So, until Mac developers crank out a good GPS solution, my CarPuter installation requires some shoehorning and pioneering. I don't know of anyone else with a dual platorm/dual PC install. The Mac sits atop a modified Mocha Cappucino PC. The Mac Mini is plugged into my Mac Mini Dock, and the Mocha PC has been installed into a larger metal box with quieter fans and imporved airflow. A KVM switch allows toggling between the two, sending output to a Lilliput 8.4" touchscreen w/ 1025x768 res. Keyboarding/trackpadding is with a Fingerworks board. An auxiliary input was added to the factory harness, along with a three input switch, to choose between iPod, Mac Mini, or whatever other audio input I might need. GPS uses a Bluetooth Emtac unit and the serial port is shared via Franson's GPSGate software.

The Lilliput is good, but not as readable during the day as my transflective tablet screen. However, the tablet only clocks at 1 Ghz running a Centrino, while the Mocha uses a P4 running at 2.8Ghz. Running iTunes on the Mac and GPSing on the PC is the main function, yet the delay in KVMing between them and clicking appropriate keys just to skip to the next song is not right. It's quicker to just use an iPod, so I do, until I get a good external/wireless controller for iTunes.

The units are powered by a True Sine Wave DC-AC inverter, which then flows the juice to an APC UPS unit (Model BE325), so that engine starts and switchoffs don't affect the power to the 'puters.The truck is a Chevy 2001 Silverado Duramax 2500, a rip-snortin' diesel that pulls and tows my toys. It's outfitted w/ 33 Nitto Terra grapplers and a 12,000 Warn winch on the front.