Car PC

[Spike]

Im looking to build a pc to handle all the multimedia for my car. Anyone got any suggestions? How do I handle the power?

[FunkZ]

I looked into this a couple years ago before car MP3 players came on the market. Basically all I wanted was a car PC that would hold and play a bunch of MP3's. I figured that a used laptop would make the best car audio PC. You can find a several year old model for a few hundred dollars, car power adapters that plug into your cigarette lighter are readily available, you can get keypads that plug into a PS2 port and control Winamp with, and they're small and light and you could pop it out and take it with you. The only thing you'd need is a way to insert signal into your existing audio system from the laptop. Some of the Sony head units come with aux in ports, or you could get an FM modulator and then tune in the frequency on your stock radio.

[Spike]

I concidered the laptop idea but that isn't very mod-o-licious. Plus, it'll only be in a "case" temporarily, as I am going to be building it a home in the center console I am putting in the 1948 Hudson I am building.

[cooler253733]

Check out the past 2- 3 months Maximum PC.....I remember one of the issue post the rig of the month is building a pc in the car.....I remember he put the pc at the back trunk...and the ipod and a controler at fornt the compartment.......Let me look for that issue..............

[cooler253733]

I find the article!! is fromMaximum PC 2006 January issue

http://photobucket.com/albums/e359/wile253733/?action=view&current=PCCar.jpg

[zachig]

Thanks for the article, cooler253733, I found it very interesting. :wink:

Oh....Spike....there are a lot of sites over the net that are dealing with building a Car PC....just Google!!!

But...a good "starting point" for you can be this site: http://www.mini-box.com/site/index.html

They offer a lot of Car PC solutions. CHECK IT OUT!!!

GOOD LUCK!!! :wink:

[XyBeRz]

I was looking into putting a computer into a car some time ago. If I remember correctly I think the site is www.carpc.com but I'm not sure if that's it. It's a company that specializes in putting the smallest computers into cars.
As for your power supply concern, you would just use a power invertor that would normally purchase to power your other items, like PS2, XBOX 360 and what not.
The only thing that people and companies have been trying to work on is the boot time. There is nothing out yet that will give instant boot up like a Mp3 or DVD car deck. They have gotten the boot up times to speed up somewhat, but there is still waiting. Hopefully that day will come soon, then computers will be a norm in all vehicles. :mrgreen: