that have a basic media player and video/audio out on them, and can just be powered down when not required, which would simplify things a fair bit. The diagnostics end of it is a different story - you would need a full-blown PC for that, though I reckon installation is fairly easy if you get your hands on a VAG-Com cable and the software.

drdre

daedalus2097 wrote:

Hmmm... The hassle of starting up and shutting down Windows XP is enough for me to say I'd never bother, unless you can get a system to shut the computer down after you switch off the ignition. If it were just for your MP3s and videos there are portable hard drives that have a basic media player and video/audio out on them, and can just be powered down when not required, which would simplify things a fair bit. The diagnostics end of it is a different story - you would need a full-blown PC for that, though I reckon installation is fairly easy if you get your hands on a VAG-Com cable and the software.

Yes theres a system that starts the computer automatically once you turn the ignition and closes the computer down properly once you turn off the ignition.My friend has it in his car.

dizbo

Jack Bauer999 wrote:

Can someone please explain to me what scenario would make you want to
watch a dvd in your car??
I can understand a dvd player in the back or something if you have kids and
go on frequent long journeys, its not like you will be watching a movie while
you are driving so why oh why would you want to sit in your car for 2 hours watching a dvd on a crappy little screen?

that would kinda be a bit stupid... and obviously i'm not gonna be watching it while driving. its for the passengers in the car. i'm always driving long distances so its nice for the passengers of the car to be able to watch something instead of just sitting there bored.

dizbo

daedalus2097 wrote:

Hmmm... The hassle of starting up and shutting down Windows XP is enough for me to say I'd never bother, unless you can get a system to shut the computer down after you switch off the ignition. If it were just for your MP3s and videos there are portable hard drives that have a basic media player and video/audio out on them, and can just be powered down when not required, which would simplify things a fair bit. The diagnostics end of it is a different story - you would need a full-blown PC for that, though I reckon installation is fairly easy if you get your hands on a VAG-Com cable and the software.

well i've been doing research and there is some software, dont know what it is yet, but you dont have to load windows in order to play dvds. and also, you can set the computer to work on the ignition. when you turn off the ignition, once the computer is finished all the downloads it needs (from the internet when i'm parked up at night) it will switch off itself.

rebel.ranter

Jack Bauer999 wrote:

Can someone please explain to me what scenario would make you want to
watch a dvd in your car??
I can understand a dvd player in the back or something if you have kids and
go on frequent long journeys, its not like you will be watching a movie while
you are driving so why oh why would you want to sit in your car for 2 hours watching a dvd on a crappy little screen?

I know taxi drivers that would love to be able to watch a bit of TV while sitting on the rank in the airport waiting for a fare etc. That's one scenario.