Ben's carputer plans

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Keep in mind, these are just plans... Its gonna be a little while since I'm fresh out of college and don't really have the money yet and I'm an engineer, so I don't really have the time...
But anyways, what I was planning on doing is getting a cheap laptop (doesn't need a screen), put a decent hard drive in there and a wireless card that allows it to act as an access point. In a perfect world I'd be able to get a car2pc or pc2car or whatever its called, but I can't find one for my truck yet (99 silverado). So anyways, i'd connect this computer (which has xlobby server on it) to my stereo some way and then the computer would stay under my seat or somewhere hidden away. I would have my axim in a mount, not far from my hand wirelessly connected to xlobby and that's how I'd control the music. In addition to that, what I want to do is have my phone connected to the computer with a charge/data cord that I already have. Make a button in xlobby that tells the computer to dialup and bam, I have a mobile hotzone. Using this setup I would think add-ons and upgrades would be fairly easy. I could have the option of putting a monitor connected to the server (so I can watch movies and such) in my truck.
Oh, also there would be an AP in the garage, so I could connect to it from home pc as well to put more music and such on it.

So wouldn't it be cool to be listening to music and when your passenger sitting in the back seat complains about your music choices, you can just toss them your ax and say "here, then you choose."

Or, you're at a public event (say a rally race) and you can advertise on the side of the vehicle "free wireless hot zone." so as people try to get online, they have to pass through your advertisement on your little production company showing cool videos of past races and stuff.

Anyways, just thought I'd throw that out there after I've been lurking around for a while. We also have plans for implementing xlobby in the house, but that's gonna take some time to perfect also. I'm new to front ends and trying to learn. If you have any ideas/comments on how to make it easier/cheaper/better, lemme know. It's a neat program..

Ben

[P3rv3rt B3ar]

If u havent happened noticed mp3car.com yet its forums are great resource for carputing to lurk around... but be careful when post, folks there are extremely unpleasent towards newbies.

Anyway, i ve been also planning to use Xlobby in my carputer, allthought theres also new rising car front end called freeway on the way... it looks very promising. But im now currently working on living room systems... so will take a while.

Everything u mentioned on your post is doable and has been done already, so there will probably be no problems u cant get help with. Just go ahead man carputing is great hobby!!

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Well I've got too many hobbies and not enough time. I'm hoping I can get it done fairly right the first time and then listen to my hearts content. Anybody want to donate money towards this project??

[P3rv3rt B3ar]

Honestly if u dont have lot of time... building carputer is not what u should embark yourself into... it takes looot of time... and like with any computing, u wont get it right on first try. If your time is tight mayby better solution is buy one of those high-end headunits.

What comes to donating, I dont know, mayby its just me but that sounds bit wierd... Why would anybody here want to fund your carputer?? I mean if u would be doing something new which could benefit other people too... that might be different story.

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A highend is definately not for me. In fact I think I'd feel more comfortable with something I built myself. I may not be a genius, but I know computers and mechanics and such enough to be able to breeze through this in not too bad of a fashion. Maybe breeze is a little bit strong of a word. Time isn't THAT much of an issue. Anyhoo, I'm pretty confident in my abilities for this. I may not get it perfect on the first try, but I would be able to peck away on it a little every night. I'm definately gonna wait until I"m a little better with xlobby as well..

The donation thing was just a joke by the way...

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Well I think it's time for an update. I just got a laptop for cheap and I'm in the process of putting w2kpro on there and getting all the updates and such. I haven't had much time to play with xlobby, but I do like baddabings heavy metal ppc screen. I think I'm going to do a little mixing and matching with skins to get the ones I like. The KISS screen for big screens and baddabings for axim I think. I have my phone and my axim mounted in my truck. I like having my axim at my fingertips.
I'm still looking for a way to connect my laptop to my stereo, besides the tape deck adapter (blah). When running some wires for axim and phone I looked behind the stereo. Not gonna get away without getting a connector made just for a gm stereo. Maybe I'll be able to buy a cd changer harness and tap into that for sound. I would love a grom, [url]http://www.gromaudio.com/[/url], but unfortunately they don't make those for gms yet. So there's the update. Slow goin. Maybe I'll take a couple pics of my axim mounted and phone and post them on here. It's pretty plain and simple though, but we'll see when I find some time.
So that's my update. As always, I'm open for suggestions. If I shoot it down don't take it personally cause I'm probably not explaining myself very well. So anyhoo. Back to work.

Ben

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Well, I guess I feel like giving another update (and shameless bump).

I got TT (trial version) to play on my laptop finally. Movies were more or less something I was planning on doing some time in the future (ie, when I get a nice moniter/screen and a big hdd). But I'm, at the same time, in the process of setting up xlobby at home, which movies are a big part of. I can't get TT to play there.. I used the same install file that I used for my trial version on my laptop, but this time it won't let me trial it at all... What gives?
Anyhoo, I went out and got a cheapy inverter, so now I just have to hook that into my car. I'm prettymuch down to skinning it the way I want it and finally getting my ass in gear and organizing my music. They all used to be in one folder called "mp3s" so I need to get them in their correct folders and I need to actually get the tags right. I have doubles and some are tagged wrong and stuff. Nearly none of them have the artwork. So then that'll be a 2 week project, since I have to go through them prettymuch individually and though I don't have as much music as alot of you guys, its enough to be a pain in the ass.
So after I get my databases correct and skinned the way I want, it's meerly a matter of getting it in my truck.
Oh, it's a shame that the house xlobby takes presidence. It's turning out to be alot more complicated (simple to you guys, but I'm not a genius) than my truck. I still have yet to get TT working. Then I guess it's just getting the skins the way I want, my music will be right by then (because of my truck) and my brothers music is already right. Oh, we also have to set up USBUIRT. Messed with it a little before, but couldn't get it to record what it's recieving. And it is receiving. Right now we're stickin with just one output. Video and sound going to the distribution box (russound abus) so then we'll be able to listen to the music and movies through the speakers scattered throughout the house (and soon, garage) OR any of the tvs in the house (and garage). Eventually we'll probably go with a couple outputs, one of video and sound and another one or two of just sound. We can do that anytime though.
Anyhoo, this turned out alot longer than I expected, so I'll sign off.
Moral of the story is with work and everything besides work that's not xlobby goin on, it is REALLY slow goin. I'm confident though.
Thanks for listening.

Ben