I have had a small HP dvd player that has been in and out of the shop for various reasons and I'm shopping for a replacement, but it recently occured to me that maybe for the price of a decent car player I could just buy a 2nd hand laptop. Which would give me a larger screen, better specs/memory/usb input/ games for kids/and can be used as an on the road computer.

This is not a classified ad and I'm just seeking information on this concept, but if anyone maybe has a good deal on a 2nd hand notebook in the CM area, please contact me by PM with price and specs.

Seems to make sense to me.....does it make sense to 'the informed' out there?

Sure it makes sense. There is a huge carPC community out there, just have a look at mp3car.com - though this page can be overwhelming. Or check out this article here for an introduction.

And just a view ideas what you could do when putting a PC in your car:

• Audio: Mp3, iTunes,
  
• Video: Analog and HDTV, DVD, DIVX
  
• Gaming: PC, Xbox, PS2, Emulators
  
• Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Connectivity, internet
  
• GPS: Navigation
  
• Rear View Camera
  
• Sensor Monitoring/Integration: Digital Gauges (Temperature, Fluid Level, Pressure)
  
• Onboard Diagnostic System (OBD-II) Monitorin
  

A laptop is surely a good choice since it will ease the hardware setup considerably. You will need a power source (inverter or DC-DC converter) and a place to mount the laptop. Many people try to fabric a small TFT touchscreens into their dashboard, but this requires time, dedication and some talent (and money).

There are several CarPC software products available (free and non-free) that usually rely on a touchscreen for input - since you don't really have time to use mouse and keyboard while driving.

A remote control would maybe work, too, or you just rely on your co-driver to control the PC.

If you get a Pentium M at 1.6Ghz or similar this would be up to the task. I've seen those at Panthip (used) for around 7000 THB (starting price). Not that I would recommend to buy there, and this is Bangkok anyway.

Or consider a netbook which is a lot easier to fit (new from 12.000 THB) which are comparable in performance. There are also touchscreen kits available on ebay for those.

One more thing about screens: DVD players usually have TV displays that are not really comparable to high resolution TFT screens used for PCs, but since their main purpose is to watch movies this doesn't matter. (Just in case you think about connecting one of those screens to the laptop.) Reflection and daylight readability is also a big topic with carPCs.

welo

Sure it makes sense. There is a huge carPC community out there, just have a look at mp3car.com - though this page can be overwhelming. Or check out this article here for an introduction.

And just a view ideas what you could do when putting a PC in your car:

• Audio: Mp3, iTunes,
  
• Video: Analog and HDTV, DVD, DIVX
  
• Gaming: PC, Xbox, PS2, Emulators
  
• Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Connectivity, internet
  
• GPS: Navigation
  
• Rear View Camera
  
• Sensor Monitoring/Integration: Digital Gauges (Temperature, Fluid Level, Pressure)
  
• Onboard Diagnostic System (OBD-II) Monitorin
  

A laptop is surely a good choice since it will ease the hardware setup considerably. You will need a power source (inverter or DC-DC converter) and a place to mount the laptop. Many people try to fabric a small TFT touchscreens into their dashboard, but this requires time, dedication and some talent (and money).

There are several CarPC software products available (free and non-free) that usually rely on a touchscreen for input - since you don't really have time to use mouse and keyboard while driving.

A remote control would maybe work, too, or you just rely on your co-driver to control the PC.

If you get a Pentium M at 1.6Ghz or similar this would be up to the task. I've seen those at Panthip (used) for around 7000 THB (starting price). Not that I would recommend to buy there, and this is Bangkok anyway.

Or consider a netbook which is a lot easier to fit (new from 12.000 THB) which are comparable in performance. There are also touchscreen kits available on ebay for those.

One more thing about screens: DVD players usually have TV displays that are not really comparable to high resolution TFT screens used for PCs, but since their main purpose is to watch movies this doesn't matter. (Just in case you think about connecting one of those screens to the laptop.) Reflection and daylight readability is also a big topic with carPCs.

welo

You can also have video stored on the laptop to watch, or use a USB memory stick or even a USB driven external hard drive with video stored on them, instead of carrying discs to watch. When we go to the village I always take my laptop and a hard drive full of video to watch while we're there. I've also sat in the car and watched it for an hour or so while the wifes shopping.

Thanks for the confirmation and Iideas, I never

thought of all the other applications that could be used.......I just wanted it to entertain the kids on long road trips and for entertaining me when we get there.

Any tips on shopping for a used laptop/notebook??

Whenever I use my laptop on the road, I find that the screen tends to "flop" back and forth a lot (Since I am usually doing this from the passenger seat in the midst of Bangkok traffic), which puts a lot of strain on the screen/ lid hinges. I'm sure that if I did it often (or daily) that the hinges would take a lot of abuse and the laptop would wear out quickly. Something that is firmly mounted to the vehicle somehow just makes sense.

Especially when you consider the safety factor- if you are involved in an accident the laptop will become a flying object amongst everything / everyone else in the car.

anyone know of where I could find a mounting device out here in the sticks [Ching mai] or maybe could have it fabricated....using one of the dvd player mounting hardware??

And can I get a decent notebook for under 10Kthb??