Quote: Originally Posted by
SwapMeet 
Well, it's 2006. I've been a member of this board for several years now, and I'm still without a complete build. Several issues keep me from going all in. Putting an off-the-shelf computer with off-the-shelf parts sounds promising. Costs are relatively low, plus it uses known standards with nearly unlimited expandability. However, the equipment available to us hasn't really changed much in the last two years. Meanwhile, OEM equipment adds capabilities and features seamless integration without all the headache. I'm going to go through each component and some problems that still haven't been fully solved yet. I'm frustrated that years later, the same challenges exist.
Displays - Aside from transreflective screens, there hasn't been much change in the LCD market for the past few years. Neither Lilliputs nor Xenarcs have improved their reliability. The forums are still full of people putting in a brand new screen only to find it nonfunctional after a few weeks. The screens are still 800x480, a nonstandard resolution that isn't supported well. Some aftermarket video cards support it, but if you have an all-in-one motherboard, you're still out of luck. It doesn't look like any manufacturer is going to make the switch to DVI soon, so we'll still be running an analog signal to the monitors. Not that we really need a digital signal on such low resolutions, but I'm thinking it would make 1:1 pixel mapping and scaling easier. The 800x480 problem may also disappear with EDID support.
Power Supplies - This is an area that's actually seen some improvement. We have options between Opus and Carnetix, and even options for Mac. Still pricey, and reliability still leaves something to be desired. Auto On, hibernate, and standby options exist so that instant-on is something can be easily achieved.
Operating System - This is a huge handicap. XP users suffer from horrible zooming and resizing support. Changing fonts or icon sizes is a nightmare. You only get a few choices and they all look like crap. OSX resizes and scales better, but there's still only modest support for front ends (oh, and sometimes MacOS doesn't seem to like 800x480 monitors). Linux suffers from limited driver support, although I've seen some good implementations.
Audio - If you're using an aftermarket receiver to amplify the sound coming from your PC, having a few ground loops is almost a given. If you're using a pure CarPC solution and running the audio signal from PC to an amplifier, you'll problably avoid the ground loop problem, but you'll sacrifice some flexibility.
GPS - The OEM's (particularly Toyota and Honda) have great GPS implementations, while CarPC options haven't improved much.
Well, I'm done with my rant. I realize that there are those who have completed a fully-realized CarPC, but it seems like they're in the minority (Oh, and I'm jealous). Most everybody else has to live with a less-than-perfect solution and have learned to make some compromises. That may be running 800x600 on a 800x480 native screen, putting up with minor ground loop noise, or waiting forever for the computer to boot when starting the car. I was just expecting more nearly 3 years after finding this forum. I didn't want to spend over $1000 only to come up short somehow. Upcoming OEM products feature almost everything we're looking for (GPS, MP3, DVD, Traffic), and non-PC aftermarket products are quickly improving as well. There's still a gap between a non-PC solution and a CarPC, plus a CarPC still features more flexibility. I'm still holding out hope for an ideal CarPC solution.
you want to know why? everyone wants the new products, then they complain about the new product prices.
As a company, if you were to see that, would you be interested in putting the money into the R&D to develop a new product?
The public needs to learn that things aren't free. To get the quality you want you have to pay for it.
We can think places like wallyworld and ebay for this mentality.
every market goes through stagnation at some point or another, and guess what, it's cyclical. It will happen over and over and over as long as a particaulr market exists. It's the nature of the beast.
You complain about screens not working, I've run 3 differen screens, all Xenarcs, and all worked flawlessly while I had them. only when I sold the previous two and someone didn't know what they were doing or wanted to mess with the screen did they not work.
PSUs, market demands determine pricing, as does avaliability and production numbers. I ask you this, what are you basing your expensive comments on? The price of desktop PSUs? Do you really think that's a fair comparison?
Re displays, look at the size of this market, then look at the size of other display markets. This is a speck of dust on the map. The fact that we actually have transflective displays now is amazing. Why did it happen? because users were actively looking for better solutions and trying them out, rather than just waiting around for them to come to live and in the mean time, complaining that they don't exist.
Operating systems - what? you know how to write an entirely new operating system? have at it, let us know when you're done.
front ends lacking? I agree, but you know what, THEY ARE ALSO FREE for the most part. the one's that do work quite well that you pay for, I bet you would also complain about them costing too much?
Audio - ground loops are not something you should settle with. Consider this, the VAST majority of the people installing these things in their cars know little to nothing about car audio. having ground loops then is to be expected. If you want it flawless, pay someone who knows car audio to install it, but then again, I bet you would complain about the cost, right? so then, take the time to research how to do it right.
GPS - so you're complaining that someone hasn't come out and designed a GPS solution SPECIFICALLY for the Car PC maraket? do you really think that this market is THAT big that a company can justify spending all the time on development and research JUST for a fraction of the individuals who have PCs in their cars? iGuidance has taken a huge leap forward, they have an option on their newest release for autoPC...yes, it has flaws, every piece of software known to man has flaws in it.
I'm sorry, it's just hard to see how you feel you're justified in your complaints when you have done little to contribute to this community. It sounds to me like you're just siting around, waiting for that magical end all be all solution.
It's not justified from what see here.
Yeah, this probably came across as really blunt and to the point, so what. I'm tired of hearing people complain left and right about things and not do a darn thing to fix the problem.
How can you fix the problem you ask? Becaome an active member of the community. Try out the products and GIVE FEED BACK. By sitting in the wings waiting around for something to happen, you are essentially making this market smaller, which means fewer companies will take notice, which means fewer new products, and fewer new developments.
do you think car audio was flawless and cheap in its infancy? if you do, you've been living under a rock your whole life....
