Compatibility

Hello all,
I am new here and I am trying to set up a basic carputer. On a level of 1-10 I give myself an 8 or 9 with computers and car stereos, but i know nothing about coding/programing.

I am planning on making a car puter and want to check compatibility before i go off and spend money, which is rare to come by for me.

Computer - old emachines 300mhz celeron with 128 or 256 mg ram, 40 gig hd and usb
I am planning on running windows 98se(or any windows OS - whatever you suggest) and media engine 2.0.
For the input, i am looking at this - Belkin Nostromo n50 SpeedPad which i can get for 15-20$. Quick question about this - can the scroll wheel be set as volume with media engine 2.0?

For the display i would like to use this 20x4 display or this cheaper 20x2 display. I would like to display the title of the song(or the radio station) and the time. Does this software do this? If not, what will?

Lastly, we need a radio tuner - will this or this work? The second one would be preferable because it has a shutdown the comp feature on the remote. Once again, i want to be able to display the frequency on the screen.

Will the OS/Software/Keypad/Display/Tuner work together? If not, i am wide open to suggestions.
Thanx,
Kevin

Media engine will not work with an LCD like you describe. However, Winamp will work just fine! There are several plugins for it that control LCD's

I have a Nostromo (somehwere..can't find it...one of my 'buds' may have nicked it...), and the wheel is actually a throttle, not a scroll wheel...you get about 3/4 of a turn out of it. If I am not completely mistaken, there was a winamp plug someplace to control winamp with a joystick, including a plug to control volume with a throttle...if you can find that, then you're in business.

Been there, done that. Best way by far to control is using a numeric keypad. I have an LCD plugin here that I used for a little while. Check this out: it lets you use just about any size character display you want, but it also allows you to layout the screen yourself, and even has a small emulator so you can see what the final screen will look like running! The plugin also has a keypad "hook" module. Using a keypad, you will have a small interactive menu on the display for navigating your music and features!

PM me or send me an email, and I will send it to you! There was also another plugin called Lorty's LCD or something like that, but I think this other one I ended up using is better, simply because it's so user-configurable.

Would this plug-in still work if you're using MediaCar? MediaCar uses winamp, so for example, you might use the character LCD with a keypad to control music whilst the monitor was displaying gps. The plug-in's would still work independant of a front end user interface shouldn't it....?

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Originally Posted by Spaghetti

Would this plug-in still work if you're using MediaCar? MediaCar uses winamp, so for example, you might use the character LCD with a keypad to control music whilst the monitor was displaying gps. The plug-in's would still work independent of a front end user interface shouldn't it....?

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Heck yeah! The plugin is designed first and foremost to pipe a display to the character display. You can control Winamp however you like, it will keep doing what it's supposed to do! I think you should still be able to use a keypad at the same time. I haven't had a chance to use MediaCar yet, so there is one thing that may be important: That keypad feature of the plugin will keep you from using the J (jump) feature in winamp. I don't know if MediaCar takes advantage of that or not. I think it could be the only conflict you would have to worry about.

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Originally Posted by deadweasel

Been there, done that. Best way by far to control is using a numeric keypad.

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I am interested in your justification that a numeric keypad is better 'by far' than a Nostromo speed pad. Please enlighten.

Numeric Keypad: 17 keys (or so)

Nostromo: 10 keys programable with keys or multi-key macros (i had whole paragraphs programmed as macros at work, i'd hit one button and it would type our nondisclosure agreement), a directional pad, a volume wheel, and four shift modes.

For a total of 14 keys, minus one for shift cycling, times four... 52 sepeate inputs which could be keys or macros, and a volume knob. It's only disadvantage is it is set up for the left hand.

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Originally Posted by telekineticfool

I am interested in your justification that a numeric keypad is better 'by far' than a Nostromo speed pad. Please enlighten.

Numeric Keypad: 17 keys (or so)

Nostromo: 10 keys programable with keys or multi-key macros (i had whole paragraphs programmed as macros at work, i'd hit one button and it would type our nondisclosure agreement), a directional pad, a volume wheel, and four shift modes.

For a total of 14 keys, minus one for shift cycling, times four... 52 sepeate inputs which could be keys or macros, and a volume knob. It's only disadvantage is it is set up for the left hand.

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Let me rephrase that: I feel that a keypad is better. The reasoning is that a gamepad isnt really useful for input on the go. To use it best, it's designed to be held in both hands, though one would suffice. Either way, it makes for a pain in the butt device to mount anywhere, and if not mounted, means you have to look for the pad, grab it, and hit the button. All this while driving. To me, it's a little too unnerving to mess with. My keypad is mounted right to the dash, and the center key is nothched, so I can feel where I need to press without having to take my eyes from the road.

My experience with all of the sheep with poor driving skills in Detroit have taught me to never look away. It only takes a split-second for some mook to come right over and cut you off without so much as a "wassup". Just based on personal preference, is all! :D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by deadweasel

Let me rephrase that: I feel that a keypad is better. The reasoning is that a gamepad isnt really useful for input on the go. To use it best, it's designed to be held in both hands, though one would suffice.

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Sorry, but you are wrong. He said Speedpad, not gamepad.

http://it.asia1.com.sg/assets/images...eedpad_n50.jpg

And besides, I plan on wiring a SNES gamepad as my primary system controller. I will have an exactly SNES controller shaped cutout machined from a piece of aluminum that will sit where my ashtray is now to leave it mounted most of the time, but still be easily removable for gaming purposes.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by telekineticfool

Sorry, but you are wrong. He said Speedpad, not gamepad.

And besides, I plan on wiring a SNES gamepad as my primary system controller. I will have an exactly SNES controller shaped cutout machined from a piece of aluminum that will sit where my ashtray is now to leave it mounted most of the time, but still be easily removable for gaming purposes.

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Whoops. I suck. I didn't realize that's what it was! Lemme do a 180 and say that it looks like a prime idea! Your mounting conversion sounds like a good idea too, and probably the only way I would ever consider mounting something like that in my car. I shall defer to you.

I bought one of these on a whim today at Compusa ($29?). I already took it apart. Only need it for off screen buttons to access everything I need, instead of making a skin or using mediacar/engine or any custom shell. I want no icons, no visible taskbar on the touchscreen. I want it to be as simple to use as any lexus or acura nav system, but offer more. Auto-hiding the taskbar isn't really an option with touchscreen, and leaving it up will be irritating when you want the whole screen (DVD's).

Would probably only use the 10 buttons (they can do everything, open, close, switch between programs, press "enter" when needed, shutdown or standby/hibernate, all with single clicks. You can program keystrokes to each button, and any shortcut you make to any of your programs, you can assign a hotkey (CTRL+ALT+?), and it will do it, quickly, easily, and won't take up screen realestate.

You almost don't even need the touchscreen, except for navigation (both, navigating your programs, and using GPS navigation like typing in addresses, etc). Volume can be controlled by the dpad. Use a pushon pushoff type switch for one of the first keys, and you have a whole new set of keys/profiles to use (for instance, DVD navigation w/o using windvd's cute, but too small interface).

I won't be using the chassis of the speedpad, just the internals. All 10 buttons are on a membrane type switching surface, there are 11 lines, one common, and 10 selectors. These can be soldered to momentary (and even pushbutton) switches. Knowing that I will be using XP, I'll probably have a CTRL-ALT-DELETE in there somewhere easy to access :). To switch between running programs.. an ALT TAB would suffice.

The 4 position dpad is 5 or 6 wires to the control board, in much the same fashion as the 10 keys. The rotary dial is 2 wires, most likely a variable resistor, and most likely useless in my application, but I still have to mess with it. I guess I will put it back together for now to get used to it, and program it properly.

The software is very intuitive and easy to use, and the whole setup does not feel buggy.

I have attached the lexus dash/nav system picture here for an idea of what can be done (no, I won't do the HVAC controls, but other things can be useful)