Can you use a labtop with a digital wheel monitor (in non-nav g) as a carputer? Is it as good as a regular "desktop" style computer? Do you have to detach the monitor/lcd screen or can you keep it? How do you supply power to the laptop? Can you remove the laptop anytime you want and use it, such as in the house or office? Do laptops handle shocks and bumps (due to regular driving conditions) well?

If you can use a laptop as a carputer, is all you have to do is install the different softwares you are interested in: ie, gps, centrafuse?

Sorry for the numerous questions but I know very very little about carputer. Thanks in advance guys and gals.

 

One thing you could do to power a laptop is grab a transformer that transforms 12v to 120v and you can plug ur laptop directly in the socket the transformer provides.

Although I dunno much about cars, I consider myself well above average when it comes to computers. Computers will tolerate bumps no problem, but it will be more vulnerable to heavy constant rattles/shaking.

If you do a search, someone in this forum have installed a carputer very nicely a while ago.

 

go to mp3car.com forums find out how to install the carputer on ur G.

 

I know there are many threads about carputer. However, my question is specifically about laptop-carputer. It seems like all the threads I've read are about "desktop" style carputer.

I wanted to install a laptop-carputer because I like the appeal (if possible) of being able to take the laptop out of my car and using it in my house or office.

 

You can use a laptop....but thats gonna be a bit ghetto for a G. If you want to use Centrafuse or something similar.....get a touchscreen. The biggest 2 worries I would have with a laptop would be 1. placing it somewhere where heat buildup wont be an issue (on the carpet isn't a good choice) and where you can also get to it to turn it on and off. 2) Making sure you don't forget to shut it off when you leave the car...don't want to kill the battery.
R6mo is right...go to the forums on mp3cars.com ......I spent a sh!tload of time on there before I attemted to do my car pc and am very glad. I also was thinking of doing the laptop thing (sounded good before I figured out all the limitations and the possible problems.....The phrase CAR-BQ stuck in my mind! As it will in yours now!)
You can actually build a mini -itx pc for a couple hundred bucks with parts from ebay..then get the touchscreen and a power supply (I use a carnetix 1280). You may want to go on their website and see what a carnetix supply does...this should bring up a ton of issues that you most likely have'nt considered.