[Shaar]

This is for the CarPC i'll be installing in the next week along w/ GPS.

been working on it a lot... whatcha think?

 

[Shaar]

I will never put one in my car ever again

why is this? i was in love with it when i put one in my accord.

 

[Shaar]

pros- cost, infinite ammount of expansion, you can change it whenever you want however you want, visualizations, etc, etc, etc, etc.

cons- most of the screens that are available for an affordable price are not very daylight readable unless you have darker tint. i can't really think of anything else..

 

[Shaar]

Is there a forum that specializes in such things?

yep! MP3Car but they won't take kindly to easy questions that could be answered by utilizing the search button (much like here). I suggest just reading through the FAQ and Newbie sections. Plus just ask me anything i'll be more than happy to help you

Also how hard was it to make that main screen?

The screen wasn't all that hard to make in photoshop. There already exists a skin for the front-end software FrodoPlayer called Brightlife2. I just pulled all the images into photoshop and did a full makeover to satisfy my color scheme and design i had in mind. Also, upon editting premade skins, you will need to change a handfull of stuff in the INI files included with the skins such as dimensions, locations of buttons, colors, links, images, etc. But pretty easy once you get the hang of it :2cool:

The only thing i would love to take advantage of is the ability of OBD2 integration via serial cable to a COM port. But knowing our cars are OBD1, with my limited knowledge i wouldn't know how to make it possible.

 

[Shaar]

I am sure someone makes one for OBDI

nope. i've searched. since OBD1 of course isn't universal, nobody from what i've found will provide funding to the people who know how to do such a thing to make a custom interface.

Cons - Seemed to go wrong all the time - had problems with certain power supplies - couldn't see screen in daylight

yes the daylight thing is a prob. but i have 5% tint around the back and 15% on the front and also a 15% visor on the windshield. i know i will be ok from experience.

The power supply thing is a prob sometimes but i've been doing more and more research and it seems that it is just luck of the draw. Many people use an OPUS brand power supply and have luck, and some have problems. I went with the M1-ATX (which is on its way) with the built in shutdown controller. I'm hoping it all works out and i'm planning on it to for a reward for all my research and planning time i've put into this!

 

[Shaar]

why not just get an aftermarket navi system that plays MP3, CD R/RW, DVD R,etc.?
i saw an item in crutchfield catalog w/ a touchscreen navi system that is a double din and looks pretty nice but costs about $1500.

you just answered your own question. costs about $1500.

where as my setup including the screen, gps, software hasn't even hit 500 yet. and i'm done buying parts. plus you can do tons more with a carpc but it is more complicated than an allinone aftermarket unit. i dont find that to be a problem becuase computers is like second nature to me. its all preference i suppose.

EDIT: also another thing, the aftermarket units LOOK aftermarket. where as a pc, you can tuck away and flushmount the touchscreen or even fiberglass it in as i did in my accord. looked 100% stock. very big factor in my choosing what i wanted.

 

[Shaar]

too plain/simple for my taste but would get the job done!

also the black background would make it nearly impossible to use in the day, but that is easily fixed by changing the background. my $0.02

 

[Shaar]

I like it because it shows album art, song info and super smooth transitions between menus.

I'm currently using FrodoPlayer for the ol PC. it also shows album art/visualizations, shows all the track info you'd want including bitrate, etc...

the transition thing is cool tho. but oh well win some lose some.