# FAQ: Installing a Mac Mini in Your Car (from mp3car.com)



## HowEver (Jan 11, 2005)

Here's an interesting thread detailing how to install a Mac mini in a car, for various purposes. It's a little dated, but I haven't seen anything like it, so here goes. And, has an ehMac member tried this?

http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=707694&posted=1#post707694



mp3car FAQ said:


> The arrival of the Macintosh Mini made in car computing with the OS X operating system a reality. This guide will show you how simple it is to install a Mini in your car and guide you through the process of doing so.
> 
> Pros
> 
> ...


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## monokitty (Jan 26, 2002)

I want to do it with my Mazda3, once my Mac mini is replaced with an Intel-based Mac, but sporting an external LCD panel on the dash or elsewhere looks kind of lame, unless it looks really close to factory-installed. We'll see...


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## phuviano (Sep 14, 2005)

Mac mini idea is pretty old. I was considering doing this in my car last year, but I didn't do it. Its a cool idea, but are you really going to be burning cd's, websurfing, typing, photo editing, and other things people use computers for, whle driving??? probably not eh. All you have to do is bring a laptop with you at all times, and you all those functions plus a bigger screen, and more portability. 

Its pretty easy to make a mac mini setup in your car. Most cars have more space than you think to jam things behind the dash (like the mac mini).

btw, I didn't click on your link. I've seen too many of those setups before.


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## macmac (Oct 22, 2006)

I would love to do this, but only if I could connect my car speakers to my mini, so I can access my itunes library from that point.


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## phuviano (Sep 14, 2005)

macmac said:


> I would love to do this, but only if I could connect my car speakers to my mini, so I can access my itunes library from that point.


umm.. you can hook it up to your car speakers, and I'm pretty sure everyone who has one of these installed, has it setup this way.


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## dona83 (Jun 26, 2005)

I wonder if Apple TV would be a better choice for car installations now. You drive you car home, and as soon as you get in range of your wireless network iTunes at home will start to work its magic and sync to your Apple TV.


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## Bjornbro (Feb 19, 2000)

dona83 said:


> I wonder if Apple TV would be a better choice for car installations now. You drive you car home, and as soon as you get in range of your wireless network iTunes at home will start to work its magic and sync to your Apple TV.


Get in range? Wouldn't that be the end of the driveway? :lmao:


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## HowEver (Jan 11, 2005)

It could be a *really* small car that can't go past the end of the driveway. But in that case, the car couldn't be a Mini.



Bjornbro said:


> Get in range? Wouldn't that be the end of the driveway? :lmao:


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## Ohenri (Nov 7, 2002)

Well...

DO you cats not recall this guy?? Matt Turner's Tour De Force?










This was amazing work and infact, so much was made of this mod that Apple invited him to MWSF 06. So he drove the car all the way from ATL to SF. I spoke to him @ the show, as I was floored that he was even there. I had been tracking his work on his blog and it was nuts. INFACT, I thought for sure that if I got a MarkV GTI for Jetta Wagon, I was going to get the same done. He mentioned having all the specs for the metal screen housing and all...

Anyhow, this was amazing work.

H!


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## (( p g )) (Aug 17, 2002)

Lars said:


> I want to do it with my Mazda3, once my Mac mini is replaced with an Intel-based Mac, but sporting an external LCD panel on the dash or elsewhere looks kind of lame, unless it looks really close to factory-installed. We'll see...


Hate to be a killjoy, but do you really expect that the hard drive on the Mac Mini would survive even a single winter here in Canada? The temperature changes alone just from the daily warming up of the car and then having it get cold again when parked would be enough to generate data-killing moisture build-up on the drive in no time.


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## Demosthenes X (Sep 23, 2004)

Just like all those new cars that use hard drives for their navigation systems and music systems, right? The technology is there to make this work, if you have the time and money.


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## macmac (Oct 22, 2006)

For those people who do have mac mini's installed, how have you gotten around the moisture cold/warm air problems? 

Also, does anyone have any step-by-step instructions as to how to install a mini?


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