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AUTOPC POWER
Next generation AutoPCs make a big debut at CES
By Mark Moeller
This year's CES (Consumer Electronics Show) was huge, the biggest I've seen. It took up more floor space than COMDEX by a substantial amount. It's clear that many companies are moving from showing at COMDEX to CES. This makes a great deal of sense, considering the consumer electronics market is seen as the new growth area for computer manufacturers. A significant fuel to the growth of the consumer electronics market is the convergence of a multitude of consumer electronic devices. Infotainment is driving computing features into everything from automobiles to washing machines. The new generation of Auto PCs shown at CES exemplified the leading edge of convergence in the Consumer Electronics field. Areas such as digital audio and video, wireless connectivity, Internet access, entertainment, communications, and security, are all bundled into these incredible new systems.
Three new Auto PCs and one new peripheral were demonstrated at the show. All of the new systems feature faster processors, bigger screens, MP3 playback, and more advanced user interfaces. However, each of the companies has focused on different areas, giving the consumer a really nice choice of feature sets. Read on to learn more about each of these new Auto PC marvels.
Clarion 320DV -- home theater on wheels
Clarion has set a new reference standard for in-vehicle entertainment with their second generation Auto PC. They've focused on making the Auto PC a better tool for entertainment and navigation in the vehicle. The demonstration they had on the floor was quite impressive. The Clarion 320DV was nicely installed in the dashboard, along with three seven-inch screens with 16:9 aspect ratios. That's right, Clarion's new unit supports plugging in three screens beyond the standard faceplate display. One of the large screens was up front and had the main user interface running on it instead of the faceplate display. The screen had a great viewing angle and very good brightness.
A quick look at the Start menu revealed a new application, a DVD player. By pressing the Open button on the new motorized faceplate, shown in Figure A, the newly redesigned faceplate elegantly slides out of the way to reveal the new DVD drive where the CD ROM drive once was on the 310C.
FIGURE A
 
The screen on Clarion's new Auto PC has a redesigned faceplate that is now has motorized opening and improved buttons. Roll over picture for a larger image.
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