Put a PC in your car

Browse through sales brochures for the latest new cars and some form of onboard computer will probably appear on all but the lowest of the range.

It’ll be a lot more sophisticated than earlier offerings (remember the talking Austin Maestro?), and way ahead of the simple fuel consumption calculations offered by the trip computers of the 1980s.

A modern car computer can be expected to combine entertainment with telematics (the term commonly used to refer to automotive communications and navigation systems).

It will control radio and music playback, guide you to new destinations via GPS, handle your phone calls, and let you know if there are problems with the engine, or if the tyres need a little more air.

Much of this will appear on a large display screen built into the dashboard, with options ranging from just a few lines of text to a full-colour display with detailed maps – and, perhaps, connections for plugging in a portable music player and browsing the tracks via controls on the steering wheel.

If you’re in the market for a new car, it can be a very attractive – if sometimes pricey – option. But what if you have an older model? Thanks to modern small form factor PCs, the falling price of LCD panels and a wealth of low-cost software, it’s easier than ever to put together a PC-based in-car computer.

While you may not end up with the polished look of the latest factory-fitted systems, it’s possible to come pretty close. You can, with some planning and imagination, fit something in your car that will give you most of the features of the latest factory-fitted systems for a fraction of the price.

Music, maps and monitoring
Computers are so ubiquitous in cars today that we often don’t realise that they’re there, but if you’re thinking of fitting or building one for your car, you’ll first have to decide what you want it to do.

The most obvious tasks are also the most common. Music probably comes first, and it’s obvious that a PC can manage playback of music – and even video for back-seat passengers – without the hassles of unreliable CD auto changers, fiddling with the small screen of an iPod in a holder, or the ‘CD1, Track 4’-type of useless information a typical in-car unit displays when it’s confronted by a CD full of MP3 files.

Maps and navigation come near the top of the wish list, too; PCW readers will be familiar with the portable sat-nav systems we’ve tested over the years, and it’s a great use of a car PC.

Another popular use of computer technology in cars is monitoring – providing feedback on economy, the state of the engine, problems that need attention at the next service, and even things like tyre pressure warnings. It’s taken to perhaps the highest level by systems such as Fiat’s Ecodrive (see ‘Microsoft in your motor’ below).

Communications are also important: a link to your mobile phone should be integrated into the system, complete with contact synchronisation, so once a number’s stored in the phone, someone’s name will appear on the in-dash screen, and the music can be muted when a call comes in.

Some systems will provide access to your emails and text to speech, so that they can be read out, helping you keep your eyes on the road – the in-car PCs used by car manufacturers Citroën and Peugeot can do this today with systems from Italian firm Magneti Marelli.

Doing it yourself
There are obviously many things a PC can do in the car, but the big question for many PCW readers will surely be: “Can I do it myself?” With compact PCs cheaper than ever, and a wealth of low-cost software available, is it really worth spending several hundred pounds – and well over £1,000 in some cases – on a factory-fitted system? And, of course, if you have an older car, that won’t be an option.