Installing a tablet in lieu of a head unit

[Altitude]

@etimago - On this unit the screen is *very* shiny so there is glare, but it isn't too bad. Though I might try to get a glare reducing screen shield. Brightness wise it's fine, maybe even a little too bright in the dark. Fingerprints are a bigger issue for me, but I can't do anything about that.

@pk - I cannibalized one of those selectable voltage car adaptors 12-24v in and 3 - 12v out. So it's got a regulator at least and I could always throw a capacitor across the line as a line smoother, but I don't think it's necessary. I'm pretty sure that the unit itself has a built in regulator too because it takes 12v in instead of 5v as might be expected. I'm sure it's dropping the voltage internally to charge the batteries.


Right now I'm using PowerAmp and PlayerPro - not sure which one I'll end up keeping - and strangely enough the music sounds different coming from each one even with all processing turned off. I think PlayerPro gives more of a true flat response whereas it seems like PowerAmp still has some DSP going on even with EQ and whatnot disabled. It's not a drastic difference though so it's going to come down to the friendlier UI.

Right now I'm looking for a good wireless tethering app so I can use my cell connection for net access while on the road.

[tk-421]

Have you guys heard about the Kindle Fire yet? Seems to be just a tad smaller than the Nook and a bit more powerful in the CPU department... OTOH, it doesn't have an SD card slot or (apparently) bluetooth capability, so it might not cut it as a good head unit replacement.

[eTiMaGo]

yep, it sure sounds like a nice option on paper :)

I've also been seeing a lot of cheap tablets here, yet that seem of decent quality. They do run Gingerbread or Froyo, though. One that caught my eye is an 8" model for about $250, which seems more focused on being a personal media device, with built-in kickstand, and hardware buttons for volume, etc, on the front of the device (when driving, you don't want to spend too long staring at the screen trying to poke at volume controls, an actual physical button is far more tactile)

[isra]

Has anyone tried with the viewsonic view pad 7??

[ezhacker1]

Any updates on Tablet installs?
Apps to use?

I just use Power Amp and Torque. I hope to be able to run at least honeycomb so there is an easy way to multitask and change between those 2 apps. Plus dragging to see notifications does suck...compared to Honeycomb tap.

[Altitude]

Originally Posted by ezhacker1

Any updates on Tablet installs?

I've found the screen is very unresponsive in cold temps - sort of anticipated this.

So to solve it I bought a motorcycle grip warmer kit, cut a piece of aluminum the same size as my mounting block, slapped one of the warmers on the aluminum panel and screwed it to the mounting block. I've got it installed but haven't wired it up yet.

It gets so warm I'm just going to use to rapidly warm the unit up when I need it. When I have the time I'll probably build some sort of temp control circuit and add that on.

I've been using PlayerPro as the music player. Mostly because it has a volume control slider vs. the difficult to use fake knob style that Power Amp has. It made me realize that a lot of apps don't account for units without physical volume controls or in this case without access to them. You would think that every type of media player would have a volume control always on or available from the player screen. Not so. And it's annoying.

[eTiMaGo]

B-B-B-B-Bump!

Since I got the car back, finally time to move on with my own implementation :D

My idea was to brace the tablet against the bezel by way of epoxied bolts and metal straps across the back:





But now that I have it in front of me, this solution does seem far too complicated, and may not even fit... So I'll probably follow Altitude's example. This tablet does not have a flat back, and is also a bit wide (the top edge will hit the AC swivel thing), so it may not be the best choice... Might have to try a Nexus 7

[suckerface]

I was just thinking, at the price, a Nexus 7 would be perfect, especially on the size as I'm already running a 7" DVD player.

Keep up posted Thomas!

[edmscan]

One thing to be aware of .. is that in some places (like in Alberta where I live), it is illegal to have a aftermarket video / computer screen in view of the driver. So .. just be aware that you could get a ticket from the police with such a setup.

[eTiMaGo]

taking shape nicely:



No need for bracing, it's just sandwiched in there quite snugly... But I can't fit the AC vents, might just put some mesh behind the holes :)

Screen is bright enough for daylight use, and I have a matte screen protector on it so it's better than I feared... Only problem is the screen automatically dims after a little while, I think I can remedy this with Tasker, though!

[ezhacker1]

screen gap seems huge on yours. i know mine is not perfect fit, but seems less visibile


so we got 3 peeps with tablets in.

[eTiMaGo]

yeah i', looking to put some pieces of plastic on the sides to cover the gap, eventually...


The next problem I have is that my "2.1A" charger seems to not be putting out enough amps to charge the damn thing in use...

[nicshields]

Is there any updates with these?

With the release of the iPad mini it'd be nice to see one mounted. Although it doesn't have as much functionality as a nexus 7 does I do think it'd look very sleek.

I think I have that in mind for my first major project.

Any pics of a final tab install?

[ezhacker1]

my nook color died on me kinda unexpected. it will turn on only if the charger is connected, shows full charge, but i pull it and it dies. could be a battery, i opened it up to take a look. Im better off just getting a nexus 7 at this point.

As mentioning the ipad mini, i would go that route, but the lower resolution than nexus 7 doesnt cut it. And unless there are cool apps like trackmaster or even torque on iOS, its not worth it. O and the price....

**wait for black friday, im sure tablets will get cheap.

[suckerface]

32 GB Nexus 7 is rumoured to be announced soon...at the same $250 price tag as the 16 GB...

[tk-421]

good to know... I've already bought two slightly cheaper tablets and returned them for defects... Should've just gone for the real thing from the start and save me all the trouble.

Totally getting a used 8gb nexus 7 once the 32gb model comes out. Considering that the n7 has a usb port, the extra storage space isn't really worth the extra cash IMO.

[suckerface]

Originally Posted by tk-421

Considering that the n7 has a usb port, the extra storage space isn't really worth the extra cash IMO.

USB Port? All I'm seeing is the Micro USB...

USB
Micro USB

And I assume that's just for charging. Not sure if it'd be able to be used to mount external devices. I was under the impression that the N7 relied heavily on the Google Cloud for content (Play, Drive, etc) and most people's complaints were about the lack of storage. For an extra ~$50 to quadruple the storage space, I think it'd be well worth it.

If you have other information (admittedly, I haven't researched a TON when it comes to hacks/rooting the N7) on how to use external storage, please link!

[Altitude]

^^ You're right. The USB ports on tablets are just for charging when a separate power jack isn't included and for connecting to a PC. They do not act as USB Hosts which would be required to use USB storage such as flash drives.

Look for tablets with a MicroSD card slot for external storage.