HP 12.1" touchscreen tablet w/killer specs for ~$800!!

OstrichSak · 01-10-2008, 01:34 PM

It's basically this HP TX1000Z tablet laptop for $804 shipped. Curious how easy this could be converted into a CarPC. I realize this screen is a little large but I have a pretty big space on my dash and it make work for me. Has WiFi and Blutooth and lots of other goodies plus since it comes w/a touchscreen already it would negate the need to spend another $300ish to buy a stand alone touchscreen. I mean, sans an auto power up and down feature and 12v this is pretty much everything you need... no?

I'm new to the whole CarPC thing and don't have a lot of spare time to research lots of components and have a limited budget. I was looking at the Asus EEE but now that it's $400ish and would still require purchase of a touchscreen to make work this one for a few hundred more and already has that (and quite a bit larger for that matter. It would require taking apart and extending the cable to the monitor and possibly making some sort of case for it... I dunno. You cold even keep the lower portion some place easy to access for disc input or keyboard use.

Input would be great. Even if it's to tell me I'm a stupid n00b and this is a bad idea all around as long as it includes reasons why so that I learn.

Thanks!

turbocad6 · 01-10-2008, 04:20 PM

OK, your a stupid n00b

just KIDDING!!!

OK, 2 things to keep in mind, first a tablet is not really a touchscreen, they use a magnetic digitizer which means you'll have to use the special stylus... I'll admit I haven't looked to hard at what you've shown & it could be a touchscreen too, but most tablets are not.

second thing to keep in mind is, unless there advertising it as an indoor/outdoor screen, the screen will be kinda dim for daytime use & may be unusable some times...

just a little suggestion to get you going, check into the Fujitsu st 5021's & 5031's, there a 10.4" & a reflective LCD, might be a better starting point...

OstrichSak · 01-10-2008, 04:46 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by turbocad6

OK, your a stupid n00b

just KIDDING!!!

OK, 2 things to keep in mind, first a tablet is not really a touchscreen, they use a magnetic digitizer which means you'll have to use the special stylus... I'll admit I haven't looked to hard at what you've shown & it could be a touchscreen too, but most tablets are not.

second thing to keep in mind is, unless there advertising it as an indoor/outdoor screen, the screen will be kinda dim for daytime use & may be unusable some times...

just a little suggestion to get you going, check into the Fujitsu st 5021's & 5031's, there a 10.4" & a reflective LCD, might be a better starting point...

It says specifically 'Touch-Screen' so I'm not thinking it requires a stylus but that would be a deal breaker for me. It looks like the Fujitsu you suggested both require stylus?

turbocad6 · 01-10-2008, 05:11 PM

yeah, they do, but there is no reason you couldn't add a touchscreen over it, I did the same in my latest install with this tablet. the huge plus with the Fujitsu's is the reflective screen, viewable in direct sunlight, plus a 10.4 could be much easier to deal with than a 12.1

if yours says touch screen specifically then I guess it probably is a regular touchscreen. you should really check a regular laptop 12.1" screen out outside during the day to see how bad viewability can really be before you commit to the one your looking at. many average 12.1's will be pretty bad in that sense...

OstrichSak · 01-10-2008, 05:18 PM

Well, that makes sense and would make this not such a good idea. I just want to find something that I can make that costs less then $500, is pretty basic and uses a 7" or 8" touchscreen ideally. This site is a wonderful resource but for someone just starting out w/limited time to devote it's almost too much information. I tried reading the n00b FAQs and still don't feel like I know which way to go. I can't seem to find a thread that just says 'Okay, if you're on a limited budget do this...and here's a couple different options along the way' but honestly at this point if it's cheap, works and works within the spaces I have then I'm not too picky since I don't know much. I don't need the ability to launch missiles on foreign countries just the ability to do basic head unit/computer things. I liked that this laptop had a touch screen, bluetooth, wifi, large HDD for storage, plenty of RAM, camera (not sure when this would come in handy) and a figner print recognition (pretty cool 'valet' switch if it could be integrated somewhere within the car itself.

2k1Toaster · 01-10-2008, 05:35 PM

HPs are not true tablet PCs. That is why they suck for most people that want tablets, and hence so cheap. They do not require a stylus like normal. So if you are taking notes and writing, your palm resting on the screen fubars it. However for the CarPC, this works. Only thing is you have to like punch the screen to get it to register a true click. I personally hate them, but just to clarify, HPs do not use true wacom-esque tablet technology.

turbocad6 · 01-10-2008, 09:29 PM

oh, never played with an hp tablet

what your talking about with taking it apart & extending the wires & building everything in to the dash is very doable, but if you don't have some experience & pretty good fabrication skills & the resources this can be a big undertaking. do you have any experience with that kind of stuff? a good example of this kind of install is in my signature:"modded infiniti fx with big screen"

if you take apart a tablet & embed it in your dash, I think that makes a great carpc, but if your looking for easy I don't know if I'd really suggest that route. extending many modern ribbon cables can be a huge pain & sometimes is not even possible without specialized equipment & custom plugs, this can be a big problem. I usually try to work within the stock cables reach, & have always found a way to make that work. again, a good example of that is in my install. I've done this over 5 times with different cars, extending the cables is a last resort with some cable designs. the gateways & dells are easy to extend & the Fujitsu's are almost impossible. the older toughbooks were easy to extend...

sometimes you really don't know what your up against till you buy it & crack it open. this stuff is very delicate too BTW.

the biggest thing I'd have against the tablet you choose is the screen. definitely look for a tablet with an indoor/outdoor screen. motion, Fujitsu, panasonics & a few others all make them. this should be the #1 criteria you should use in choosing a tablet. a slow tablet with a great screen will make a better carpc than a fast feature packed one that you won't be able to use during the day.

your budget is pretty low... & not a lot of spare time don't sound too good either... if your not going to be able to dedicate the time & energy & resources needed to pull something like this off I'd say really reconsider what it is you really want to do. sticking a 7" screen & a used cheaper laptop shoved somewhere may make more sense, & modular means that latter when your budget improves you can upgrade it piece by piece

GizmoQ · 01-12-2008, 10:17 PM

yeah

OstrichSak · 01-12-2008, 10:23 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by turbocad6

oh, never played with an hp tablet

what your talking about with taking it apart & extending the wires & building everything in to the dash is very doable, but if you don't have some experience & pretty good fabrication skills & the resources this can be a big undertaking. do you have any experience with that kind of stuff? a good example of this kind of install is in my signature:"modded infiniti fx with big screen"

if you take apart a tablet & embed it in your dash, I think that makes a great carpc, but if your looking for easy I don't know if I'd really suggest that route. extending many modern ribbon cables can be a huge pain & sometimes is not even possible without specialized equipment & custom plugs, this can be a big problem. I usually try to work within the stock cables reach, & have always found a way to make that work. again, a good example of that is in my install. I've done this over 5 times with different cars, extending the cables is a last resort with some cable designs. the gateways & dells are easy to extend & the Fujitsu's are almost impossible. the older toughbooks were easy to extend...

sometimes you really don't know what your up against till you buy it & crack it open. this stuff is very delicate too BTW.

the biggest thing I'd have against the tablet you choose is the screen. definitely look for a tablet with an indoor/outdoor screen. motion, Fujitsu, panasonics & a few others all make them. this should be the #1 criteria you should use in choosing a tablet. a slow tablet with a great screen will make a better carpc than a fast feature packed one that you won't be able to use during the day.

your budget is pretty low... & not a lot of spare time don't sound too good either... if your not going to be able to dedicate the time & energy & resources needed to pull something like this off I'd say really reconsider what it is you really want to do. sticking a 7" screen & a used cheaper laptop shoved somewhere may make more sense, & modular means that latter when your budget improves you can upgrade it piece by piece

Thanks for taking the time to post. That all made a lot of sense to me and I'm afraid that that could be out of my time/skill constraints. Not to mention ideally I would like to keep the total budget under the price of just the HP posted here. Lastly, this would be going into a 1995 Toyota Supra with a targa top that is NEVER in the car so being able to see it in bright light is a huge factor since it almost always would be. Might not be a bad idea to back burner this whole idea once again (like I have so many times now over the years) and try again when I have more time.

Out of curiosity, if I were to go the route you suggested with an entry level PC and decent 7 or 8 inch monitor, what are some parts you guys would suggest going with?

2k1Toaster · 01-12-2008, 10:30 PM

Well sunlight readability = transflective screen. (Just one of many options, but the best bang for the buck right now and easily available).

That screen itself is around your whole budget.

As for parts, depends where you put it. If you want to stick it in the dash, then size would be an issue so itx is a good starting point. If you are sticking it in the trunk, then size is less important.

Smaller = more expensive.

OstrichSak · 01-12-2008, 10:58 PM

Can you give me some example of inexpensive options?