Quote: Originally Posted by
BMVEE 
I'm just going to set things up and use it. The only thing I'm going to change down the road is the display as my Lilliput is is pretty hard to read when the top is down.
I have the same problem with my sons Mustang and my SL as far as topdown is concerned and with my tablet, Transflexive is out of the question (although, MotorCity has offered his services to try to find me brighter bulbs). For you, till you get a transflexive, a shroud is probably the best you can do. Brighter bulbs might help, but if you're going to upgrade the screen anyway it might be a waste. I haven't heard anything lately on the transflexive mod, but if I remember correctly, it wasn't much cheaper than buying new. Some of the users here have tried various films, filters, coatings, etc., with mixed results.
Quote: Originally Posted by
BMVEE Mostly what I'm after is Sirius, FM Tuner, I-BUS integration and easy SUSD.
O.K., you want to set it up once and be done, docking may not be an option, and you want to be able to remove it and take it on the boat. This can probably be accomplished easily with one external USB Hub and W3bMa5t3r's laptop auto Power-On Module(it is the only one with a quick-disconnect). Don't know anything about I-Bus but believe there's a USB option for that, too (someone here is working on a HD Radio using I-Bus that also might interest you).
So if you use the internal sound card, you end up with 5 cables to disconnect: power, SUSD, audio in and out, and USB. A USB soundcard may eliminate two more, so with the best possible scenario, three connectors. I remember years ago someone fabbed a ruler with holes to glue all his connectors into, so he could connect and disconnect them quickly all at once.
Quote: Originally Posted by
BMVEE BTW... how are your SUSD times???? Are you letting the laptop power off after 10 minutes on it's own for things like fuelling or quick stops???
I set my bios and XP Power module to a) shut the screen off in 1 minute when on battery power, i.e., when I turn off the ignition; b) switch to standby 1 hour after ignition shutoff; and c) hibernate when the battery level falls below 50%. This allows instant-on for up to 1 hour, 12 second bootup from 1-~6 hours, and 40 second boot when left overnight (which I rarely do since I usually remove it whenever I get out for extended periods - even so, the docking system I use is so well integrated that it almost always resumes with full connectivity and 10-20 seconds for 3-D GPS lock)