• 24Sep

    Why a CarPC?

    CarPC project

    The idea of building a carPC for my E38 has been bothering me for quite some time. The fact that, as weather gets colder, my CD-changer starts to show its age by refusing the CDs one by one, is a good fuel for this burning idea. Last winter, to conclude, it had failed me completely by not recognizing ANY kind of CD. Carefully opening it and painstakingly cleaning the lens did not help.

    “Well, it’s time to put that wide display to a new use, it’s time for a carPC!” I told myself. “It has been standing there far too long showing only some uninteresting OBC data”.

    After countless hours of googling and documenting, and after a few new dozens of bookmarks in my favorites folders, I started planning. “Planning is always a good way to start” I told myself.

    Soooo… What it is good for?
    First of all, I must confess that even now, after 7 years from the production of the last E38 that rolled out out the factory doors, BMW still has not provided us, the owners, with a decent navigation software (and maps) for Eastern Europe. E38 was made to be relaxing, to enjoy driving without the hassles of an extra GPS dangling from the windshield, in constant worries of thieves, of battery power remaining or direct sunlight damage.
    So this is the main thing, the CarPC must provide quality GPS navigation for Romania (and entire Europe).

    The second thing is multimedia. CDs are obsolete now, mp3 rules. And ogg. And flac, and vma and so on.
    And avi of course. Not for me, for the passengers (yeah, of course!). And mpeg4, mkv, asf and wmv. Oh, and flv, Youtube of course. And why not vob? Well, you get the idea… :) And of course GPS navigation.

    The third thing is … mmm … geek..iness. There’s nothing like showing live ibus data to my (boy)friends on the onboard display. And wait, this is the best: there’s absolutely nothing like showing my (girl)friends pictures with my 1-year-old daughter on the onboard monitor!!! And don’t forget what BMW stands for: Brings Me Women. Mmm… and …. did I mention GPS navigation?

    Well, finally, wireless connectivity would also be a good thing. It allows quick management of mp3s, convenient setup changes from my office desk, internet access/VoIP from remote places when available and, why not, it helps boosting the geekiness rating. :lol:

    Ummm… and last but not least: GPS navigation.

    Posted by admin @ 11:41

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