The DIY Car Computer vs. the iPad

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?"

Comments

CarPC

[Oceanplexian]

The iPad is neat but not even close to being a decent CarPC for several reasons

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

Re:Why not...

[Lilith's Heart-shape]

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.

Just give me a couple of powered USB ports

[Old97]

I don't use the CD Changer anymore. I plug in my iPod or iPhone. I don't have a GPS system because the navigation system on my iPhone works well. I don't watch DVD's while driving and I don't have young kids, but if I did, I'd give them iPads or iPod Touches instead and they could watch or play or whatever. All this stuff works whether it is my car, a friends car or a rental car. It also works when I'm not in a car. Why would I want to pay for something like that if its bolted into a car? Hell I watch all of my video on my iPad or my computer so our TV is gathering dust. So many of the previous generation of entertainment devices are now obsolete. It's funny.