This is something I have been planning on for a while now, and its gotten to the stage at which it has become a solid plan for the next 2 months or so (Damned uni and its constant barrage of work!)
Looking into MP3 players for cars, DVD players and whatnot, I have come across the conclusion that a in car computer (CarPuter) is probably the best solution for both.
Pros - Extremely flexible in storage space, upgrades, speed, and overall coolness
Cons - Not plug and play. Fiddly to install and run. Custom software needed to work.
Although im not sure of the number of people interested in this kind of project, i will detail my endeavours, photograph, and try my best to show each and every step taken to complete this task.
Firstly, quick rundown of WHY i want to use a CarPuter.
Looking at the latest DVD/MP3 players avaliable from the leading companies (Alpine, JVC, Sony etc) their features are pretty large, but, still limited.
Firstly, u still need cds/dvds to play music and video. Cumbersome at best. Who wants to change a cd when they are driving. Seriously... lol.
Motorised screens are cool... but too small for my liking. Nowadays these things come with hdd's... but all with a heafty price tag. Ive even seen a Head Unit with a add on unit which displays engine info, g-forces and numerous other data. Nice, but for more than $2500, man, i could almost buy another pintara for that!
Now, a carputer, has so much more to offer, with the benifit of being cheaper as well...
Unlimited space for songs and movies (hell, with 2 250Gb hdd's in a Raid array, u can store all the songs in the world, and most of the movies... alright, maybe not that much, but u aint gunna fill them anytime soon)
Instant access though touch screen or even remote control (and if u are technically minded, Voice Activated which is almost Knightrider coolness!)
5.1, 7.1 and even 7.2 point surround sound capability (depending on ur sound card and speaker/amp setup)
Wireless lan uplink to update everything (add more songs, movies etc) without needing to remove the computer from ur car!
Ability to add a COPS style Dash cam/rear vision cam and constant recording.
Datalogging and monitoring also possible (mix with the dash cam, you have a perminant black box recorder!)
And the list goes on, and on, and on.
Just an introduction, but if anyone is interested... ill be happy to go on. lol... i just dont want waste anyones time tho...
Catcha!
Ed
P.S - Been a while since ive been on the forum! I hope my absence wasnt mistaken for lack of interest! Just lack of time (again, i blame uni.... Spawn of the devil she is....lol)
Peace!