Thread: Complete Car PC

Glad there is still some interest in this. There was an article on here a while back where a respected forum member had voiced his opinion that tablets were going to replace CarPCs.

I believe he is right. It's a sad fact that I can get a phone now with a 720p resolution OLED screen and capacitive touch for under $200 (on contract of course), yet the best I can get to build a car PC is 480p, TFT and resistive touch. If you want to see it in sunlight (which I do) then it is going to cost over $600 just for the screen.

The BOM (bill of materials) is so cost prohibitive, I've never been able to commit.

The manufacturers are making baby steps. Sony finally released this Christmas a single DIN unit with Pandora support through a bluetooth connection on either an iPhone or Android device. Obviously, no maps, trapster, or anything else that makes a car pc useful, but it's the first of its kind. Pioneer also released it's second generation AppRadio device, which actually has a full 7" cap touch display. Although only 480p, it is a decent price at $500 street. The Achilles heel of the device though is it still is going to require a physical wire connection. Plugging your phone in is an amazing nuisance.

I finally bought an android phone and data plan, but before committing on a new head unit, I just ran a stereo jack out from the aux in to plug my phone in. This works, but it is enough of an inconvenience that I will only do it for long trips. Also, I've discovered the new Pioneer unit will connect to Android devices via the HDMI jack. The phone I bought doesn't have one, since I didn't think I would ever need to hook my phone to a TV.

I think a well made android head unit would sell very well, but the time it would take to develop is in the 10's of thousands of man hours. I would need to quit my job and convince a bunch of other people as well, and with mortgages and car payments, it makes it a very tough sell.

i still disagree with that statement optikal made..

while many have had a long time desire for the features that a tablet offers, i sure don't--i think it is a issue that has evenly split the forum.. i am happier with my carpc bolted into my dash. i don't want it removable, or all-in-one, or even battery powered. sure it's a little more of a pain to update something, but the customization, flexibility, and processing power of my pc install is well above what any current tablet can do.

Originally Posted by soundman98

i still disagree with that statement optikal made..

while many have had a long time desire for the features that a tablet offers, i sure don't--i think it is a issue that has evenly split the forum.. i am happier with my carpc bolted into my dash. i don't want it removable, or all-in-one, or even battery powered. sure it's a little more of a pain to update something, but the customization, flexibility, and processing power of my pc install is well above what any current tablet can do.

Totally agree!
PM me your email, I'll forward some documents to you.

Originally Posted by enfillco

Maybe that YES... At least two of the older members of this forum have already seen something like this ( possible ), but still keep silence.
I'll try to ask them to answer here...

Yep, nice unit the Enfillco I am testing - considering it was a pre-release unit, There were a few minor cosmetic issues with the case, but I really like the custom PSU- and LCD controllers, and the effort the Designer have put into this. Good firmware support to, better than most on the market currently.

So definitely something I would purchase if I was in the market for a double-din carputer

Coming back to the tablet discussion - I have an Ipad 2 64 WiFi/3G, and have to say, it won't have a spot in my car anytime soon. Yes, with the custom serial cable and Console App, it works wonders on customer sites capturing data of old VME systems, getting boot-time data from HP/MOXA/Cisco network devices, et al, but can it function as a carputer and satisfy my requirements - a resounding no.

Take note a few of the more generic users out there might find joy in the features a tablet may offer, but it cannot at this point in time hold the candle to even my few years old Commell LS373 3.5" motherboard I purchased of DeJan a few years ago. Tablets lack the processing-power I need for my application, so, probably a bit premature to say they wilol take over the market.

Have a good one, talk soon.

Originally Posted by soundman98

i still disagree with that statement optikal made..

while many have had a long time desire for the features that a tablet offers, i sure don't--i think it is a issue that has evenly split the forum.. i am happier with my carpc bolted into my dash. i don't want it removable, or all-in-one, or even battery powered. sure it's a little more of a pain to update something, but the customization, flexibility, and processing power of my pc install is well above what any current tablet can do.

I fully agree with this too, and am in the same boat.

Originally Posted by enfillco

Totally agree!
PM me your email, I'll forward some documents to you.

? i really don't see what i need any documents for...

Originally Posted by soundman98

? i really don't see what i need any documents for...

It's your right, as you please...