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DONATORS
SNOTWISTR
GIZMOQ
RANDYH x 2
NAVPUTER
RAWPWR
2004SMB
NALGOSIAW
ARAFAT1209
SKYPAINTER
TRANSAMRB26
WHITEPANTHER
T4000
RMICHELEDJ
CHUCK
CARPUTER1 x 2
KSHOES
RJANKOWSKI
JONESSC
JAC x 2
COUPEE46
TREETOP777
BIMMERSTYLE
BARNYARD
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As the name suggests, a computer in a car. We are not talking KITT here, well not yet anyway, but a computer in the car to up the ante in mobile entertainment. But that's not all, my install is only the tip of the iceberg of what can be done and I am always looking for more things to incorporate.
Song now playing
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Well, where did it all start?
For me it was while at school, this is many years ago, when computers where still big black boxes running Z80 processors with as much memory as 64K. The original plan was to get a nice estate car (stationwagon), rip out the back seats and set up a PC, TVscreen/monitor in their place.
So the car, I had decided on a Volvo 245DL as they seemed to have the squarest back and would provide the most room. The PC was going to be a Research Machines 380Z or a later model 480Z. However nothing happened in this direction as there was no real purpose for a PC in a car at that time.
Then along came MP3's, a reason for putting a PC in a car. :)
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A PC in a car to play MP3's, how was that going to be done?
Using winamp to play MP3s did not need a PC with much power so therefore something like a pentium 100MHz-160MHz would be fine. And as it was a mobile device a small laptop would be ideal. Step forward a second hand Toshiba Satellite
Pro 460CDT Pentium 166Mhz, 32Mb memory quickly upgraded to 96Mb. A port replica was obtained, this could be mounted in the boot and the laptop slid in and out.
Ok, time to test it, the laptop took a 15vdc adapter, but plugging it direct to the 12vdc of the car (well 14.4Vdc) and it worked, excellent, no messy adapters required. Connected the laptop headphone output through a linein in the head unit, played fine, sound quality excellent, no engine noise, now to start thinking about a permanent connection solution.
Wait a minute, get a GPS mouse and have GPS Navigation? OK GPS mouse obtained, Route 66 is the navigation software, lets give it a go. Dropped some friends off at the airport, had the laptop on the passenger seat, GPS engaged and had us spotted. Ok lets drive home, 4 miles later, where the hell are we?
The GPS was a 1.5 miles behind, the laptop could just not refresh the screen quick enough, looks like more power was required.
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OK all was working well? Well yes and no. The PC was working fine, the music via wianmp was good, in fact used the pioneer skin which matched the head unit, the GPS navigation was working fine, I could even play DVD's in the DVD drive with PowerDVD. However because it was a TV screen and not a proper computer monitor (VGA) it wasn't very clear, especially the words.
An upgrade was required, well if we are going to get a VGA screen, why not get a touchscreen one? While I was at it, I decide to give the whole install a more OEM look, so the HU was moved to the glove box, the climate control was moved to the sunglass compartment and the screen put into the centre console.
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And the car it's all in. BMW 328i 1997
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