Using a tablet screen for a CarPC

[James]

As the new Kindle Fire is announced, I'm considering something. I've wanted a carPC for a long time, one of the things that has annoyed me is the pixel density/resolution available in vehicles. Even 8-10" screens are only 800x480, 1280x800 if you pay a mint for them. So with the Kindle Fire 8.9" HD screen (1920x1200, IPS capacitive multitouch) now available for $300, it brings up a question.

How hard would it be to repurpose a tablet screen in a carPC environment? I know that eDP and internal displayport are both becoming more common, but I have a feeling they still use LVDS for the panel driving in most tablets.

I'm soliciting thoughts/discussion on how hard it would be, what hardware it would take to make a nice 8.9" display work with either a DVI or displayport input and USB connection for the touchscreen.

[Learux]

Excuse my ignorance, what do you do with a car pc that your smartphone can't do?

[James]

Excuse my ignorance, what do you do with a car pc that your smartphone can't do?

The ability to tinker, upgrade, play?

Seriously though, by and large a tablet or smartphone would work fine. The only things that a tablet/smartphone cannot currently do:
* Auto-switch video inputs to use the backup camera when the car is put in reverse.
* Output 4.1/5.1 analog audio using multiple ports to connect to a car amp.
* AM/FM/HD Radio support