Is this the new carPC!!!! - Page 2

blackflux · 01-11-2005, 02:45 PM

mac and pc people don't get along at all...

***Ding ding - lets get it on***

slffl · 01-11-2005, 03:17 PM

Is there any powersupply out there now that would be able to power this in car?

Alric · 01-11-2005, 03:18 PM

It is possible that the Opus can replace the supplied power supply. We just have to get some to play with.

slffl · 01-11-2005, 03:26 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by Alric

It is possible that the Opus can replace the supplied power supply. We just have to get some to play with.

Nice, at least I already have an Opus.

Here's a sweet concept. Bluetooth 3G phone with iSight makes it possible for anyone using iChat to videoconference you while you're driving

.

hungryhippo · 01-11-2005, 03:35 PM

I realllly like it - though I don't like the meager 32mb ram video card. OS X is graphic intensive and even on a dual-processor G5 the reviewer from Anandtech said the OS was a little slow...

-HH

slffl · 01-11-2005, 03:37 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by hungryhippo

I realllly like it - though I don't like the meager 32mb ram video card. OS X is graphic intensive and even on a dual-processor G5 the reviewer from Anandtech said the OS was a little slow...

-HH

I have a feeling he hasn't used a mac other than the review. It seems slower than WinXP at first, but it's much easier and faster to get around than XP. BTW, I have used a Mac and PC side-by-side for 8hrs a day for the past 2 years.

drhamad · 01-11-2005, 03:54 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by god_of_cpu

The mac is cool on its own, but for a car pc its probably gonna get real expensive and hard to find enternal devices for it. I know I already have 8 usb devices in my car and know only 2 that would definitly work with a mac.

Can't wait till they come out with the PC knock offs like this though. Small and built in 3D would be incredible.

What do you have that would not work with the Mac? GPS might be an issue... I haven't looked into it so don't know. Other than that, I don't know what USB devices wouldn't work?

Even Micro-ITX boards are bigger than this thing, so a pc ripoff would be pretty hard. Were you trying to say "internal" or "external" because "enternal" is not a word

So not sure how to respond to that.

It comes with a Radeon 9200 series graphics card. Firewire 400, USB2, CD-RW/DVD-ROM combo drive

As options: Airport, Bluetooth, DVD-RW

kandyman676 · 01-11-2005, 04:13 PM

Macs DO have a piece of software called Virtual PC which will let you run windows apps natively in Mac OS X..and then you also have the other end with the linux software to run.

I am also very interested to see what will happen with this PC and who is brave enough to car test it:-P

chiefsalami · 01-11-2005, 04:20 PM

All of you guys beat me to it... I was going to come on here and post this too. The problem I see, as some of you have already noted, is getting this thing to properly boot up / shut down with something like an ITPS. Apple machines do not have BIOSes like we know them in the PC world, and I would be VERY surprised if there was a power switch jumper inside this thing! But the price is VERY nice... may be about the same or less than a VIA-based system with a Casetronic case.

Most bluetooth devices will work on Mac no problem, the problem I see is with software lacking. For example, I don't know of a good mapping/routing program that works on a Mac. Most other things will be pretty good with the built-in apps. VirtualPC is an option, but runs VERY slowly on a system like this. Pretty much the only thing good enough is a dual processor G5 PowerMac. I just noticed this has a G4 inside. Wonder why not a G5 like the new iMacs????

alti · 01-11-2005, 04:25 PM

I want one!!!! for home, not for the Car.

RedGTiVR6 · 01-11-2005, 04:26 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by kandyman676

Macs DO have a piece of software called Virtual PC which will let you run windows apps natively in Mac OS X..and then you also have the other end with the linux software to run.

I am also very interested to see what will happen with this PC and who is brave enough to car test it:-P

I was JUST about to post this....

the only reason most people have a problem with MACs is that they simply have never used them, or if they have, just just haven't spent any time on them....

there are also people that just simply don't like change and if they have to deal with change from what they are use to they flip out...

I bought an iBook at the beginning of this last semester because I wanted to get to know how to use a MAC and it was relatively cheap and durable....

it's only got a 1ghz processor but it's PLENTY fast for everything I do....from what I have been told by MANY people who are computer science majors here at A&M....you could theoretically double the processor speed on the mac and get an equivilant rating on the Intels....how true that is I don't know, but from what I have noticed it's a HELL of a lot faster than my 1.4ghz P4.....

I love using the mac compared to XP, it just makes sense.....yeah the front end thing is a concern for some people, but honnestly, with OS10 I don't see how it would be an issue.....it SOOOOOOOOO much easier to navigate...

as for software....what software would you need really for the car??? there are many mp3s players out there that are OS X compatible, dvd player isn't a problem, GPS MIGHT be but I bet if you looked around you could find it, XM and Sirius might be a problem though....if you are hell bent on using sat radio....but there's always the Windows Emulator....which can have upto 512mb of your memory dedicated to it.....and that's more than enough to run stuff for a carPC.....

all in all, the only reason why I can see someone saying it wouldn't work would be because they simply don't know how to use a Mac.....

as for a power supply.....it still uses 12v....not too hard to come up with....5v might be a problem, but you can always use an inverter....and I'm sure if there were enough demand there would be someone out there who knew what they were doing who would come up with a PSU for a MAC...

Bugbyte · 01-11-2005, 04:32 PM

So let's not get into a Mac/PC thing here. Lots of different tools for lots of different folks. As much as I wanted to put a Mac in my car, I didn't because it lacked the software. Also, the form factor.

Now, perhaps it's different. One possibility is to take some of the Linux front ends and port them over, another is to stitch together the apps using the OS and the inteface maker, etc.

Whatever, if this spurs alternatives for folks, that would be a good thing for all of us regardless of OS preference.

RedGTiVR6 · 01-11-2005, 04:34 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by Bugbyte

if this spurs alternatives for folks, that would be a good thing for all of us regardless of OS preference.

AGREED!!!

Scouse Monkey · 01-11-2005, 04:34 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by DRWeside

is this it?

sorry a bit behind but that was bloody funny

alti · 01-11-2005, 05:07 PM

will USB soundcards work with this (I am assumeing that some will, but i am not that knowlegdible about MAC's) becuase there is only a headphone out and no audio in