(*I'll post some actual photos this eve)

looking for offers on this - nib and good condition used range a little upward of 200 on ebay shipped so far, but read on, let me know what you think. also SHIPPING is possible, it'll fit fine in a flat rate box ~$10 or so is what i'd expect.

I'm testing the waters on this Archos 9 Windows Tablet I have - everything about the tablet, (apart from the touchpanel) works like a charm (and you can connect anything via usb)

I've found touchpanels on ebay for ~55 shipped, but I figured if it turned into a car computer, you'd want to disassemble it anyway and run it more like an i-Drive system with a gyration mouse or similar apparatus

manufacturer website: Archos 9

Pros to being a car computer:
-built in lithium battery + runs natively on 12v power (so run an inline regulator and fuse and you're set)
-usb connectivity as well as bluetooth/wifi (use it to Tune on the fly as well as live data logging etc from your cobb; I installed the cobb software but since I don't have one, didn't pull any logs - the program however runs great since it's a really low processing power program)
-front webcam (if you're rearranging the parts, you can set the pinhole cam up as a dash cam / behind your rearview mirror for live recording / track video)
-60gb hdd removeable / upgradeable. the storage may be enough but since it's on a ribbon cable you have the option to go larger or ssd, or just add on anything via usb again (probably consider a hub at that point)
-matte lcd (glare free already, good for use in the car)
-it's already disassembled! (only 15 screws actually, so it's not hard to put together and take apart) admittedly I tried to replace the screen and cracked the new one... but I tested it after assembly and the touch panel runs in about 3/4 of the screen with perfect accuracy... what a burn i tell ya...

cons to being a carputer
-you'll probably want a touchpanel if you dont want a gyration mouse or similar to interface, though i still think you'd want an external keyboard (logitech's revue keyboard pops up for ~30 shipped very often and has an inbuilt touchpad as well with a single usb receiver)
it's a simple part, one ribbon cable and 3m tape already on the bezel, it's a 5 min replacement at this point, but that's up to you


here's some stock pics: