I've always thought the idea of a carputer was really cool (even before they came around)--but could never afford to put one together. The idea came back up this weekend--and I managed to put one together at literally no cost, using parts from around my house.
The carputer is running on an old Gateway machine--Pentium 120Mhz, I'm not sure how much RAM, and a ~2GB HDD. It's running Windows 98 (with custom startup/shutdown screesns). It's hooked up to the TV with a scan converter. The sound and video is hooked to the TV via the switchbox I installed. The setup isn't great, but it didn't cost me anything eitherThe whole rig is installed in the console--where a little trash bin and Kleenex dispenser used to be. The computer's a lot better.
I'm mostly planning to use the carputer for CDs and MP3s (the van doesn't have a CD player)--but if I could afford some upgrades, GPS, DVD/video playback, and a link to the ODB port would be really cool!
Good job. I'm still ancient myself. It's been over 2 years since I started making carputers and I'm still running a P166 computer with DOS Mpxplay and a 20 gig hd. It's only for music playback. But it sounds great, is stealth, and works nearly flawlessly. So I never have gotten around to upgrading. I have no need for DVD or GPS.
In a van, DVD would definitely be a nice upgrade. Once you get into carputers, it's hard to go back.
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