iPAQ Bluetooth Connection

Hi Guys,

I have a HP iPAQ and I use Co-Pilot live satelite navagation software on it, which communicates to the satelite receiver via bluetooth.

I'm thinking of upgrading my car CD player to one that has blue tooth connectivity so that my wife and I can answer our mobiles via the car sound system and be handsfree without the need for headsets etc.

Whilst looking at the range of CD Tuners for cars with blue tooth, I found there are plenty of ones which come with 7" screens for playing DVD's etc such as the one found at http://www.kenwoodaudio.com/australia/prodDetails.asp?Cat=Car%20Entert...ment&am

There is an AV input for a reversing camera which is great, plus there's an additional AV input.

I'm thinking it would be nice that rather than have my HP iPAQ sitting in a cradle/holder via a suction cup to the windscreen (and the problems with glare up that high), that it would be nice to utilise such a wonderful screen for the Satelite navigation.

My iPAQ only has a socket for a headset. Is bluetooth capable of output the Co-Pilot Live direction screens, or is this pie-in-the-sky thinking.

I just think in today's age that car manufacturers, entertainment system manufacturers etc could somehow create one unit which incorporates reverse camera screen, satelite navigation system (preferably being able to install the brand you like) and entertainment such as DVD playing.

This Kenwood system has the built in software for playing DVD's, Mpegs, Jpgs etc. You can attach a reversing camera, which means you can source whatever camera takes your fancy. When it comes to Sat-Nav systems, theres either software based ones to install on iPAQ's (which won't suit this system as it doesn't have an Operating System) or there's ones that come in their own "unit" with controls etc which defeats the purpose of utilising the Kenwood screen.

Any thoughts on this?

Regards

Max

Guys,

I've since had a better look around and have thought that perhaps I should invest in a in-dash monitor like the one found at http://tinyurl.com/jweqg

My car has a 2-Din AM/FM Tuner with single CD.

I could replace it with a 1-Din AM/FM Tuner, with single CD and bluetooth connectivity for up to 5 mobile phones with this Parrot Rhythm'n'Blue unit as seen at http://tinyurl.com/gpmcx . This solves my handsfree mobile usage problem along with keeping a radio and CD player.

I could then add the 7" in-dash monitor which is also 1-DIN in size. My thoughts are that I could then forgo my investment in the iPAQ version of the Co-Pilot Live GPS software and buy the PC version as shown at http://tinyurl.com/jmssa and install this on a cheap laptop or tablet PC which as bluetooth connectivity to connect to the satelite receiver.

My question is, since I've never really dealt with touch screens, is does the USB touch screen connection mean that the software to enable touch screen functionality is loaded onto the tablet PC / laptop and connected to the in-dash screen via the USB cable. If so, I assume I would still need to connect the video output of the tablet PC / laptop to the in-dash unit via either the VGA or one of the Video Inputs (RCA).

I could then buy a car power adapter to power the tablet PC / laptop such as a unit found at http://tinyurl.com/zosqb . This means I could still take the tablet PC / laptop out and use it for other things.

My other choice would be to go the whole hog and install an in-car computer, along with automatic power up and power down features such as those shown at http://tinyurl.com/z5ntw or http://tinyurl.com/fbno2 (the later one mentions n optional PSU-PC19 In-Car Computing Power Supply Unit with intelligent shut-down controller for use inside a vehicle)

Has anyone had any experience with a PSU-PC19 unit and can explain how it can shut down an operating system (let's say Windows XP as I'm familiar with that)? Does it recognise the car being turned off and send some sort of signal that is the equivalent of going to the start button, clicking shut down and then ok?

Anyway, enough of my ramblings. What I really want to know is do you think the in-dash monitor coupled with a 2nd hand laptop/tablet PC which has the Co-Pilot live navigation software installed on it would work together? I guess if I'm not using the navigation software, then I could either play MP3's, MPEG's, DVD's etc on the laptop which would output to the screen. I guess I could basically use the laptop for anything I would normally do, but would navigate via touch screen rather than a mouse.

Regards

Max