Mobile Mac

Pengu

Pengu

Digital Music Pimp
Ok.. So This is simply a theory question at the moment.. But anyways. I'll outline what it is i wanna do, and then go into detail about certain aspects, and what im looking for, is responses to questions posed, and of course, any suggestions or comments..

Ok.

I currently have a whole heap (20+Gb) of digital music (mp3's) on my computer, which of course i use iTunes to listen to. I also have a JVC KD-LH2000 MP3 CD player in my car, and this makes it really easy to listen to a whole heap of music at once. But. I have bigger plans, for the future.

At some point in the future, after I get a newer car, I basically want to install a computer into the car somewhere, to make it easier for listening to music, watching movies, etc, and of course to give a complete "multimedia" experience.

Now I guess you're probably thinking "He's CRaZy!".... if you are thinking that, i say Pfft to your bland mind :p. Anyways

So first off, is of course to select a computer to use. I first off thought about either a PowerBook or an iBook, and then I was thinkin about an XServe... However, an XServe is like $AU7000 or something down here, so thats a bit pricey.. I then thought, If it's only going to be playing MP3s, and movies a something like a 400mhz G4 would be fine..

I just happen to have a Gigabit Ethernet (or so the box/online specs/book says, even though the motherboard has 10/100 on it next to the ethernet port) G4. With work, will come the new car, and of course, the ability to felxirent a new powerbook or whatever.

So then i thought, why not either:
  • modify the current case and replace the dvd drive with a combo drive, and put two 80 or 100 Gb hard drives in it.
  • take out the motherboard/etc and mount it into a case/box/rackmount-case of some sort with whatever drives i require.
This however raises a few issues..
  • The audio system will be very high-powered, and as such will create a lot of air pressure/vibrations, particularly in the boot area, where any computer is likely to be installed, for lack of space anywhere else.
  • Also, correct me if i'm wrong, but a computer power supply converts from 240v (110 in the US?) to 12v for the components in the computer. A car uses a 12v system. While Inverters (12v - 240v) are available, it seems ridiculous to invert, and then convert back to 12v.

Next we come to the issue of displaying and controlling the computer. The display would be relatively simple, using a video card with AV ports on it, or S-Video etc, as there are many in-car LCD units with a range of inputs.
But. How to control it?? Keep a mouse/keyboard in the glove-box with a really long usb cable?? Try and find a touch-screen system and make it work??

And for those of you who intend to make this all seem unecessary, I have already seen the Clarion deck that will play MP3s, VCDs, DVDs, and has 5.1 sound output. But. it still uses CD's for Mp3s. I want MORE! Plus. you all KNOW this would be cool.
 
It would be cool...but speaking of that, how would you keep the computer components cool while the car isn't running? Even if it's off, it gets hotter in the trunk (boot, whatever :p) than the computer is supposed to get...and having a fan always running will kill your battery. Just a thought. (And no, I'm not a naysayer, just pointing out something you'll have to think about.)

Hmm...you may have to use the inverter...the power supply is expecting to get AC and the car is going to be outputting DC.

Dunno about the keyboard/mouse. Really long usb cable sounds workable :D Though you could opt for a trackball mouse and mount it somewhere - that'd be easier by far than trying to drag a mouse around in a car. Heh
 
As for the temperature, according to apple, the ambient temp should be betweeen 10 and 35 degrees C for operating, and anything from -40 to 47 degrees C for "storage".

Uh. Hang on. I think they made a slight boo-boo. They give the temps in Farenheit as well, but they give the minimum temp for storage as being -40 degrees F as well. Uh. Whatever. It's not gonna go below freezing. Anyways. So.. up to 47 degrees. If i put some kinda lining in the thing it should be ok.. Um. as for the power thing. What does a laptop use? I mean, you can charge/run a laptop from a car cigarette lighter.. could a laptop's power/battery system be adapted to work with a desktop motherboard/cpu/harddisk etc.?? If so, i could then set up a script (unless it does so anyway) to put the system to sleep when it's battery gets low, and once i start the car again, it will start charging again.. Hmm. Anyone know of any DECENT firewire-RCA devices or PCI sound cards that have (preferably) 5.1 output?
 
You can find the specifications for power consuption in the product's specs. You would be wisest to choose a laptop/portable because these are built to be moved around, and to have a low power consumption, and already have power management in place.
Whatever portable you choose, it must have an external monitor output, and preferably an AV and/or S-Video output as well. A simple iBook would suffice.
You would then be able to place a simple LCD screen on your dash to control it. A USB trackpad could be fitted just below the display, as well as a USB-IR remote control. Then you could just tuck a keyboard into the boot or glove box for those times you need it. Finally, building a USB mini-hub into the console, so that only the ports are visible, would provide a neat and attractive way for you to plug in keyboard and so on for use as a mobile office.
The notebook itself could reside in the boot (properly mounted, of course).
Try and modify the actual equipment as little as possible, so that if you're not happy with something, you can still sell it in as-new condition. Cracking open a $2600Au laptop and fiddling with its innards when you don't need to is pointless.
Oh, and consider running a firewire extension lead to put a firewire port on the console, so you can just plug your iPod or whatever into the dash.
 
Hmm. I'd figured a laptop would be the way to go.. Also, it will have its own battery (or batteries) that it can run on, if the car isnt running or whatever.. As for usb/firewire in the front, i hadn't thought much about this, but sounds cool. I think i'd probably get a used G3 PowerBook with Firewire though, cus it has the option for two batteries, which would be of far greater use to me, than a battery and an optical drive all the time.. And as for the iPod. The whole point of this exercise, is that i dont need an iPod. I can either, use my 30m ethernet cable and copy stuff from the desktop to the car-unit, or get an Airport card for the g4 and the car-unit and do it all wirelessly (albeit slowler)
Meanwhile. No one has made any comment about how the vibrations and/or SPL are likely to affect whichever unit installed..
 
Pengu, sounds like a real un thing to do... Would rock. I used to dream about a system like this, and with an airport extreme and some scripting know how you could make a real nice system... Something like you drive into your garage and the laptop see's your home wireless lan and checks to see is there are any songs that need to be moved from the home to the car, then moves them automatically.
But whatever you do, keep us posted, sounds like a fun little hack :) But be careful, I would NOT recommend computing and driving at the same time :)
 
lol @ computing & driving.
but what exactly ohhh. yeah. that was supposed to be fun.. see now i understand it..
As for that whole wireless.. i live on an 11 acre block at the moment with my parents, and my car is about...30m away from the 'puter in the house.. i don't think 802.11b supports distances that far does it? I thought it was relatively short range and that .11g went to like 100m...
anyways..
 
You would get away with up to 70 metres if you have a reasonably clear line-of-sight. Using a directional antenna (Silicon Chip australia had a few good designs using a CD and a loop of wire as the active surface) you could send an 802.11b signal for miles.

As for vibrations, make sure you're using a notebook hard-disk drive, as these are designed to operate with vibrations.

You live somewhere in South Australia don't you, Pengu? I vaguely remember asking you before.

Anyway, keep us posted on anything you try out and how you go.
 
Yeah. About 40 minutes North/West of Adelaide, near Gawler. where are you Symphonix??

Cheers for the info on the notebook hdd's too. Anyone know about Firewire/USB audio?? I think that unfortunately, the built-in analoge sound-out mini-jack will be the downfall of the system so far.. can't exactly add a PCI sound car either, so I guess it's USB, Firewire, or at a push, a PCMCIA card...
 
basically. No. If that is your suggestion, you obviously didnt read my original post.
 
I read the post just fine, thank you.

If your goal is truly multi-media, you should connect a computer/stereo sound system/tricked-out PS2 set under each seat and adjustable plasma screens so each passenger/driver can tailor the surround-sound ride to their hearts' desire (think a First or Business Class entertainment system such as Singapore Airlines').

Obviously time and money are not a factor in this, so good on ya Ace, I was just trying to offer one option that would simplify a whole lot of it.

I guess I was wrong when I read "Simplicity. Because some people can't handle new ideas."

Cheers Tiger.
 
Hey, sure. But. If i wanted to use an iPod i'd just connect it to the aux sound on the deck, and be done with it. But that isn't the experience i want. I want to be able to listen to music, watch movies, and have the option to do so many more things.
And as for the "truly multi-media" system. I've seen PS2 graphics. Please. don't kid yourself.

As for the sig. That was my response to someone accusing me of wanting bots to see my sig and follow the link in it, and to show that just because something works as it is, doesnt mean it can't be made better.
 
Oh. and as for time and money "not being an issue". This PROVES you didn't read it properly.
This is simply a theory question at the moment
Click to expand...
While I realise this will cost a fair bit of money, I'm still open to cheaper/easier alternatives that give the same results.
 
I'm in Geelong. :)
I'd suggest an older iBook with a DVD drive, and an external Firewire enclosure, so you can whack in a cheap hard drive and expand as needed without too much hassle.
 
Hmm...watching movies with the laptop in the boot is gonna be difficult - if you want to change the movie you're watching, you'll have to stop the car, open the boot up, and switch the DVD.

That could be a small problem :\

Unless you can get into it from the inside (hey, some cars you can).
 
Uh. Well. Two things. One. There is nothing saying I'm necessarily going to be watching movies from a disc, is there now? The whole point of this operation is to reduce the need for tons of discs. And. If I were to be watching a DVD, I wouldn't be driving anyways. And the car it will go in, DOES have fold down back seats, but I doubt the unit will be within reach from the back seat..
 
Well, I would hope you wouldn't :p

But a passenger could easily watch one...

You know, you could test this out before you installed it. If you know somebody that would loan you their laptop, you could plug the audio out into the aux in on your radio. Sure, it wouldn't be exactly the same, but it would be a pretty good test.

If you have a friend that doesn't mind loaning you one, anyway :D
 
I didn't mean as a test to see if it will work - I meant as a test to see if you really like the idea. :p

Moot anyways, since you don't have a friend with a laptop.
 
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