Inexpensive Dashboard PC 149
Kristian - Dreamless writes "Wanting to war drive with style? The other day I surfed the web to find a free dash pc solution to my car since the commercial ones cost around 2000-2500$ here in Denmark. I found DashPC.com and I must say this looks promising a very nice GUI and the features seems to be endless: Navigation with War driving, Multimedia and so on. Requirements? Low cost pc and a dash LCD display."
Can I get a dash prompt here? (Score:4, Interesting)
Does the car run Windows or Linux?
"It runs linux. The first generation of it had windows installed. There are still many pictures out on the web of the first generation [windows] dashpc. The pictures over at Parallax are a good example. In them you can also see that the LCD was a 10.4". They are very old pictures, please disregard them. I've moved onto better things. There's a reason that everyone is moving to linux."
Re:Can I get a dash prompt here? (Score:1)
Re:Can I get a dash prompt here? (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Can I get a dash prompt here? (Score:2)
No shit he's a slashdotter, he's advertising here isn't he?
Re:Can I get a dash prompt here? (Score:1)
Or maybe a dash slotter...
Down (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Down (Score:1)
Re:Down (Score:1)
Re:Down (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Down (Score:1)
Re:Down (Score:5, Funny)
Comment removed (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Down (Score:1)
Re:Down (Score:1)
Nice (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Nice (Score:5, Funny)
This isn't exactly new news... (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:This isn't exactly new news... (Score:2)
Slashdot: Olds and Dupes. Stuff you've heard about before.
Re:This isn't exactly new news... (Score:2)
Now, it's probably not as easy to just an old laptop display for a project like this, especially if you want it to retract into the dashboard but it might be worth a shot. Plus, it sounds like a really cool project.
Alternatively, try go get yourself a display from a new-model BMW or Mercedes (2000 should be sufficient) from a scrapyard; those cars have pretty nice and clear displays and you won't
cheap touch lcd - get a 3Com Audrey (Score:2)
Great Idea, but will still cost a pretty penny. (Score:5, Informative)
Another site with a plethora of information on doing this is MP3car.com [mp3car.com] If you have the time, I recommend going through the site. Tons of information about the kind of power supply you will need (obviously a DC~DC converter).
I want one myself!
Re:Great Idea, but will still cost a pretty penny. (Score:1, Informative)
It's probably worth noting that it doesn't take a PC to play MP3's in your car. A (usually) cheaper solution is just to buy a car stereo [crutchfield.com] that does it.
Ive been planning this in my car for a while (Score:1)
Who knows, maybe people will start sharing music in their cars via wireless networking. RIAA c
Re:Great Idea, but will still cost a pretty penny. (Score:2)
another link (Score:5, Informative)
Re:another link (Score:1)
{mini,nano}-itx (Score:1, Interesting)
i'll bet you could build one for like 500 usd
There a mechanic available? (Score:3, Funny)
Sorry Officer... (Score:1, Funny)
Re:Sorry Officer... (Score:1)
Dangerous Distraction? (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Dangerous Distraction? (Score:2)
- Changing the radio station
- Finding the right CD to play
- Talking on the phone w/o hands-free
- Paying too much attention to the back seat
- Eating and drinking
- Reading a map or navigation system
- In-dash PC
Re:Dangerous Distraction? (Score:1)
I actually got into an accident looking at a girl once, no damage involved, but an accident nonetheless.
ft
Re:Dangerous Distraction? (Score:2)
Is the poster taking WAR driving to the limits? (Score:1, Funny)
Re:Is the poster taking WAR driving to the limits? (Score:1, Funny)
Basic hardware suggestions (Score:5, Informative)
Currently, the most popular motherboard for Carputers is the Epia M10000. It's full featured and super low power consumption, runs about $160 US.
http://robots.net/article/983.html
For the monitor, the most popular now is the Lilliput 7" VGA touchscreen. It sells for $300ish with shipping on eBay new from a lot of vendors.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?Y47312DE7 (eBay search)
The best power supply is from Opussolutions.com and is a smart DC-DC power supply with automatic standby handling for when you car turns off and on and can survive the dreaded voltage drop when you crank the engine.
http://www.mp3car.com/store/
For GPS, anything works, but USB GPS 'mice' are popular because they are small and powered over USB.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?O18324DE7 (an eBay search)
For connecting to your OBD-II interface on your car, scantool.net and obddiagnostics.com sell cheap serial interfaces.
http://scantool.net/
http://www.obd
Hope this helps, and for more answers, visit www.mp3car.com and be sure to read the forums. Lots of great info.
Re:Basic hardware suggestions (Score:2)
Re:Basic hardware suggestions (Score:2)
What I'd prefer is an antenna that mounts to a hole drilled in the roof (non-magnetically), and has its cable coming throug
Re:Basic hardware suggestions (Score:2)
Slashdotted (Score:5, Informative)
What of the display for this? (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:What of the display for this? (Score:4, Funny)
Re:What of the display for this? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:What of the display for this? (Score:1)
Separate modes for day and nightvision with complete overlapping information like speed, direction, GPS etc...
Re:What of the display for this? (Score:2)
Re:What of the display for this? (Score:1)
Re:What of the display for this? (Score:2)
It's listed as "heads up display" near the bottom of the feature list.
Unlike previous attemps at putting a HUD in a car, the BMW one uses special glass that prevents the display from looking doubled on the windscreen.
Re:What of the display for this? (Score:1)
Jaysyn
Re:What of the display for this? (Score:3, Informative)
I've seen the head up display in a Corvette and while it seemed like a cool thing to have, it wasn't all that impressive resolution-wise. You could tell the display was engineered for one purpose, to display the current speed and revs, and it did just that. Plus, I really wouldn't want to have a text console, my audio player's interface and an IRC client in my face, all while watching the road. Something like this [ww-plus.com] one the other hand could work quite well.
The military already does this! (Score:1)
Mirror (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Mirror (Score:1, Funny)
Re:Mirror (Score:1)
Re:Mirror (Score:1)
Not Meatloaf Approved (Score:3, Funny)
Cheaper solution (Score:3, Insightful)
When did operating a two-ton piece of machinery at high speeds become relegated to an afterthought?
Imagine (Score:1, Funny)
Cough...Cough....Cough
oh never mind, too much Carbon Monoxide
GPS Autorouting Navigation on Linux? (Score:1)
Again, Slashdot misses the mark... (Score:5, Insightful)
The best resource I found when I started looking into car-pc stuff were the message boards at MP3Car.com [mp3car.com]. They have sections for hardware, software, cabling, audio, gps, networking, OBD-II, etc. There are thousands of users on there, and everyone is very helpful. The archives contain a lot of good information that became invaluable to me when I was building my own car-pc project [mp3car.com]. It is currently going through a new overhaul where I am fixing some problems with the original design and functionality and adding some new stuff like OBD-II and reversing camera as well.
Re:Again, Slashdot misses the mark... (Score:2)
Re:Again, Slashdot misses the mark... (Score:2)
To use the screen, you can build a VGA-
For a lot less money.... (Score:1)
Access 97 (Score:2, Funny)
Too many connections"
----------
How did he get MS Access to return this custom error?
Yet another reason why I'll never use MySQL (Score:1, Funny)
Re:Yet another reason why I'll never use MySQL (Score:1)
mp3car.com (Score:4, Informative)
It's a terrific resource for those of us who want GPS, MP3s, wardriving, etc. and don't want to have to haul seperate devices around for all of it. Also, lots of links to free GUIs that people are developing for carputers.
Check out the Show Off Your Project forum for some cool implementations.
remember the p0rn thing? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:remember the p0rn thing? (Score:1)
Example of a lyric I heard on XM channel 66: "I stuck my foot up her ##### and make her suck my toes..."
Re:remember the p0rn thing? (Score:2)
hmmm...fetish?
Join our group (Score:1, Informative)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dashpc/
Already Illegal (Score:1)
Other interesting dash board enhancements. (Score:2)
Another cool thing I'd like is a heads up display projected on my windshield (yes, very much like the cockpit of a fighter jet). The idea is to have things like my tac, speed, etc. directly in my line of sight so that I wouldn't have to divert my eyes from traffic to get vehicle stats.
Do they even exist? Does anybody know of any shops that build and install these kinds of systems? (How about in the Washington, DC area? :) How customizable are they? For example, I drive a Civic Hybrid and I'd like to
GM's doing it (Score:1)
When I testdrove one, the salesperson attempted to demo it, but could find the brightness level controls. The sun was low in the sky, and made reading this display at its default setting very difficult. I image it would have been much more cool h
Re:Other interesting dash board enhancements. (Score:1)
Re:Other interesting dash board enhancements. (Score:1)
Re:Rice rice baby! (Score:2)
Does my car [elwing.org] look like a ricer to you? No, didn't think so. :)
Re:Rice rice baby! (Score:2)
That's VTEC (look it up), and rice or not, it's a simple, cheap, workable, effective solution to a complicated problem.
VTEC on your dinosaur motor would be a benefit.
--D
Extremely Expensive Alternative (Score:2)
For the sake of completeness, if you have way too much money to burn, there's also megaCar [megacar.com]. They do a complete vehicle outfitting except for a few more zeros on the price.
Xbox (Score:2, Interesting)
I guess I have a question. (Score:1)
No, reading the comments I understand the site is down, so haven't read the article yet, but 12 volt mobo,ram, various drives, LCD screen etc bought separately has got to add up quickly. I unders
What, precisely is the "new edge" here (Score:3, Insightful)
Total draw was under 1 amp at 5v.
You could buy them directly from the company for $100 (Boundless was selling them for a bit more through internet auction houses, years later). I bought a few through a group buy, and one of them ended up in a car, and ran perfectly for three years until the car was rear-ended, cracking the screen (no, the computer wasn't in use - in fact, the car was being driven by a family member who didn't realize it was there at all)
That was a trivial weekend's work and $200 in total parts (hard drive, USB accessories, power supply etc.) four years ago. The GPS was added some time later (it was initially an MP3 player)
There were many other similar 'web appliances' at the time that I wonder what makes this particular project worthy of
Yeah, Moore's Law doesn't apply directly, but it's not a bad scaling metric for hobby project cost.
Car computers based on small surplus off the shelf systems are trivial for anyone interested in using them (vs. bragging rights for tech specs). If this article interests you, you could have a computer in your car two weeks from today, with minimal work (including eBay buying/shipping time)
Can you say OBDC? (Score:2)
OBD II [ghg.net] is the key feature that converges yesterday's non-integrated mobile computer with today's integrated and interactive monitoring, communication and entertainment system.
Mounts (Score:1)
Use ISA SBCs ! (Score:2)
Ive won bids on one card with a PCI connector on it, and will plug in a Soundblaster Live, and run Linux on it. It takes standard ATX power and guess what, the car battery is 12V too. My only worry now is adjusting the card output current to what the amplifier takes, and if the PCI s
Car PC (Score:1, Informative)
car pc [xenarc.com]
Oh Geez! (Score:1, Insightful)
Warn me when these guys are gonna be driving around and surfing p0rn at the same time!!!
Whatever happened to DRIVING while driving?
about to hack my murano (Score:2)
Speech (Score:2)
The more cumbersome option is to take my laptop with me in car, hack my phone so I can use it as wireless m
Re:2 comments and already done? (Score:2, Funny)
Re:2 comments and already done? (Score:1, Insightful)
But sweet jesus, with every slashdotting of a LAMP site I have to wonder just how poor LAMP really is.
There is just no reason that dashpc's site should slashdotted so quickly.
Re:2 comments and already done? (Score:2)
Re:fyi (Score:1)
It in no way tells you that Plesk is in any way involved.
Re:does it run (Score:1)
BeOS does run fine on modern hardware.
(a satisfied BeOS user and dev -- but I also use Slackware
Re:You're all a bunch of fucking idiots. (Score:2)
As for the entire concept of using tablet PCs -- tablets are generally *more* expensive than the equivalent laptop, which would make a much better base system.
Re: Great (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Its your CAR, not your fucking clubhouse. (Score:1)
I fail to see how drivers are able to get away with this stuff. Sure, You can make the argument that the majority of folks can drive and talk on the phone, which some will agree with and some won't. However, I cannot believe that anyone would suggest that you can either read or watch TV while you are driving. To drive safely, at the bare minimum, you must have your eyes on
Nothing like a 120 MPH DMCA Violation eh? (Score:1)
"watching TV?", I don't see a TV in his setup. I do see an LCD in the headrest so ppl in the rear sear can watch DVDs, etc. Perhaps you should perform a bit of research before you simply complain? If you are really interested in how technology and Telematics are affecting drivers, then _think_, and perform a little research (Watch Discovery || TLC).
Telematics is the future for vehicles. Ford, GM, Toyota, Fiat, etc are investing quite a bit on the research and development of telematics to im
Re:Nothing like a 120 MPH DMCA Violation eh? (Score:1)
or not... (Score:2)
abutment--
3.
a) The part of a structure that bears the weight or pressure of an arch.
b) A structure that supports the end of a bridge.