ITX computers are the best way to go for this

err with the bootspace, if u are carrying anything trynot to brake hard or u might find ure computer turns off lol

my plan is for a modded xbox running linux with a touch screen, only want it for mp3 playing. But I want to replace the xbox psu with a 12v one, don't want a 12v->240v->12v system.

Hmm... just found this site if anyone is interested.. http://www.xenarcdirect.com

Last edited by Happy on Wed Nov 17, 2004 2:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Sounds like a nice, easy, tidy setup Happy. The complete opposite to the way i went about it! lol. My philosophy was to minimise costs - after seeing the f**k up prices people charge for MP3/DVD units for cars. Total cost around $300 as all the PC parts were lying around (after i took the pc apart ).

yeah, you do have the advantages of a) having it finished and b) using regular parts. Mine might be a tad more expensive and take a lot longer lol

xbox might be a nicer idea 200gb drive runing linux, plus dvd vids n stuff would be sweet

Why bother changing it to linux when all you want to do is play MP3s and watch movies etc? the Xbox can already do that and you can transfer the xbox OS onto another drive anyway (get it chipped at the same time) and then play DVDs, MP3s and games. The xbox remote would be good for this as well, I'm sure it's easy enough (if you can't buy them already) to make up an extention to put the remote reciever where ever you want, meaning easy swap out of the remote for 4th controller as well.

with the mouse ever though of going the trackball route as you can mount it nice and stuff and be way cool

This has really got me thinking (or dreaming). A few basic questions:
when you turn your car on, do you have to then power up the P.C. start Windows, go to Media Player and play the MP3's, or does it do that automatically? Also, that'd take a while to do (depending on the speed of the P.C. I guess). What about when you turn off the car, do you have to turn of the P.C. seperately, or does it do it automatically?
Could you have the hardware in the boot, but the CD/DVD drive up the front were your headunit is usually?
How do you go about powering it, use one of those volt inverter thingos?
Also, since you don't have the built in amplifier from the headunit, how do you go about conecting the sound card to the amplifiers for the speakers? Do you need a particular sound card, or can you do it with the regular ones that come with p.c.'s?

Last edited by twr7cx on Wed Nov 17, 2004 8:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.

If you chucked in a second battery would be easy to set a system up to hibernate, much quicker start up. However with the power for $$ these days hardly worth the effort just for a few seconds. Anything can be set to start at start-up on the computer.

I'm talking about just a simple set up, so a second battery is not in the picture. If you just want it to play MP3's and CDs and visulisations while doing so, and DVD's, is there a way you can get a system that'll start up quickly when you start the car?
And what would be a sufficent CPU and amount of RAM to get all this going...?

i think you'd use somthing other that windows, you can get os's for cars...i think they are built on linux

how do you go with the dvd/hdd skipping across rougher roads?

this is all possible amte the only thing with the dvd/cd rom is that it would have to be external as a paralell ata cable wont be very acurate over that distance, but im sure usb would be.
with the sound card to amp go to dse there are heaps of different addapters out there for that s**t.
the only thing i could think of with the pc shutting down its possible u could wire the power switch to the ignition, but run the power to the computer staight from battery so when u turn off no matter what computer shuts down so it doesnt kill off ure battery.
with starting things up i suggest u play with the startup folder on ure pc lol, other wise writing a simple script wouldnt be to hard

No. At the moment i must start the car, turn on the inverter then turn the PC on. I have windows configured so it goes straight to the mdeia librabry in media player. Takes about 60 sec from engine start to music playing, or 30 sec if windows is just hibernating. Im looking at setting up some relays to have automatic power up.



Again, i must initiate this manually. I have it setup so i press the pc pwr button on the centre console and windows goes to sleep (hibernates). The DC-DC power supplies are capable of sending auto-shut down signals to the motherboard when the key is turned off. That'd be cool....



I have seen people do this on www.mp3car.com but there's a lot of issues running IDE cables over large distances. Either REALLY expensive cables and shield systems or s**t reliability. Also the logistics of running a 60 odd pin ribbon cable along the length of the car.... external USB drives would be the go.




Yeah i use a power inverter (i.e. 12v from car ---> 240v from inverter ---> PC)

Any sound card will do, its how you connect it that makes the difference.... i bought a CD player with auxillary RCA input. I spose could also use an FM modulator.... or get a 6.1 surround sound card and run it into a s**t of amps for home theatre in the car (but ya better f**k not, that's my idea! lol)

Happy - have taken the CarPC down some brutal roads. Discs dont skip (good buffering) and the HDD still gets a clean bill of health from a surface scan. Touchwood.