Icon-TV's in-car PC, the FMIC-PC1, is a perfect addition to modern man's collection of computing, sound-blasting and feature-boasting devices. With desktop computers, laptop computers, PDAs, PDA-like cell phones, tablet PCs and more in our everyday arsenal of up-to-the-minute technology, it only makes sense that the car would be the PC's next frontier. Now there's no more running back to the office because you forgot to send that important e-mail; the Bluetooth- and 802.11g-ready FMIC-PC1 keeps you connected wherever you are.
The Icon-TV in-car PC is more computer than I.C.E. (although it can handle entertainment too), and rightfully so. Instead of running Windows CE like most super-portable devices, it runs the real deal, Windows XP. The FMIC-PC1 is fully functional, meaning it can do anything your home PC or laptop can. With its relatively low processor speed of 1.2GHz, it might perform a bit slower than its desktop and laptop counterparts, but it gets the job done. The PC1's navigation is user friendly and aesthetically pleasing, a welcome upgrade from most aftermarket navigation units out there. The in-car PC also comes equipped with 256MB of PC133 SDRAM memory, 32MB dedicated video memory and a 32-bit Sound Blaster/Adlib-compatible audio card, which is enough to run pretty much any application that would make sense to use in the car. But don't expect to be playing Doom3 or Counterstrike Source on the freeway with this machine; it isn't going to happen. However, if you're the kind of businessperson that needs it, you can expect to multitask Word, Outlook, Excel and Photoshop without a hitch-not too shabby at all.
The RF wireless mouse is surprisingly easy to familiarize yourself with, once you get over the fact that it feels more like a remote control than a mouse. The keyboard is yet another surprise. At just 7.8", it doesn't appear to be nearly as comfortable to use as it is. Two USB ports with 4-port hub adapters offer unexpected versatility when it comes to peripheral connections. The only thing this machine is really lacking, compared to the computer you have at home or work, is a CD burner (or any other way, short of peripheral USB drives, to record and transfer data).
The FMIC-PC1 can be employed in the same way a head unit normally would be, but you can add it to an already existing aftermarket system. While it doesn't fit in a DIN slot, the box itself can be mounted just about anywhere; as can the 8-inch touchscreen option ours came with. There is an option for a motorized 7-inch in-dash monitor also, so that becomes less of a problem. The unit comes pre-loaded with all of the entertainment software you would expect it to have, such as proprietary Icon-TV menu software. Use the computer as a DVD player, CD player and MP3 player. Since the FMIC-PC1 runs on XP, you can add all of the more common XP-based software later on, like Quicktime, Winamp, iTunes, etc. After you've found a place to mount the external CD drive, it can be used to play CDs and MP3s without running Windows, if you want to take the time to figure out how.
The sound card on the PC outputs 5.1 digital surround sound in 45 watts x 4 channels, but it would probably be better suited as an auxiliary input on a separate aftermarket head unit. Though the FMIC-PC1 can serve as the centerpiece of your I.C.E. system, it is even more attractive as an all-around computer that does more than in-car entertainment (something that I'll cover in Part 2). When it's all said and done, you may view the FMIC-PC1 as more than just a computer for the car, but an indispensable item in a true enthusiast's list of goodies.
Of course, as a full-fledged computer the FMIC-PC1 can serve businesspeople and techno-savvy kids alike. For car performance enthusiasts, Icon's in-car computer can be an amazing analytical tool. One of the PC1's best uses could very well be in a race car. Race car engineers have been tuning their cars via computer for years. More recently, laptops have been implemented as the main tuning tool because of their obvious benefits, portability and compact size. What could be better for these engineers than tuning with a computer that stays in the car, which could also function for logging engine and suspension parameters using software that already exists for Windows XP? The GPS could theoretically be used with a program like Microsoft Maps to create custom track maps and maybe even satellite lap timing. The possibilities are endless with this little unit.
We'll look into the PC's uses in a race car further in a future issue of Car Audio and Electronics when we install it into the Project Civic road race car of our sister magazine, Honda Tuning. Until then, if you've got the green to throw down on the $5,999.99 MSRP, do it; you will not be disappointed-especially after you see the kind of fun you can have after we finish putting the FMIC-PC1 through its paces. No pun intended-but stay tuned.