Apple Mac mini in a C5

[krnlpnc]

I just completed a Mac mini install into my Corvette. The process along with pictures and video is documented at:

http://blog.shofr.com/2007/corvette/mac-mini-meets-corvette-pre-installation/

Check it out.

 

[Gorgon]

Very cool. My only concern with something like that would be hard drive life. If the mini uses a typical hard drive with platters then it would likely fail in a relatively short period of time. If it's flash based that would rock, yet would make the mini more expensive. Show us some pics when you get a chance. Looks like a cool idea.

Leon

 

[krnlpnc]

Hi Gorgon, the drive is a standard platter based 5400rpm drive and is not flash based. I agree, a flash drive would be great. But hard drives these days are far more reliable and resistant to shock damage than they were a few years ago. The slower spindle speeds also help reduce read and write errors due to vibration. It's operational shock rating is 250G for 2msec, more than will occur in normal operation riding in the car. I plan to relocate the Mac mini to the trunk at some point, but for now it sits on a layer of foam to help soften vibrations. As proof, several folks with computers in their car have been operating with the same hard drive for over a year. When the drive does eventually fail - and I expect this to be in the 1-2 year range, perhaps half that of it's normal life span - replacing it will be a negligible cost and time investment. Chalk it up to maintenance cost I figure, not unlike brake pads.

My bigger concern at the moment is the heat level in the glove box. There is very little fresh air making it to the computer and it's constantly running at over 125 degrees near the CPU. That's why I'll probably relocate to the trunk in the future.

Cheers

 

[Gorgon]

All good points. While the hard drive replacement is easy to do and the parts cost is low, there's the time to rebuild the OS and programs and scripts that will make up the final product. Just make sure those back ups are up to date.

Heat is another valid concern. I'm not sure where a good place in the trunk would be to mount the mini. The coolest spot would seem to be in the open. Any of the storage areas in the back are close to the exhaust system and I suspect would be even hotter than in the glove box. Looks like a great project. I would love something like that in my car. How long did it take for you to complete?

Leon

 

[krnlpnc]

There wont be any original content on the machine, it will be copied from another system, so re-imaging after a hard drive failure wouldn't take but a few clicks.

As far as heat goes, I'm keeping a close eye. In the past 7 days it measured 141 degrees on the CPU and 126 at the hard drive. Apple rates the Mac mini at 95 degrees max operating temp. but that's ambient and not at the CPU. Hard to say what the ambient temp is inside the glove box. But if it's one thing that will shorten the life of a computer, it's prolonged exposure to heat.

My stereo amp is currently in the passenger side trunk pocket. I'm considering building a mount for the amp, cap, and putting the computer on top - with a roof so it's not visible, but with open sides for ventilation. This should be a much better long term solution. The only pain here is elongating all the cables. I have a good VGA signal right now and I'd hate to mess that up because the cable is too long. We'll see...

 

[Gorgon]

The mini doesn't have a thermal diode in the case to measure case temp? I know many motherboards do this so you can measure system as well as CPU temps.

Are you saying the install in the link is your car? I'd be very interested in what you plan to do to finish the bezel. I really like what you've done and the interface is pretty sexy with the touch screen and cover flow view. Do I get the 5 points for recognizing that the head unit was upside down in the one pic? Very well done!

Leon