So i've been seeing some interest recently in car computers on these forums.. i've had mine installed for over a year now, just never got a chance to take some pictures of em till now. Let me know if you have any questions!





More Pictures (Mixed in with other car pics):
http://qrxx.com/pics/thumbnails.php?album=1

Homepage (with details on carpc, etc)
http://www.qrxx.com/
--------> goto Projects


Brett

 

After looking through your pictures, I had a couple questions... What do you have the router in there for? What type of software do you run on the machine? Where did you find the LCD screen and how's it mounted? And now I see the link for the homepage, which I'll go to and probably find at least most of the answers I'm looking for.

 

Ok.. so the router is in there for a few reasons. With hacked dd-wrt firmware, you can use that almost like a wireless adapter, connecting the computers connected to IT to a wifi network (ie. panera, etc).
ALSO, the router can be used to broadcast its own wifi network, which i'm sure you know, but that allows me to remote control that in-car pc using my tablet pc, which is wifi-enabled. So, within WIFI range, I can fully control my carpc.

The computer runs Windows XP SP2. I made a registry change in order to boot into the front end called "Road Runner" instead of window's "Explorer.exe". I actually bought the LCD screen off ebay from an authorized Xenarc seller. Xenarc makes high quality touch screen LCDs. I'll have to take some more pics next time I have it apart, but its mounted using the existing plastic base of the radio cover.

Yes, you'll find some more info on my homepage, but the documentation is in progress - actually just beginning. I have much more to type up. I'll post back here with updates once I get some more info up there.


Brett

 

cool install. I see you opted out of using the console cover. I think it looks better with the screen hidden inside the console. thats what i did with mine. Anyways after a year, any major issues with it? I have been running mine for 2 years and counting, the major issue i had was having to change my hard drive twice. One cause it rained and the second, i had it exposed and i hit a pothole which fried it.

 

It wasn't a matter of me opting out, it was a matter of me not being able to fit the screen with the cover I wish I could've kept it - I also had a tcover installed. But no, haven't had any problems w/ hardware yet.. just some road runner issues, etc. I've been looking at some linux alternatives, but haven't found one that worked great with GPS yet.. Where do you have your computer installed?

Brett

 

BEMBOWE! I knew i recognized that name from somewhere. Not sure if you remember but I PM-ed you back in 2006 on mp3car, asking you about tc related carputer info.. still have them in my inbox. Funny we meet again here.

 

I've been on mp3car a bunch, but I was wondering on a high-level if it's easy to setup the computer to boot into Road Runner rather than Windows? Thanks!

 

Extremely easy.. you can accomplish this using either gpedit.msc or through the registry. I don't remember exactly where at this time, but i'm sure you can find it out on the mp3car forums. Look at Software, then OS Optimization.

 

Excellent, thanks.

I have a spare laptop that I recently reinstalled Windows XP SP2 on and I've been just using it for internet around my apartment. I was planning on building a true CarPC at some point, but I figure I can just get a 7" touchscreen and use the laptop for the time being. Booting into RR was one of my top things I wanted to find out first though. Appreciate the advice.

 

ahhh, now I remember. Well am always at these two sites, changes of meeting is very likely. Its cool to see everything working out. How Road runner working out. I ended up going with streetdeck. had a lotta potential at first but their engineers are slacking on some of the features they promised, like phone and fm radio.

 

Is it easy to switch back to booting into Windows if I occasionally want to take the laptop out of the car and use as normal again?

 

May I ask what Road Runner is? And why you would want to boot into it instead of Windows? Is it an OS? I'm an IT guy, but have never heard of it...

 

What i did was save the registry change as a ".reg" file on the root directory C:\. From road runner I can browse to C:\, double click the file to put it back to normal, and restart the computer. I'd say its pretty easy.

Brett

 

Oh wow, excellent. Thanks again man.

 

Road runner is simply the front end for the computer. It integrates all of the apps you would need in a car (Music, GPS, etc) in one program, and has controls that are easy to push with a finger on a touchscreen. The specs on these machines, because of they're size, are often quite subpar when compared to current computers today. Running roadrunner on top of explorer just uses more resources, and pointless because its very rare you'd have to go into windows on a normal basis.

 

Thank You for that info...

 

this is one of the best ideas i have seen in a long time

 

Road Runner is working fine.. some glitches here and there, but nothing I can't deal with. I've been wanting to use a linux distribution on the carpc, but haven't had much luck with gps software.

 

Hey man if you ever get to come down to VA Beach let me know i would like to see it in person so i can get some more ideas about what im going to do

Q

 

Sure i'll keep ya in mind.. Might be going down there in a few weeks to test drive a car. The ideas you'll come up with truly are endless. My next project is a USB radar detector.

Brett