computer on board, and it's not a laptop - touch screen board

By jeanette borzosept.
Los angeles-Los Angeles
After driving here in the land of eternal traffic, when a pleasant English voice says: "You have a new e-commercemail.
"The sound came from the Dodge fleet radio, but it was generated by the Windows XP computer CarBot under the passenger seat.
About three sizes.
The device can sense the wireless network of the cafe and immediately check for new information.
On the dashboard
Installed on the touch screen, pressing the play button will read the new email
Mail, a test message was sent that morning with a "Macbeth" text message.
"Tomorrow, Tomorrow, tomorrow," the voice said . ".
In fact, after a series of attempts to integrate a fully functional PC into a car, tomorrow may finally be close.
The idea appeared around the block more than once.
For example, in the late 1990s S, the United States Clarion company released automatic driving based on Microsoft's specially designed software.
The ad "a lot of the stuff that came out didn't work," says Mark Dixon bünger, a senior analyst in charge of automotive technology at Forrester Research in San Francisco.
AdvertisementDamien Stolarz, 30-year-
The old founder and CEO of CarBot said the market today is different.
After all, he said, the use of MP3 music files had not exploded in the 1990s S, DVD had just been on the market, and wireless networks were not common.
This has changed, providing potential new uses and functions for automotive computers.
In addition, navigation systems and other computers
Technology-based cars are looking for a location. About three-
According to Forrester Research, some consumers are interested in receiving information about the weather, direction, traffic or road conditions of the car, while some consumers are interested in MP3 music and electronic music. Mail in the car
The remote information processing research team in Minnetonka, Minnesota.
Prediction in-
The car DVD entertainment system will grow from 8.
This year, 4 million units have been installed worldwide, reaching 21 units.
9 million units were completed by 2010.
"We live in a connected world and we want that connection to extend to the car," said Phil Mani, chairman and co-researcher of the research team. founder.
He predicts that automakers will eventually sellin PC's.
At the same time, products like CarBot can transform existing cars and handle functions such as navigation and e-commerce.
Mail and entertainment
"If the car has speakers and radios, CarBot will work in it . "Stolarz said.
CarBot runs out of the car's battery and is connected to the sound system and is usually installed in the trunk like an after-sales sound amplifier.
Of course, a typical PC does not need to consider bumpy roads, hot weather or cars --battery power.
So while most car computers are built around standard Windows PCs, all of them are converted into computers for car travel.
Some ads, such as the auto PC of Santa Ana Xenarc Technologies, California.
, Is the best for enthusiasts who want to build their own systems.
Others, such as those of the Atlanta LXE, are designed for harsh conditions such as construction cranes, so they are thousands of dollars more expensive than other car PCs.
A few, like those of the right-connected electronics company in Yorba Linda, California.
And hybrid mobile technology in West Palm Beach, Florida.
, More like CarBot, but not software that reads your emailmail. Mr.
Stolarz declined to disclose how many CarBots have been sold since they were sold on the company's website this year for $1,450 each (www. carbotpc. com)
Through other dealers.
But he says there are more than 50 of these products, and the company's sales in August are enough to almost break even.
On the way to the demonstration, sir.
Stolz chose some of his 2-year-
The old daughter's favorite DVD is viewed on the back seat screen.
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There's no built-in CarBot-
On DVD drive, but Sir.
Stolarz connects one to the United StatesS. B.
He used American phones to connect to the hub of CarBot. S. B. cable. Use seveninch-
Wide touch screen (a $420 option)
Installed on the dashboard, he compresses the DVD and loads it on the hard disk of the computer;
Then, with Windows Media Player software, he sets up a series of video files to play.
The system was originally designed to be used in cases where there is no screen at all, simply using the remote control.
An acquaintance of Mr. Karani Patterson
Stolarz has been testing the device since last month and he used it to download his email
Before going to work at Hollywood advertising firm BLT and Associates, he wirelessly sends information from his home computer to CarBot in his driveway.
Even more than e-mail, what Mr.
Patterson likes has all his MP3 collections on hand.
He said: "It's beautiful, but he warned that CarBot was an early-
Generation products.
"To track the location of the car, CarBot also includes a GPS receiver that constantly updates the latitude and longitude of the car.
Wireless network technology Wi connected to the Internet or other computers-Fi is built in.
Reading electronic advertising
Mail, CarBot uses the female voice of the software Elan Sayso from the Acapela Group.
Hear e-amazing
The Mail sounds like a BBC, but like a lot of text --to-
Sayso is not the perfect voice software. "The text-to-
Voice software can be a bit funny at times because of its wrong pronunciation.
Patterson added that CarBot may have problems with technical terms.
But, he said, CarBot was right about "this guy --to-
The most important e-commerce personnel communication
Let you receive the mail in time. "Mr.
Stolarz said that his small company, headquartered in the Canoga Park in Los Angeles, is constantly upgrading the vocabulary of the software and sending updates to customers. Later, Mr.
Stolarz plans to integrate DVD players, satellite broadcasts, navigation software, and suspension, recording and advertising to the extent of importance --
The function of skipping the radio is like the function in the TiVo digital video recorder.
"Someone has to take responsibility to surpass the market for amateurs," he said . ".
On the road, the driver starts your hard drive. Several PCs are designed to drain the car's battery and integrate with the car's sound.
They all run certain versions of Windows with a hard drive capacity of 20 gb or more. Wi-
The cost of Fi wireless network technology integrated into CarBot on hybrid PC and MIS C6.
But these two devices have been built-
In a CD/DVD drive that CarBot does not have.
In addition to the manufacturer's website, www. karpc.
Com offers a range of on-board computers. CARBOT --www. carbotpc. com --
The basic model costs $1,450 and is operated by remote control;
The touch screen is $420 more.
The CarBot comes with a satellite receiver for navigation, and its software checks the wireless network on a regular basis. If you have e-
Mail, it will read your message. HYBRID PC --www. hybrid-mobile. com --
The hybrid is set to go public next week for $1,999, including touch screens. Wi-
Additional amenities include wireless Internet access and satellite navigation. MIS MINI PC --www. trc12volt. commain-minipc. html --
Mobile interaction solutions or MIS, computers from properly connected electronic devices start at $1,650, but do not include remote controls or keyboards.
You can get MIS C250. for just $2,299.
1 with touch screen.
Jeanette BorzoWe is constantly improving the quality of our text archives.
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A version of the article appears on page G00005 of the national edition of September 9, 2004, titled: computers on board, not laptops.