Geek My Ride: Build the Ultimate Tech Rod

This was awesome - from the intro chapters to the projects, I could get into everything. It was very easy to understand and when spring comes around I'm gonna try it (it's pretty cold right now). I'll definitely get the music-in-car stuff done this winter, but the more complex stuff will have to wait for spring.

I don't want all this stuff in my car. So why did I get this book? Because I want a lot of this stuff in my delivery vehicles. I don't much care about a game console. Not true, I do care, I don't want it there. But a PC, a GPS, internet connection, and a printer make good sense. This would make a lot more sense than simply having people calling in all the time on their cell phones. One I liked about this book, was that it had all the information I needed from the technology, through installation, through the actual use. While I'm not going to do the installation myself, now I have a feeling of what the technician has to go through and I'm a lot less likely to get snowed by what he says. The first guy I talked to about doing this wanted to sell me an industrial grade PC for several thousand dollars. Instead the cases and other components discussed here tell me how to get the job done with a small fraction of the cost. The other thing that I liked about this book is that each project or device is separate and free standing. I didn't need to read about the audio visual system to find out what I needed to know about putting the PC in the vehicle. For me this book did exactly what I wanted. That's all you can ask of a book.

This was the first book in a while that i have been able to pick up and read and be interested in. I just read it for like.. 3-4 hours today without noticing the time fly by. Step by step Auri shows you how to put any electronic crap you could want in your car. It's so easy to understand, and even now im using the book for reference when im deciding on what things to buy, and planning things out, and to make sure not to forget to buy something that i'll need. If you want to stick any electronical gizmos in your car, then get this book! Right now im planning a setup; a Car PC, video surveillance, and a nice 7" VGA monitor. I CANT WAIT! Anyone who gives this book a bad review must be a guy trying to make a competing book or something!

This is a great guide to installing all sorts of cool technology in your vehicle. In particular, I was interested in integrating a game console into the back seat for those long trips out east, so the Game Cube example was what drew me to the book. I have been pleasantly suprised to find all my questions answered here, and have come to realize that there is more than I was expecting in terms of getting the power requirements right. Regardless, it was all covered, and written in a very friendly and easy to understand manner. I agree with another reviewer's comments about using velcro as one of the primary ways of securing things in the car, although that is certainly not the only method covered. For me, the use of velcro is a sound, inexpensive method for getting the job done, and I don't have to worry about ripping everything out when the time comes to sell the car, when we want to move the Xbox easily to and from the car and into the house, or if I simply want to move it to the trunk when I am parked somewhere where I dont necessarily want to "advertise" my high-tech gear. The author does make some assumptions about potential readers, so if you have never built a PC before, you may want to tackle that before you dive into some of these projects. A little experience with basic wireless networking will help too, although the steps are outlined fairly well in the text. All in all, this is a great solution for the do-it-yourself reader who wants to add these sorts of projects to his or her vehicle. I imagine there are certainly more ellaborate (and expensive) solutions, and if I wanted to go that way I would heed the author's advice to stick with the pros. Even if you don't like the author's particular example or method, he generally gives you the right approach to take if you are a little more adventurous and want to take things a step further. Bottom line: If you have a screw driver, some extra time, and have always wanted to add these sorts of projects to your vehicle, this is the perfect guide.

I found this book clear and easy to read. I especially liked the OBD-II listing in the back, where I found my car with ease. The wireless music synching chapter was very cool, and so was the extensive list of resources in the back. The book starts out with the basics: power, heat, cabling. Then there are "beginner" chapters which introduce you to different projects (computer, game system, dvd player). The "advanced" chapters build on those and get into the real nitty gritty of neat projects for cars. All in all, a very well-rounded book, and the author is willing to help on his web site, where you can post questions and comments. He already responded to mine, so that's cool.