| Car PC drives multiple displays |
Aug. 05, 2008
 Korean firm Icom has announced an in-car PC that runs Windows XP Media Center edition. The "Icom MK1" features a swing-out touchscreeen display, slot-loading DVD drive, GPS, T-DMB receiver, four-channel audio amplifier, and drives up to four external displays, according to the company.
(Click here for a larger view of the Icom MK1)
The limited specifications released by Icom for its MK1 didn't include dimensions, but the device appears intended to fit within the confines of a "double DIN" dashboard slot, i.e. approximately 7.1 by 3.9 inches (180 x 100mm). It has a seven-inch touchscreen display that offers 800 x 480 resolution, and swings out from the top, revealing a slot-loading DVD drive.
The icom MK1's screen pops out to reveal a slot-loading DVD drive
At the bottom of the screen bezel, there are seven buttons for functions such as cursor control, plus a USB port and what appears to be an infrared receiver. An optional remote-control keyboard includes an integral pointing device.
Hardware specifications include a 1.6GHz Intel Pentium M processor, from 512MB to 2GB of RAM, and a 40GB or 80GB hard drive. Also cited is significantly more powerful amplification than a PC usually includes -- four channels sporting 52 Watts each.
In addition to its internal screen, the icom MK1 can drive as many as four external displays, sited in the back of car headrests. The Icom website implies that each display can be independent, so that, for example, one passenger could view a DVD, while another browsed the Web, and a third played a video game. However, the company provides no definite confirmation of this fact, nor word of how the displays are interfaced.
The Icom MK1 is said to include a T-DMB (terrestrial digital multimedia broadcasting) television receiver and an FM/AM radio. It also apparently has a GPS receiver, with an undisclosed chipset, since the inclusion of Rousen ezWings navigation software, with detailed 3D maps, is touted. How the device connects to the Internet is not disclosed.
The icom MK1 has a custom user interface that hides the Windows desktop
In addition to running Windows XP, Media Center Edition, the Icom MK1 includes a custom user interface. The UI, shown above, allows watching television, playing media files, or navigation, without recourse to the Windows desktop. On the other hand, an onscreen virtual keyboard is also available, so it's possible to perform limited text-based operations without using an external keyboard.
The limited features and specifications listed by Icom for the icom MK1 include:- Processor -- Intel Pentium M clocked at 1.6GHz
- Memory -- from 512MB to 2GB of RAM
- Storage -- 40GB or 80GB of hard disk storage
- Display -- Seven-inch touchscreen display with 800 x 480 resolution, plus up to four headrest-mounted screens
- Wireless interfaces:
- GPS
- FM/AM radio
- T-DMB television receiver
- Networking -- not specified
- Other I/O -- USB
- Dimensions -- not listed, but appears to fit into double-DIN slot
Icom did not provide pricing for the icom MK1. More information may be available from the company's website, here.
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