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ok i am looking int o putting a carputer in my civic but i have no idea how they work and such. does any one have one put in there civic with pics??

is it a pain in the *** to have one?

 
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look at mp3car.com their forums are awsome, i think a few 7th gens lurk around there

 
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ceo derrick has a carputer in his car. pm him, maybe he can give u some info.

 
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the wiring is a bitch. but its no differnt than an audio system. think of it like installing two independant audio systems in one car, work wise.

you locate your equipment, computer, input devices, output devices, power.
then you run your wiring from each location.
I hate installing hardware, I find the most difficult part is getting all teh in car equipment to mesh with the machine. its worse when you use a laptop, the drivers do all but reset themselves when you replug all the cables in.

in the end, its no more or less complex than an audio system. its all the same, install, wiring, tuning. input, output. etc.

 
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Look at MP3Car for reference, but don't take those prices seriously, it can be done much cheaper. VIA has built several mobos on their EPIA platform that are ridiculously small. The "Mini - ITX" form factor makes previously small micro - atx seem giant. These mobos are only 17cm x 17cm. Perfect for in car solutions as they are not only designed with embedded processors, but they come fanless or low low heat w/ a small fan. Now, just at the moment, VIA is releasing a new "Nano - Itx" form factor mobo. Now this thing is insanely small, 12cm x 12cm. again these things are designed for mobile use. The best way to fly for storage is to use a flash card with an IDE adapter to store the OS on and to use a laptop HDD for main storage because they are far more resistant to shock. Memory is memory, but I recomend using nothing faster than DDR266 and no more the 256mb - remember, heat is the devil! The nice thing about these mobos is that they have most of the goodies on board. However, you can put A TV/FM tuner card in too. The biggest challenge puting together a car-puter is power. You need to come up with a DC power solution. Another reason why those VIA boards are so nice, they perfectly accomodate a snap-in, cableless DC/DC power supply and a regulator. Add a slim-line, external usb DVD player and mount in the dash, and You can make your own case too.

 
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Sounds like a fun project to do. Think I might do it once I start my new job and start getting some positive cashflow...

 
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They work beautifully and they are not a pain in the *** if done properly.
The best part is the big Honda logo in the center of my screen.

 
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hey 909 do you have pics of your setup?

 
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I'd really like to get a carputer setup going, I have a nice LCD, and an Epia. The big problem for me is that when I drive, I drive for about 5 minutes at a time, except when i go home when i'mdriving for 7 hours. I'm worried it'll take too long to boot, and to have to shut down every time. i don't know. How long does it take for you to boot and such?

Thanks,

Ed

 
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thats why I use a laptop. if the lappy is already on, it takes about 4 seconds to integrate everything and get the computer up and running.

 
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they boot fast. Also, they are controllers designed so that you can just shut the car off and the PC will power off after a couple minutes. When you turn the car back on, it automatically boots.

 
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Okay I wanted to do this too, but i have concerns too:
1) My two 12's will go boom boom and the interior components will go CRACK CRACK
2) The temperature change from when the car is off when it's cold (overnight) to when it starts running and warms up. Condensation can not be good for the computer.

 
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They are surprisingly durable, there is a kid whos got a carputer and 3 12" L7s. He's had no problems. You're looking at it the wrong way, do you think that a motherboard would be the only circuit board in you car? Its just a matter of how well you make the thing.

 
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I don't have any pictures sorry.
Maybe after this weekend.

Ed: with the proper power supply you don't change your driving habits.. ie. it switches on and off automatically with your key. Otherwise expect a 15-20 second boot with conventional power, half that time to shutdown.

All the best.

 
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I had one for a while but pulled it out to go with a different setup that i never finished. They are fun though.