Here's the latest on our install...

We completely replaced the audio system in our Toyota MR2 project car, pulling out the 10-year-old Sony CD player (which was on its last leg) and the six factory speakers.

To keep the upgrade as simple and trouble-free as possible, we ordered all of our new components from Crutchfield. For those of you that don't know the benefits of buying through Crutchfield, here are a few...

We thought we'd give a little background on our first install here at MacVroom. We have been making slow but steady progress on our setup. Our install vehicle is a 1993 Toyota MR2 that is in amazing shape. This sweet ride has not had any modifications made beyond upgrading the original stock radio 10 years ago. The 1990-1995 MR2 is a considered a MKII model and is not very common to see on the road. This particular MR2 is the non-turbo version and an absolute pleasure to drive.

We've whipped up an AppleScript for use with the Xenarc 700TSV LCD display. This script allows you to easily change your Mac mini's resolution to 800 x 480 upon startup.

Click here for full instructions.

It's been a few weeks since we updated the progress on our system, so here we go... This installment covers our LCD selection and configuration issues.

Thanks to the Mac mini's standard VGA connector, there are quite a few LCD options that will work with it. The most popular touch-screens for in-car use seem to be the 7" Xenarc 700TSV and 7" Lilliput 619GL-70NP. The Xenarc is a bit more expensive, but has a brighter screen that is easier to see in the daylight. Both displays have been effectively used in numerous in-car installs, and either would work quite well. We chose to go with the 7" Xenarc 700TSV, a touch-screen version that includes 1 VGA input, 2 RCA video inputs and 1 RCA audio input. The only connection that we really need is the VGA connector, but the additional inputs would allow us to add something like a Sony Playstation 2 down the line. If you don't need the extra inputs you can opt for the 7" Xenarc 700TS, and it will save you about $20. If you plan to control your system with a USB or Bluetooth controller instead of the touch-screen, then you can opt for the 7" Xenarc 700Y or 700YV and save a few more bucks. We ordered our 700TSV from mp3car.com for $379. The display shipped out the same day, and we received it three days later.

While we wait for our Mac mini to arrive from Apple, I thought that I would venture into the thinking behind our particular configuration and the functionality we hope to get out of our system. So here we go...

Our system starts with the beefier 1.42GHz Mac mini model. We initially contemplated purchasing the lower-end 1.25GHz model, but decide to spend the extra bucks. The 1.25GHz model is a capable system for in car use, but "more power" is always good. A standard off the shelf configuration was not an option for us since we wanted the flexibility of using AirPort (WiFi) and Bluetooth to communicate and control the unit, so we ordered a custom configuration. We plan to use the WiFI for syncing with our home base and war driving. Bluetooth will be utilized for cellular internet access and GPS navigation. We pumped up the RAM in our box to 512MB, which is frankly, what Apple should start with. A mere 256MB of RAM is not too friendly on a Mac running multiple OS X applications.