In car PC connections

I'm going to try to put a PC into my car and i was wondering how the best way to wire them up is. I'm a relative novice to car electronics so i wanted to check with people how knew b4 spending lots of cash.

I asume i'll need a power inverter to get 240v power to the system? Wot kind of strain does this put on the battery? Is an improved altenator necessary?

Wot connections can i use to have the audio playing through my sound system in my car? Do i need a special head unit? or will most standard CD players have an input? If so, what kind of connectors/cables do i use?

Also, are there any simple ways of getttin the power on/off to coninside with the ignition, although if the power usage is high then having it on all the time might by unpractical?

Monitor wise Im hoping to buy a 7" LCD, is the detail high enough on these to use a computer effectivly? Will the more expensive ones help me more? And what connectors do thy take?

I'm planning on using a shuttle PC with a windows OS. Thanks a lot 2 anyone who can provide any answers or help. This seems like a cheaper option than a game console and DVD player.

Thanks again

Tom

for power to a pc, you should be able to get a 12 volt powersupply, i have seen them. this approach would put very little strain on the car's system. as for the sound, an fm modulator will allow you to get the sound thru to your stereo. 7" would be good enuf to run a computer on, but at a low screen resolution.

if you really want to put a pc in your car check out www.mini-itx.com and www.mini-box.com . there you can find computer equipment that will draw under 50 watts of power, less than most stereos