h a l f b a k e r yIt's as much a hovercraft as a pancake is a waffle.
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I have been doing some research on what kind of computerized system I want to put in my car. Here is what I wanted, CD, DVD Player, GPS Car navigation system, games, internet connectivity, some sort of car diagnostic program so I know how the car is performing. The basic system should priced below $500.
Some
of you would be laughing, but the best of system is actually Microsoft Xbox System. After you stop laughing, you might realize that Xbox already included most thing you want and have the potential to expand into other categories if MicroSoft allow its development. And the whole system cost less than $300 adding a car LCD screen which is around $100; GPS system for another 100. Wireless network modem shall come free with the monthly service plan. The whole system can be setup around $500. Some software shall be free like the car performance monitor program which individual car manufactuer should be provided free through internet. GPS navigation software shall come bundle with the GPS hardware. Of course you pay for the CD, DVD and games like you do now. Depend on the connection speed, you might just download music.
Now if only Bill Gate is here looking at the idea.
My second choice "MiniBook PC" Twice as expensive
http://www.tempicstore.com/2.html
There is not many ready available computer system that work well in a car. [bing, Mar 18 2002, last modified Oct 17 2004]
(?) Project Lorelei [5tonsofflax]
http://home.austin....m/sshipman/lorelei/
An automobile based computer system. "Lorelei is a computer that I've configured to go in my 1995 Ford Probe. It plays mp3s, and . . ." [bristolz, Mar 19 2002, last modified Oct 17 2004]
mp3car [5tonsofflax]
http://www.mp3car.com
". . . After all, you've seen those people that try to change the CDs in their trunk changers while trying to drive 80mph . . ." [bristolz, Mar 19 2002, last modified Oct 17 2004]
Knobology by RapidPLUS
http://www.e-sim.co...nloads/index-h.htm#
Making cursors do things via knobs. [reensure, Mar 19 2002]
Human Factors in Aviation
http://www.iav.ikp....se/hfa/research.htm
Most of the 'good' stuff is not online, but can be found in Aviation/Human Factor texts. [dag, Mar 19 2002]
MiniITX
http://www.mini-itx.com/Default.asp
Tiny computers 170x170mm being put in everything. [Rcomian, Oct 05 2004, last modified Oct 17 2004]
Rob's PC Camaro
http://www-personal.ksu.edu/~rob
MP3, TV, ect... [barkeep8, Oct 05 2004, last modified Oct 17 2004]
CarProject
http://www.thisstri...index_chapter_1.asp
Erm, just about what was asked for. Been around for a while, this is the start of it, look for chapter 2 and beyond [Rcomian, Oct 05 2004, last modified Oct 17 2004]
[link]
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Bill Gates is very aware of the automotive market. The question is, are you ready for you car to run Windows? |
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A Linux box in the trunk might be a better option (with optical drives mounted in the center console), as it's multi-user and multi-tasking - so Junior can surf the web while little Sally watches Barney. |
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phoenix- I am talking about system I can put in my car truck today. If you can link me to Linux box machine with same feature as Xbox and cost as much, I will prefer that. From what I understand, Xbox do not crashes so much, because it is not running Windows OS exactly. Plus, I do not plan to run critial program like car auto-pilot on it. |
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Embedded Win or embedded CE. |
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It would be difficult to have a universal performance diagnostic program to install in all vehicles. Most vehicles have some monitoring of data already; oil pressure, rpm, engine temp etc, which most people have no clue about anyway unless it's in the red. What more would you want? |
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The other features (CD, DVD etc)..are independent of vehicle type so stopping with those is probably a good idea. |
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Oh good, even MORE crap for idiots to be distracted by, instead of paying attention to DRIVING THE BLOODY CAR! |
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You *can* put an X-Box in your car today. Won't have GPS, diagnostics and Internet access will be expensive. Oh, and you can only do one at a time. |
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I was simply pointing out that, while possible (and forthcoming), automotive-based appliances will probably resemble P.C.s more than game consoles. |
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Why would you need a DVD in a car? |
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if they (whoever they may be) won't let you in the house, get a shed! |
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I already HAVE a computer in my car. It doesn't do internet connectivity or DVD, but both could be done easily. |
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I'm using a windows 98 system running on a 300Mhz K6-2 (I'd use linux, but there's a dearth of good GPS progs out there). I've got thousands of mp3s, wireless networking (not internet, just 802.11b), games, GPS, and even some software I wrote to link GPS and mp3 playlist selection. |
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You can check it out at: [URL moved to 'links' --bristolz] |
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There's quite a few people who have done similar things: [URL moved to 'links' --bristolz] |
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the question is why? cars are for getting from a to b.
If you want a pc on the move get a laptop. refer you to Star's anno above. |
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Cars are not just for getting from a to b. Quite a few people like to ride in comfort, style and with performance. All you have to do is look at the variety of rides out there to confirm that. |
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I would hope all of these gadgets are for the passengers, right [bing]? Otherwise you will have operator overload. Same thing happened to military pilots after they started introducing the glass displays in cockpits. Too many tasks. |
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Do you have anything to cite on the miltary pilot overload? Curious, I am. |
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I just felt they should make dedicated car computer already. I think when price for a all-in-one car computer for in-car entertainment go below $500, it become useful to average consumers. Afterall, currently only the luxury models which include only some of these features sells 2 times expensive as average car. I only use Xbox as an example to show a similiar computer system can fit well inside a car and remain affordable. It is not like I am fanatic about it. |
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I just put the idea here to inspire other to come up with a better and marketable ideas. |
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[bristolz] The [link] is an overview to human factors in aviation. More studies are out there and should keep you busy for a while, depending on how much you want to know. There's actually a major in some universities called human factors in aviation. |
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Thank you, dag. 'Tis appreciated. |
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I don't want to have to wait for my car to boot the next time I rob a Quik-E-Mart. |
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I have no doubt that you could build an inexpensive car PC system out of standard components. My concern is that the inexpensive components may not be rugged enough for an automotive environment. Most of the inenpensive components you are thinking of using are designed for an office environment of controlled temperature and humidity. |
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Shock, vibrations and g-forces may effect the reliability of your car's computer. Then you will need a UPS to smooth out the car's power supply for the computer. Finally there is the temperature fluxations that sill effect the components.
I live in Chicago where the winters can give us sub zero (F) temps and the summers can produce 90+(F) heat for weeks at a time.
I'm not sure how hot the interior of the car gets after sitting in the sun all day, but I'm sure it must be pushing the physical operational limits of current LCD screens.
By the time you make your inexpensive system rugged enough for this environment, I would guess that it will have doubled the origional cost. |
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Glenn Larson had this vision (of everything in this entire Car AI category) back in the late 70s. By '82 he had developed it into a show. It was called Knight Rider, it ended in '86, and it was/is the greatest show ever. :) Rock on KITT! |
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No problem. XBox is a locked system, but you can get low power, tiny profile computers, such as the MiniITX boards
They don't need much power to run, yet they're fully fledged PCs on a single board.
Don't know about their ruggedness, although most stuff is soldered on, if it was cushioned it would probably cope.
As to what system to run on it, use whatever's appropriate. If you don't mind building it piece by piece, linux will offer a lower software cost. Yet, windows will offer a possibly wider range of software, so take your pick.
The XBox is a closed and locked system. Microsoft isn't exactly happy about people getting linux running on it and it's DRM'd up its own nose. I wouldn't choose a PS2 for this either, for the same reasons. |
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'Scuse me if I'm being a bit backward, but isn't this why we have laptop computers? |
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You can watch DVDs on this laptop with your DVD-ROM drive, play games, etc etc.
Not only does it cover all the features suggested (I think), you can also use the same laptop at home, at the office, anywhere in fact, and save having to copy your files across to/from disks every time you get in and out the car. |
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The passenger seats could have fold down tables like those on a passenger plane to rest the laptop on, and sockets behind the table for power supply etc. |
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The accessories that are left in the car at all times are a lot more compact and discreet, therefore less of a temptation to opportunist thieves. |
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It seems fairly reasonable to combine the CD and GPS into a single dash-mounted screen (some models have this now). This seems a fairly inevitable standard within the near future, however, and not really a new idea. As for DVDs/games, that's definitely not something you want on your dashboard. I think a voice-activated HUD would be a pretty decent choice for GPS navigation. |
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And why hasn't anybody suggested the Nintendo Gamecube as a good portable platform? It's almost as powerful as an Xbox and much more compact and robust. |
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I think it's a cool idea. Call it Knight Rider, or KIT, R2D2 (if it can make on-the-fly repairs and adjustments) or whatever. Sony was going that route when they introduced this Deck for around 1800-3000 which had a 6 gig internal HD and memory stick / and USB access from a laptop. For that price, you could put one hellufa computer in your car with a nice 15" plasma touch screen display, amps, and subs, everything. Screw the typical 7" LCD toilet paper roll view of the OS. I would like to see an In Dash CDR/DVD combo drive so you can burn music for your friends, or rip their favorite tunes to your 200 gig drive. Also would like to rig up some security webcams to continuously survey the car sorroundings and record a nice 640x480 video to the internal hardrive locked away in a nice tamper proof flight recorder box so you can find the neanderthaws that molest your car. Mount a Cell phone to call you whenever criminal activity is detected so you can have your Desert Eagle locked and loaded. Puff some liquid nitrogen bursts with smoke and strobe light to stop smash and grab foo's. also tie in the computer with an I/O board to measure boost, EGT's and diagnose those cryptic embedded codes that the onboard computer spits out. Would be nice to hook up a GPS system for navigation, hook that up to your Phantom IV Radar/Lidar detector and the wireless internet to give other's a heads up in real time where the speed traps are. (Police use those Magesium Panasonic ToughBooks with touch screens, impressive units...but well equipped, they are about 5,000 -- wondeirng where you tax dollars are going? For 5G, I could build all of this and still mount my Harpoon Gun in the back of my F250 PSD for the ultimate in Road Rage Deturrent. Tractorbeam Schmactorbeam, nothing beats a harpoon..... ) |
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OK if you insist on an x-box you can put Linux on as a second boot then it will play games and do all the other things you want |
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