Car PC Hacks

Chapter 4. In-Car Computers

Hacks 41–54: Introduction

In the first three chapters, I covered the basics of automotive computer integration: car power, car audio, and car video. Now you finally get to hook up your computer. There are many considerations that go into what kind of computer to put in a car. A large, modern, multi-gigahertz computer provides the smoothest in-car gaming experience, but it takes a lot of power and space. A laptop seems an obvious choice for in-car use, but laptops are awkward to mount and difficult to smoothly integrate in a vehicle’s interior. Industry standards exist for rugged, low-power-consumption computers, but these are usually too expensive for consumer use. Fortunately, there has been a lot of recent investment and development in the area of set-top boxes and home theater PCs (HTPCs), which has resulted in the creation of small, quiet, low-power, gigahertz-class Intel-compatible motherboards and processors with excellent multimedia capabilities—perfect for in-car computing.

When you go to install a PC in your car, one way to approach it is from an engineering perspective. Draw up a detailed list of requirements, along with notes on the physical and power constraints of your car. Search for industry-standard solutions for rugged, shock-mounted hardware. Locate memory, motherboards, and hard drives that deal well with the temperature extremes of an uninsulated vehicle trunk. Create a budget for your expenditures, and while you’re at it, solicit quotes ...