Why not use a Laptop as a CarPC?

F

firewolf

Limp Gawd
Joined
Nov 27, 2005
Messages
389
This could be a stupid question but why doesn't anyone just use a laptop instead of building all these weak, complicated, more expensive and sometimes hotter mITX computers. The case will end up smaller if you get a 12.1 inch laptop and then you can sell the screen on eBay to get back a lot of your money. You can get a nice C2D in your car when most people here are running cut down Athlons.
 
with laptops as a car pc, why not just keep the screen.. lol. You can get those nice laptop mounts and make it look like how they have police car pc's mounted. Its VERY easy to do/install. But, a 12'' laptop would be much bigger than a mini-itx build. Anyhow, mini-itx is just much easier because they have special power supplies that are made to handle the voltage irregularities and shut down when safely you turn off your car, or turn on when you start your car. Mini-ITX is just an easier, more flexible solution. Its easy to fit anywhere and has more options.
 
i have an Athlon x2 4400 in my expeditionmounted behide the back seat and a 10" in dash monitor
 
That works, I never thought of the power supplies, laptops do have batteries but those can still run out. Is an ITX built really smaller than a 12 inch laptop?
 
firewolf said:
That works, I never thought of the power supplies, laptops do have batteries but those can still run out. Is an ITX built really smaller than a 12 inch laptop?
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Mini ITX boards are only 6" by 6".
 
People should be watching the road, not their computer monitors :) Other than to play mp3's (which a portable with an RF transmitter is MUCH cheaper) I dont see why on earth people would put a pc in a car (unless its a van and its in the back for children to play games).
 
wee96 said:
People should be watching the road, not their computer monitors :) Other than to play mp3's (which a portable with an RF transmitter is MUCH cheaper) I dont see why on earth people would put a pc in a car (unless its a van and its in the back for children to play games).
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hard drive based GPS, Media management, DVD capability (with DTS and such), etc for cheaper than a made-for-car unit.... but honestly, I think the in-dash units are cleaner easier to work with (such as an Alpine unit with a direct Ipod connection for MP3's)
 
I'm going to get a 12" white G3 iBook, flip the screen around so it's a "tablet" and mount it on my dash...

You know, when I get a car.

It'll be alot cheaper than any ITX setup :), with more than enough power for Movies and Music... (I know :O Movies on the road). With batteries, it would last when the car is off too... Seems like the most elegant solution.
 
wee96 said:
People should be watching the road, not their computer monitors :) Other than to play mp3's (which a portable with an RF transmitter is MUCH cheaper) I dont see why on earth people would put a pc in a car (unless its a van and its in the back for children to play games).
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for some people (like me) the RF transmitter wouldn't be hi fi enough. why run a car stereo system for a lot of bucks and then use a rf transmitter?
a carpc is way more versatile than a portable mp3 player and a transmitter to. e.g. more storage (for lossless formats), possible naviagation system, movies for the passengers, .........

i think everyone should spend as much as he likes, or use what he likes.
but imo a built in carcp is better hidden than a lapy and less likely attracts any thiefs.
 
You could just modify a laptop to be a CarPC - take the screen off, mount it somewhere, even build your own case. Since laptops are real thin, you'd have lots of mounting options.
 
wee96 said:
People should be watching the road, not their computer monitors :) Other than to play mp3's (which a portable with an RF transmitter is MUCH cheaper) I dont see why on earth people would put a pc in a car (unless its a van and its in the back for children to play games).
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Because some of us live on islands where we have to take long ferrys. Or some of us like to watch stuff or do stuff on long trips with another person driving of course. Or some of us want something for the kids to do. Or some of us want the ability to surf the internet in there car so they can find directions or look at where to go next. Theres tons of reasons for a computer in the car that you dont relise.
 
wee96 said:
People should be watching the road, not their computer monitors :)
Click to expand...

Heh, I sure hope im not on the same road as this guy.......

walwalka said:
i have an Athlon x2 4400 in my expeditionmounted behide the back seat and a 10" in dash monitor
Click to expand...
 
wee96 said:
People should be watching the road, not their computer monitors :) Other than to play mp3's (which a portable with an RF transmitter is MUCH cheaper) I dont see why on earth people would put a pc in a car (unless its a van and its in the back for children to play games).
Click to expand...

Come to LA and see how people drive when yaking on their cell phones. On the other hand, the others have pointed valid reasons for having one. A laptop would be a better idea asI cant stand leaving a expensive piece of electronics in the car. Darn smash and grab thieves!
 
What would you have to do to hook a laptop up to a 12v power source and get the laptop to turn on and off with the car? I was going to build a legitimate car pc when I get back from Afghanistan, but the hinges on my trusty ol e6805 finally completely gave out, so Ill have a decent monitorless laptop to throw in my pos neon.
 
KoSMoKeNNy said:
What would you have to do to hook a laptop up to a 12v power source and get the laptop to turn on and off with the car? I was going to build a legitimate car pc when I get back from Afghanistan, but the hinges on my trusty ol e6805 finally completely gave out, so Ill have a decent monitorless laptop to throw in my pos neon.
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For a few $ you can probably get someone on the forum to build you a little circuit (assuming you don't know how yourself) that will connect to the serial port / USB port and detect voltage. Hook this sensor up to the remote wire and you can have it "gracefully" shut down when the car stops. Getting it to start on-demand may be a little more challenging, but if the comptuer supports power on by USB / keyboard then this should also be possible.

EDIT: Also, if it's a broken laptop and you don't mind taking it apart, you could make a simple circuit that will directly operate the power button. Make it send a short pulse to the power button line any time the level of the remote line changes (from on to off / off to on). Most OS's I've seen (including Linux) will shut down gracefully if you just press (as opposed to press and hold) the power button.
 
wee96 said:
People should be watching the road, not their computer monitors :) Other than to play mp3's (which a portable with an RF transmitter is MUCH cheaper) I dont see why on earth people would put a pc in a car (unless its a van and its in the back for children to play games).
Click to expand...

One word - cameras. Record to the harddrive and if you ever have a problem with an accident or a bs ticket, just bring a copy of the videos with you. Imagine how quickly someone's story will change once they realize it was all caught on disk.
 
Hmm, this is a pretty interesting thread.

Anyways, in respond to:
killa62 said:
fyi, for the uninformed, that is 4 times smaller
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A 12" laptop is 12" accross, while a 6" by 6" board is 8.5" accross. So the 12 incher is maybe 7 inches wide and 10 inches cross, vs. 6 x 6.

70 sq inches against 36 sq inches = about 2 times larger.

A car-based laptop would be decent economical navigation solution. A USB GPS navigator is a LOT cheaper than one intended for the road, but one would need a passenger to operate it and offer the directions.
 
KoSMoKeNNy said:
What would you have to do to hook a laptop up to a 12v power source and get the laptop to turn on and off with the car? I was going to build a legitimate car pc when I get back from Afghanistan, but the hinges on my trusty ol e6805 finally completely gave out, so Ill have a decent monitorless laptop to throw in my pos neon.
Click to expand...
I'm in the same boat, buuuut I'm not in Afghanistan.
 
Once I replaced my car stereo with a unit that had an aux plug, I ran out and found a used Thinkpad and a half-decent AC adapter. When I was in my car 3 hours a day, I could think of no better way to go. First of all, controlling the music playback on a keyboard is a LOT easier than some portable MP3 player. I don't have to look at the laptop at all while driving. With Winamp, you can setup the spacebar for Pause, the arrow keys are already made for FF and REW so you're already set. Besides, you can't get a 12" display on your iPod. I can also use my Thinkpad for controlling a Delorme GPS receiver and mapping software when I go out on a trip. $100 for the GPS receiver and software is waaaaay better than your cheapest standalone GPS platform --and I'm still better off with my 12" screen. Once you setup a laptop for driving, you'll wonder how you got along without it.
 
jmroberts70 said:
Once I replaced my car stereo with a unit that had an aux plug, I ran out and found a used Thinkpad and a half-decent AC adapter. When I was in my car 3 hours a day, I could think of no better way to go. First of all, controlling the music playback on a keyboard is a LOT easier than some portable MP3 player. I don't have to look at the laptop at all while driving. With Winamp, you can setup the spacebar for Pause, the arrow keys are already made for FF and REW so you're already set. Besides, you can't get a 12" display on your iPod. I can also use my Thinkpad for controlling a Delorme GPS receiver and mapping software when I go out on a trip. $100 for the GPS receiver and software is waaaaay better than your cheapest standalone GPS platform --and I'm still better off with my 12" screen. Once you setup a laptop for driving, you'll wonder how you got along without it.
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Do you have pics?
 
yeah, i think laptops are the way to go when it comes to carpcs. i was planning on doing the following until i proposed and then $15k wedding :(

step 1: buy used laptop on ebay w/ vga out. broken lcd is fine cuz it won't be used. power adapter and battery are needed.
step 2: buy a 7 or 8inch touch screen w/ mounting bracket.
step 3: remove the power switch on the laptop and run an separate one to an easily reachable location.
step 4: place laptop under passenger seat, run vga/usb/power/audio cables, attach lcd touchscreen
step 4: my car (toyota matrix) already has an 100w DC plug. so i need an additional one depending on watt requirements of the two devices
step 5: configure the laptop to sleep/hibernate/standby at touch of power button.

The laptop will have a constantly charged backup power source (incase the car dies). still wouldn't have a display if you get one w/out a screen though. unless there are vga lcd touchscreens that get power from usb/firewire? doubtful. but yeah, the pc will be up and running/shut down within seconds of pushing the button and you won't even need your keys in the car. yeah, built in wifi, large hard drive, designed to run cooler. i can't see a fault w/ this system except for heat/cold issues (closed cars can get hot and the battery might be vulnerable) but there really isn't more risk than a normal carpc.
 
'yea, I like that idea the best too if you HAVE to make it permanently mounted in the car. I'll see if I still have some pics of the arrangement. There really isn't much to it. My laptop just sits on the passenger seat while I drive. Nothing fancy.
 
jmroberts70 said:
'yea, I like that idea the best too if you HAVE to make it permanently mounted in the car. I'll see if I still have some pics of the arrangement. There really isn't much to it. My laptop just sits on the passenger seat while I drive. Nothing fancy.
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Would the VGA controller on the laptop even work with a touch screen LCD? I thought they worked differently (I'm probably wrong though). Another negative is the fact that you'd have to buy a touchscreen LCD. What I've been considering is taking my old laptop and just flipping the screen around, then mounting the keyboard inside the dash with a wiress reciever then just use a mini keyboard and/or mouse to navigate.
 
DarkStar02 said:
Would the VGA controller on the laptop even work with a touch screen LCD? I thought they worked differently (I'm probably wrong though). Another negative is the fact that you'd have to buy a touchscreen LCD. What I've been considering is taking my old laptop and just flipping the screen around, then mounting the keyboard inside the dash with a wiress reciever then just use a mini keyboard and/or mouse to navigate.
Click to expand...
He was saying just use the laptop keyboard, not a touch screen. If you wanted to hook up a touchscreen, its really easy. You buy the touchscreen, and the touch function hooks up via usb. It knows where you touch the screen by sending the data through usb/serial to the software to interpret based on resolution. The VGA just displays the picture, not determine where you touch.

Reguardless, there are tons of places to mount a car pc or laptop in a car. If anyone has ever taken apart a dashboard, you'd know there is tons of empty space under there. (depending on car) Also, under the seats, in the trunk, glovebox, center console, etc. The biggest problem is heat if you live in a hot area of the country.

I have a lancer.. here's some of the ways to do it in my car. For other cars, its pretty similar.
http://forums.evolutionm.net/showthread.php?t=223626&highlight=laptop+mount
http://forums.evolutionm.net/showthread.php?t=171182&highlight=laptop+mount
 
LOL, I am totally in love with your laptop mount! I've seen several instances of the exact same thing (using steel piping and some tubing to clean up) but I like your placement the best. You've inspired me to get mine done too. I'll post pics here when I get it going...
 
I like the Idea of having a laptop mounted in there like a cop car, only, that'd be robbed in a second
 
J_I_M_B_O said:
I like the Idea of having a laptop mounted in there like a cop car, only, that'd be robbed in a second
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yep. or at the very least attract extra attention to your car when you have to park it in the sketchy part of town.
 
Well my thought was that the laptop would be taken out when leaving the car. That's how I usually work anyway.
 
w1retap said:
He was saying just use the laptop keyboard, not a touch screen. If you wanted to hook up a touchscreen, its really easy. You buy the touchscreen, and the touch function hooks up via usb. It knows where you touch the screen by sending the data through usb/serial to the software to interpret based on resolution. The VGA just displays the picture, not determine where you touch.

Reguardless, there are tons of places to mount a car pc or laptop in a car. If anyone has ever taken apart a dashboard, you'd know there is tons of empty space under there. (depending on car) Also, under the seats, in the trunk, glovebox, center console, etc. The biggest problem is heat if you live in a hot area of the country.

I have a lancer.. here's some of the ways to do it in my car. For other cars, its pretty similar.
http://forums.evolutionm.net/showthread.php?t=223626&highlight=laptop+mount
http://forums.evolutionm.net/showthread.php?t=171182&highlight=laptop+mount
Click to expand...


Lol, I actually saw that thread the other day crusining around evom. Nice to see another evo owner being a member of [H] :cool:
 
I didn't use a laptop for my car pc because it was much easier to find and wire a power supply for my miniITX board. Plus the overall size of the computer fits perfectly underneath the front passenger seat.
 
IMHO, an in-dash slot loading optical drive, an in-dash touch screen, a key activated power supply, and an instant off OS setup define a "car PC".

You could do all of these things with laptop hardware. But a laptop in a car is just a laptop in a car.

P.S. Putting your PC in your trunk could cause heat issues depending on where you live.
 
I've been running a laptop in the car for more than 2 years now. The power solution is easy - get a power inverter and plug the laptop into it, then set the power settings to power down however many minutes you want after AC power is lost. As for powering on, I could probably figure out a way to get it to do that when I start the car, but really, if I ever get so lazy that I can't reach over 6 inches to hit a power switch .. . . ;).

And yes I know that the inverters don't put out ideal power, but I reasoned when I tried it that the laptop's converter brick would shield the computer itself, so at worst I'd be replacing the power brick - -- but 2+ years later I have yet to burn out either the bricks or the 2 laptops I use.

Right now they're a 15.4" compaq 3000 and an old Armada M300. they sit in the seat of some cars and has a mount in others (haven't gotten around to asking work if they'll let me install a mount in the company cars.). It's nice because it's portable but it's a pain because of its size - - -I've been thinking about getting a lilliput touch screen so I can remote-locate the computer (I mainly use it for gps and mp3, so a touch screen interface would be plenty). The only thing stopping me is that I'm a cheap bastard at heart ;)
 
To me, its the fact that laptops are more expensive then most car PC's (more up front, and more to lose if someone see's it, breaks into your car, etc), and the added expandability of a full PC in your car is nice, especially in my situation. I want at least 250 gigs in mine for movies/music/etc.. and you can't find a laptop that will store 250 gigs without using external drives.

Plus, who needs a core 2 duo to provide music and video to your tiny mobile screen? I know I dont.. I think a 100mhz processor would do it.


-Brandon
 
I paid less than $300 for the used Thinkpad that I roll with. I also use it to run my GPS nav software when I need it. I can also take it in a pinch and surf and Starbucks if I don't have my main system with me. As far as the risk of having it stolen, I usually don't leave it out in the open when I park. I can easily tuck it under the passenger seat with no problem at all.
 
I guess, but the first post here said "you can easily buy a core 2 duo laptop".. Which is much more expensive, etc. etc..

I have a laptop that I carry when I need to, as well as a car PC in the works. I also have a spare laptop, that I could use as a car PC, but storage is a main concern.


-Brandon
 
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