Post by olega on Mar 21, 2022 8:04:17 GMT -5
This might be the first Car PC build on this forum, if not in the world, running Windows 11. Will start on the hardware side in a month when the screen arrives, and I will document the build in this thread as progress goes on.
Software is all taken care of.
Screen
Your average 7" touch-screen, bezel-less HDMI panel from AliExpress. The big difference from more traditional builds here is the 1280 x 800 screen resolution.
Computer
Old HP Elitebook from 2012. Perfectly capable of running Windows 11 smoothly, if you remove the TPM block.
Why Windows 11? Most people are using XP and 7 in the car computing world.
I wanted at least Windows 10 or higher because I'll be using Windows Maps for my navigation. The likes of iGuidance, FreeDrive, Map Monkey, and Streets and Trips are not updated
anymore - did I just say Streets and Trips? Well, Windows Maps is technically the descendant of Streets and Trips, directly based on the Microsoft MapPoint platform (Bing Maps). But,
you ask, why not Windows 10 then? Well, newer versions of Windows are getting more and more touch-first (a bad thing for my home PC, the reason it runs Windows 7, but a good thing
for a Car PC)
Mounting Method
I'll get a 3D-printed bezel to fit the 7" screen into the Double-DIN slot. The Elitebook will be in the trunk with wires routed under the carpeting.
Amplifier
I would use the radio's amplifier, but the radio was busted when I purchased the Falcon. So, I'll be using a cheap car amplifier.
Frontend
Originally was going to be Road Runner 2007, but upgraded to Ride Runner 2014. Centrafuse just won't run on Windows 10/11 (for me, I understand it works for others, if there is a
fix maybe let me know?)
More disfiguration of the fascia
Know how there's a rectangular slot to the left of the cigarette lighter port? The original door will slide open to reveal a USB 3.0 Hub. On the panel to the right of the tiny digital clock LCD that comes with the Falcon, there
will be a volume knob.
Features
Plays audio with Winamp, video with PotPlayer, YouTube video with the FreeTube video streaming client, gives turn-by-turn GPS navigation using Windows Maps, can message using WhatsApp and Skype, and access the web.