Put a computer in my car?

How would one go about doing this. Any suggestions. I would really like to do this. Would my cars batery handle this? I would obviously have to convert the dc to ac. But what else would I have to do? I want the speakers in my car to be hooked up to the computer too.

 

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two words: laptop, and duct tape. have fun!

actually, sounds like a killer idea, an LCD monitor in the dash, a media jukebox blasting away, but what else would you do with a computer in the car... I guess play GTA during gridlock, just to enjoy the irony... project a movie onto the Uhaul truck stuck in front of you... wonder what kind of film ratings you can legally project in public before a cop notices...

 

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Actually, if you could find a PC power supply that hooks up directly to 12V DC, that would be the best. A regular PC power supply actually takes AC current and converts it to 12V DC (which is actually the same as a car battery output). So converting from your car battery output to AC, then from AC back to DC would be very inefficient.

 

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you may as well just use a laptop, because you will need a monitor and keyboard anyway. You can get a cd-tape adapter (if you have a tape player) and plug it into your computer's speaker jack

 

yeah but if he's talking about actually building a comp into his car he's got work cut out for him. something that just hit me, I don't think most computers have as tolerant a temperature range as a car is subjected to. your car's setting out during winter, the computer cools down, way down, to where condensation and corrosion ocurs. or to the other extreme, it's a hot day and, assuming your computer is somehow built into the car, it's starting to get very steamy. either extreme, your PC's screwed, at least to some degree. I guess if you weather-sealed and liquid-cooled your cpu, it'd work fine, but that'd be a pretty steep price range. not to mention actually mounting a computer-holding thingamajig in a concealed space of your car, and cutting out part of the dash and having it proffesionally redone to install an LCD monitor. Or even better, make a semi-transparent HUD system so you can see while you drive. Oh, and about the keyboard and mouse, roller-ball mouse on the center console, and a keyboard that swivels out from... somewhere... to just over your lap. and seriously, with more money, get a thermal camera, have your computer run the thermal camera through the semi-transparent HUD, and you have the perfect night-driving car.

but that's all if you happen to have inherited alot of money to blow away, otherwise, settle for a laptop, keep it out of the sun for too long while it sits in the passenger seat. and forgive me for my slightly incoherent typing, it's damn near two in the morning...

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My car comes with about a half dozen different computers factory installed.

 

you buy a stand , and an adaptor that goes into your cigarete lighter plug, your computer sits on that and is unpluggable so you can take it out the car with you. (seen it before) is this what you ment?

 

by the way if you didnt know, laptops run on an 18.5v Dc supply.

-edit- "most" laptops. although it varies.

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You can get DC-DC switching converters that are about 95% efficient. Try v-infinity.com. Even if your laptop is 12VDC, don't plug it right into the cigarette lighter, or anything. Car electrical systems can get close to 16V sometimes. If nothing else, you can get a cute little 250W inverter for $40. Your cars battery would probably last 12 hours or so if you forgot and left an average laptop running with no power saver features.