Choosing a Car PC monitor ... possible in dash?
 

Alright so I have a laptop that I am looking to install into my eclipse. I pretty much have an idea of how I am going to do it. The plan is to wire the ac adapter into the ignition so while driving the laptop charges the battery and when the key is out the laptop is going to go into a stand by mode. I plan on running a custom skinned version of XBMC to run media as well as being able to launch a Garmin GPS program I have with an old school USB GPS receiver that I will install. Also I am planning on getting ECM Link soon so having a quick way to launch into the program for any reason would be ideal. So I'm not really worried about installing all this stuff my question is this. Who knows of a good in dash unit that will allow me to hook up my laptop via a VGA cable and then also do touch screen through probably USB? Also with an input to run the audio out of the laptop into the unit to play through the speakers. I keep looking but not really finding ANYTHING, maybe I'm looking in the wrong place. I figured you guys would be the best to help out here. I have seen some 7" touch screens that would probably work but they are not in dash and I would require a separate head unit and the monitor would have to mount on the dash. I'm really trying to avoid that if at all possible. Once I start the build and install it all I'll post pictures and the like. So if you know of anything post me up some links and as always the help is appreciated.

won't an tablet be a better set up?

When I built my car pc (way back when) these were the best screens to use.

http://www.lilliputweb.net/

also check out www.mp3car.com

Trex, tablet I dont have and dont think it would be better because of the stuff I wanna do.

Big_Jim thanks for these I kinda came across these sites but the lillputweb site seems pretty much not updated in over 2 years. Plus some images dont work on the site makes me kinda weary about them but then again if people used and there good maybe I can find something used on eBay. I like the MP3car.com site and I probably going to do more reading on that.

I wouldn't install a laptop in a car with how car headunits have come.

Yea but a car headunit is not going to allow me to use a wifi hotspot to VPN to my home PC with my 1TB of music to stream if I wanted, it also wont allow me to load up ECM link when I get it on the screen to look at. Plus its a fun little project lol.

Thanks for that link, only thing is with that I'd still need to run a head unit for the audio. Where would I run that?

Is your car double din? Do you have a single din head unit in there now?

Yea its a 99 Eclipse GSX so its double din and right now I just have an old alpine CD head unit in there.

you could always use that double din screen kit, and remote mount your head unit, like in your glove box or something. When I molded my 10" touch screen in the dash of my 05 xB, I moved the radio down lower in the dash and just extended the wires. I ran the audio output of my car pc through the aux input on the radio.

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d5...0904Medium.jpg

Nice that looks really clean. I was thinking of installing the screen in the dash and molding it in there as well. Just I'm not sure how much work would be involved in moving my radio and if its worth it at that point. I was hoping a quick switch out of my current headunit with one that would allow me to just plug in a computer would make this a quick and simple job. This is just turning it into a larger job then I wanted haha. I do want to do it right though so if thats a route I have to go then I will.

They do make double din head units that are an all in one car pc/sound processor if thats the route you want to go.

But it sounds like the double din screen/mount would be the easiest for you, along with running a power inverter and your laptop. rerouting the head unit is a really easy job.

I would prefer the indash all in one but I will look into running the headunit, I'll have to look and see whats an easy location.

http://i1078.photobucket.com/albums/...r/fa6322a5.jpg



All i thought of when you said eclipse and laptop

hahahahaha schaffer awesome. I'm a computer geek that loves cars so this is something I've been wanting to do for a good while now. I got a Sprint MiFi hot spot for streaming on the go if I need to otherwise I'll be loading the hard drive up with music. Use the wireless when I'm home to swap stuff out.

I loved my carpc when I built it. if you ever need any help or advice, let me know.

Big Jim I'll definately take you up on that. I want to do a very clean install. I'd like to do this sometime next month once I finish cleaning the car out. I'm hoping to get my new suspension installed this weekend and then save up some funds so that I can do this. So it gives me time to find the right solution and plan this out accordingly. Ha the front doors don't even have speakers installed in it. The radio setup that was in this car was really a hack job. The radio wires had duct tape on them. Already redid it with electric tape. I plan on using solder and heat shrink when I install the new head unit.

Definitely read up on MP3Car, there's a TON of information on there, I tend to use Google and just filter (site:mp3car.com) the search to MP3car to find what I'm looking for.

I too was going to do a CarPC, but decided on a Tablet in the end, when I saw the Galaxy Tab 2 coming out for $249, couldn't pass that offer up, compared to the $700+ I had planned out to build the CarPC (then I have to deal with Windows/Configuring Linux and overheating issues too)...

Check out my thread on MP3Car forums in my sig. If you have any more questions, definitely post them up here...

Oh as for the screen, a lot of guys on MP3Car are going with this new option: http://www.mp3car.com/lcd-display/14...01-36-s-h.html I know it's a LONG thread, but skip through it or at least read the first and last pages... a TON of good info in there.. and it's an awesome deal.

Diablo, that looks very clean. I have been reading those forums for the past two days now. Definately a lot of good information. I really do enjoy your setup and I like how you have the bt with the phone and all that. Really making me rethink installing my laptop lol. That screen seems like a really good deal. I'd love to mold that into the opening of car. It seems for best results molding a screen in will be the way to go. Relocating the radio for ease of use would be the problem I would now face. Only spot I could see it going is in the glovebox but isn't really within reach from the drivers seat.