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Laptops can be a good option too, a mobile design for a mobile installation will usually have excellent power & thermal properties that lend well to a vehicle install, although they do present there own unique set of challenges.
Until 2005, the vast majority of car PC's were Windows, Dos, or Linux based. The introduction of the Mac Mini gave Apple enthusiasts a way to Install_mac_mini in their automobiles and kick-started a thriving Car-Mac aspect to the hobby. In 2006, Apple switched the Mac Mini cpu to the Intel chip, permitting the Mini to run both OS X and Windows applications. It is possible to operate both the Windows and Macintosh operating systems simultaneously using an Intel based Mac Mini.