lethologica

Currently I don't have a carputer install in my 8. I would like to put something in thought. I think that will really make me want to do it is the software. Since I am a software developer I'd probably want to write it myself just because I am that pickey.

What sort of features would you want in your carputer shell? I am thinking a simple over sized button interface so you can easily tap with your fingers.

What is the resolution of a typical seven inch screen?

Thanks

Rotary Rasp

iTrader: (2)

640 * 848

There are a lot off good front end software packs out there already. You should take a look at them to get ideas.

army_rx8

sweet....adn when you are getting ideas...clue us in as to what you have in mind..i alwasy liek hearing of new ideas:D

Mr Simple

My 7" screen is 800x480, not sure about the 640x848?

Japan8

I agree... check out the front ends on mp3car.com. I'd also suggest stopping by an audio store and looking at the interface on Alpine's new Nav/stereo/DVD unit.

XPe is a nice base, but gotta lock everything down to particular hardware profile. Write not a frontend, but a shell replacement. Don't need that stupid task bar or any such things in a car.

CE.Net would offer the best perfomance and smallest footprint. Licensing and costs seem to be better than XPe. downside is the Os is complied for a particular hardware profile and no readily available GPS software. It'd have to be recompiled to run on x86.

Mobile-Effects.com

Many of the front ends such as Media Engine allow you to boot them as the shell. Also, when running a front end, there's no task bar at the bottom of the screen.

A frontend would be a lot easier to do, rather than a shell. Also, with XPe, you may have problems running hardware and software with it.

I'd suggest to start off writing your own front end, and go from there. Many fo the frontends at mp3car.com or mobile-effects.com have free source code. The developers of the front ends are always open to work with other coders to improve on what they already have.

So another option would be to co develop something in existance, or even build yourself on an existing front end. They have no problems with that.

Japan8

I agree that a shell replacement is a larger undertaking. But anything worth doing is worth doing right.

The taskbar may not be in the foreground, but it's in the background... that's basic programming that even Microsoft tells you how to do on MSDN for html apps. Anyway, the taskbar in the background is using resources.

What hardware issues have you had with XPe? Everything I've seen and read suggests it's basically the same as regular XP, except you can really strip it down to the essentials your setup needs. Better than using XPLite (although that does seen to work well). Software issues? Such as? I wasn't describing an expanable desktop in your car. I was describing a purpose built computer that only provides the essentials that you will actually use. Plan well from the beginning and it shouldn't be much of an issue. CE.NET would cause more issues with getting other software to run on it.

Isn't Road Runner built off of MediaCar? I agree that working with something in existence or using their open code as a base for your own frontend is not a bad way to go.

I'm personally all for less computer-like stuff and more appliance-like stuff... an iPod Car or iCar concept... easier to use = less distracting when driving...