Car PC

[BMac1203]

Keep us updated. By sitting on storage shelves, how available are these? (ie: Are they old enough that the company would let go of them?)

[BMac1203]

Yeah....what he said....

[fishbone]

Keep us updated. By sitting on storage shelves, how available are these? (ie: Are they old enough that the company would let go of them?)

On that, I have to check. Traditionally stuff like this is inventoried so when the lifecycle is over, corporate refurbs them and donates them. However, in this particular situation they belong to our department and I'm still checking with the boss on what he plans on doing with them.

And here I was thinking you guys were going to ridicule me toying with such a low-spec machine .

[BMac1203]

No man. We're praising you. Many of these apps dont require much horsepower under the hood. Could be a diamond in the rough.

[fishbone]

I have yet to figure out how to make the blank hdd bootable, as this thing has NO internal drives. Working on it right now.

[Fat Charlie]

That sure as hell simplifies the install. It only leaves the hardest part- screen integration! They seem a little large, but... wow.

[el5y]

So many wiring schemes, hiding laptops under seats or systems in the trunk ... how about a good'ol tablet PC?

Got a bunch of these @ work. They are now basically obsolete, been sitting on storage shelves for ... 4 years? Still work, batteries too!

http://www.fujitsupc.com/www/products_pentablets.shtml?products/pentablets/stylistic_3400

Theyr'e actually not too shabby. 196RAM at most, could be problematic. 400MHz Pentium 3, a 6 gig hard drive that can be upgraded easily. I'll test a 60gig to see if it can recognize the geometry. They're nice. Big touchscreen and what you see is what you get. $hit, I could set this up to come out of my glovebox, on a fully poseable stand

I'm working on installing XP as it stands, the drive is blank.

 

Hmmm, very interested in this. My current laptop was one that met the same fate as these tablets. Just sitting on the shelves at my dad's work cuz they were old and had very little use anymore. Let us know what happens!

[f1anatic]

Kids...those would not work in the Legacy unless you make some kind of mounting device like State Troopers have in their cars. And with most of us having manual trannies (and even with the automatics - the shifter is still between the seats) that is going to be a major challenge. Not to mention interior space wise...the Legacy ain't no Impala, Taurus or Crown Vic.

[el5y]

Well yeah it definitely wouldn't be mounted in the dash. I'd figure something that stemmed from the cubby (just the mounting) that can be retracted and hidden and you can move the tablet somewhere else. Definitely wouldn't be a "clean" install per say but still doable if you didn't wanna go about doing an install like we've been discussing here.

[BMac1203]

Agreed. It might just be a more easy approach to this.

[f1anatic]

Well yeah it definitely wouldn't be mounted in the dash. I'd figure something that stemmed from the cubby (just the mounting) that can be retracted and hidden and you can move the tablet somewhere else. Definitely wouldn't be a "clean" install per say but still doable if you didn't wanna go about doing an install like we've been discussing here.

 

what installs are we discussing here ? You mean inside the cubby ? I am not doing that...NFW !

[el5y]

what installs are we discussing here ? You mean inside the cubby ? I am not doing that...NFW !

 

sarcasm noted...I was just merely stating that if you don't wanna go through the trouble of putting a monitor in the cubby and everything else that comes with a carpc like described in this thread then a tabletpc may be the way to go for most people. That is all I've put my project on hold until I buy a new house (by put on hold I mean my fiancé decided that I'm spending too much money/time with the project and not saving enough for the house) so a tablet pc may be a better route for me until I can divest some of my funds from her grasps

[fishbone]

The trouble with the tablet PC I am working with now [besides the fact I can't get XP to install with no peripherals, but soon to be fixed] is the fact that you do need a stylus. The screen is calibrated in such a way that it's not very touch-sensitive. There may be a way around that, not sure if it's hardware or software.

[BMac1203]

Just a side note for you guys (that are on hold due to money and time). I'm having a mold made out of my cubby-screen bezel, and should be making a run of them. Not sure of the costs yet, but Ill keep you posted.

[noam]

Just a side note for you guys (that are on hold due to money and time). I'm having a mold made out of my cubby-screen bezel, and should be making a run of them. Not sure of the costs yet, but Ill keep you posted.

Sweet! I'm interested...

[f1anatic]

Sweet BMAC !

Seb is making the cases for the PC...

 

Hmmm I will do the touchpad controllers !

 

Let's open up a shop ! Shit...we're in 3 different parts of the continent.

-----------

I am not sure what mould BMAC is doing but ideally, I see it as some sort of bezel that people can just screw in and to it attach the internals of either a Xenarc or a Lilliput. Something that any 10 year old could do with a screw driver. Whichever one of us will do that and then expand into a few more models like G35, Impreza, Lancer, Z, will strike it rich.

[BMac1203]

Im going to be making cases too. But those will be done personally by me. Custom trunk fiberglass enclosures. Ill take pictures of both tomorrow in the sunlight.

[andrew.anderson]

.. meh.. this project has been 2 years in the making, I am in no rush

 

:lol: You are more patient then me.

 

I ordered so parts over a week ago and was upset when they had not been shipped 8 days later. I could never wait a month for things.

[BMac1203]

I always pay the extra $10 for next day or 2 day because Im so impatient. Oops...

[f1anatic]

so which one of us is running the latest centrafuse creation ? Cause my serial # expired last night and I need to upgrade to C1.1 and i wanna make sure i can still dick with the GPS while driving (well not me but my navigator).

[el5y]

Just a side note for you guys (that are on hold due to money and time). I'm having a mold made out of my cubby-screen bezel, and should be making a run of them. Not sure of the costs yet, but Ill keep you posted.

 

Sweet! maybe I can get around the bank (read: fiance) and get something like this. let us know man!

 

Eric

[BMac1203]

so which one of us is running the latest centrafuse creation ? Cause my serial # expired last night and I need to upgrade to C1.1 and i wanna make sure i can still dick with the GPS while driving (well not me but my navigator).

 

Im running 1.1 right now (latest release). Theres some messages that pop-up, telling you that you cant use stuff while driving. But theres a string of code that you copy and paste and it diverts those messages. PM me and Ill send you the string.

[BMac1203]

Sweet! maybe I can get around the bank (read: fiance) and get something like this. let us know man!

 

Eric

 

No problem! Im in the process of contacting a few contractors to get a mold made.

 

In the meantime, Im making these by hand. Ill post some pics, and if any of you like my work, I can make a few. Generally takes me about 2 days (depending on my classes).

[Fat Charlie]

Sweet BMAC !

Seb is making the cases for the PC...

 

Hmmm I will do the touchpad controllers !

 

Let's open up a shop ! Shit...we're in 3 different parts of the continent.

 

What can Brown do for you?

 

You guys are going to get me in serious trouble with my wife eventually. The sooner, the better!

[BMac1203]

Well. Just wait to see what Ive got cooking for you guys. Hopefully I can post some pics tonight.

 

My ultimate goal is to make a Legacy CarPC "KIT". This kit will include trunk PC Case (fits in the trunk passenger side cavity) w/trunk carpeting to match. Cubby Bezel w/universal mounting brackets (to support both Xenarc & Lilliput). & Competitive pricing...

 

Anyone interested?

 

The case will already have motherboard standoffs in place, as well as mounting brackets for either 2.5" or 3.5" HD, as well as mounting plates for the PSU of your choice. All plug & play, and will be covered with matching trunk carpet. You bolt your screen into my bezel, install your computer components into my case, and run the wiring (which I may make a harness for as well). Should cut the install down to about 2 hours MAX, and make it very cost-effective.

 

Hope this sounds worthwhile...