Mini-itx dreams

[Life of Brian]

Oops, meant to post this in Forum 42. I could have sworn I posted it there...


I have a dream, and that dream involves building a mini-itx computer into an empty Atari 2600 case. I initially got interested in the mini-itx form factor after stumbling across MP3Car.com and have since plunged into learning all I can about building a car computer. Phase one will involve building the computer and making sure it works the way I want it, so while it's sitting on my desk I'm going to build it into an Atari 2600 case. It probably won't remain in that case permanently, but I think it will be fun.

I purchased Car PC Hacks by Damien Stolarz off of Amazon and recently finished reading it. This book is amazing, and much like Ben's Hacking Video Game Consoles book, it's thorough enough that even a complete lay audience will learn enough to become familiar with the terminology and concepts incorporated in such a project. I highly recommend it, even if you're not building a full car computer.

Phase two of my project will probably involve finding a nice touchscreen and case to incorporate the computer into my Ford Explorer's dash. I have a nice double DIN opening in my dash so a 6.5" or 7" screen should fit quite well.

So, why is this posted on these forums and not over at MP3Car.com? Well, as I mentioned I'm originally going to house the computer in an Atari 2600 case if possible and knowing me I'll probably load the ZSNES emulator on there, so expect some perverse SNES on Atari action in the somewhat near future.

That NES PC is pretty cool, too...

[Adam G]

Heh, I've looked into the Mini-itx's before, but they are too pricey for me.

"I have a dream..." We should make a thread like this! "...and my dream is to have a cluster of 30 Mini-ITX's in a standard computer case!"
We all want it, so... "Give the people what they want!"
Meh...wouldn't it be awesome though? Crack all of those MD5's in a few seconds!
Good luck with your project, I would ask Skyler to move your topic but it seems he has been slipping with his hours and is currently unavailable.

~Adam~

[mikebola]

Believe it or not, I was told that there are $200 mini ITX systems for sale at Wal-Mart as of late.... they're pretty low spec, but for $200 for a complete mini ITX computer it's worth the risk (and they can run XP).
It's known as the everex gPC, and it comes in this huge, ugly grey case.
Can't miss it!
I'm buying one after the holiday season, to build a carpooter.

[Life of Brian]

Pricey? Well, actually...

Yes it has a little less power and features than others, but it's better than a Via C3 processor and a steal for $60 - $70. Researchit some if you haven't seen this before - it looks like a great way to start out. MP3car.com store link

I like the idea of an "I have a dream" thread. That sounds like fun!

[Kurt_]

Not bad. $80 for a board with RAM. Hard Drives are free( everyone has at least 5 spares lying around, right?), so you get yourself an LCD and you're mostly done!

[Life of Brian]

Not bad. $80 for a board with RAM. Hard Drives are free( everyone has at least 5 spares lying around, right?), so you get yourself an LCD and you're mostly done!

Yup! I recently upgraded my laptop's hard drive to a 5400 RPM 120 GB western digital so I have a spare 4200 RPM 60 GB hard drive. I'm looking forward to tackling this.

[CronoTriggerfan]

Oops, meant to post this in Forum 42. I could have sworn I posted it there...

F42, you say? Moved!

CTFan

[teraflop122]

Believe it or not, I was told that there are $200 mini ITX systems for sale at Wal-Mart as of late

That PC uses a motherboard initially designed by VIA, for sure, but it's basically Micro-ATX (perhaps Flex-ATX), not Mini-ITX.

[Life of Brian]

Oops, meant to post this in Forum 42. I could have sworn I posted it there...

F42, you say? Moved!

CTFan

Thanks, CTFan

[marshallh]

I'm building a car PC myself - got a Mini-ITX board off ebay for $70, with a 800MHz c3 cpu and 1gb of ram.
It plays divx/dvds fine, and runs Half-Life at 30fps.

I'm using a small 6" 1024x768 VGA lcd (not touchscreen) and building a plastic frame for it, my first adventure with bondo.

You will be hard-pressed to get it into an Atari case. You would have much more fun building a plexiglass case for it.

[Life of Brian]

Cool, marshallh! Are you planning on using a frontend for it? I suppose if it plays Half-Life that's all that counts

[Kurt_]

Is there any way to get a GPS system into this carputer of yours?

[Life of Brian]

Is there any way to get a GPS system into this carputer of yours?

Oh man, Kurt - there are so many options for that it's a given! You've gotta have a gps program running in a carputer! Many programs come with a usb gps receiver so it's really just a matter of finding a good/inconspicuous spot in your car to place it.

[vskid]

Is there any way to get a GPS system into this carputer of yours?

Many programs come with a usb gps receiver so it's really just a matter of finding a good/inconspicuous spot in your car to place it.

Thats really not even a problem, if the receiver is weather proof, just put it on the roof. Thats what they do with aftermarket gps and satellite radio antennas. I would know, since my dad used to install them and his car currently has both (and a ham radio). The dash looks pretty ghetto with 4 separate displays: radio, satellite radio, gps, and ham radio (I'll post a pic of it sometime).

[Adam G]

Have you considered using a Pico-ITX in your Atari 2600 case, Brian? It seems like it would make it much smaller.
Just my two cents.

~Adam~

Figured I would edit rather than double posting...

http://www.hpcwire.com/hpc/1877493.html

They beat me,

...With a total of 72 processors, 48 GB memory, and 3 PCIexpress ports, the Catapult draws less than 200 watts of power and fits in standard PC chassis. This eliminates the heat and fan noise issues that have previously made it impossible to put such a large cluster in a deskside environment...

Now, if I could only come up with $15,000. Selling the parents automobile may come into the picture...