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Do in-car computer systems exist? (like a laptop)

A

AutoXinMK5

Touring Car Champion
Location
Virginia
Does anyone make small computer systems that can be retro-fitted into a car and then run from a small moniter?? And be able to hook up a wireless keyboard and wireless mouse?

Basically I wanna run a VAG from inside the car. No dealing with laptops flopping all over the place just pull out/flip up the equipment and go. I figure I can store the mouse, keyboard and whatever else external equipment I need in one of those Euro underseat compartments.

Can anyone direct me to a site that has this kind of equipment?
 
trick000

trick000

FIA World Rally Car Champion
Location
Houston
A

AutoXinMK5

Touring Car Champion
Location
Virginia
trick000 said:
I'm gonna give you the bookmarked links that I had when I was researching this very same project.

http://www.xenarcdirect.com/home.php
http://www.karputer.co.uk/karputer.php
http://www.digitalww.com/
http://www.letscommunicate.co.uk/carputer/hardware.htm
http://www.travla.com/Products/products.html
http://www.mp3car.com/store/index.php
http://www.mini-box.com/s.nl/it.A/i...PchqKchz0n6jAmljGr5XDqQLvpAe?sc=8&category=13
http://www.logicsupply.com/index.php
Click to expand...


Awesome... What made you decide against it?
 
latenite

latenite

Conan O'Brien
Location
SGV, CA
im not sure if there are computer systems made for cars, but it is pretty simple makeing your own. I saw an article where u can make your own "in car office" with a scanner/printer as an armrest, a touchscreen, laptop under the seat, paper shredder in the glovebox.
 
A

AutoXinMK5

Touring Car Champion
Location
Virginia
latenite said:
im not sure if there are computer systems made for cars, but it is pretty simple makeing your own. I saw an article where u can make your own "in car office" with a scanner/printer as an armrest, a touchscreen, laptop under the seat, paper shredder in the glovebox.
Click to expand...

hahaha... don't need something quiet that extensive...

VAG says it needs windows 95 or higher 16mb of ram and 100mhz to run so I figure it shouldn't be too hard to find a computer capable of that.
 
trick000

trick000

FIA World Rally Car Champion
Location
Houston
latenite said:
im not sure if there are computer systems made for cars, but it is pretty simple makeing your own. I saw an article where u can make your own "in car office" with a scanner/printer as an armrest, a touchscreen, laptop under the seat, paper shredder in the glovebox.
Click to expand...

There actually are PC systems made for cars. The links above talk all about them.
 
A

AutoXinMK5

Touring Car Champion
Location
Virginia
Also says i need a resolution of atleast 640x480... I'm kind of ok with computer/electronics...

But is there a minimun screen size I need to run 640x480 or just the right computer hardware.
 
trick000

trick000

FIA World Rally Car Champion
Location
Houston
AutoXinMK5 said:
Also says i need a resolution of atleast 640x480... I'm kind of ok with computer/electronics...

But is there a minimun screen size I need to run 640x480 or just the right computer hardware.
Click to expand...

The PC shouldn't be the issue. Most if not all graphics cards will display at a minimum of 640x480. Make sure that the LCD that you get can display at least that resolution.
 
A

AutoXinMK5

Touring Car Champion
Location
Virginia
trick000 said:
The PC shouldn't be the issue. Most if not all graphics cards will display at a minimum of 640x480. Make sure that the LCD that you get can display at least that resolution.
Click to expand...

So is this going to in the specs of each specific companies LCD or is there a minimum LCD screen size requirement?
 
A

andrewt

Autocross Champion
Location
Sugar Land, TX
most 7 inch VGA monitors will be able to handle 640x480 resolution. off the top of my head, i'm pretty sure the lilliput and xenarc 7 inch monitors do. the max resolution is usually listed right in the specifications. check out the price and specifications of the two monitors in the mp3car store that was linked above. if you only want to run VAG com and thats it, i would actually recommend getting a cheapo LCD off ebay. if you don't want to go that route, the lilliput is VERY widely used and fairly inexpensive.

do you think you would want to go with a touchscreen, or simply control it with a mouse? non-touchscreen monitors are pretty inexpensive.

i should be starting my carpc project soon, and have researched it pretty extensively. feel free to ask any questions! i'll tell you right now mp3car.com will be your best friend if you decide to pursue this. there is such a wealth of information in the forums. good luck!
 
A

AutoXinMK5

Touring Car Champion
Location
Virginia
andrewt said:
most 7 inch VGA monitors will be able to handle 640x480 resolution. off the top of my head, i'm pretty sure the lilliput and xenarc 7 inch monitors do. the max resolution is usually listed right in the specifications. check out the price and specifications of the two monitors in the mp3car store that was linked above. if you only want to run VAG com and thats it, i would actually recommend getting a cheapo LCD off ebay. if you don't want to go that route, the lilliput is VERY widely used and fairly inexpensive.

do you think you would want to go with a touchscreen, or simply control it with a mouse? non-touchscreen monitors are pretty inexpensive.

i should be starting my carpc project soon, and have researched it pretty extensively. feel free to ask any questions! i'll tell you right now mp3car.com will be your best friend if you decide to pursue this. there is such a wealth of information in the forums. good luck!
Click to expand...

Well touch screen would definatly be the "coolest" but I think to keep costs down I'm going to go with just regular screen and mouse/keyboard type thing. Something like this:
http://www.fentek-ind.com/kbmgp.htm
It measures 11.3x8.5 and it has a touch pad mouse built into it. Very small, compact, and it's wireless.

I'm gonna go by an audio/custom shop and talk to them later.
 
A

AutoXinMK5

Touring Car Champion
Location
Virginia
Another question...

Touchscreen moniters... Do they have drivers that you need to load onto the "car computer" to be able to use the touch screen function or does the electronics inside the screen make it plug and play?

Is that also partly or fully dependent on the computer system I use?
 
A

andrewt

Autocross Champion
Location
Sugar Land, TX
there are drivers that come with the monitor, or you can download off their website. the touchscreen interface is USB.
 
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