webstarxpress

I am looking into buying a 1984/944... I wanted to know the following:

1) Does the 944 have any room to put a small computer for playing MP3s on out of the stereo?

2) Has anyone done this?

3) Approx. how much would it cost to build and install the computer and then also the speakers and tuner...

4) Where did your power source come from?

5) How did you fix it so that when you shut the car off, it doesn't crash the machine, since you are just cutting the power?

Thanks in advance...

Sincerely,
Jesse Middleton

P.S. - I want to run Windows...

Jim Nowak

Jesse,

Why don't you buy a car stereo that plays the MP3 format?

I'm sure you could hook up the computer if your car stereo was set-up to receive external sources and many new car stereos have this ability. So, either way, it will be easier, cheaper, and functionally superior to buy a new stereo that already does what you want.

Jim Nowak
P.S. I run windows for my engine management system.

webstarxpress

[quote]Originally posted by Jim Nowak:
<strong>P.S. I run windows for my engine management system.</strong><hr></blockquote>

What is an engine management system?

Thom Fitzpatrick

Windows for your engine managment system? I can see it now - opening it up as you enter the straight, only to get the BSOD.

Adrian

Why not install a decent sports exhaust, remove all thge junk from inside and make the 944 lighter and just listen to the engine and exhaust as you hurtle (being generous) down the street. Porsches are sports cars really and I think from purely a personal point of view that keeping it a sports car and not a mobile disco will do you much better in thelong run,
Ciao,
Adrian
911C4

webstarxpress

Hehehehe, yes, that is true, but I happen to like music almost as much as I like Porsches.... YEAH!!

Danno

I use a portable CD-player that works with both normal audio-CDs and MP3-CDs as well. WHen I'm in the car, I just plug it into the audio-in port on my stereo. When I get to the office, I take the CD-player with me.

udamann

I have a Aiwa CDC-MP3 in dash player. It plays mp3s on cds as well as regular cds and cdrs. You can get a brand new one off of ebay for around $185. Its well worth the money!


Steve

83 944 Black/Tan (in pieces)

yOnKiNaToR

i am also thinking about putting a computer in mine but i will base mine off a labtop...i've seen somewhere where this is like some of kind of plug that you would plug from your amp on your stereo system to the sound plug on your computer..i did this at home with my computer and my home stereo.

it would be nice to have a computer b/c you could watch movies and when they make mp4's, you wouldn't have to buy a whole new receiver. you would just download the new version of winamp. i could almost live in my car with that.

yOnKiNaToR

in crutchfield you can get a ac/dc converter.(i think that is what it's called) that way you could plug the labtop right into it. the computer could also be portable since all you'd have to do is disconnect the speaker wire and unplug it and you could take that labtop anywhere.

bugsoup

I've found some websites that might help:

<a href="http://www.site-shop.com/~mitcht/in_car_computer.htm" target="_blank">http://www.site-shop.com/~mitcht/in_car_computer.htm</a>

<a href="http://mcascar.tripod.com/pictures.htm" target="_blank">http://mcascar.tripod.com/pictures.htm</a>

<a href="http://www.ryanspc.com/carmp3" target="_blank">http://www.ryanspc.com/carmp3</a>

<a href="http://sproggy.mp3car.com/" target="_blank">http://sproggy.mp3car.com/</a>

<a href="http://www.mp3car.com/" target="_blank">http://www.mp3car.com/</a>

I think some good places for the computer would be under the passanger seat, inside the center console, under the dash, or somewhere else accessible but not in the way.

From what most of these sites say, you just need a Pentium I-based system running Windows 98. Although this may not be enough for future upgrades, I believe that mp3 will always be a convenient and usable format. Even when everyone is using mp8 (just an example), there should be a way to convert down to mp3. A 20 GB hard drive can hold over 5000 songs at the normal bitrate. You could probably get an old PI system for free (or nearly) and buy a new 20 GB for about $60. With some fancy wiring and the right LCD screen (from radioshack I think), you could have a complete in car mp3 player with a huge capacity, that is upgradeable to newly outdated hardware, and which may not be stolen easily like an in dash stereo.

I am planning to put one in my car very soon and I will keep everyone up to date on the progress if you are interested.

I hope this helps.

944LT1

I use my laptop.....i have over 4000 mp3, dvd player, engine data logging, engine management(LT1 Edit).For a laptop I highly reccomend a laptop power supply made for cars, (instead of going 110v inverter), because it is 12v straight thru, I've had better luck that way.
I have a 5 computer home network with cat5 cableing. I want to make the laptop wireless but its gonna cost 250 for that one machine, kinda low on the list right now.

<a href="http://www.easyfoto.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=261571&uid=129677" target="_blank">web page</a>

bugsoup

944LT1: What program do you use for on board engine management? Does it let you change settings for the fuel and ignition?

H. D. Smith

I have a amp installed in the trunk, bridged with two sets of RCA's (1 - CD Deck and 1- MP3 Player) - the second set of RCA's has a single headphone style plug on the other end and this is where I connect my small Rio MP3 Player. The Rio has a belt clip that attaches to the ash tray and the plug is hidden there when not in use. It works for me.

Dan Stratton

A few years ago when the Mp3 was a new compression concept for encoding music, the only players readily available was software for the pc. I fooled around with several "free" versions for linux and windows and was able to get a small footprint case that I could hook up in the car.. It was a lot of work and that was the fun of it... Last Christmas I bought my wife a Samsung Yepp that is about 1" X 2" in size and has 128mb of space for mp3's!! and plugs right into her cassette (I know not the best sound) I just think about how much work and expense went to on the first one..

Dan...