Product Description

Everything you need to expertly install car PCs

This is a heavily-illustrated, step-by-step guide to installing and controlling a car PC -- using commonly-available, off-the-shelf components. Numerous how-to photos and product shots allow you to easily navigate each step even if you have little "do it yourself" experience.

• Includes parts and required tool lists, troubleshooting tips, and a list of manufacturers where you can purchase the parts best suited for your customized system
• Companion website offers free software and demo versions of products to use with your car PC

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #298845 in Books
• Published on: 2006-03-28
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 212 pages

From the Back Cover
JUMP-START YOUR CAR'S IQ, VALUE, AND CAPABILITIES WITH THIS FUN, EASY-TO-FOLLOW GUIDE

You won't find an easier or less expensive way to bring the ultimate in computer and GPS technology to your car, truck, or SUV than this start-to-finish guide from expert customizer Gavin Harper. You don't need any electronics or auto experience to get started!

With clear, hands-on photos and instructions, Harper walks even newbies through every step of the process, from choosing equipment to installing finishing touches on an IT system that will set your car apart -- and save you hundreds -- perhaps thousands -- over what your friends will pay to have others do it for them.

SMART CAR!
No matter what type of vehicle you own, Gavin Harper's Build Your Own Car PC makes it simple to:

• Install a GPS that tells you where you are and how to get where you want to go
• Create voice control of audio and video
• Automate heating, cooling, lighting, and other functions
• Build in ultrasophisticated car security
• Much, much more

WHY IT'S EASIER WITH THIS BOOK

• Features the best, most complete illustrated instructions for installing a car PC and a GPS system
• Focuses on prefabricated components that are easy to work with
• Compares products by brand name, and tells you where to get what you need
• Shows you exactly what to do with more than 200 photos and illustrations
• Provides expert troubleshooting (and trouble-avoiding) tips
• Gives you free, helpful software at the book's own Website!

About the Author
Gavin Harper is a member of a number of car clubs and online automobile hobbyist/enthusiast groups. He writes regularly for VIAarena.com, and started their Car PC Forum. Author of 50 Awesome Auto Projects for the Evil Genius (also from McGraw-Hill), as well as other forthcoming titles in the Evil Genius series, he has been building car computers and other automotive projects for years. He lives in Essex, United Kingdom.

Customer Reviews

Good in-depth instruction on building your car PC plus apps
This book takes you through building a car PC, using the VIA EPIA Mini-ITX series of motherboards. The case for putting a PC in your car is becoming increasingly compelling with the demands of the modern driver. As well as "infotainment" applications - keeping the kids amused on long journeys, occupying passengers in traffic jams, providing music and rich media for all passengers etc, there are also a great many more "serious" applications such as navigation and route planning, avoiding traffic jams and so called - "telematics" where in-car communications and car computing are fused seamlessly into a single solution.
While the Mini-ITX solution does limit your options in relation to PCI accessories, most of the functions you could ever want are integrated into the board anyway. For example, AC'97 sound which will meet the needs of all but the most demanding users. Video-wise, the EPIA Mini-ITX motherboard's on-board video is well suited to the sort of applications that you will be running in your Car PC. Thinking about what you would like to be using in you Car PC, you might come up with a list that looks something like:
Satellite navigation
Listening to music
Watching DVD's
Watching files store on your hard disk
Surfing the net
Typing the odd document on-the fly
This book will help you make your car PC capable of all of these tasks. This book is much better than the author's other book "50 Awesome Auto Projects for the Evil Genius". This book has all of the construction details and insights that other book lacked. I notice that Amazon does not show the table of contents so I do that here:
Chapter 1: Why would I want to build a Car PC?
Chapter 2: Buying your components
Chapter 3: Building Your Car PC base unit
Chapter 4: Installing the operating system, motherboard drivers and front end
Chapter 5: Connecting your Car PC to the "Real World"
Chapter 6: On-board diagnostics
Chapter 7: In-car speech recognition
Chapter 8: Killer software applications for your Car PC
Chapter 9: Getting more out of your Car PC
Chapter 10: In-Car GPS Epilogue

Great information, but the review on here is not correct.
The book has some really good information. It goes in depth in every aspect of building a car computer. The only thing I am mad about is that on this site, it says that it shows you how to set up automated air and heating, and ultra sophisticated security system.

The book has no referance to that material at all. I was hoping to get that. Other then this it has great stuff in it.

Does it make sense for you to have a car PC?
The first thing that I thought when I saw this book was why would I want to build a car PC. Then I picked up the book and the first chapter was titled 'Why would I want to build a Car PC.'

The first reasons that he gives have to do with entertainment: replace your radio with satellite or audio jutebox, add television and a DVD player. Well, the last time I turned on my radio, which is AM/FM and maybe cassette (I forget), it worked. But that was several years ago. I don't like the noise. So far, no sale. Other people, perhaps yourself, will want an improved entertainment center, so this might be important for them.

Then I got to Chapter 6. Here he is talking about On-board Diagnostics. Your car (unless it is really old) has built in diagnostics. This electronic system monitors all kinds of stuff that's going on in the engine. Now this is something that I can care about. When the stupid 'CHECK ENGINE' light comes on I'd like to know if it is something serious like no oil pressure (i.e. pull over quick) or if it's something like the car has been X miles and it's time for regular service.

Then in Chapter 10 he goes into GPS and map software. That stuff is expensive if you buy it from the car company and it goes out of date quickly. If you do your own you can upgrade it as often as you like.

All in all, maybe it does make sense to build a car PC.