# Wild Idea workable?! Atom powered tablet netbook + Trends USB + Alpine H701



## saintwrath (Dec 8, 2007)

I just got a used H701. I've pretty much figured out the downstream equipment for a decent 2way active. Its the source that's bothering me.

I've a pair of Seas Neo paired w/ Audison 65wx2 , maybe 18sound 6ND430 for mid(other mid choice welcome....) paired Tru 200wX2. Sub is a 12" IDv3

As a programmer by trade, I've always want to do a carputer, yet the cost and the hassle of installation just kinda hold me back. 

With the new intel Atom chip, things are getting easier & cheaper, low watt, high performance. There is a carputer w/ this chip (portwell). But to me it's still too cumbersome and low price/perfermance. If we can get a tablet netbook that can just slide into a custom placeholder (screen facing up). Then hookup to a Trends audio UD 10.1 USB transport (Not USB DAC), that can spit out SPDIF into the Alpine H701, then I think it'd be a very very versatile setup. Any movie, video, music. digitally feed a highend DAC+crossover like H701. I have like 300+ gb of FLAC files at home, and I'm not gonna burn/convert all of them just for car....

The OS can be anything, Car Linux. A very stripped down version of winxp. Booting the sucker is no issue. Not to mention sticking a USB GPS dongle, get a copy of the latest map, and you got a highend GPS gadget as well. 

Anyone got this kinda setup have some pointers, suggestions? Any owner of H701 see a problem in this kinda setup? There are currently only 2 atom tablet the Fijutsu and Gigabyte, but I'm sure many more would come on the market.

Frankly I was gonna just get a decent Alpine DVD HU to hookup the H701 and be done w/ it. But I just can't justify spending 500+ for a HU these day, when a netbook/laptop is around the same price.

I mainly listen jazz, vocal, soundtrack, lounge and some techno.


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## saintwrath (Dec 8, 2007)

So all the DIYers, nobody done anything remotely simliar to a touchscreen computer->USB transport->SPDIF into H701?


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## J0ne (Aug 7, 2007)

I was just thinking about the netbooks/atom processors on the way to work today.

I think you should do it, if your a programmer, you will probably have more skills in this realm than most of the folks here...

Sprints usb Modem card is something else to consider.

if a docking station is available, it might make the charging\docking situation a little better.


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## brownmoses (Jul 23, 2008)

acer has a little nootebok running the atom processor and they work very well. i dont know how much the others cost but my brothers was on sale for 350 bux. this could potentially drop the price of your project.


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## Gearhead51 (Nov 19, 2008)

I saw that baby Fujitsu the other day. I bought its big brother a few months ago. I was actually looking for a ASUS eeepc when I purchased it. I use my tablet for GPS, work, music, movies etc. I'm thinking about buying the baby, figuring out a dock, and moving it from car to car.


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## pwnt by pat (Mar 13, 2006)

I would be willing to venture that those who like computers, carputers, and audio systems are doing all the processing on the carputer  except for Jan (from what I remember) When I can afford the new motherboard, you can bet your bottom dollar I'll be using a Core2Duo and utilizing the whole processor.


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## saintwrath (Dec 8, 2007)

well, for the atom chip, since its drawing so little wattage, if combined w/ a SATA SSD hard drive, it'd be perfect for car usage because of the small wattage req. And man do we need every little ounce of juice we need for the ~1000w system.

BTW, I was just reading the post about the PS for DEQ2496. How many output does DEQ2496 have? IS it really better than the H701? I'd be willing to try it if the SQ is better.


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## Knobby Digital (Aug 17, 2008)

Sounds kind of similar to a carPC I was planning. Laptop > indash EQ > RF 3sixty.2 > amps/speakers.

I was looking at those little Acers with the SSD that are all over eBay, but only in Canada for some reason, and use a very minimal XP.

I've scrapped my carPC plans since I don't think I'll be keeping this car through '09, and doing all that fab work seems like a waste of time.

Don't see why it wouldn't work for you. Did you try mp3car.com?


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## Gearhead51 (Nov 19, 2008)

I was gung ho on the carpc idea, but I couldn't find Sirius integration back in the day. I also like AM/FM because of occasional talk radio. I found a USB tuner, but it was crazy expensive.


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## Knobby Digital (Aug 17, 2008)

Gearhead51 said:


> I also like AM/FM because of occasional talk radio. I found a USB tuner, but it was crazy expensive.


Another issue for me that led to the death of my plans.


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## pwnt by pat (Mar 13, 2006)

I don't know where the atom falls processing power wise, but the via EIPAM1000 is not enough to power Frequency Allocator by itself, let alone with OTHER VST programs. When I fire up all processing in the current config, I'm using about 60% of the dual core.


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## yermolovd (Oct 10, 2005)

i measured my wife's atom based eeepc and it is a bit slower than my old toshiba based on p-m 1.6 in super pi calculations.


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## Grim0013 (Nov 4, 2008)

I've been doing research into the CarPC thing as well. If you plan on using external signal processing, like the h701, then the Atom should be able to handle what you ask of it. I think I read that some implementations of it may get the occasional stutter decoding stuff like high def h.264 video and similar, but it should certainly be able to handle audio tasks no problem.

If I were to use a low power CPU such as this, I'd probably look into something like LinuxICE to run it off of, as it looks to have a very small footprint and is optimized to be an in-car OS. Most other options are simply a front-end running on top of XP or Linux, whereas LinuxICE looks to be a highly customized version of Ubuntu Linux. Seeing as you have a background in software, you can certainly see the efficiency advantages something like this brings.

The only thing keeping me from seriously considering it, if I decide to go CarPC, is the lack of good data-logging software for drag racing purposes. Particularly as I have a pre-OBDII vehicle; a 1987 Buick Grand National. It's original OBD, I think. Whatever, doesn't relate to your issue, heh.


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## saintwrath (Dec 8, 2007)

Thank you all for the great input. I thought there'd be more people with carputer in their badass installs here. Been using linux many years, the LinuxICE is of course great. But there are the concern of drivers (or lack there of). And if you customize the XP to a light weight installation (they now have those 100-200mb installs), it'd boot fast, and practically runs anything. 

I do agree w/ the radio. I'd be willing to install a 1 din HD radio that has a optical out (H701 can do 3, and I l already have C701), I mean why do the analog when we can get multiple digital stations for free. 

Not to mention if you get a mobile data plan and $20 bluetooth dongle, then you wouldn't even need to be in the office, or at home. And of course, a good SSD drive would hold most of the FLAC we got.


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## saintwrath (Dec 8, 2007)

Also, for the OBDII cars, a whole package of software in PC Dyno-Scan for Windows CAN USB


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## saintwrath (Dec 8, 2007)

BTW, here is a test of the 
Laptop --(USB)-->Trends Audio USB transport--(optical SPDIF)-->Alpine 701 DAC

Works like a charm. Gonna get a touch screen Atom UMPC. The JVC going to take care of the HD radio, and tiny little UMPC gonna do the FLAC and movies.

The only thing I'm waiting on is the JVC piece, I really wish it can do optical out with the HD radio. Then it'd be a superb upper chain.


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## saintwrath (Dec 8, 2007)

BTW, here is a test of the 
Laptop --(USB)-->Trends Audio USB transport--(optical SPDIF)-->Alpine 701 DAC

Works like a charm. Gonna get a touch screen Atom UMPC. The JVC going to take care of the HD radio, and tiny little UMPC gonna do the FLAC and movies.

The only thing I'm waiting on is to know if those JVC HU that has optical, if add the JVC HD radio tuner, can the signal get pass to optical. I really wish it can do that. Then it'd be a superb upper chain.


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## t3sn4f2 (Jan 3, 2007)

Dunno if it's too late but this is what I do in your case.

Headunit side:

Get a head unit with HD radio installed that is compatible with the H701 (optical output and head unit master volume control of the H701). Get a manual optical input switch device so that you can select between your head units CD transport and your carPC source. This setup will let you switch digital sources and still have master volume control from your head unit, plus you will be able to switch between analog sources as well.

CarPC side:

Get a trunk mounted PC (dual core atom), a wireless router, an iPhone or iPod touch and this piece of software that controls and displays iTunes remotely and wirelessly. 

You'll have a stable head unit with a digitally connected media server that is easy to navigate and is completely stealth.


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