The future of carpcs? Bill gates...nah!

**DaVa** · 09-10-2006, 01:41 PM

Hi jus out of sheer curiosity, didnt know if anyone has any ideas on the future of carpcs? ok we've got ready built systems e.g. ampie and many other mp3car computer units. also we've got the software companies such as centrafuse and media engine etc. i just wondered how long it will be before companies such as microsoft get the monolopy on the software for carputers or companies such as dell start building carpc units for the technologically inadvanced ppl??? These big companies, if they get involved, will soon knock out small ones.
further more, we've seen the beemer M5 with its in car unit on top gear, very advanced though doesnt allow for the expansions that a carpc does. How long before we get mercs/beemers etc rolling out of the showrrom with "intell inside" or AMD plastered over the vehicle?

Save the home built carpcs

**Rob Withey** · 09-10-2006, 02:22 PM

This kind of worry has been happening for years. Not been an issue yet.
It just keeps getting easier to build a car pc.

**v8 scimitar** · 09-10-2006, 02:35 PM

Not sure about the oem stuff running a normal computer as the people that buy these things don't want them crashing and stuff. They would also have to get them booting a hell of a lot quicker and stuff.
As for Micro$oft I don't think its very far away to be honest. I don't think it would be very hard for them to adapt their media edition to the car environment and they have plenty of GPS options that they can add in. Once Micro$oft does this then the hardware companies will be hot on the heals for sure. I don't think it would be any of the major players like HP or dell, least not at first (not enough volume for these guys to tool up) but I could see shuttle and the likes doing a car specific machine or even stuff like the infill becoming more available. It could also go the other way and companies like Alpine, Kenwood and Sony doing it, just look at the way MP3 players have went. It used to be the domain of companies that made computer kit but now all kinds of companies make them. Course just as there are plenty of people out there still building their own desktop machine with the hardware and software they want, there will always be people like us building our own car PC.
Just think that in the future when this stuff is common place we can all turn round and say we were there at the start and drove it to what is is. I just wonder what we will be doing then because its almost certainly not going to be the norm.

**Rob Withey** · 09-10-2006, 02:54 PM

Old news : http://www.microsoft.com/windowsautomotive/default.mspx
Referenced from a thread from 2003 : Windows In Car From Microsoft

**DaVa** · 09-10-2006, 03:29 PM

Windows automotive doesnt look like any threat, i mean it runs a derivative of CE, processes limited drastically. like a fat palm pilot, very restrictive.