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You may not want a sdc now, but you will once turning it on gets old.
The fix to your examples is actually to put a switch on the ignition line being fed to the sdc. Get a 3 position ON/OFF/ON switch (available at radioshack for cheap). Connect either the top or bottom terminal to a constant 12v source. Connect the other (either top or bottom) terminal to a switched 12v source.
Now when your switch is in position 1 it feeds constant 12v to the sdc, so the laptop will stay on all the time. position 2 at the centre feeds nothing. So the laptop will never turn on. The 3rd position feeds it switched 12v, so it turns on and off with the car.
That easy. So if you drive to the corner store, flip the switch to the centre and it wont turn on. If you stop to get gas and want it to stay on, flip the switch the position 1. All other times, keep it at automatic.
Manually starting and shutting down the computer gets old really really fast. And for a few bucks at radioshack or for free if you find some piece of junk electronics with the switch on it, it really helps.
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