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Carputer Idea

Christopher

Well-known member
@Christopher: Apart from playing iTunes,what do you want this carputer to do?
Well for now probably just music, but maybe later I'd like to hook it into the car's computer and be able to get all the stats of everything going on inside, and maybe add Satnav or something. :)

 

bhylak

Well-known member
Well the Mac Mini would be more powerful. You could hook up a dash cam and record video, and you could use more devices to control it, and it wouldn't skip, it would be quicker, etc...

 

Christopher

Well-known member
I should probably also get a SDD drive to replace the record player style hard drive.

It would be nice to have it handle a hands free bluetooth thing for my phone.

 

Christopher

Well-known member
think'n maybe just using a netbook possibly so I can just pull it out at night or if I'm parking in area's that aren't so safe. Like my church parking lot. Car's are getting broken into alot more there it seems like. :-/

 

Christopher

Well-known member
I'm probably going to hold off on this for a little while, until I can actually have my name transferred over since technically my dad owns it, but it's in the "share with your sister" deal. But I keep the car clean(even in the winter which is a little tricky) and change the oil between 600-1000 miles before the usual 3,000 mi. The only things he pays for are the major things which so far has only been a coolant flush.

So until I can cough of $4700, and handle $600 every 6 months, it's dads car. :-/

But hey, soon enough I will replace the awful Delco radio with a touch screen and somehow tie into the stock speaker system. I'm thinking for that, I would run the high mid speakers off of another car amp I have in my closet(brother gave it be since he upgraded his audio system in his car after he bought it), and then just nab the audio directly off the mini, but also have an "aux" jack somewhere so if someone for some reason just wanted to plug their iPod or whatever in, they could. The Jimmy has a crossover and amp hidden under the center console, so I may figure something out and try and mod the second amp down there if there's room.

The other neat deal is when the rear seats fold flat and are in the normal position, there is space under the seat that looks to be big enough for a mac mini to sit. ;D So cargo area wouldn't be hindered in any way which is nice. That's what I'd probably do so that it would be hidden from criminal's and the like. You know, make it appear all stock, except for the touch screen.

I would like to get some sweet graphic EQ software so that I can make the most of the factory upscale speaker system.

 

Scott Baret

Well-known member
This thread brings back a memory from a long time ago...

Back before I was old enough to drive, I remember going downtown to the Carnegie Science Center with my mother. At a red light on the way down, I looked to my right at the car in the other lane and noticed something connected to the guy's power outlet, mounted where the passenger seat should be. It was an LC 520 (or other 500 series machine). I'm not sure if he used it for navigation, for directions, or to help with a disability (which I believe could have been the most likely scenario--perhaps he used it for speech if he was at, say, a drive thru or toll booth). I was impressed by the mounting job (the computer was actually mounted, not on a seat but probably from a base on the floor). This Mac sighting occurred in 1996.

 
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