Instant-on screen idea for truckputer

**f150tech** · 06-28-2004, 01:27 PM

I've recently completed the computer-building part of my truckputer. It uses a 1GB compactflash card with Win2k installed and the swap/temp files are pointed to a RAMdisk but it takes about 75 seconds to boot which seems like an eternity!

So here's my plan... only turn on the truckputer when I want to. No use in having it turn on with the ignition for short trips around town especially since it isn't my primary music system, just my off-road, no skip music system, among other features.

I really can't stand having the LCD off at any time, so I plan on using one of those television flash card readers with RCA out to my Xenarc 7" which can do a slideshow or just show static images like the truck logo. They are instant on and I would just change the source once the truckputer boots.

It's purely for aesthetics.
Is there any reason this won't work or does anyone have a better idea for instant screen-on?

P.S. Just got my Opus 90w!

**[iG]** · 06-28-2004, 01:38 PM

75 seconds with flashcard / ramdisks? Something is really wrong with your setup.

I boot my normal system in 25 seconds. My base xp install was 43 (epia II / 2 partitions / 256mb ram).

You need to look into the software side first!

**archimense** · 06-28-2004, 01:43 PM

I'm running a celeron 400mhz. I can boot from hibernate into XP Pro off a regular HD in like 30 seconds...

I would check your setup.

**live2themaxuk** · 06-28-2004, 01:49 PM

If you get an OPUS power supply it will make it go to standby when ya off, then when ya turn it back on it will come on in under 15 seconds and carry on playing where it left off.... Quality dont you think

**f150tech** · 06-28-2004, 02:00 PM

WARNING! Rumors and Wive's Tales about to be dispelled:
Compactflash takes much longer to boot.
It's a given... the best CF card you can find is only 10MB/sec transfer rate compared to a pretty average hard drive which would be around 100MB/sec. Also, remember that I am going into Win2K, not an embedded OS.
75 seconds happens to be a very fast and clean boot into Win2K on a CF card which makes the system bulletproof.

Please address my instant screen-on idea, not the system.
I can take care of the system part.

**The Durango Kid** · 06-29-2004, 09:58 AM

Originally Posted by f150tech

WARNING! Rumors and Wive's Tales about to be dispelled:
Compactflash takes much longer to boot.
It's a given... the best CF card you can find is only 10MB/sec transfer rate compared to a pretty average hard drive which would be around 100MB/sec. Also, remember that I am going into Win2K, not an embedded OS.
75 seconds happens to be a very fast and clean boot into Win2K on a CF card which makes the system bulletproof.

Please address my instant screen-on idea, not the system.
I can take care of the system part.

WRONG.. Please don't post misleading information. I've seen this on tech-TV that booted WindowsXP off a CF card in under 6 seconds. No one here has proved other wise. You idea about the transfer rate is missing a whole bunch of info. Mainly access times (which CF card don't have) and spin up times. I'm not going to explain the whole thing again (I've done it too many times now) but a CF card will boot faster then a HD but will proved drive data slower.

**Custommx3** · 06-29-2004, 11:26 AM

I can say that booting from a HD.. <18 seconds after POST.
Booting from a CF was ~ 25-30 seconds., Same software, same config from my own tests.

**f150tech** · 06-29-2004, 03:37 PM

Durango Kid,
Please don't post misleading, misunderstood and uneducated info here.
Why would you comment on something you've never tried or done the proper research on?
You are the one who is completely wrong. They were loading XP EMBEDDED on tech TV. Do I need to explain the difference?
Find me someone who can boot to a full Windows OS in 6 seconds from any drive... you can't.

I can boot the exact same Win 2000 config on my low end notebook hard drive in under 30 seconds and I HAVE. Not sure how to "prove otherwise" to you, except that I have actually done this. How many people want to go out and spend $250 on a 1GB CF to test this? Not many, I'll wager. Yet I did, and you say I'm wrong. pfffft!

So if you are going to post misinformed info that, frankly, has nothing to do with my question, you might want to go do it somewhere else.
This wasn't supposed to be a flame post, but when you post stupid, inflammatory remarks, it can turn into nothing else.
K? Thanx. Bye.

**yunusyu** · 06-29-2004, 03:55 PM

oooh, this is fun...

...um about the picture being contantly on..liek the car logo....explain what hardware or what you woul do going about that...its very intrigueing

**Bravellir** · 06-29-2004, 04:01 PM

Originally Posted by f150tech

I've recently completed the computer-building part of my truckputer. It uses a 1GB compactflash card with Win2k installed and the swap/temp files are pointed to a RAMdisk but it takes about 75 seconds to boot which seems like an eternity!

So here's my plan... only turn on the truckputer when I want to. No use in having it turn on with the ignition for short trips around town especially since it isn't my primary music system, just my off-road, no skip music system, among other features.

I really can't stand having the LCD off at any time, so I plan on using one of those television flash card readers with RCA out to my Xenarc 7" which can do a slideshow or just show static images like the truck logo. They are instant on and I would just change the source once the truckputer boots.

It's purely for aesthetics.
Is there any reason this won't work or does anyone have a better idea for instant screen-on?

P.S. Just got my Opus 90w!

One of the main reasons i started this last carputer it's because i was ****ed from hitting post lamps all the time with the back of my pickup

With the spare tire on that position i really do not see a thing to the back, so a rear view cam it's vital

That’s my suggestion; put a rear view cam in your back bumper (I’m going to use one of that spy lens that are used to check who is on the other side of the apartment door to widen the field of view) . Instant on and useful to for us pick up fans especially on that harder off-road trips

Brave