Windows CarPC vs Android HU in your vehicle
08-30-2016, 12:17 PM
#1
Windows CarPC vs Android HU in your vehicle Android 5.1.1 vs Windows 10 CarPC
I have a 99 Z28 which is running a 4.1.1 Android Head unit and it does deliver a pretty good experience. The standard apps work great, google maps, waze, ect. More demanding apps tend to bog it down because it doesnt have much resources and the O.S. limits it from using things like "OK Google" and although I have a work-around, it's resource intensive. I have also at times craved the ability to play games while Im idle somewhere, like PC games even, but could settle for console games which is possible via emulators on Android, however; most of them are too resource intensive for my current HU. I want to upgrade but Im not sure which route I should go. I guess this would really be a matter of preference...
vs
I have heard Joying Headunit's are having some issues with Waze, if there's no fix for that, it would be a deal breaker for me. At the same time though there are other Android 5.1 HU's on the market, and worse come to worse you can just do a tablet conversion.
Advantage of Android is most apps are usually pretty driver friendly and apps are easy to obtain, and install. Plenty of Navigation Apps and since Android is a native mobile platform then you have plenty of Navigation Choices. Text to speech and speech to text is fairly easy. Gaming emulation is available to make use of for much older console systems
Disadvantage is, although its powerful, you're limited to what apps are available. Can't use Windows apps but there are a number of Windows apps that are cross platform between the two systems, however; most people wont worry about this sort of thing in a car.
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Advantage of Windows is there's no program or game you cannot run. No compatibility issues, can still use an Android Emulator for your Android apps but it takes a long time for said emulator to load. Can run PC games
Disadvantage of Windows is, even with the Metro theme, it's still going to be a bit cumbersome to use in a car. Its not designed for a mobile platform so most apps are not designed to be used in a mobile environment such as a car thus things won't be easy to do while driving. Navigation does exist but choices are very limited. Just not exactly ideal for use in a Vehicle.
Keep in mind even a Windows 10 Tablet can be converted to a Car-PC much the same way a Nexus tablet can be converted to an Android Stereo so there are cheaper options for the Car-PC method.
Anyway what do you guys think?
I have a 99 Z28 which is running a 4.1.1 Android Head unit and it does deliver a pretty good experience. The standard apps work great, google maps, waze, ect. More demanding apps tend to bog it down because it doesnt have much resources and the O.S. limits it from using things like "OK Google" and although I have a work-around, it's resource intensive. I have also at times craved the ability to play games while Im idle somewhere, like PC games even, but could settle for console games which is possible via emulators on Android, however; most of them are too resource intensive for my current HU. I want to upgrade but Im not sure which route I should go. I guess this would really be a matter of preference...
vs
I have heard Joying Headunit's are having some issues with Waze, if there's no fix for that, it would be a deal breaker for me. At the same time though there are other Android 5.1 HU's on the market, and worse come to worse you can just do a tablet conversion.
Advantage of Android is most apps are usually pretty driver friendly and apps are easy to obtain, and install. Plenty of Navigation Apps and since Android is a native mobile platform then you have plenty of Navigation Choices. Text to speech and speech to text is fairly easy. Gaming emulation is available to make use of for much older console systems
Disadvantage is, although its powerful, you're limited to what apps are available. Can't use Windows apps but there are a number of Windows apps that are cross platform between the two systems, however; most people wont worry about this sort of thing in a car.
---
Advantage of Windows is there's no program or game you cannot run. No compatibility issues, can still use an Android Emulator for your Android apps but it takes a long time for said emulator to load. Can run PC games
Disadvantage of Windows is, even with the Metro theme, it's still going to be a bit cumbersome to use in a car. Its not designed for a mobile platform so most apps are not designed to be used in a mobile environment such as a car thus things won't be easy to do while driving. Navigation does exist but choices are very limited. Just not exactly ideal for use in a Vehicle.
Keep in mind even a Windows 10 Tablet can be converted to a Car-PC much the same way a Nexus tablet can be converted to an Android Stereo so there are cheaper options for the Car-PC method.
Anyway what do you guys think?
09-04-2016, 12:23 AM
#2
Well i'll tell you right now that i bought that exact android head unit a month ago and i'm returning it. It's absolute junk. Bluetooth does not function as well as it did on the 4 units. And andoid 5.1 is more resource intensive than 4 was, but the cpu and ram specs aren't upgraded enough to cope, so it does everything slowly. Even if you have an adapter, steering wheel controls only work with the stock apps so they won't work for poweramp, etc. Also your power antenna comes up and stays up even when you aren't using the radio app. Just shows you how cheaply designed it was.
I didn't know about windows headunits, so i'll be looking into that as a replacement myself.
I didn't know about windows headunits, so i'll be looking into that as a replacement myself.
Last edited by TallgeeseIV; 09-04-2016 at 12:43 AM.
09-04-2016, 02:20 AM
#3
Well i'll tell you right now that i bought that exact android head unit a month ago and i'm returning it. It's absolute junk. Bluetooth does not function as well as it did on the 4 units. And andoid 5.1 is more resource intensive than 4 was, but the cpu and ram specs aren't upgraded enough to cope, so it does everything slowly. Even if you have an adapter, steering wheel controls only work with the stock apps so they won't work for poweramp, etc. Also your power antenna comes up and stays up even when you aren't using the radio app. Just shows you how cheaply designed it was.
I didn't know about windows headunits, so i'll be looking into that as a replacement myself.
I didn't know about windows headunits, so i'll be looking into that as a replacement myself.
I was under the impression that the power antenna would could up if the radio was powered on in general as I was presuming thats how they work given thats mainly just a switch (if the radio is powered on it sends power to the antenna)
You know that kind of got me thinking. What is the purpose of a power antenna anyway? lol Why did they make them?
Thanks for letting me know about the speed of the unit, can you give me a link directly to the unit you purchased? I was really hoping to get my hands on a 5.0 Unit for functionality purposes but wanted it to be faster than my current HU. Maybe I'll just use a Tablet.
Thing is I also have a Windows Tablet sitting around that I never use and it works with an OTG Cable no issues. I have thought frequently about putting a Windows Tablet or Car PC in my Z28 or my DD 5th Gen V6 but I keep wondering how cumbersome it would be to use Windows to control the radio while driving
09-04-2016, 08:42 AM
#4
How much would you sell yours for?
I was under the impression that the power antenna would could up if the radio was powered on in general as I was presuming thats how they work given thats mainly just a switch (if the radio is powered on it sends power to the antenna)
You know that kind of got me thinking. What is the purpose of a power antenna anyway? lol Why did they make them?
Thanks for letting me know about the speed of the unit, can you give me a link directly to the unit you purchased? I was really hoping to get my hands on a 5.0 Unit for functionality purposes but wanted it to be faster than my current HU. Maybe I'll just use a Tablet.
Thing is I also have a Windows Tablet sitting around that I never use and it works with an OTG Cable no issues. I have thought frequently about putting a Windows Tablet or Car PC in my Z28 or my DD 5th Gen V6 but I keep wondering how cumbersome it would be to use Windows to control the radio while driving
I was under the impression that the power antenna would could up if the radio was powered on in general as I was presuming thats how they work given thats mainly just a switch (if the radio is powered on it sends power to the antenna)
You know that kind of got me thinking. What is the purpose of a power antenna anyway? lol Why did they make them?
Thanks for letting me know about the speed of the unit, can you give me a link directly to the unit you purchased? I was really hoping to get my hands on a 5.0 Unit for functionality purposes but wanted it to be faster than my current HU. Maybe I'll just use a Tablet.
Thing is I also have a Windows Tablet sitting around that I never use and it works with an OTG Cable no issues. I have thought frequently about putting a Windows Tablet or Car PC in my Z28 or my DD 5th Gen V6 but I keep wondering how cumbersome it would be to use Windows to control the radio while driving
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I picked the 5.1.1 unit for the same reasons but it didn't work as expected. the android 4 units have a lot more hacks available, and bluetooth apparently works better. Apparently you can also use xposed to get steering wheel controls on all apps with the 4 units too.
09-04-2016, 12:37 PM
#5
Oh, you don't want mine. I rooted/rom'd it and it didn't go well, so it's not really working right now, and I couldn't find a procedure to flash it back to stock. Amazon's giving me a full return price on it so i wouldn't want to sell it for less than I paid anyway. Here's a link to it though:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I picked the 5.1.1 unit for the same reasons but it didn't work as expected. the android 4 units have a lot more hacks available, and bluetooth apparently works better. Apparently you can also use xposed to get steering wheel controls on all apps with the 4 units too.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I picked the 5.1.1 unit for the same reasons but it didn't work as expected. the android 4 units have a lot more hacks available, and bluetooth apparently works better. Apparently you can also use xposed to get steering wheel controls on all apps with the 4 units too.
So whats your next steps?
I can't go without the Car PC functionality after actually having one. Thing is, I don't know what I really want. The main thing that pisses me off about 4.1 is no "Ok Google" or voice commands without external apps which cost resources. The thing about the Car PC is no Android apps or Waze but you can do some pretty cool stuff while you're not driving. Play PC games, Steam, ect. Then there's tablets which require more custom fabrication but customization is endless... so I dont know what I want
09-04-2016, 12:44 PM
#6
Actually root worked fine, but changing the rom didn't go well. Even with root though, xposed doesn't work for the 5.1 units without a rom, which was the main reason i tried it. Also i should state that i've rooted/rom'd every android phone i've ever had and been through a dozen different procedures, at least 30 times now. I'm no novice when it comes to modifying android devices. This one apparently just didn't accept the rom, which i had read was a possibility with some units. essentially there's a handful of manufacturers that start with the same hardware, then do some tweaks to the software and hardware as they see fit then release them. due to this, a rom for one 5.1 unit with the same board spec may not necessarily work for all manufacturers, but there's only one rom maker for these units and he doesn't have every unit, so it's always a possibility that one or two won't work.
my biggest problem with the 5.1 unit was the horrendous bluetooth functionality. it isn't a full implementation of bluetooth and can only connect to phones for media playback and calls, nothing else, no other devices except for a few brands of obdII readers (not even all brands). even bluetooth mic's apparently don't work as they're supposed to. and media playback was slow and a reaaally low bitrate, it sounded like a phonograph playing from my moto x pure. i had bought it with the intention of connecting my phone, a garage door remote, TPMS sensors, an arduino motor control board for my cutout, an obdII reader, and a few other peripherals. after some research on xda it seemed that everyone had the same problem and the ones who dealt with it just stopped using their phones and only played media off a usb stick. another issue i had was audio configuration. i have a sub and 2 amps in my car and i needed crossover controls, L/R subwoofer output, etc. it has a mono sub channel, which using a mono adapter made it sound much worse than with my old setup, and viper4android also does not work on it.
I went back to my alpine single din unit. it has muuuuch better audio and bluetooth support. I want an in-dash computer of some kind but this one wasn't meant to be, and i'm not willing to spend $1,000+ on a unit to get what i need so i just let my phone be my mobile computer for now. I think a 7 inch android 5 ,6 or 7 tablet would be better, especially if you could retain a regular single din headunit for audio processing only, and get an adapter to use a reverse camera with the tablet, which i have found but have read don't work very well either.
my biggest problem with the 5.1 unit was the horrendous bluetooth functionality. it isn't a full implementation of bluetooth and can only connect to phones for media playback and calls, nothing else, no other devices except for a few brands of obdII readers (not even all brands). even bluetooth mic's apparently don't work as they're supposed to. and media playback was slow and a reaaally low bitrate, it sounded like a phonograph playing from my moto x pure. i had bought it with the intention of connecting my phone, a garage door remote, TPMS sensors, an arduino motor control board for my cutout, an obdII reader, and a few other peripherals. after some research on xda it seemed that everyone had the same problem and the ones who dealt with it just stopped using their phones and only played media off a usb stick. another issue i had was audio configuration. i have a sub and 2 amps in my car and i needed crossover controls, L/R subwoofer output, etc. it has a mono sub channel, which using a mono adapter made it sound much worse than with my old setup, and viper4android also does not work on it.
I went back to my alpine single din unit. it has muuuuch better audio and bluetooth support. I want an in-dash computer of some kind but this one wasn't meant to be, and i'm not willing to spend $1,000+ on a unit to get what i need so i just let my phone be my mobile computer for now. I think a 7 inch android 5 ,6 or 7 tablet would be better, especially if you could retain a regular single din headunit for audio processing only, and get an adapter to use a reverse camera with the tablet, which i have found but have read don't work very well either.
Last edited by TallgeeseIV; 09-04-2016 at 12:56 PM.
09-04-2016, 05:46 PM
#7
Actually root worked fine, but changing the rom didn't go well. Even with root though, xposed doesn't work for the 5.1 units without a rom, which was the main reason i tried it. Also i should state that i've rooted/rom'd every android phone i've ever had and been through a dozen different procedures, at least 30 times now. I'm no novice when it comes to modifying android devices. This one apparently just didn't accept the rom, which i had read was a possibility with some units. essentially there's a handful of manufacturers that start with the same hardware, then do some tweaks to the software and hardware as they see fit then release them. due to this, a rom for one 5.1 unit with the same board spec may not necessarily work for all manufacturers, but there's only one rom maker for these units and he doesn't have every unit, so it's always a possibility that one or two won't work.
my biggest problem with the 5.1 unit was the horrendous bluetooth functionality. it isn't a full implementation of bluetooth and can only connect to phones for media playback and calls, nothing else, no other devices except for a few brands of obdII readers (not even all brands). even bluetooth mic's apparently don't work as they're supposed to. and media playback was slow and a reaaally low bitrate, it sounded like a phonograph playing from my moto x pure. i had bought it with the intention of connecting my phone, a garage door remote, TPMS sensors, an arduino motor control board for my cutout, an obdII reader, and a few other peripherals. after some research on xda it seemed that everyone had the same problem and the ones who dealt with it just stopped using their phones and only played media off a usb stick. another issue i had was audio configuration. i have a sub and 2 amps in my car and i needed crossover controls, L/R subwoofer output, etc. it has a mono sub channel, which using a mono adapter made it sound much worse than with my old setup, and viper4android also does not work on it.
I went back to my alpine single din unit. it has muuuuch better audio and bluetooth support. I want an in-dash computer of some kind but this one wasn't meant to be, and i'm not willing to spend $1,000+ on a unit to get what i need so i just let my phone be my mobile computer for now. I think a 7 inch android 5 ,6 or 7 tablet would be better, especially if you could retain a regular single din headunit for audio processing only, and get an adapter to use a reverse camera with the tablet, which i have found but have read don't work very well either.
my biggest problem with the 5.1 unit was the horrendous bluetooth functionality. it isn't a full implementation of bluetooth and can only connect to phones for media playback and calls, nothing else, no other devices except for a few brands of obdII readers (not even all brands). even bluetooth mic's apparently don't work as they're supposed to. and media playback was slow and a reaaally low bitrate, it sounded like a phonograph playing from my moto x pure. i had bought it with the intention of connecting my phone, a garage door remote, TPMS sensors, an arduino motor control board for my cutout, an obdII reader, and a few other peripherals. after some research on xda it seemed that everyone had the same problem and the ones who dealt with it just stopped using their phones and only played media off a usb stick. another issue i had was audio configuration. i have a sub and 2 amps in my car and i needed crossover controls, L/R subwoofer output, etc. it has a mono sub channel, which using a mono adapter made it sound much worse than with my old setup, and viper4android also does not work on it.
I went back to my alpine single din unit. it has muuuuch better audio and bluetooth support. I want an in-dash computer of some kind but this one wasn't meant to be, and i'm not willing to spend $1,000+ on a unit to get what i need so i just let my phone be my mobile computer for now. I think a 7 inch android 5 ,6 or 7 tablet would be better, especially if you could retain a regular single din headunit for audio processing only, and get an adapter to use a reverse camera with the tablet, which i have found but have read don't work very well either.
So are all these units basically the same just packaged in a different box with some software differences that enable or disable some from accepting different Rom's? Is it possible to just upgrade my 4.1 to a 5.1?