Car PCs Move Into The Fast Lane

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January 15, 1999 (10:34 AM EST)

By George Leopold and Terry Costlow,

LAS VEGAS -- Given the growing population of computer-savvy commuters, computer makers are betting demand for car PCs will rise along with traffic volumes.

Intel leads the growing list of PC and mobile-electronics companies targeting the family car, and developers are looking closely at the Java programming language for development of key interfaces as the number of Windows CE-based auto-PC systems grows.

Santa Clara, Calif.-based Intel said it plans to unveil a new processor and chip set for auto PCs next month. So far, company officials have said only that the chip set will be based on an Intel processor architecture.

An Intel survey predicts a base of 4 million users for auto PCs. Patrick Johnson, director of Intel car PC unit, predicted at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) here in Las Vegas in early January that availability of a PC option will become "a big factor in the car-buying decision."

Whether the car-PC market predictions of Intel and others pan out remains to be seen, analysts said. Still, development interest in the field is so high, auto-electronics companies filled an entire convention hall at CES.

Companies targeting the market say underlying technologies that still need to be worked out include standard buses and interfaces, including APIs.

Clearly, Intel's Johnson and others said, the standard PC user interface -- the keyboard -- will have to be replaced by a voice-activation system if auto PCs are to be practical. Voice systems are improving, but special microphones are still needed for noisy environments.

Another possible approach is a dashboard display with a customized GUI, developers said, though driver distraction is obviously a concern with a graphical system.

Car navigation systems based on GPS satellite receivers and DVD navigation systems have been the leading PC applications thus far for automobiles. DVD might also lend itself to back-seat entertainment systems, which would likely appeal to parents hoping to stave off the inevitable "Are we there yet?"

"DVD might also lend itself to back-seat entertainment systems, which would likely appeal to parents hoping to stave off the inevitable 'Are we there yet?' "

Several video entertainment systems for cars are already on the market, and automakers themselves are getting into the act via their automotive-electronics units. Ford Motor's Visteon Automotive Systems unit, in Dearborn, Mich., introduced a rear-seat entertainment system for minivans at CES. The system includes a 6.4-inch flip-up LCD screen, a video player, and plug-and-play capability for video games. Ford dealers are expected to offer the system beginning in April for about $1,300.

Along with navigation and entertainment, developers are looking at using auto PCs to serve such second-generation applications as emergency services and information management.

Visteon is teaming with Intel and Microsoft to develop a car-PC platform based on the Windows CE operating system and Intel microprocessors. The platform includes voice-activated controls, digital audio, and a cellular-based emergency rescue unit.

Clarion of America, in Gardena, Calif., rolled out a CE-based auto PC system in December. The voice-activated car PC is built around a Hitachi SH3 processor and acts primarily as a PDA for commuters. At CES, Clarion announced a 10-inch active-matrix display for video applications.

Microsoft moved on several fronts at CES to solidify its position as a key technology supplier to the car-PC market. The Redmond, Wash.-based software giant is stressing systems that give drivers access to information, communications, and entertainment.

"We finally have products in the marketplace," said Perry Lee, Microsoft's product manager for auto-PC development.

The company is targeting early adopters of new technologies, such as cellular phone and PalmPilot users. Lee acknowledged the company is "going to have to find the customers with money" to spend on the auto PCs.

Many in the industry got a wake-up call with the emergence of the CE-based auto-PC architecture, said Paul Hansen, publisher of the industry journal Hansen Report on Automobile Electronics, based in Rye, N.H. Microsoft's emergence in the market segment has prompted some developers to take a closer look at the Java language, Hansen said, especially for developing APIs.

Asked during a panel discussion here when Sun Microsystems' Java programming language might gain a foothold in the car PC market, an official with Microsoft partner Clarion said a switch to Java would mean starting over after three years of development that culminated in the introduction of Clarion's auto PC in December.

Mobile-multimedia specialist Alpine Electronics, in Torrance, Calif., however, said its auto system is not based on Microsoft's auto-PC model. Instead, the Alpine system uses a distributed architecture based on separate modules.

Car-PC proponents also said they predict the Bluetooth initiative on short-range wireless-network technology could provide some of the links needed to connect mobile devices in autos.

"Consumers are very interested in getting this technology in their cars," said Intel's Johnson.