Use a Pocket PC as a carPC?

**HiJackZX1** · 11-20-2008, 08:48 PM

Im not sure if you guys have been watching, but I notice some pocket PC are coming with an option to buy a TV out cable to connect to RCA ports on a TV. I just bought a HTC Touch PRO and noticed the option under settings. The cable also come with stereo audio cables. This would be cool for people that dont want to install a PC in there car. All they would have to do is install a screen. Not sure how the font would look though.

**f1ip** · 11-20-2008, 09:56 PM

since it'll output to 640x480 it's probably readable on a 7" screen I like that the cable has a extusb passthru to keep the device charged.

**HiJackZX1** · 11-20-2008, 10:01 PM

Only thing is it isnt as feature packed as a carpc, like with audio qaulity, etc, but for people that want something simple and has everything rolled into one, this is the unit. The pro has the built in keyboard, touch screen, gps, video, radio and so much more. If I wouldnt have went for a super system like in my car now, I would have probably used this.

**chronoguy** · 01-01-2009, 12:46 AM

I'm going to do this. I got tired of dickering around. I just got a HTC TOUCH Pro from my work.

As for the front end, I am swapping out the touchFlow3 for SPB mobile shell. I just need big icons. I downloaded kinoma, coreplayer so I have all my multimedia needs.

I installed Igo 8 and I was simply blown away. 3D buildings but most importantly 3D terrain mapping. There is this windy road I drive on Saturdays and the 3D rolling hills is simply handy. I think Igo8 is by far the best Nav GPS app on any platform. The newest one 8.3.1 even has reality view like the Navigons.

I am waiting for my RCA tv-out cable and I will post a youtube video of my set-up.

**HiJackZX1** · 01-02-2009, 10:00 AM

Originally Posted by chronoguy

I'm going to do this. I got tired of dickering around. I just got a HTC TOUCH Pro from my work.

As for the front end, I am swapping out the touchFlow3 for SPB mobile shell. I just need big icons. I downloaded kinoma, coreplayer so I have all my multimedia needs.

I installed Igo 8 and I was simply blown away. 3D buildings but most importantly 3D terrain mapping. There is this windy road I drive on Saturdays and the 3D rolling hills is simply handy. I think Igo8 is by far the best Nav GPS app on any platform. The newest one 8.3.1 even has reality view like the Navigons.

I am waiting for my RCA tv-out cable and I will post a youtube video of my set-up.

I will waiting to see this.... i actually have a older pocket PC, I would love to do a PPC install in my other car.

**FPeter** · 01-04-2009, 08:27 AM

quality of composite/svideo output is very low, but there are some PPC that can drive VGA monitor! for example the Axim X51V - the only question is the quality of the audio out... if its audio chipset has undocumented SPDIF output, or you can find driver for an USB soundcard, then its more than perfect!

**drutort** · 01-05-2009, 12:54 AM

there is very little for pocketPC's or any pda style hardware wise, there is probably no sound card or other devises, they would need to make drivers too, i doubt it can work

there is only usb and bt devises, but that would use the sound on the device its self and nothing standalone processing

IMO your far better using a UMPC an older one if possible, it will have more power then pocketPC, i think its also possible to install windows mobile on a UMPC, as most of those using a full windows provides to be a bit slow, and you might get away with windows mobile, though i dont know much about them

in which case your back to a cheap laptop or mini-itx solution all over again

in the near future im sure a phone or a UMPC will be more than enough for a car

**greatjc** · 01-16-2009, 05:11 AM

Mobile tech expert here. Pocket PCs have sound output built in, so it would be just like connecting an MP3 player to your car. I've never had any complaints with the sound quality on mine, when plugged into a quality head unit connected to a good speaker system.

And pocket PCs have several advantages over UMPCs:
- Windows Mobile is an instant-on OS. Even a soft reset is shorter than most PC boot times.
- Windows Mobile almost never crashes, automatically manages memory to avoid slowdowns/lockups, is not succeptible to viruses/malware, and never needs to be updated.
- PDA CPUs have not advanced in years, because they don't need to. The response time of modern PDA software on modern PDAs is nearly instantaneous.
- You can unplug the device from your car very easily & carry it around with you. Today's UMPCs are mobile, but definitely not pocketable.
- A UMPC can be mounted directly to a dash, since the screen is big enough for a car PC. However, you might as well mount a "Steal Me" sign to your window, too. I'd rather lose $200-$400 on a 7" touchscreen LCD than $500-$1000 on a UMPC if my car got broken into.

However, there are a couple downsides:
- Storage space. For guys like me with big, high quality music collection (mine's upwards of 60GB), you're outta luck with a pocket PC.
- Software variety. PCs will always have a larger software library than PDAs. That's just the way things are.

**nobb** · 01-16-2009, 10:29 AM

Originally Posted by greatjc

- Windows Mobile is an instant-on OS. Even a soft reset is shorter than most PC boot times.
- Windows Mobile almost never crashes, automatically manages memory to avoid slowdowns/lockups, is not succeptible to viruses/malware, and never needs to be updated.

I wouldnt be so sure on these two points. My HTC S640 Smartphone (Not PPC) running WM6 takes longer to boot into a useable state than my carpc. Also, it does occasionally crash and I have to do a hard reset.

**greatjc** · 01-17-2009, 01:36 AM

HTC S640 = Windows Mobile 6 Standard (i.e. Smartphone). Windows Mobile 6 Professional is the Pocket PC version. Smartphones as a device class are inherently slower than plain Pocket PCs, since they have the extra overhead of running the radio all the time.

For that reason, I'd never recommend using a smartphone as a car PC (even one running a Pocket PC operating system). 624MHz XScale PDAs running Windows Mobile 5 or 6 would be the best bet.