7" Widescreen Touch monitor in radio door area
12-03-2006, 03:06 PM
#41
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I think if it followed the contours of the side pieces better, and had more crisp edges around the monitor, it would make the monitor stand out while still flowing more with the rest of the car.
Hope that makes some sort of sense.
Hope that makes some sort of sense.
12-03-2006, 08:29 PM
#43
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Originally Posted by 2kx2,Dec 3 2006, 07:06 PM
I think if it followed the contours of the side pieces better, and had more crisp edges around the monitor, it would make the monitor stand out while still flowing more with the rest of the car.
Hope that makes some sort of sense.
Hope that makes some sort of sense.
12-03-2006, 08:58 PM
#44
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Looks great!
Now just get a verizon data phone with the unlimited data plan, download PDANET, and use your phone to connect your carpc to the internet @ 100-400kbps.
Now just get a verizon data phone with the unlimited data plan, download PDANET, and use your phone to connect your carpc to the internet @ 100-400kbps.
12-04-2006, 03:52 AM
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At one time, I had an EvDO card from Sprint. That thing was FAST! I have since gotten rid of it and I will have to rely on Wifi hotspots now. Probably a good idea since checking email and surfing on the highway isn't such a good idea 
There is a cool program that I have called GPS gas which integrates into the CarPC software I use. It takes your current GPS location and finds the nearest gas stations and then checks what the prices are at those gas stations so you can find the best price nearby. It needs an internet connection to work of course.
I can tether my cellphone to the computer for small ammounts of data transmission which may be the way to go for checking emails and using that gas software occasionaly.
There is a cool program that I have called GPS gas which integrates into the CarPC software I use. It takes your current GPS location and finds the nearest gas stations and then checks what the prices are at those gas stations so you can find the best price nearby. It needs an internet connection to work of course.
I can tether my cellphone to the computer for small ammounts of data transmission which may be the way to go for checking emails and using that gas software occasionaly.
12-04-2006, 06:44 AM
#47
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Ah. Yeah, I think my g/f would demand internet if I were to go all out on a car PC. We are going to be going with Cingular broadband in a few months (speed is a bit behind sprint, but sprint reception sucks in my area), so if I toss in another card to my unlimited data plan, only out the cost of a card, and I got unlimited internet access in my car.
Awesome software with the gas price update. I search online for the cheapest gas in my area from home....they are usually the same stations over and over again. Would be really handy for travelling, though.
If you can connect to a mobile broadband network, you could probably download movies from Net Flix for passengers on trips. My Uncle has a T3 in his house, and they never rent movies anymore (but he gets them at over 10mb/s). The files would probably buffer for a few minutes.....but Sprint boasts 700kbps...more than enough for streaming video.
John
Awesome software with the gas price update. I search online for the cheapest gas in my area from home....they are usually the same stations over and over again. Would be really handy for travelling, though.
If you can connect to a mobile broadband network, you could probably download movies from Net Flix for passengers on trips. My Uncle has a T3 in his house, and they never rent movies anymore (but he gets them at over 10mb/s). The files would probably buffer for a few minutes.....but Sprint boasts 700kbps...more than enough for streaming video.
John
12-04-2006, 08:52 AM
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If you have a Treo there is software out there to allow you to use the Treo as a wireless modem. It uses your phones built in wireless connection.
Not the fastest but if you already have an unlimited data plan it's free.
Not the fastest but if you already have an unlimited data plan it's free.
12-05-2006, 09:15 AM
#49
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The work and effort gets an A+++
But my experience with CarPC is that it's cool at first but after a few weeks the novelty wears off. We built many systems and may of the same guys that swear by CarPC wants us to remove it - main problem?
SLOW BOOT UP TIME each time you stop the car for errands....unless you have a perfect easy to use interface for inputs everything gets too time consuming over time.
But all factors aside the work is very nice
One question: Aren't you afraid of punching the screen during fast upshifts? I find the screen way too low to be useable in that position.
rick
But my experience with CarPC is that it's cool at first but after a few weeks the novelty wears off. We built many systems and may of the same guys that swear by CarPC wants us to remove it - main problem?
SLOW BOOT UP TIME each time you stop the car for errands....unless you have a perfect easy to use interface for inputs everything gets too time consuming over time.
But all factors aside the work is very nice
One question: Aren't you afraid of punching the screen during fast upshifts? I find the screen way too low to be useable in that position.
rick
12-05-2006, 09:24 AM
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Thanks for the
I have been in CarPC hobby for a while. Like I said above, I enjoy the fact that it does EVERYTHING you could possibly need in a car environment. I use a special power supply that they call "inteligent". The supply itself is wired to the computers power switch. When you turn the car on, it will start the PC, and obviously turn it off when you shut down the car. All you have to do is set the PC to go into "standby" mode when the power switch is pressed. This causes the computer to be right back where you were when it shut down in under 5 seconds. Even resumes the song exactly where you were before. It also monitors batery voltage and will shut it down all the way if it drops too low. I have left a car without starting it for 5 days and never had a problem with this feature. Also, the power supply controlls the amps, and turns them on AFTER everything else so there is no thump.
About the shifting thing, no, I am not scared of that, although I did give it some thought. I never put my hand through the radio so I doubt it will happen with the screen. I tend to hold the shifter more on the shaft itself rather than the knob so I'de really ahve to be going nuts to slip off..
that sounded wierd. I like the idea of the screen being there because it is a touch screen and I can use that feature without having to reach up and way from where my arm normaly rests.
I hope to have the PC installed and running soon and I will upload some pics/vids of it working.
I have been in CarPC hobby for a while. Like I said above, I enjoy the fact that it does EVERYTHING you could possibly need in a car environment. I use a special power supply that they call "inteligent". The supply itself is wired to the computers power switch. When you turn the car on, it will start the PC, and obviously turn it off when you shut down the car. All you have to do is set the PC to go into "standby" mode when the power switch is pressed. This causes the computer to be right back where you were when it shut down in under 5 seconds. Even resumes the song exactly where you were before. It also monitors batery voltage and will shut it down all the way if it drops too low. I have left a car without starting it for 5 days and never had a problem with this feature. Also, the power supply controlls the amps, and turns them on AFTER everything else so there is no thump.
About the shifting thing, no, I am not scared of that, although I did give it some thought. I never put my hand through the radio so I doubt it will happen with the screen. I tend to hold the shifter more on the shaft itself rather than the knob so I'de really ahve to be going nuts to slip off..
that sounded wierd. I like the idea of the screen being there because it is a touch screen and I can use that feature without having to reach up and way from where my arm normaly rests.I hope to have the PC installed and running soon and I will upload some pics/vids of it working.