Smartphone Carputer Software-Like?

**paultje_007** · 08-14-2009, 07:47 PM

People at MP3car Carputer Software and Development.

I have been looking the internet to make a choice in buying a standard double DIN multimedia/navigation Car Radio, or a (Tablet)PC with touchscreen.

My first dillemma is not so much hardware (for both radio and carpc there are hardware-wise some good machines available), but more of a problem is software. I seriously don't enjoy the front-ends of many big brand double DIN radios. And if I look at CarPC frontends (on winXP+) it's a little better, but far unevolved.
I mean, take a look at todays mobiles, smartphones or PDA's. I own a HTC Touch Pro, running winmobile, full touchscreen "touch" phone. Some of my friends have the iPhone. And I even want a new phone like the Sony Satio, the Samsung Pixon M8910 or the HTC Hero.

Look at their frontends / software. I mean, my HTC now does almost everything my CarPC should do. Which is:
- MP3/WMA/OGG VORBIS etc. (Music)
- DIVX/XVID/MPEG/MKV matroska/DVD/(BluRay)/YOUTUBE (Video)
- FM/AM/SAT (Radio)
- TOMTOM or GARMIN (Navigation)
- Connectivity (Bluetooth, WiFi and GSM, so also Calling)
- Photoalbum
- Email
- Weather
- Internet

The only thing my phone doesn't do and my CarPC should do is:
- Camera capabilities (Rearview camera)
- Digital TV (DVB-T)
- Notes (Word or Notepad)
- and more fun stuff....

Now don't get me wrong, and Road Runner (now Ride Runner) looks pretty good and has many of these features if not all. But the skin or frontend. It looks so outdated.
Nothing like HTC's TouchFlo3D on my phone. That's 2009. More 3D like menus and fingerfriendly/touchscreen friendly ways of navigating the utilities.

So anybody know of a CarPC software/frontend looking more like today's Smartphone interfaces or like Windows 7' Media Center or like those new LG Smartphones/PDA's? And maybe even running WinMobile 6.1, so you don't have to build a large computer in your dash but only a UMPC or good PDA something like that?

Greetz
P

**Vinister** · 10-12-2009, 05:59 PM

You and me both, trust me, I just got a palm pre... its the carpc of my dreams.

I think what we should really be looking for is a way to drive a bigger screen from your smartphone. Maybe future generations will come with some sort of display interface... not very likely though!

**drewbp** · 10-12-2009, 06:09 PM

My Mobiler. Here. It will allow up to a 300% increase of the screen. Not as fast at updating as I would like, but I think that is a function of the processor in the Phone and the connection speed.

**Vinister** · 10-12-2009, 06:17 PM

ha! That's sweet!

Too bad its only for ms.

**bratnetwork** · 10-12-2009, 07:30 PM

Originally Posted by paultje_007

Now don't get me wrong, and Road Runner (now Ride Runner) looks pretty good and has many of these features if not all. But the skin or frontend. It looks so outdated.
Nothing like HTC's TouchFlo3D on my phone. That's 2009. More 3D like menus and fingerfriendly/touchscreen friendly ways of navigating the utilities.

RR is fully skinnable. If you can make basic graphics on a PC you can make a skin for it. Just make it how you want to look. You can do 3D images, flash animated, or just basic text... It also has gestures that you can set to act how you want. I have a Touch Pro 2 and the TouchFlo3D software is pretty sharp looking but i dont know if the sliding feature of the bottom of the screen would be very practical on a PC while driving.

**jessekilner** · 10-12-2009, 08:13 PM

I'm no skinning expert, nor a programmer.. I do read read alot and research.. I am pretty certain RR is'nt be able to make those type of animations..I beleive it's called (AFLIAK)thats where other members are creationg differnt frontends that are programmed in say C#, .net, or VB. For example OpenMobile, Refve these will be able to do animation that RR is lacking. Check out the frontends forums and read some of the projects other members are working on.. it's pretty neat to see the progress as it developes..