Here's the rundown:

I want to install a Mac in my car, so here's what i thought up...

I'm gonna move my headunit down to the storage area with the door - remove the door and fabricate a custom faceplate - underneath the headunit will be a slot-loading DVD-ROM drive

In the double DIN space, i'm installing a Lilliput 7" VGA TouchScreen Monitor underneath will be a USB port and the buttons for the monitor controls/computer power, with a custom faceplate to tie everything together

Hidden somewhere under the seats will be what effectively is a PowerBook G4 500Mhz with a broken screen - 512mb ram, 80gb hard drive, bluetooth, 802.11b wireless networking and a garmin USB GPS reciever.

so i'll have a full blown Mac running OSX, with MP3 Playback, DVD on disc, dvd/divix/mov/avi off the hard drive, GPS sat navigation, wireless internet, and bluetooth to sync with my phone, all controlled by touch

So 1st step: my Lilliput 7" touchscreen monitor came in the post a few days ago - here's some pictures of it running off my PowerMac G4 tower, just to do some early testing of how the touchscreen works, and to see how much space i'll have to work with.

As you can see the quallity and resolution is pretty killer for a 7" screen, nice, bright and the touch surface is supprisingly responsive.

It's running at 800x600 resolution, and the screenshots are of Mac OS 10.3.2 (which the carputer will be running) and of me browsing scionlife and playing with iTunes (wich will probably be the most used app in the car)








hopefully i'll get my hands on the computer by this weekend, and i'll be able to start mocking up how the system is all connected, as well as fabricate the custom cables i need for the DVD drive.

I'll post more as i work on it

- Brian[/img]

 

CARPUTER LIVES...Oh yes!

 

hey besk. where did u get the lilliput display?
i want their 1.8" lcd.. dunno where to go..

 

someone here is selling the 7" local for the same price i got mine.

but i found mine on e-bay - there are a TON of them online - or check http://mp3car.com

they have a grip of resources for lcd's and lots of helpful info on building car computers too

- Brian

 

Sick ____!!

All you need now is pro tools, a trition, and a MIC.. you gotta a protable booth!

 

hehe, not even that, all i need is my evolution usb midi controller, my copy of logic 6.3.3 platnium, and all my virtual instruments and reason, and i'm in bizness

the screen is a bit small for sequencing tho maybe for a show i'll bring my keyboard along and run some tracks i've allready sequenced up ;)

 

thats totally awesome!

 

Wrong thread... :oops:

 

That is defintely sick. And you had to be different too with the Apple.

 

Dude do that and we can lace some vocals up. I'm always down to put something together. Just some show me the beats!!

<~ EMCEE!!

 

I can provide that! YaY! Mobile recording! Cool to see some other musicians on here!

Looking good Brian!

Peace,
m@

 

Isn't everboday and their granny one these days? :?

 

i think wonderworm is selling those on here. PM her and find out

 

yeah, and because I know M@ and how he's too modest/shy a bastard (I say with love mang!) how many people have actually done recording time with big artists? He's about to do a tour that take him to a couple of continents (here and asia/japan I believe, or was it Europe M@?)

anyway the man knows his guitar... guitar and darker complex music (think old school Dream Theater, and you'd know one of the groups he's working with, because he's working with their lead singer)

anyway, support all the musicians you know (you never know how far they'll get, but they'll never get there w/o support!)

 

just a quick update:

i pulled my center console today to start trying to figure out how i'm going to mount the screen/bezel and the controls for the screen

FYI - anyone wanting to do a carputer setup in an xB, 8" touch screens totally won't fit - my 7" doesn't fit in the opening even without the beszel, or the controls!! - looks like i'll have to do a little cutting to make everything fit right.

a little more work than i anticipated, but it's all good - just adds to the challange

 

man brian you're the man...keep us updated on your progress.
I wants mi one of dem things!!!

 

Who's doing your custom work. I'm interested too. Maybe we can get a deal.

Who's selling it?

 

Man.......after all this........you better have the Secret Service guarding your car. I've been putting all this stuff in my car..........then I had to stop myself and think "Ok.......how much valuable stuff do you REALLY want in your car for people to be able to steal?" As far as interior electronics, I think I'm calling it quits with my stereo, DVD player plus 7.2" flipdown monitor, and LED/cathode lighting. At any rate.......should be a sweet setup.

KiL

 

Besk One...

In what way doesn't the lilliput fit? width wise, length wise, depth wise?

I haven't gotten my box yet (Lava on order) so I can't look for myself, but I had planned on ordering this same monitor for it and was wondering what kind of mods i'm gonna be looking at when it comes in...

Thx.

 

LavaXB: it doesn't fit height wise, even out of the bezel - there's going to be some serrious cutting necessary to get everyhting to fit right (and still look factory), and a whole lotta fiberglass and bondo to smooth everything out.

UrbanDum: I'll be mocking up the bezels in cardboard to get the rough dimensions and SPFR Jon is going to be helping me out with getting the brackets, fiberglass and paint done.

KiL: i feel ya, but my screen should look like a factory nav-system when it's all done, i don't like the obvious/flashy look - i'm all about stealth/stock looking mods, and the computer won't be readily seen from outside (or inside) the car, so i'm not too concerned about theft

- Brian