Anyone have car PC (carputer)?

[Black2na]

your fine its a good spot nice install BTW

 

[basslover1]

Never understood the point, my car came with nav.

True, but if you plan to keep your car for a long time, like 5+ years, you'll soon realize how quickly factory nav units become out dated. At least with a pc/tablet there are going to be some kind of updates to keep it fresh.

Plus a full blown PC can do more than just a nav unit.

 

[Crono]

Ended up going the easy route and getting a Nexus 7 to use with a dash mount. The pic below makes it look like it's blocking my view because of the zoom and height of the camera, but it isn't too bad at all, though a cupholder mount would probably be ideal. I used epoxy on the suction cup because I always have trouble with the those things unsticking - it seems to hold solidly this way, and I don't plan on moving the mount itself anytime soon. My phone's crappy camera doesn't do the screen justice, it's really quite crisp and vibrant.

I plan on using it for other non car stuff (reading mostly), but it's mainly going to serve as GPS and music storage. I was hesitant about using it for music versus the Raspberry Pi setup I originally planned, but then I found out you can use an adapter (micro USB to USB) and app to attach a mass storage device for the Nexus 7. 8GB of onboard storage is about the same as my phone, but if I can add a flash drive it's more viable for music. I'm happy with the Nexus 7 thus far, it's the first tablet I've used that feels as high quality and fluid as any of the iPads. Such a good value for $200.

Using the Torque app (plan on getting a bluetooth OBD-II scanner later):

 

[Black2na]

i was looking into those as a replacement for a Car PC only issue i have right no that there wifi only but the price is fantastic! if they had a radio one (LTE,CDMA,GSM etc.) even if it was the normal 100 more i would be all over that like white on rice but for now im just looking at getting a 4g mule on verizon and doing a similar mount with my touchpad till i can afford and fabricate a dash mount system for a couple of my cars

 

[vshah]

i was looking into those as a replacement for a Car PC only issue i have right no that there wifi only but the price is fantastic! if they had a radio one (LTE,CDMA,GSM etc.) even if it was the normal 100 more i would be all over that like white on rice but for now im just looking at getting a 4g mule on verizon and doing a similar mount with my touchpad till i can afford and fabricate a dash mount system for a couple of my cars

I just tether... why pay for two data plans?

 

[wnrussell]

I just tether... why pay for two data plans?

Agreed. It's the way to get 4G. I use MiFi when I need it uninterrupted, or use airplane mode for 1 plan.

 

[phucheneh]

OP's install looks nice, but I just never got the point of these.

And no, not because 'omg why not just buy a giant iPod for $800?!'

What's the intended use? It just seems like a custom GPS/media player to me. Also, are you going to kill me trying to troubleshoot Windows problems while driving?

How do you get anything other than Wifi? Phone tethering? edit to clarify: I mean, I know you can tether...but what's the other option? Is there some kind of standalone unit? Sorry if that's a dumb question, I just seem to actively ignore tech stuff when it comes to phones...mostly because I refuse to pay the carriers (I use VM's somewhat crappy but super-cheap unlimited plan on a somewhat crappy but super-cheap phone).

 

[wnrussell]

Here are a few things it can do. The Google searches are way easier than the factory dial-input.

Slingbox
Skype
Google Talk/ Video Chat
Netflix
Windows Media Center
Microsoft Outlook
Microsoft Office with voice translater
Optical drive to play movies
Voice activation: Google search and video chat.
Safe driving, no physical input. Say "Home Depot" and you're on your way.
900 TV Channels if connected to FiOS.