Ipad mini in-dash installation

[dbansal]

how are you hooking this up to your stereo system? Will you have GPS capabilities afterwards?

[Shehadehd]

Originally Posted by dbansal

how are you hooking this up to your stereo system? Will you have GPS capabilities afterwards?

So as far as GPS capabilities, the mini with cellular data capability has a GPS antenna built in a can be used with GPS without a data plan. There are a number of free, and some quality, apps in the app store that I've used for GPS. Then of course, if you get a data plan, you can use a number of native apps that will run GPS.

As for hooking the system up to my head unit, I've been thinking of a couple options. First off, I will need to get a new head unit that has an aux in on the back. Then, my choice will be to either install the new head unit in the top din of the lower console, or mount the radio behind the iPad and do away with the separate head unit. Chances are I won't do that since I like to option of listening to the radio and being able to change the volume separate from the iPad slider.

Also, the iPad mini 2 was announced yesterday, finally, but of course Apple delays it until the end of November... With a price tag of $550 plus tax, I don't know if the Retina screen and A7 processor are worth it, especially since I can find plenty of first generation Minis with data capability for under $350. Plus, there's the benefit of being able to install it a month earlier and not have to wait in holiday shopping lines to get one.

[dbansal]

Its a fantastic idea... good luck with the rest of the project... it would be cool if you could hook up a rear camera to it also...

This is a very cool idea. however, why not just get a regular alpine 2 din unit or something? It has all the inputs, and the new ones have the capabilities to install apps..

[Nine8Six]

Originally Posted by Shehadehd

So as far as GPS capabilities, the mini with cellular data capability has a GPS antenna built in a can be used with GPS without a data plan. There are a number of free, and some quality, apps in the app store that I've used for GPS. Then of course, if you get a data plan, you can use a number of native apps that will run GPS.

As for hooking the system up to my head unit, I've been thinking of a couple options. First off, I will need to get a new head unit that has an aux in on the back. Then, my choice will be to either install the new head unit in the top din of the lower console, or mount the radio behind the iPad and do away with the separate head unit. Chances are I won't do that since I like to option of listening to the radio and being able to change the volume separate from the iPad slider.

Also, the iPad mini 2 was announced yesterday, finally, but of course Apple delays it until the end of November... With a price tag of $550 plus tax, I don't know if the Retina screen and A7 processor are worth it, especially since I can find plenty of first generation Minis with data capability for under $350. Plus, there's the benefit of being able to install it a month earlier and not have to wait in holiday shopping lines to get one.

One dude here thrown in a 8" touchscreen in the console. Looks fab. He is running Windows 7 off a very-tiny ITX computer (Intel CPU) and hides it in the frunk. The whole thing powers itself by a DC PSU. Cost him about $300 for the whole set-up I believe. Has GPS antenna, few wi-fi webcams, and using his iPhone 3G data plan to video conference and all. He also has a 2 terabytes HDD to record his track days and other night-time escape in the city. Pretty slick set-up and very creative in all honesty!

The HD touchscreen & fit literally looks factory. Its actually stunning

[epapp]

Originally Posted by Nine8Six

One dude here thrown in a 8" touchscreen in the console. Looks fab. He is running Windows 7 off a very-tiny ITX computer (Intel CPU) and hides it in the frunk. The whole thing powers itself by a DC PSU. Cost him about $300 for the whole set-up I believe. Has GPS antenna, few wi-fi webcams, and using his iPhone 3G data plan to video conference and all. He also has a 2 terabytes HDD to record his track days and other night-time escape in the city. Pretty slick set-up and very creative in all honesty!

The HD touchscreen & fit literally looks factory. Its actually stunning

See, I would love to throw in a full computer because the possibilities are endless and I have so many spare everything for computer anything. The problem with that setup is the ease of use for connection reasons and for the nature of a full computer in general without a battery powering it.

The data connection with a full computer would be messy and potentially cumbersome to get it to connect. With some kind of tablet, its got a dedicated 4g antenna that it knows to use to connect with. (A full OS may require from time to time physically fiddling with a 4g dongle that you get from verizon or ATT/network connection fiddling from within the OS)

The other problem that links to the connection issue is booting up/down. When you shut off the car you will kill the computer (unless you rig a battery and run a few scripts to shut down the computer softly when it loses main power, which will work just fine)...BUT

Then you have the problem of booting up each time you start the car. Even with a SSD it will take a good 7 seconds to get loaded and ready to do whatever.

Thats just my opinion on a full computer install. I would love to do it but an iPad seems like what would work best for me. With the bluetooth adapter to the CDR220, an iPad would slip right into the dashboard and integrate nicely.

END

[Nine8Six]

I can't make a judgment on which one is better. I just love the thing when he drops by the circuit. I can slip in my go-pro's SD card in the little reader he has in his ashtray and review my practice sessions, between sessions. Of course while cooling down using his petrol and A/C

Those services alone, meaningless to you maybe, made me wonder if he was the 986s Master of the Universe for a few minutes!

iPad will be equally a good set-up if not better in many other ways I'm sure. I was just sharing what others came up with.

Can't you link a touchscreen to an iPad?? That way you could take the (expansive) iPad in and out of the car while keeping the touchscreen in the dash permanently. Any soft/hardware to output the graphic of an iPad these days.... would be hard to believe this technology is not available at "Apple"

[Nine8Six]

e.g. Microsoft's Remote Desktop? that was another one I was blasted by his ITX setup. The guy can remote access his office computer and files :/

I'm retired from Google today and don't want to search. You know if Apple offer the same? if so I may consider the same set-up as you are doing

[Shehadehd]

Originally Posted by dbansal

Its a fantastic idea... good luck with the rest of the project... it would be cool if you could hook up a rear camera to it also...

This is a very cool idea. however, why not just get a regular alpine 2 din unit or something? It has all the inputs, and the new ones have the capabilities to install apps..

Thanks. There are a ton of units that I could get that will be more functional than the iPad, I admit it. But part of it is the challenge of adding an iPad into the car and having it look flush with the rest of the vehicle. The uniqueness of it is something else that I'm going for. Also, I can get a hold of an iPad mini for $350 now that the new one is being released and I think a comparable double din head unit that streams music, has GPS, makes calls (FaceTime audio), connects to the OBDII, has a bunch of sensors built in (accelerometer, gyro, compass, etc), and has a resolution of 1024 x 768 will run way over $300.

[epapp]

Originally Posted by Nine8Six

e.g. Microsoft's Remote Desktop? that was another one I was blasted by his ITX setup. The guy can remote access his office computer and files :/

I'm retired from Google today and don't want to search. You know if Apple offer the same? if so I may consider the same set-up as you are doing

Certainly, an iPad has all internet functionalities as a real computer, much more so if its jailbroken.

I can connect to my personal home server form anywhere in the world and access any file I've ever stored form my phone, similarly form an in-dash iPad. The connection capabilities with a 4G connection in the dash will be monumental. We could all go driving and video chat with each other...like an interactive adrenaline porsche tea party..

[epapp]

Meant to say, remote connection, screen sharing, realtime streaming etc...all is possible with iPads, but a computer still would be above all.

[Nine8Six]

No crap huh, I didn't know. seriously. Never had the chance to handle an Apple product... as weird as this may sound

Might the iPad mini be the first. I think you got me set for one. Always hated tablets.... looks and sounds silly. That mini might be just fine tho......

thx

[Shehadehd]

Originally Posted by epapp

Meant to say, remote connection, screen sharing, realtime streaming etc...all is possible with iPads, but a computer still would be above all.

To offload he iPad screen to a remote touchscreen wouldn't you have to do this through some wireless data network? I thought the only option was to use wifi to link the iPad to another screen. Using Remote Desktop or some other client would require something with an operatic system and so, I would imagine, what will be in the dash will start to approach the price of the iPad itself? Honestly, I haven't done any research on connecting up the iPad remotely and frankly, the lag that I get from doing so over wifi is bad enough; I can't imagine the reliability issues that might come up if the iPad were connected over a cellular network while moving. This might all be irrelevant though. I dunno.

One possibity I considered was hooking it up to a screen via an AV adapter that connects to the Lightning adapter. But I haven't found a touch monitor small enough that I can use and retains the same screen quality and touch precision that the iPad has....

I guess to add a little bit on the same note as what epapp mentioned, a main motivating factor for sticking with a native tablet rather than going more "indie" and self customizing a setup is that the iPad already comes with so many capabilities out of the box, and an endless amount more after being Jail broken. Of course, it will not match the processing power of running a desktop operating system, it's native wireless capabilities do let it offload data to remote servers for storage or number crunching. It really is a versatile piece of equipment. And being that I use a mac at work and an iPhone as my mobile, having the data seamlessly available in my car will be a nice addition for when I take the car on its 1+ hour commute to and from work twice a week, lol.

[epapp]

I meant RDC etc for connection from the iPad to a remote computer or server. Not a screen. Using a secondary screen for the iPad seems quite odd to me. The iPad could be hidden with a secondary screen, but at that point, just get a cheap MacBook Air and pull the internals out of the case and plug THAT into a screen. And you're right, a touchscreen rivaling the quality and touch performance of apples screen would be hard and dam expensive.


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[986_inquiry]

That's impressive. How does it look under sunlight with sunglasses on? Since these are convertibles you'll probably find yourself in that situation quite often.

I read through the thread of the 996 owner with the ipad mini dash and was surprised that it's not even his daily driver. Wow, can't imagine spending all that time hooking all that up for something I would only enjoy less than a hour a week

Originally Posted by Shehadehd

Here's the picture of how it looks so far

[BruceH]

My opinion is simplicity is best. Apple products just work. I've built my own pc's for years, have a decent home network with HTPC's in several rooms. But keeping that system running is a pain. I now have 2 iPads and 2 iPhones in the house. Very simple. My iPhone is jail broken so yes, not all is well in the Apple world and the mini would be better jail broken, but I can live without because of the simplicity. When I get in my Boxster, I want to escape and have fun, a computer would ruin that experience but I don't think a mini would. Looking at double din units, you can't get the functionality of a mini and head unit can provide. Plus, for the cost of a good DD unit, you can get a single din and mini and have some change left over. The only thing missing for me is a back up camera, I need to figure out how to hook one up to the mini. I also need to decide if the new mini is worth the extra $$$ over an Apple refurb unit. Just my .02.

[Shehadehd]

Originally Posted by BruceH

My opinion is simplicity is best. Apple products just work. I've built my own pc's for years, have a decent home network with HTPC's in several rooms. But keeping that system running is a pain. I now have 2 iPads and 2 iPhones in the house. Very simple. My iPhone is jail broken so yes, not all is well in the Apple world and the mini would be better jail broken, but I can live without because of the simplicity. When I get in my Boxster, I want to escape and have fun, a computer would ruin that experience but I don't think a mini would. Looking at double din units, you can't get the functionality of a mini and head unit can provide. Plus, for the cost of a good DD unit, you can get a single din and mini and have some change left over. The only thing missing for me is a back up camera, I need to figure out how to hook one up to the mini. I also need to decide if the new mini is worth the extra $$$ over an Apple refurb unit. Just my .02.

... Well, just got a hold of the real thing, and yes it does fit perfectly. I mean, even if I wasn't going to mount the ipad in the car, this is just a perfect case for the ipad anyways... So snug and OEM.

But seriously though, it turned out great. The ipad doesn't even wiggle around, but I think I'll add a rubber grommet/ gasket just to be sure I don't hear any squeaking while enjoying my new set up. All that is left is to sand and spray the bezel. I think I'll just go with flat black like the car already has and consider a brushed metal vinyl wrap in the near future. As soon as everything fits well I'll be posting a more fluid how-to for this upgrade.

Thanks for all the support and I hope someone else does this too...

[BruceH]

Originally Posted by Shehadehd

... Well, just got a hold of the real thing, and yes it does fit perfectly. I mean, even if I wasn't going to mount the ipad in the car, this is just a perfect case for the ipad anyways... So snug and OEM.

But seriously though, it turned out great. The ipad doesn't even wiggle around, but I think I'll add a rubber grommet/ gasket just to be sure I don't hear any squeaking while enjoying my new set up. All that is left is to sand and spray the bezel. I think I'll just go with flat black like the car already has and consider a brushed metal vinyl wrap in the near future. As soon as everything fits well I'll be posting a more fluid how-to for this upgrade.

Thanks for all the support and I hope someone else does this too...

Looks great!

[Shehadehd]

If finally got to spraying the trim and preparing it for the iPad. I also decided to add the garage door switch to fill in the blank on the console. Unfortunately, suncoast only carries them in a matte finish, but with some clear coat enamel spray paint, it's not hard to get it to match the rest of the switches.

Next up is moving the radio to the lower console and adding a Bluetooth module to the radio to connect up the ipad mini.




Midway through spraying.

[Shehadehd]

Quick teaser until I have more time for a proper post.

[Nine8Six]

Way way way too cool man!!!!!

I absolutely love it