Mac Mini Install in the Blazer Beast

The Mac Mini has 1 GB of RAM, bluetooth, airport extreme, 80GB HD, and the 1.42Ghz processor. It is running OS X 10.4. A Verizon Wireless LG VX8100 cell phone acts a a bluetooth modem and allows the Mac Mini to get online at dial-up speed as long as cell phone coverage is available.

My main monitor is a Xenarc 1020TSV, which is the 10.2" touch screen.

I have a Cirque track-pad, and a flexible keyboard. I have my Garmin GPS V going through a Keyspan USB to serial adapter that gives GPS input to the Mac.

I use Roadnav and MacGPSPro for navigation purposes; I can't wait to be running the Garmin apps, once they are OS X capable. I have over 12,000 songs and over 200 music videos in iTunes, which provide in-vehicle entertainment.

The original center console was removed and a custom one was fabricated from plywood, and then covered in pink shag. The center console houses the Mac Mini, Carnetix power supply, 800W AC inverter with two 110V AC outlets, USB 2.0 hub, and four 12V outlets. All you have to do to remove the Mac is just open up the console lid and unplug the cables from it and pull it out. We made brackets inside the console to have the Mac Mini fit in just right, yet the Mac Mini is quick and simple to remove. The touch-screen is at the end of the center console, mounted so that it can swivel and rotate, to adjust the screen when it is sunny out. There is also pink shag on the two front doors. My friends and I chose pink shag to carpet the front doors and center console since it was the one fabric that stood out most to us, while we were at the store. It is so soft and supple; you might end up "petting" the Blazer.

I have a Pioneer DEH-P7800MP deck with an auxiliary audio in; this is where the Mac Mini audio is fed. The deck puts 50W to each of the four Infinity reference series mid range with tweeters speakers, I have two 4"x6" in the dash and two 6.5" in the rear doors. I have a 12" MTX Sledgehammer subwoofer powered by a 220W Alpine V-Power RMS amp to compliment the lower frequencies.

A Carnetix P1990 power supply gives the 18V to the Mac Mini, the 12V to the Xenarc touch-screen, plus the 5V to the USB 2.0 hub.

I upgraded my electrical system with a 200-amp alternator; it replaced the 105-amp original one. I put in an Optima red top battery in the engine bay and an auxiliary Optima yellow top in the back of the Blazer. I have a dual battery set-up with an isolator that keeps each battery on its own circuit. I ran a 1/0 gauge power cable into the cab, which goes into a fused distribution box to power all the accessories that are in the vehicle's interior.

Also since this is an active 4x4, I put a WARN winch and brush-guard on the front, although I do turn off the Mac Mini in extreme off-road conditions so that the vibrations do not jar the hard disk and ruin it.

The only problem I have encountered was an excessive heat build up in the center console, due to the fact that the Mac Mini, Carnetix power supply, and 800W AC inverter are in there, so I put a fan in the rear of the center console to help circulate the air. The fan also has a cool appearance at night since it has blue LEDs on it.

Here is a labeled diagram with some electrical wiring shown.