CarPC v2.0

As you guys may have known, I had a Mini-ITX computer at the root of my car's original configuration. It required a lot of work to build, configure and install but it gave me a ton of freedoms I wouldn't ordinarily have had. My CarPC v1.0 had video in / out; separate Bluetooth, HSDPA and Wi-Fi; and was hooked up to a D-Link Wi-Fi router (for near-car Wi-Fi over a bridge through HSDPA for $60/mo through AT&T).

It did a lot of cool things, like enabling me to record video for my trip, browse the web or watch ripped movies or listen to music from the hard disk, and countless other things (like transferring files to or from it while it was parked in my driveway)...

But there was the problem of a 90 watt power supply and the heat it created and the fact that it was just too big to put anywhere but in the center console. And when mounted in the console there was just so much wire everywhere and moving the wire around and poking holes and cutting the carpet etc were not my idea of a fun time.

I wasn't comfortable, considering the amount of heat and power used, leaving the machine on all the time. Plus it had bad power management.

Enter Logic Supply - Leaders in Mini-ITX & Small Form Factor Solutions which is the heart of CarPC v2. One stays on all the time giving me SMS control over getting in and out of the car and starting it (in a dream, I had control over the windows, too). I used a usb-to-simple-signal kit from Hack a Day to get some direct switching happening. There's a bit more, but I'm not trying to brag -- rather I want people to know that I think I hit upon a much much better CarPC setup than I (or anyone I'd heard of) has had before.

I think the best part about it is that with two nodes, one of which runs in low power mode all the time, it has amazing flexibility and the bulk of it fits under the dash (hung from the bars beneath the center area)

Also it solved some problems because each separate machine has its own video input (built onto the motherboard) which also acts as an output. Before I couldn't use the front camera AND watch display output at the same time; in fact I had to reboot the CarPC v1 to switch between the two (the board it used could only work as video in or video out, and you had to choose between them in the BIOS config).

Anyone interested in creating a very robust car computer setup? I can help you along. And if you want my old CarPC, it's all still here waiting for a new home.

Either way, let me know what you guys think, or if you have questions,

~ dan ~