I'm waiting for a check from the US Goverment before I do this mod so then I can buy the mini and a few other parts needed for this. But heres my idea.

MacMini with apple remote
7inch VGA touch screen
4 channel pioneer amp
OBD-II On-Board Diagnostic System

With this mod I will have to take out my 4 disc CD stereo. Install the 7inch LCD into the dash and install the 4 channel amp into my trunk. As for the mini I don't know if I should toss it into the dash, underseat or in the glove box. Won;t know until I do the mod and see where everything wants to fit with out any problems.

I know I have been trying this mod forever now but I have thought about this and done a lot of research. Besides I can get a mini cheaper then most people from my discount at compusa since I own a business, so I can get it at wholesale price and taxfree.

Anyway, theres a small problem with this mod. I would have to shut down the system manuly each time I turn off the car. Well I have a idea. A lot of people have done this mod with ITX based PCs and there are DC power supplys out there that can keep the system on while the car is off but long enough for the system to get a low battery signal and shutdown properly. I may have to code a program for this. Yet this will be a rewire of the power supply in the mini so I would be screwing up my warranty asap lol.

The OBD-II is USB and theres ton of programs out there that offer Mac/UNIX compatablity. Also since im pulling out my stereo I will use the mini as the stereo with the 4 channel amp.

This wayof using the mini I don;t have to do a lot to the system it self unlike my desktops I tryed in the past and had to end up getting laptop harddrives and DVD drives because the vibrations would distory the desktop ones. Also the DC power supply wouldn't of been powerful enough to power a desktop logicboard/motherboard.

remember that the power supply is EXTERNAL for the mini, with the transformer on the power cord.  I think there about $50 from apple, so if you fry anything, just buy a new block, and no one will be the wiser!

check out this site for the dc-dc converter, they make ones specially for the mac mini

http://www.carnetix.com/

Sweet, I'm going to order the "MacPac" POWER CABLE KIT asap!

I would think installing a second 12V car battery for the mini would allow you to leave it sleeping for weeks. Only the RAM is powered during sleep, so not much juice is required. Beats having to wait for it to boot every time.
Or maybe you could use a MacBook instead.....

I like this idea... provided you can charge it from the altinator!

I can put a second battery in the trunk and make it run in series with the altinator. But I might have to get a performance altinator, hehehe now I can have a excuse to install one. What about a capistor used with car stereos? They hold a charge for about 3 days with out starting the engine.

I'll just have to ask a friend of mine that does this stuff for a living. He has a PC in his SUV and it's one wicked setup.

I always thought caps were just used as low/high pass filters? I forget which.

if you're talking AC signals they are low and high pass filters, depending on how the circuit is set up.  But the reason they work as filters is because of the charge they store and how that works in the circuit.  So, bigger capacitors certainly can be used to store charge.  But current falls off exponentially, you can make that a very slow exponential, but I don't know how constant of a current the mini requires.  You're probably already on top of those questions with talking to you're friend who knows this stuff.

Well I found out I have two ways of the setup.

A. Use a DC to DC inverter with shutdown signals

B. Install a second altinator and battery.