BigD MMCS Replacement

[Kieran]

Come on, then. How much is this Kieran bashing equipment going to set us back?

INSERT INTO post VALUES (Can you do one in Japanese for him?)

:stare:Knickers!

[adam_shaw]

Most compact flash cards support the ATA specification, use one of these in a PCMCIA adaptor, and provided the BIOS supports booting from a PC slot you can pop the OS onto the card, have it boot up and only access the disk once it has booted.

At work we used to have old IBM tablet PCs for filling Site Reports, in the beggining they used PC Card HD, but later on these booted from compact flash cards in PCMCIA adaptors.

Most stereos use the permanent 12v INSERT INTO post VALUES (usually just for memory) and the switched supply.

Some small gubbins to monitor the switched supply could trigger auto shutdown INSERT INTO post VALUES (a la UPS)

[adam_shaw]

Or even booting from a USB stick, most modern BIOS allow this, and with 256Mb on a £60-£70 stick you can fit a good Win98 install on there.

I'll try to look out some links on this, I seem to remember its pretty big in the Unix community.

[enigma]

I have the power thing covered! The PC I have can boot up pretty quickly if I strip out all the crap, as for shutting down well again easy. The PC has a power on button......a momentary switch in fact which as you would expect powers up the PC, press it again and it SHUTS DOWN the machine in a safe manner............not just a power off. With some electrickery I can easily make this function as a normal car stereo would with the ignition key. Failing that I have an Compact Flash IDE adapter that I can stuff a huge flash drive in and put the whole operating system on that.........one way or another this project will be a reality! I am struggling to find a cheap 5 or 6 channel amp at the moment though.......I am thinking £50 while the shops are thinking 5 times that! Pah!

Regards the Cappuchino PC, I looked for one of these, and its smaller sister the Espresso.......no joy for the right money though. Anyone want to sell their Cappuchino for hmmm say £5?!

[Nick Mann]

This is all good news!

The race between BigD and Mo is now two-fold - 1/4 mile AND ice!

[enigma]

I am not after a monster install, I just want something that is functional and quite unique! I am sick of not being able to take advantage of the huge advances in audio and video in my car without paying umty four mega pounds INSERT INTO post VALUES (tm Kieran)

[adam_shaw]

Regards the Cappuchino PC, I looked for one of these, and its smaller sister the Espresso.......no joy for the right money though. Anyone want to sell their Cappuchino for hmmm say £5?!

Hmmmmm, let me think..... :headsc:

[colVR4]

How about the new Garmin PDA with integrated GPS? Okay, it hasn't got a touch screen and doesn't interface with your in-car entertainment suite, but can't you write some software for the Palm OS5.0 to do that through the port on the bottom?

INSERT INTO post VALUES (If I am talking through my bumhole just tell me so, I don't know much about these things runk: )

http://www.garmin.com/products/iQue3600/

[Kieran]

Dave - Any ideas on the Air-Con controls? Otherwise, Owners with MMCSes may still be stuffed INSERT INTO post VALUES (unless it's a simple swapover with CC)...

[colVR4]

If you do think about going down the PDA route INSERT INTO post VALUES (which must be cheaper than a PC install surely!!) then I found this site that could be useful.

http://www.palmos.com/dev/support/do...panionTOC.html

With this system you could leave the A/C controls as they are. The PDA would simply mount onto the dash somewhere.

Would the PDA be powerful enough to control the radio/amp/dvd player etc. I think I have seen somewhere some software for a PDA with an infra-red port to use it as a multi-function remote control as well. If the PDA has bluetooth, couldn't you make use of that as well? I leave it to you guys who know the geeky stuff to tell me how wrong I am

[enigma]

I have a toshiba E740 PDA that I had in mind for an ICE system......its too small, the controls are fiddly and developing your own software is a git! Even though my Toshiba has full USB capability, a 1GB Compact Flash device, Wifi built in, and numerous other features it just isn't up to the job........I would like my PC to boot as fast as it does though!

The Tosh is sitting on top of my PC with a thick layer of dust on it as we speak!

[BraindG]

you hsould try that windows lite then...
it can boot up extremely quickly..

[SGHOM]

[QUOTE=BraindG]you hsould try that windows lite then...


typing too quick, or been on the pop again !!

[BraindG]

heheh. not drinking yet.. will be shortly though.. works xmas do tonight = free booze :-b

[enigma]

Windows lite? wasssattt? How does it work? Do you have any experience INSERT INTO post VALUES (of windows lite rather than anything else that may or may not involve
beer or sex or women
or
beer and sex and women
or
beer and sex or women
or
women and sex
or
any combination of the above!)

[zedy1]

it maybe possible to fit the standard aircon system in, but then you left without a screen

[enigma]

If the screen works with traditional old fashioned discrete signals integrating it with a PC would be easy as 1, 2, 3.....if it uses databus signals you would be screwed!

[Kieran]

If the screen works with traditional old fashioned discrete signals integrating it with a PC would be easy as 1, 2, 3...

Yes Dave, that would be dead easy!!!INSERT INTO post VALUES (?!)... :rolleyes5 :headsc:

[BraindG]

Windows lite? wasssattt? How does it work? Do you have any experience

Widows lite is basically a cut down version of windows 98, without all the crap...

link

more specifically


While having a wee looky around their site, i found this link..
Embedding windows

Lightning FAST bootup INSERT INTO post VALUES (as little as 3 seconds to the desktop!!)

:-b

Run from flash memory as small as 8MB - even removable USB keys!

[Brind]

Surely if you take advantage of a cold engine turbo warm up period before you set off this will allow more than enough time for a mini/laptop pc to boot up, my laptop boots up completely in about 30 seconds and I can't see why that time period would disrupt anyones busy schedule.
When you pull up after driving for a period, don't you allow the turbos to cool down again? well, simply switch off the mini/laptop pc and when it's time to switch engine off.. no harm done.

No need to complicate things.