Computer Mount

Hi Mick

What does the passenger say about it mate? My wife said absolutely no way so we got a unit in the dash.

Was there any problem with rego?

Phil

Ignore the background stuff. It's not a part of the installation.

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Gooday J&V : I would be interested to know where you got your touch screen from or any other info ,
cheers nick

Nick,

The touch screen came from Hong Kong through ebay quite a few years ago now. It was similar to this one and may have been 8", rather than 9". I wanted a 4:3 aspect ratio ( not the newer wide screen format), and at least 1024x768 native resolution in a touch screen. Those requirements narrowed the field down to one or two.

It has been replaced by the HP TC1100 shown in the photos. This is considerably larger though not as bright as the previous screen. It came second hand through ebay.

I'm with John,
I've had an in dash 7" pop out screen for many years and my computer slides closed into a pocket next to my seat.
A simple VGA 7" screen costs about $70 delivered on eBay. Bigger screens and touch screens are a bit dearer. I recently bought an 8" VGA touch screen for $138 delivered but haven't installed it yet. These screens also have composite video inputs which are ideal for reversing cameras.

I've seen a lot of computers installed on mounts and personally find it is too big an intrusion on interior space in my vehicle.

Thank you for your reply's J.J.V: would or are your monitors working on windows 7 ?
I had another idea of using a pc tablet ,something about the same size 7"..8"
do you any thoughts on that !!!
cheers nick

Nick,

Most computers will have provision for an external monitor, and there are lots of 7” and 10” monitors available and suitable for our purposes. Provided the computer itself can run Windows 7 there should no problem using it with a dash mounted screen to run OziExplorer. One trap – some of the less expensive computers will only run the Andoid operating system, not windows. I believe that an Android version of Ozi is in the pipeline, but so far as I know is yet to arrive. (Can someone more in touch comment on this please.)

If you want a touch screen, the choice of monitor becomes a bit smaller. The touch screen is a big advantage when travelling as a mouse becomes unusable when the vehicle is moving, especially on corrugations!

A tablet/slate style computer combines the computer, display and touchscreen in the one neat little unit the size of the monitor. The downsides – limited range of screen sizes and usually it’s widescreen, which really means reduced height rather than increased width. (I reckon a square screen would best for gps!) Some are confined to Andoid – cheaper but pretty limited if you want to run windows stuff. I think the ideal size is probably 9” – our 10” is inconveniently big, and many are 7” which I think is a bit small to display good detail. Last point – don’t leave valuables visible when you leave the vehicle – bit hard if it’s a big computer stuck to the dash.

Suggest do an ebay search on “tablet” to see the big range now available. “tablet windows” will give you a much smaller listing.

I think if I was setting up again, I’d aim for a 9” tablet running windows, with a good bright screen, at least 1024x768 resolution, and the screen non-reflective.

Cheers

John

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10" tablet running windows 7, works a treat. Applications are easy to get. I am running Window 7 with Microsoft Office 2010 and Oziexplore. It is mounted Using a RAM mounts and a generic cradle. I bought it whilst in China. The website "madeinchina" is a good start.

Cheers
Craig

Thanks again John & Craig for your great help in this . My notepad pc has windows 7 , but the only shop in Adelaide that I have found (jaycar) don't guarantee that the touch software will work windows 7 & wont give any info ( $250.) So when a mate said about the tablet I thought this maybe a better option !!!!
I was hoping to get one from a shop rather than ebay /Internet...
cheers nick

Hi Nick,
To add to my set-up I also have a bluethooth keyboard its 150 x 60 mm saves me having to lean over whilst driving!!!!

As for the tablets you will pay more from a shop but for piece of mind a good option if not comfortable with the net. I would suggest a shop like Harvey Norman.. Why??? I recently took a two year old laptop into HN Port Hedland WA dropped it on the counter with no receipt then picked it up 10 days later fixed. It was purchased from Perth. For those that travel I think its a good service. I was also told that if it went back to Perth early that they could re-direct it to a different store..

Craig

Nick,

Craig's bluetooth option is a good one, especially if your present laptop is already set up with bluetooth. Small bluetooth (or wireless) keyboards that include a pointing device (touchpad, trackball, etc) are available and as Craig says are very convenient. We've used one too, though it's a trackball type and we find that the trackball is very sensitive to corrugations. Many of them are very small too, too small for mature age fingers. Here's one that would tick most of my boxes - big enough to be usable, with a touchpad so it has a mouse function without being mechanically sensitive. (I fully understand your reluctance to use ebay but it's a very good catalogue!)

Cheers

John

question : If you have a wireless /blu key board is there any benefit/.... have a touch screen ?
Craig : when you say ... bluetooth keyboard its 150 x 60 mm saves me having to lean over whilst driving !!!! where do you have the key board & why ?
thanks nick

Nick,

If you have some pointing device you do not need the touch screen, which increases your monitor options. A bluetooth or wireless keyboard/touch pad is a very flexible alternative. Craig's keyboard, at 150x60mm would be too small for me. We use this one which is 230x90 mm, big enough to be easily usable, small enough to carry in the overhead console. As said, I wouldn't recommend ours because of the the mechanical sensitivity of the trackball.

One comment on wireless stuff. Some of it runs on infrared, like the remote controls for your TV, and other video gear. Infrared isn't suitable in the vehicle because its directional, but either bluetooth or wireless is fine.

Cheers

John

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Hi Nick,
The touch screen is great..... but. As I'm running windows 7 I have installed programs that were primarely made for keyboard operations. Can still do it by the touch screen but find this keyboard great. Its small enough to sit in my door compartment.

thank for your feed back it has been very helpful :-)

G'Day Tom,

I have used the RAM mounts in the F250 and you cannot go past them as the one I used was the one that you can cut and bend the arms to whatever shape you desire to fit around any obstacle like the centre hump in the floor.

The lifetime warranty with RAM mounts is spot on as after a few years one of the ball mounts snapped whilst doing the Anne Beadell and the suction cap of the windscreen mount that holds my GPS would not stick properly.

Rang the GPSOZ store and they said send them back and they would be replaced free of charge including frieght and the new ones were here in a few days time and that after 4 years use.

I use a 10" Panasonic Toughbook computer which is the ideal size for reading whilst travelling and the Toughbook can be used as a normal computer and when I put it into the adjustable Toughbook tray that is mounted to the RAM mount its coverts to a tablet computer with digital tough screen.

Also it has a shockproof hard drive that is good for rough terrain as it can take the knocks and bumps and can also be removed at the flick of a catch and stored away from the computer so that if it gets knocked off you just get a new computer and slide in the hard drive.

Below are a couple of photos.

Cheers
Stewart


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