In-Dash DIN-form-factor Car PC

kraksmokr writes "Xenarc Technologies have introduced a cool new in-dash DIN-form-factor Car PC. It features built in hard drive, audio/video, and GPS, among other things. Estimated price will be about $1200. I can't even begin to list the possibilities for mobile computing bliss." I'm even more impressed that they can fit it into the dash than I am with in-dash CD changers. If you buy this thing, use it safely. None of us want auto PC users to end up in the same category as annoying cell phone users.

Pr0n!

[BitwizeGHC]

Apparently the studly thing to do if you are a ricer type, is to have pr0n running on the video screens on the backs of your headrests. That way everybody you drive past can get either offended or dangerously distracted. I have personally seen this once, and there was also a news item about it.

Walk and chew gum

[www.sorehands.com]

Before allowing a person to operate an in-dash computer system in a car, they should be able to show that their own brain has sufficient processing power to think, drive, and use the computer at the same time.

Same thing with cell phone users, that you must be able to talk and drive and the same time and walk and chew gum at the same time.

Re:$1200?

[luzrek]

You could always build your own using a EPIA-M (or other EPIA) motherboard/processor combo from VIA, a car-stereo sized case from Casetronic or Morex, and a "slim" CD/CDRW/DVD, and a 2.5" Harddrive (and ram). Alternatively, if you already have wireless networking in your garage, you could skip the optical drive and just transfer files to it that way. When I built my slightly larger "living room" PC I think I ended up spending about 600-700$, so I'ld expect to pay about that for a car stereo sized one.

Re:interface, interface, interface

[shortscruffydave]

I guess voice control for apps is one angle, but is that technology good enough, and will the hardware here be powerful enough to do it support it reliably?

ESS Sound Chip?

[LamerX]

Since this unit looks to be replacing a head unit stereo, why would you want to use a sound processor like an ESS? I would think that an emphasis on sound quality would be the ultimate thing in a stereo situation. I know that the cabin of your car isn't the most efficent place for quality of sound, but you can still tell a lot. I'm no expert on sound chips, but IMHO, ESS isn't the top choice for high qulity sound.

Stuff it. What I want is...

[Anonymous Coward]

... I want my car hifi to have a simple, cheap, something like "Bluetooth Audio" receiver.. and for something like an iPod with a digital wireless audio SENDER... so whenever my portable is in the car I can hear it over the speakers. Not much to ask, is it? The tech is already here and cheap. Everything that plays back audio should have a transmitter, and everything plays music should have a receiver. Just think of the possibilities. PC in your den plays music, can listen in the living room. TV/VCR/DVD plays something.. listen (and watch) in stereo in your bedroom. Oh yes... video too... :o)
Come on big manufacturers, catch up .. it's 2003 already!

in-dash PC

[warrenmcallister]

IMHO, the only equipment required in a (real) car is a rev-counter and an oil-pressure gauge :-)

Re:Car computer

[MatthewB79]

Actually, you do not need to emulate the OBD computer in order to make changes. As long as this in-dash PC has a COM port software like this [ross-tech.com] for VW and Audi vehicles can make any OBD/VAG controlled adjustments and record engine data in real time. Of course you can do this with a laptop but I can see the usefulness for those interested in performance tuning or adding another layer of security. Maybe like having to login to your car in order to start the engine.

Re:Nice, but...

[itsjpr]

I don't know...a 266MHz Intel with MMX...that sounds a lot like my personal computer here at home. It's the only machine we have and it works just fine. Sure it's a little slow at times but it's perfectly adequate.

We always run two X sessions so my wife and I can fast user switch between our desktops. It serves as our stereo, and I run our family web site and a couple of low volume mailing lists off it. It only gets sluggish when I have way too many windows open.

Thinking of things a little differently, a slight delay while driving can be an advantage. You need the thing to not out pace you while you have hundreds of other tasks to perform, like driving.

Re:Nice, but...

[jonbrewer]

but having a nice long(and heavily shielded) cable running to the trunk would be more effective because the space constraints aren't as big of a deal.

With processors so cheap, just have a separate machine up front running VNC or similar, and put something real in the back to do the work. In fact, aren't there such displays commercially available? As in flat-panels with a processor, video card, and etherent jack?

Really the cost of installing a high-quality shielded cable to move user input back and video to the front is likely much greater than the cost of having two PCs...

OLED

[AmiMoJo]

Combined with OLED (organic light emitting diode) technology, this could be a killer app. OLED displays are a bit like LCD displays, except that they emit light rather than reflect it. They can be transparent in the areas they are not lit, and come in green and orange currently.

Imagine a head up display for your radio/cd/mp3... you could even move your speed- and odo-meters to the windscreen. Thinking further ahead, augmented reality displays will eventually be possible. I'd like to see a kind of mini-radar, that shows other cars near yours (a bit like on Daytona USA, the Sega arcade game). No more blind spots etc.

MoJo

C2C File Sharing

[G4from128k]

Seems like this little invention, along with a bit'o wireless gear, should let people swap music files in the safety and convenience of their own car. Car-2-car swapping networks would let you snag files from fellow commuters as long as you were all going the same speed during the download time. So a long commute down a steadily moving highway would make an excellent venue for file sharing. Only problem would be if the person you are connected to takes an early exit and breaks the link.

For extra credit the creators of C2C software (open source, of course) could even patch together a mobile mesh network that lets you swap files from one end of a traffic jam to another. Another nice feature would resume an interrupted file transfer the following day when you and your peer are on that same stretch of road at the same time.

Until RIAA creates roving anti-swapping patrols, C2C networks should be pretty safe because there would be no ISP logs to subpeona.

PSU FutureTruck's Car PC implementation

[sonny317]

I was a member of the Penn State FutureTruck [futuretruck.org] program this past year, which had 15 universities develop hybrid-electric Ford Explorers. I know several schools had in-dash PC's of some sort to provide entertainment, telemetry, and navigation functions.

PSU's system (picture here [psu.edu]) , which I wrote in Delphi, focused on entertainment, such as the MP3 player screen shown in the picture. The interface is fairly easy to navigate without requiring too much attention while driving. The display itself is a touchscreen made by Xenarc, the company that makes the DIN-PC featured in this article. The PC itself is a Cappuccino Mini-PC [thinkgeek.com] running Windows 2000. The PC was mounted in the center console which (after adding some small fans) kept it cool enough to run well.

pointless

[73939133]

Put the PC in the trunk: it's more protected there and there is more room for all the things you might want to plug in. What should go into the dashboard is the user interface--a touch screen or an LCD and some buttons. A Bluetooth or WiFi-capable touch screen in an in-dash form factor, now that would be something useful.

Until then, you might be best off just sticking a Palm or PPC to your dashboard and having it talk wirelessly to your PC.

Re:Computer in the dash...

[phillyclaude]

every car I've owned only had room for one DIN device
A double-din opening is more common that you think. Most imported cars actually have a double din opening. Mazda, Honda, Nissan, Toyota(i think). Thats what that silly little pocket underneath your stereo is. Most American cars have a 1 or 1.5 din sized stereo, but you could always mount it under the seat.

Sounds like the perfect use for Xbox Linux.

[Anonymous Coward]

For a few hundred you get a much faster processor capable of playing most video files at full speed. Mount the DVD drive in the dash, stow the rest of the system elsewhere in your car and voila, instant music jukebox/movie theatre/arcade in your car. After all is said and done you'd probably come out the same or cheaper and get much better equipment.