life without a touch screen

**llipsis** · 07-15-2005, 10:28 PM

Hi. I have been battling with the thought of a car pc for a long while now. One of my main goals is to keep it as cost effective as possible (cheap). This has persuaded me to consider not using a touch screen.

I was wondering if there are any small lcds out there 7-10 inch that are not touch screens... and cheap. From what I have seen all small lcds are expensive (more costly than a 15 inch lcd). This is making me want to throw a 15 or 14 inch lcd in my car for cost purposes, but then the question comes as to where I would ever mount that.

Sorry I rambled a bit but this is what has been mulling over in my head. Some feedback would be appreciated greatly.

Thanks

**vcbb5** · 07-15-2005, 11:01 PM

if you don't do touch screen, it's not worth doing imo.

**wizardPC** · 07-15-2005, 11:52 PM

get the touch screen.

**PatO** · 07-16-2005, 12:48 AM

Touchscreen is awesome, but it works for ***** when you're weaving through traffic at 75 on the interstate. If you can't feel the button you're pressing, you have to take your eyes off the road.

For practical purposes, I say touchscreens aren't necessary - spend your time and money on a good steering wheel remote & software. OTOH, if you're into showing off, the touchscreen is the cream of the crop!

**Bugbyte** · 07-16-2005, 01:02 AM

Touchscreen. I ran for the first 6 months without one. Now that I have one, I can't live without it.

And yes, DON'T be using it while driving. But that goes for a lot of things while driving...

**MINI4cathy** · 07-16-2005, 02:23 PM

I'm inclined to agree with Pat0. Many carputer projects seem to involve a lot of time and money reproducing what's already available in a car, or enabling functions that won't get used once your buddies have seen you demo them five or six times. And touchscreens are pretty much useless (or too dangerous, take your pick) when you're moving in traffic, so if you don't have any other way of controlling your system, you're stuck with your settings until you get to the next stop.

It depends heavily on your lifestyle. I'm not one for sitting around in the car when I'm not driving it so I only need drive-time controls. Other people spend a lot of time in and around their cars, have kids to keep entertained, and so on. Their needs are more elaborate.

It's good that you're questioning these assumptions before you get started. Figure out which functions you'll actually use and how you will use them, especially while you're driving. Then plan out the solution that fits you and visualize using it for a few days or weeks before you start pouring cash into your system.

**techie007** · 07-16-2005, 04:10 PM

For output I'm using a VGA-hacked PSOne LCD (5" I think) because it was cheap (I got mine off eBay for less than $80(CND) already hacked), and a Matrix Orbital VFD 4x20 character display. The VFD is so I can read text easily when choosing MP3's, etc. I wasn't even going to use an LCD until I happened across the PSOne stuff.

For input I'm using a SnapSteam Firefly remote control (~$90CND). It's RF, so I can use it from outside the car if I want

**Mad Ad** · 07-16-2005, 04:49 PM

choosing the next song on a touchscreen with big buttons on a decent frontend is MUCH easier than trying to navigate folders and hit a playlist with a mouse to get winamp playing - I know!

Do you want to be pulling over every time you change tunes or need to do something with an app (navigation or something).... First get the TS, then find a good front end so what you do have to do while driving can be done safely.

**Altimat** · 07-16-2005, 05:23 PM

I trashed my touch screen and love using the stalk mounted trackball right in front of my armrest instead. The big buttons on touchscreen frontends make mouse clicks just as easy as they make touching. My car rides rough and the screen was at the limit of my reach though. The majority by far seems to prefer the touchscreens.

**turbocad6** · 07-16-2005, 06:27 PM

touchscreens are great but they have drawbacks too..... the screen will be around 25% brighter without it and have less glare....I have seen guys remove touchscreens for better viewing...

there are many ways to use external devices to easily control your computer that will be easier to use than a touchscreen or at least as easy...

on the other hand...especially to someone who is used to a touchscreen...it is sometimes very natural to just touch what you want to activate... of course this requires looking at it while reaching for it & trying to hit the mark relativelty acurately

then there's the cool factor of it...when someone pokes my screen & nothing happens but the pixels dialating from them pushing on the LCD....you sense the disapointment......it woulda been cooler if it was a touchscreen comes to mind ....

you can live without it for sure....& if your decision is whether to get a 7" without touch or a 14-15" which wouldn't have touch anyway.....I would think the 7" is a lot easier to intergrate in most cars.... go for what fits

I happen to love touchscreens so much that my laptop is touchscreen & my desktop monitor is a 17" planar touch..... now it doesn't matter that I may only touch either maybe once or twice a week on average...I just feel better that they are touch....... for that reason I am going to probably want to add a touchscreen to my install..... not really because it is necissary....