The DIY Car Computer vs. the iPad 202
Julie188 writes "Auto dealers are selling infotainment systems at a nice fat profit, but if you know your way around a motherboard and power supply you can rip out your car stereo and replace it with a do-it-yourself touchscreen PC, complete with DVD, GPS, TV, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, MP3, and Internet surfing. The question is, is that even worth the bother? Or is it better to bolt a mount into the car for an iPad or a Galaxy tablet and call it good?"
there is something called voiding a warranty (Score:3, Insightful)
most people who buy cars like to keep their warranty
and what about cost vs a $500 iPad?
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how the hell does replacing the radio void the warranty?
Re:there is something called voiding a warranty (Score:5, Interesting)
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Volvo stereos are deeply integrated into the car system. My 2007 S80's stereo display and buttons are also used for informational display (park assist, climate control) and for accessing the car menu system.
I had the dealer add the Volvo iPod connector* and it was pretty insane what had to be done to make it work (download software into main computer to authorize iPod connector on car computer bus, along with a patch for my specific VIN series). I don't think you could replace the stereo on this car at al
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Looks like you may have changed the stereo out before disconnecting power [volvo-forums.com] which is a Bad Idea (TM) when installing new car stereos. Agreed that it's stupid to require a dealer visit to reset a light, though.
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On the other hand, I wanted to put a iPod connection in my 2001 Honda Odyssey. Honda made no such part, so I bought an aftermarket one. I took it to the dealership and after I swore up and down that I understood it was an aftermarket part and they couldn't support it or be liable if it broke my stereo, they were glad to put it in for me for the cost of labor. They did a great job, I've been using it for about 5 years.
I was glad to do it. I'd like to try doing it myself, but the way may dash is designed (du
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Hate to tell you, but you could have done it yourself really easily:
Here's the steps:
1 Disconnect the negative battery terminal
to prevent an accidental short circuit.
2 Unclip the radio trim bezel (including the
climate control panel) and remove).
Remove (4) Phillips screws securing the
factory head unit and disconnect the
wiring.
And honestly step 1 is a bad idea if you're doing an add-on such as an iPod interface to the factory radio, as when you reconnect power the radio is going to ask for the unlock code, wh
Re:there is something called voiding a warranty (Score:5, Informative)
Your warranty won't be voided by removing the radio system.
At least, not the important parts, like your transmission or the engine. So you lose the warranty on the radio, you weren't planning to use it anyway.
Check the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act
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Check the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act
This. We had a couple copies of it in our waiting room back when I was an auto tech. We also had the portions most people would be interested in hanging on the wall, printed up on a 36"x24" poster.
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I think the point was that in this case, for whatever reason, the SRS system was hooked into the car stereo wiring, and so when he messed with the wiring to install the new equipment, he pissed off the SRS system. Since his actions caused the SRS issue, it wouldn't fall under warranty coverage.
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most people also like to have cars that don't have a "please steal me" on the inside in the form of a giant touchscreen.
So yes, an ipad or a galaxy tab is probably a much better option.
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most people who buy cars like to keep their warranty
Back in 1975, when congress was owned by a wider variety of corporations, they passed the Magnuson-Moss Act [impalaclub.com] to prevent exactly those kinds of shenanigans.
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My car's stereo head unit cost about the same as an iPad, but only has a 7" resistive touchscreen.. of course it does have nicer sound quality and EQ options than an iPad..
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Since when does installing audio/video equipment (stereo/CD/DVD/etc) void a car's warranty?
Since customers became consumers. Sheep are not that bright, and easily frightened.
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Since a lot of them started becoming interface units with the on board computer and diagnostic systems including emissions controls and such.
Yes, instead of making them a read out terminal with simple input switches like a computer keyboard or mouse, they have started becoming "integrated controller units" that communicate and process date itself.
Fun? (Score:5, Interesting)
Same day use? (Score:3, Insightful)
Where is the fun in just buying an iPad?
When you can use video, music, and applications on it directly the same day of purchase?
If assembling the computer is fun for you then by all means that is part of the fun... but for most people the "Fun" part enters in when they start listening to music.
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Actually, awesome (Score:2)
I saw that before I thought although it looks kind of ghetto, it was actually a pretty awesome idea, the kind of geeky I don't give a damn what it looks like but it sure works well" kind of attitude I admire (and share).
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wow, spoken like a true apple customer eh!
Aww. come on.. For an Apple buyer, that counts as extreme modding.
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Meh. Velcro? Just use the WheelMate.
http://www.amazon.com/AutoExec-WM-01-Wheelmate-Steering-Wheel/product-reviews/B000IZGIA8/ref=cm_cr_dp_all_summary?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending [amazon.com]
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For 'most' people who read Slashdot I would wager half the fun is building it, the other half is the bragging rights to having built it, and the remainder is towards actually using it.
And no I didn't make a math error in the above statement.
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For 'most' people who read Slashdot I would wager half the fun is building it, the other half is the bragging rights to having built it, and the remainder is towards actually using it.
I can't help noting the number of digits in your ID, and have to note that was true about three years ago... I don't think so any longer.
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I can't help noting the number of digits in your ID, and have to note that was true about three years ago... I don't think so any longer.
3 years? That's a lot of credit you're giving "kids" these days. ;)
Laughing, as our ID numbers are so close together.
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Some yes, but far fewer these days then there used to be. I'm not saying you don't exist, just that even on Slashdot Makers are not really the majority anymore.
And not all Apple users buy everything off the shelf either you know...
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Depends on the use case you are going after (Score:4, Insightful)
Can it play regular CDs or DVDs? Can you easily plug a thumb drive into it or otherwise upload additional information without needing a fast network connection or another computer running inside the car? There are lots of things tablets *don't* do well yet. Cellphone docks for cars have been around a long time, they probably do everything you want (except having an extra large screen) and have the added benefit of being more portable (trust me you really don't want to leave your ipad inside your car unless your car never leaves your garage)...
So not surprisingly, the iPad/Galaxy Tab are nice (as are car computers, and traditional stereos) but it's all up to the user to say what's important and what's not.
Re:Depends on the use case you are going after (Score:5, Funny)
Can it play regular CDs or DVDs?
use physical media inside the car? I bet you have one of those cars with the hand crank in the front to start it as well.
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Can it play regular CDs or DVDs?
Why would you want to? Ripping legacy CDs and DVDs is easier than lugging them around.
Can you easily plug a thumb drive into it
Why would you want to? I've already got much of my music library on my iPad. If I want/need different songs I can always sync different genius mixes before I go to bed.
As for video, shows (or iTunes U) I've already watched are deleted automatically after I watch them, allowing me to keep up with lots of video without having to put in much work (other than subscribing).
Don't give end users forks. They will invariably
Why not... (Score:2, Flamebait)
(Although, I suppose many Slashdotters sit in their car in the driveway for a change of scenery from the basement in their parents house, so maybe the article is apropos)
Re:Why not... (Score:5, Insightful)
just pay attention to the road, and drive?
The computer is a handy distraction for my wife, who would otherwise criticize my abilities as a driver despite not having a license herself. If she can instead distract herself with a game and let me drive in peace, then having an in-dash computer is better for my marriage.
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So your wife is a harping shrew who complains until she gets her way, and you just sit quietly and wait for the tantrums to end. Go turn in your Man Card, immediately.
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So your wife is a harping shrew who complains until she gets her way, and you just sit quietly and wait for the tantrums to end. Go turn in your Man Card, immediately.
In this case, the man won the fight. She just doesn't know it. Look at the end result and who is now doing all the work.
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I see you've either never been married, or never been married for long.
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The computer is a handy distraction for my wife, who would otherwise criticize my abilities as a driver despite not having a license herself.
This brings up haunted memories of my ex. What is it with women that they must criticize men on every corner of the street?
Believe it or not... (Score:2, Insightful)
It's also a nice place to sleep (Score:4, Funny)
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Saucy Waif Man BOy?
Seriously Wicked Mad Barack Obama?
Re:It's also a nice place to sleep (Score:5, Informative)
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She Who Must Be Obeyed (Score:2)
That's the term that Rumpole used to describe his matrimonial arrangement.
That's also mine...
My wife and I never disagree. Its always "Yes Dear!"
The thing we put up with for the chance to sleep with an ex-gymnast ... who can put her legs behind her head ... and can hold her breath for two minutes ... Uh see you guys. I'm got to go check what SWMBO is doing. :-)
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That's boring, think of all the stuff you could do while...
hold on, I gotta change lanes...
How clean does it look (Score:2, Interesting)
I think the biggest thing that would stop me from wanting to do a full car PC or not is simple aesthetics. Does it look right? Does it look clean and stock? Am I spending half my commute troubleshooting my radio?
Theft (Score:4, Insightful)
I really wouldn't want to leave an iPad or anything like it in my car. If the unit looks flush and well protected by the dash, there's a much better chance that thieves won't want to dig into it. Does a stereo slot support 9-10"? I doubt it. Does it look like an iPad when a tief looks through your window? If so, expect a big broken window. Any extra cost for a manufacturer's integration is a lot better than having to constantly remove the unit from my car whenever I park my car in public.
At least with a self-built unit, you can make it look like its a manufacturer's unit, but you also need a way of syncing and updating the unit in a way that is simple and straight forward.
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Does it look like an iPad when a tief looks through your window?
Just put a Gateway 2000 sticker on it.
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And a "Windows ME" sticker next to the Gateway one.
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Just put a Gateway 2000 sticker on it.
And a "Windows ME" sticker next to the Gateway one.
I guess you don't care about your vehicle's resale value.
Of course it's worth the bother! (Score:3, Insightful)
While driving. Down the freeway at 80mi/hr.
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While driving. Down the freeway at 80mi/hr."
Hey, and don't forget you can NOT spill your beer while doing this ALL st the same time!!
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Ever driven in a white-out?
Those bastards in the semis are PASSING because with 30 tons, they don't blow off the mostly-frozen road with a little gust of wind.
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So "8" mi/hr. ;)
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cause if there's one thing I need, it's the ability to check my facebook account in addition to checking email on my blackberry, fiddling with my radio, arguing with my wife and entering coordinates into my GPS.
And in Hell, you fiddle with your GPS, check email with your radio, argue with your Blackberry and enter coordinates into your wife!
(rimshot)
Hey-yo!
(crickets)
This is how it's done. (Score:4, Informative)
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Wow!
I always wanted to do that on my old t-bird, had even started saving money for some LCD panels. But I like my good ol analog gauges better!
obviously.... (Score:3, Interesting)
We still manage to keep our 9 yo sufficiently entertained or interested by talking, playing games, and looking out the window that we haven't felt the need to invest in any 'in-car video' gear... Our longest road trip has only been 8 hours though so who knows.
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As a bonus the first time you come to a hard stop or get in an accident your children can be killed or maimed by the flying ipads.
If you do decide to get one, make sure you get something to hold it to the seatback.
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True, but is this a worse risk than the knitting needles my 8-year-old uses while knitting to pass the time on our long drives, or the books she reads, or the sets of sharpened pencils, or any of the other activities she has? Anything loose in a car that is either pointy or heavy can become a deadly projectile in an accident. And, yet, we still keep loose items in cars. I don't see the iPad as any more risky than a hardcover copy of McClosky's "One Morning In Maine". It weighs about the same and has the
Add-ons (Score:3, Interesting)
"Auto dealers are selling infotainment systems at a nice fat profit"
You're not kidding. My girlfriend was test-driving a car last week and I asked the dealer how much it would cost to get the satnav option, Keep in mind that the screen is already there (used for the radio and air-conditioning controls) so we're talking about a software switch and possibly some kind of additional antenna. Price? £1,400. Hey Mr Rip-Off Car Dealer, you can: Go. To. Hell.
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Oh, I get it, the software + satnav receiver are actually free, 'cause you know, producing software costs nothing.
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Why the hell would you need 200bhp to go at 75mph?
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Personally (Score:3, Insightful)
I grew out of my building-PCs stage. If I'm not going to do that, i'm certainly not going to do the equivalent, PLUS crawling around on my knees bent under a dashboard, dealing with the joy of automotive proprietary wire harnesses and similar.
Throw an iPhone on the dashboard. No interest in an iPad. I don't watch TV, and barely watch movies. I'm not so media-addicted that i can't handle merely listening to audio in the car.
CarPC (Score:5, Insightful)
1) Glossy LCD Screen makes it impossible to read in a car
2) Lack of a tactile interface
3) Tiny, internal GPS can't connect with an external GPS antenna
4) Lack of XM radio integration (Not everywhere has 3G)
5) Audio quality is mediocre when compared to a discrete sound card
6) The screen is huge. Most cars don't have that kind of room in the dashboard without serious modification
7) The interface, while intuitive, is not great in a car environment. I want to see MPG, the song playing, distance to destination, and more on a single dashboard screen
8) It's easy to steal if you make it removable
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One of the new Nokia tablets might be a better choice.
They do have a smaller screen.
They are a lot more hackable. You could create a "dock" with real buttons to add your tactile feed back.
You can write your own custom interface.
Many of the same features can be had with one of the new Dell "too big to be phone" phones. Like the Dell streak.
Problem with that is that it is locked to AT&T.
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8) It's easy to steal if you make it removable
This is the only point that I wouldn't agree with. If it's removable, you can take it with you, I've no idea why you would leave it in the car. Conversely, regular car stereos, not designed to be taken with you when you get out of the car are (or were) notoriously easy to steal. I imagine the same would be true of an aftermarket car computer or DIY car computer.
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They invariably make viewing worse from what I've found.
How distracted do you want to be? (Score:2)
Article not answering the question presented (Score:4, Interesting)
This is not flaming or trolling, as if there is an article out there that gets posted can do it, I feel I should be able to do it through a comment: A fully automated, wireless house/apartment. I personally thought it was a cool idea to control absolutely everything in your house through a remote control (including turning on the shower to a temp you want and stuff). I personally know how to do most of this stuff. Do you want to know how to do it? Yeah, I'm sure you do, let me give you some links instead.
You see what I mean. I was amped up to find out what the dude did to make it happen, and was left with links to click on instead
The ultimate in auto entertainment systems (Score:3, Funny)
is "Fully Loaded" [bookofjoe.com], by Bruce McCall.
(This is one of Bruce McCall's many drawings of dream cars of the 1959s that should have been.)
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Looks like a southpark character on the laptop lol
Just give me a couple of powered USB ports (Score:5, Insightful)
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Just use a smartphone, silly... (Score:2)
Already on it (Score:3, Funny)
And it won't void your warrenty!
.
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It allows the iPad to decapitate you in the case of an airbag release. This way you do not feel anything after the accident.
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best solution.
mostly, wait for other idiots using it and nick the ipad after they crash.
(assuming the ipad's in good condition after the wreck.)
In theory, theory and practice are the same (Score:2)
2 major problems with using iPad as a car pc (off the top of my head, mind you)
* glare -- HUGE problem when you're in daylight and you've got light coming in from every window. And if the sun hits the screen directly... have fun!
* no extensibility -- no CD/tape/radio. Forget sat radio. No higher quality GPS or any other upgrades. True, you don't get extreme flexibility with pre-built car pcs, but they're still upgradeable to an extent..
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It's 2010. Where are you buying prerecorded cassettes now?
Or, the question asked by those born in the '90s: "What is tape?"
Knight Rider (Score:3, Funny)
If I can't convince my passengers that KITT is in the car with them, it's not worth doing.
Can't replace my factory stereo ('07 Volvo S80) (Score:2)
The car stereo is deeply integrated into the car; the stereo display shows the climate control settings as well as being the interface to the car's menu system which changes features of the car (door lock behavior, etc).
The computer network in this car is also fairly complicated and interfaces with pretty much everything. I can't even begin to imagine the clusterfuck that would be involved in replacing it outright and replacing it. You'd completely lose the ability change car settings and possibly fuck th
Waiting (Score:2)
I looked at the iPad as a possible solution, but just was not right for what I wanted. (Locked down, glossy screen.)
Android. Maybe, but not right now.
Microsoft. MS has no place in my car.
I came to the conclusion what I really want is a Windows 7 tablet; wiped out, and reinstalled with Linux.
So hurry up and fail with the Windows 7 tablets already. I can hardly wait to pick one up from the clearance bin.
Gaaaaa! (Score:2)
.....rip out your car stereo and replace it with a do-it-yourself touchscreen PC, complete with DVD, GPS, TV, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, MP3, and Internet surfing.
How 'bout ripping out the driver and replacing him/her with someone who will pay attention to THE ROAD and not video, chitchat, texting or surfing the Web? That would be a worthwhile modification.
Please, folks, stop this incessant and increasingly ridiculous "multi-tasking" behind the wheel. 99% of those who say they can do it safely, can't. They just think they can (primarily because their definition of "safe" is "I haven't had an accident.....yet"). Save the rest of that shit for when you get to your des
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Building it into the car doesn't make sense. (Score:2)
Cars last 10-20 years, which in the consumer electronics world might as well be the difference between the middle ages and today. No mater what system you so carefully install, it will be obsolete before the car, by a wide margin.
What cars need is a small space to install something like a MiFi. It should be a modular space so it can be swapped out over time, the key is to have power controlled by the key and enough space for access point type electronics. An input to the stereo is a huge plus.
Then get an
Easy choice (Score:2)
I built out a car computer in my WRX (http://gthing.net/carputer-5-final) and can tell you if I had it all to do over again, I would go with the iPad. There are so many things to worry about with a carputer. Providing power, making sure the system sleeps properly, making sure it has enough power while sleeping to stay alive but not drain the battery, touch screen interface software for OS X, making a reliable internet connection, etc. etc. etc.
An iPad solves nearly every problem, costs $500 for a basic un
I really, really miss the Empeg guys.. (Score:2)
The guys at Empeg did the business, long before we had car "entertainment" systems. Given what they did in 1999 I wonder what they could make with the kit we have today. I had them in as part of a talk once, and it was rather fun to see just how overengineered the thing was - it was playing music and at the same time the guys decided to compile a new kernel on that unit..
Sometimes it doesn't need a good economical reason - sometimes it's just goo fun to do. That it turns into money afterwards is, of cour
having built these... (Score:3, Interesting)
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Checkout OsmAnd and Navit. Both are open source GPS programs for the Android. CoPilot is a similar, $30 app. I was looking into it for similar reasons (I hike a lot, which means traveling where cellphones don't work). Haven't actually had a chance to test them recently, but it's a start. The maps are pretty heavy for all of them, however, starting at about 2GB on the SD card and bloating towards 4-5 if you include all the extras (points of interest, etc).
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How is the cop going to know that it can play video unless you're dumb enough to actually watch a movie while driving, and he happens to notice?
They're pretty used to seeing integrated nav units these days. Unless you give him reason to think otherwise, that's what he'll assume you have.