So I think I want to get a car puter installed into my new 07 in the factory nav spot (mine doesnt have nav just the cubby). What is the price for the full Carputer setup and installed? With nav setup -etc-

 

It should be under 600 IIRC. Monitor and SATA harddrive is critical.

Contact DesiZ. He is a wiz and has a write up.

 

That is a hard question to answer. The price can vary so much. It is just like buying a regular computer. It could cost about $600 or upwards of $3000, maybe even more. If you know anything about computers, piecing one together with used parts is relatively cheap. I purchased a brand new mac mini on ebay for about $500. Then you need to decide what kind of screen you want. The Xenarc 700tsv and a lilliput screen seem to be popular. You will need a PSU. I think mine was $100. You will probably want a navigation system I am assuming. You can get a program and antenna for under $200. And there are a million other options out there for your computer. So the cost is pretty much up to you.

 

I have a breakdown of my system here http://www.hypersprite.com/auto/tech-z-007/default.asp

Currently, carpc's are not really a typical audio shop install, even though once the components are put together there is nothing especially difficult about it. They also are not at the "appliance" level of set it and forget it, part of that is what I like about it, there is always something to do, something to add or customize.

There are about a hundred ways to build a carpc and the guys over at mp3car.com seem to have come up with most of them already. A word of warning though, depending on the sub forum, if you don't search (as you appear not to have done with this post) they will trash you hard.

Chris

 

good reading chris!

 

thats really a big question. depends on what u want the car pc to do. the nice thing about a carpc is that it will become your entertainment center for movies, music , dvd,cd, mp3 and every type of file you want to view also able to have bluetooth on the computer will allow you to have the sound from your bluetooth phone to come out through the car speakers like mine does. and all you need to do is run a mic from the computer to your seat. . the cost mine was about 700. specs are

specs
IBM-X23 laptop - P3-866MHZ -512MEGS- 40GIG DRIVE -VGA PORT 2USB PORTS MIC IN AND SOUND OUT.
WIRE HARNESS FOR HEAD UNIT
5.1 SOUND CARD FOR LAPTOP
80GIG USB DRIVE
NAVI SOFTWARE
7 INCH TOUCH SCREEN
2003 CUBBY
TIME TO INSTALL I FULL DAY
HOW DO I FEEL AFTER INSTALL 1 YEAR LATER STILL GOT A SMILE ON MY FACE

 

can I have the car pc work with my audio unit (avic-z1)? cause the unit comes with aux1 and aux2.... also how do you control the computer? do u have a mouse & keyboard setup or a wireless mouse? cause I want something very simple and techy! thanks....

 

Mainly, I use a touch screen, when I need a little more, I use a thumb pad (like a blackberry keyboard).
Chris

 

Wow Chris, your setup is pretty extensive. And I was just thinking about using my old laptop and connecting that to a screen

 

my take is that if you are used to a certain computer speed, you should stick with that speed of a computer. i also use the touch screen but figure if i was typing i needed something closer than a thumbboard to a real keyboard since i think its safe to be parked when this happens,. i went with this mini keyboard costing US$55.00 i got straight from Xenarc with my screen. (you may be able to find it less expensive because i didnt bargain shop it)
here is the picture....



and here is one i considered initially because if it is dark, but since i have a number of blue leds in the car i backed out and went wireless so if i am parked i can change music etc. (which this one wont be able to)



i will give some kind of guess-timation of costs involved while performing your own labor.
laptop $800-$1600, mine ran about $900
touch screen $280-800, mine ran $400
keyboard $55, mine ran this amount i dont know what the thumbboards went for
ac inverter $40-80, mine was on sale about $39
not sure about the cubby, i removed my non nav '06 cubby and since i went 8.4 inch screen i dremmeled the center console to fit it in.
ms streets and trips, $129., i think there are rebates some times.
powered mini usb hub $16.00
1/8" stereo plug to stereo RCA males cabling (to route into your head unit), i really forgot, sometimes you can get these at the $1. store.
(or if you dont have an aftermarket head unit or one having line in, then an fm transmitter-preferable the usb powered kind so you dont need to make a cig adapter fitting)



plus any software you can think of, if you want gamiing, perhaps a usb gaming pad

 

will the carputer work with the AVIC-Z1?

 

What kind of integration do you want?
The Z1 will do the audio.

Chris

 

Video. I wanna be able to control the car computer thru the headunit? Will I get video from the AVIC-Z1? Thanks!

 

I doubt it will do what you want it to do.

I don't know a lot about the Z1, but I doubt it has a VGA input (like a computer monitor) and I doubt it has outputs for touchscreen control.

If you have composite video out on your computer, you could watch video but I would think that would be about it. You would still need some kind of input device. Here you might need a scroll wheel or buttons because mice, touch pads etc really don't work well in a car environment. .

Chris

 

well I dont want the touchscreen function of the unit. All i want is video... so the headunit doesnt have Video in? I need to look into that, cause I dont have a problem getting a mini keyboad/mouse. Thanks....

 

A mouse (trackball, nipple stick etc.) is worthless and unsafe in a moving car and with the right interface, keyboard use is rare to non-existent.

I never said the HU didn't have video in, I said it probably does not have VGA in. It probably does have video in, it is most likely composite video like what you use with a playstation, backup cam or DVD player.

Chris

 

Hypersprite, awesome computer! I've designed mine similar to your concept, but it'll be in the glovebox of an '08 G Coupe (in theory).

http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=86749

 

Yours looks good, it will be a good setup.

Chris