I ran across a forum today that deals with car computers. a couple build have been with xjs

http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/work...-computer.html

It really grabs my attention...a computer in a your jeep. you can run your music, interweb, mapping software, and anything else needed. I dont know how durable this kind of stuff is with offroading tho.

Whats your guys thoughts on this?? it might be worth it?

Do you also think it would be possible to intergrate it into the car system and keep tabs on vehicle info like temps and such like programmers but without the actual programming/tuning abilities?

 

Just get a netbook and a power inverter.
About 300 bucks, they have xp, vista, and win 7 models now.
I plan on getting one when I have the money, for GPS and stuff.
Im sure you can get a cable and some software to hook into the OBD and get codes/temp/etc.

 

Damn! I'm amazed at how good that looks. It looks completely factory. I wouldn't think it would have a huge problem with off-roading. However, i'm sure it would cost quite a bit. I agree with Defiance though.

 

I think getting the netbook is easier and cheaper...but where's the WOW factor haha. i mean im thinkin get a screen place it in the same place as the other guy. Get a laptop touchpad and place it above the e-brake and put the harddrive and other hardware in the center console...would be a great set up i think. Get attachments for radio and cd player and your golden. Would be a fun set up.

A friend had something like this in his wrangler. had the screen mounted to the roof and the keyboard was a slide out on the center console. Pretty neat stuff

 

I have seen people mount a laptop or barebones small cased desktop under one of the seats or even in the trunk and have a touchscreen mounted in the dash to control everything.

I would just get a small laptop and fab up a mount like they use in Police cars and then hook the audio into my headunit.

 

Yeah, thats actually pretty cool.
...BUT...
Defiance665 has the right idea. I wouldnt go through all that trouble of customizing my dash, when I can just get a docking station (like in cop cars) and use my laptop the same way. I could also take it out with me places too, when it wouldnt need to be in my Jeep.

 

Where exactly would a station mount? i can see a use if you dont have a passenger. or the likes, and can also see alot of rattling/movement out of them.

 

These seem to be the best ones...since they are made especially for offroad or extremely rough conditions.

2-piece base:
http://www.jottodesk.net/universal/j...ersal-2200.htm

3-piece base:
http://www.jottodesk.net/universal/j...ersal-2300.htm

And Ide also get the screen holder, so you dont kill the hinge.
But since your in CAP, youre probably gonna have a front passenger, right? ...Honestly, I think any docking station is gonna inhibit the front passenger in some way, but not to the point that you cant have a front passenger.

Heres one for on-road use....the offroad ones, setup similarly, but have more bracing for obvious reasons.


Hope this helps.

 

I have no reason to put a computer in my Jeep. That set-up in the first post is cool and looks completely factory. But for me that would be pretty much useless.

But if you work out of your car, I can see how that would be useful. But the docking station looks like it would be much more comfortable and easy to use. It doesn't look like it would get in the passenger's way too much, either.

If you want to get a closer look at something, you have to lean in towards the in-dash, but with a docking station, you can just pull the laptop towards you.

Also, what about typing? Does the in-dash have a touch screen keyboard or does it have a wireless keyboard? A touch-screen keyboard would be very annoying. With the laptop mount, that should be easy to use the keyboard.

 

I've built an off-road laptop support a while ago..