Thread: Detroit News Reporter Seeking MP3Car projects for newspaper article

Originally posted by mikeinsanmarcos
Then explain why there is such interest in getting the empeg to give you GPS information? There are many GPS units that can be bought that will do this VERY well!

Personally, I don't have a lot of interest beyond idle curiosity -- I don't use my empeg for anything more than playing music -- so I'm not the right guy to explain this, but if I had to take a guess, it would be that they liked the empeg because it did the mp3 thing in the way that they wanted, but if GPS could be added to that, then cool. If not, no big deal.

In addition, there's a big difference between software hacking and hardware hacking. It would appear that you're into hardware hacking and software configuration, whereas these people are into software development.

Your limited exposure to what goes on in this forum explains your ignorance, so I wont even bring up the size issue..

Do. Please explain.

-Bitt Faulk

Well, My opinion is that we are all into the same thing..

[QUOTE]designed by geeks for geeks.It's done because it can be./QUOTE]

This is EXACTLY why we are into putting a computer in a car... I have never used the empeg but it fully embodies everything I wanted when I first got interested into this hobby. Unfortunately, I was not in the position to buy it at the time so I opted for the poor mans solution (P-133, 5 gig hdd and a 4x20 LCD) that only set me back about 40 bucks cause it was mostly laying around.. As I began to address the limitations and drawbacks of this system, I slowly started thinking the only way you can utilize it to the fullest extent would be to have a VGA display so when it stopped working halfway into your vacation to las vegas you could see what happened. (this happened to me by the way).. So now a touch screen seems the logical upgrade so you can throw away the mouse or trackball... Now, you have the touchscreen vga display and why not upgrade to something that can play dvd's, check email, provide gps info, ect.. So you see, the reason we both do what we do is:

[QUOTE]designed by geeks for geeks.It's done because it can be./QUOTE]

As for the size issue, a VAST majority on this board are either using a EPIA mini ITX motherboard or a Single Board Computer which allows mounting the entire system INSIDE the dash if not in the DIN opening.... No offence saying you were ignorant but to assume that everyone has 5 cubic foot boxes in their trunk solely based on the stupid article is silly...

If the opprotunity arose, I would own an Empeg also...

Mike

The two different modes of thought are ``does one thing well and is extensible'' vs. ``is extensible''.

I prefer mine. You prefer yours. Fair enough, though, in defense of the empeg, [flame]we're not running your lousy Windows OS[/flame] and when the empeg was first available for sale, there was no such thing as miniITX and SBCs were quite expensive.

Fair enough... But there are many users here who run Linux vs Winblows... What OS are you using to write these messages on?

Windows works just fine for what I do... I am not a linux guru but if I was, I would probably give linux a run..


And when the Empeg was first for sale it was WAY overpriced...

We both sleep well at night knowing we are using what we like best... Truce?

Mike

Originally posted by mikeinsanmarcos
Fair enough... But there are many users here who run Linux vs Winblows... What OS are you using to write these messages on?

Solaris (work). At home, it would be (in order of probability) MacOSX, Linux, Windows (soon to go away), Solaris.

Windows works just fine for what I do... I am not a linux guru but if I was, I would probably give linux a run..

I wouldn't even think of running Windows in a questionable power environment like in a car. Not to mention, as you did, the requirement of VGA to do any sort of debugging. But if it works for you, cool.

And when the Empeg was first for sale it was WAY overpriced...

There's a difference between overpriced and outside the price range of most folks. I don't think it was overpriced, but it was certainly very expensive. I don't know if you've used an empeg, but the software is remarkable, as is the hardware. It's not like it's some stock stuff slapped together. It's all custom and works incredibly well. I doubt I could say the same of your setup, but I don't know, never having used it.

We both sleep well at night knowing we are using what we like best

I don't know that I was losing a lot of sleep over it, but I don't honestly know, again, never having used yours. But the chances of me spending time developing it are slim to none.

Truce?

AFAIK, there was never any real war. I just have to step in when I see someone making derogatory statements about something that they probably don't know anything about.

But I think we can agree that we can both make fun of giganto-box pictured in the article, right?

The OS debate could go on endlessly... I have had ZERO problems with windows XP over the last year and suspect the same is true for macOSX (even though my only experience was a first generation IMAC that was a TOTAL POS and locked up ever 10 minutes right out of the box)...

The power environment is not questionalble if done right (as you could probably ask anyone here with a system installed and a good DC power supply)

VGA is a luxury, not a requirement

I have never doubted the quality of the empeg system, just commented on the price and limited nature.

To doubt how well my setup works (or doesnt) only points out your obvious pain in spending so much money that you just cant accept that what we do could possibly come close to equaling the almighty "empeg"

I never flamed the empeg, and I didnt post any negative comments on your board

And having the big *** box in your trunk is not my cup of tea either...

Mike

wfaulk,

Welcome to the mp3car forum.

As you probably know the question of the best OS is subjective and can take on elements of a religious debate.

It sounds like you are informed and opinionated.... (a category that has way to few people in it)

On some topics I consider myself to be in this group.

I have looked at the empeg, I like it. It is more than I am willing to spend.

Thanks for posting

I think both camps come from similar ground, the empegs just want tricked out hardware that just flat out works, where as the mp3car is more of a homebrew type mindset, where the road to the destination is fun. The os question is a holy war, but for the same reason there are so many win based viruses is the same reason its usually the best for a car, it has a GIANT community of developers, and if hardware is "pc" hardware, its going to come with windows drivers (everything else is questionable). And without using a mac laptop or disassembling a cube, a macs not going to come close to the size of a pc system now adays. And we can all agree that the GIANT pc setup in the system was a bit rediculous. the impression that mike gave was that everyone is using sbcs and miniitx boards is a bit off, i think that they're starting to be used more now that they're more accessible, but i think most systems are fatx matx and atx (or, like my first system, nlx ). And my system has 0 footprint when it comes to taking up passenger space or cargo room. I think that a lot of people here considered, or atleast looked at the empeg at one point, but when they were selling for $1200, they were a little far fetched when you could build a pc based system from parts for next to nothing.

Originally posted by wfaulk
empeg owner responding.

Personally, I don't want five cubic feet of my car storage space taken up by a computer that I'll never use for anything other than playing music. Keeping it all in the dash makes a lot of sense to me,

I really dont think that the system posted in the article was in any way representative of a lot of systems in the community. Theres absolutly no way Id stick a full size ATX desktop PC in my car, people would think Im nuts for a start. There are much better examples of what can be achieved. I guess for that guy it does/did what he wants, but for me if its not at least as good as a commercial system, its not good enough. My own is standard DIN height, and slightly wider than DIN width. Easily comparible o the EMPEG.

Also, the idea of using something like Autoroute (not designed for moving map navigation) is laughable. There are much better applications that work properly and are simple to use.

not to mention the engineering that went into making it shock-resistant that I would have a hard time duplicating. (Of course, there's no reason you couldn't put laptop hard drives in whatever you're using, but there's a little more to it than that.)

Er, no actually there isnt. Open up your unit and you will see its hard drive is just bolted into place.