A new company, Q-PC.com is offering the chance to turn your Cadillac into a Hummer with the first in-car computer, giving you the competitive edge over other Realtors who aren't so magnificently equipped.

Do you need this kind of nuclear missile to stay ahead in the arms race? You might. Wasn't it Winston Churchill who said, "Sales is war!" or was that Zig Ziglar? Michael Russer, maybe?

Anyway, the technology that was good enough for the U.S. Army, is now available for civilians - if you aren't intimidated by prices ranging from about $2,895 to $4,675.

So what do you get for your money and why is the dashboard computer any better than a laptop? According to Erwin R. Grigorian, director of corporate communications for Q-PC, the benefits are efficiency, cleanliness, low battery use, and better ergonomics. And they make you look really cool.

Fist, let's look at the specs. Q-PC Real Car Computer has a great basic performance package that can be customized for the Realtor. The CPU is configured with a 450 MHz processor, 64 MB of RAM, and 10 GB hard drive. Advanced features include 128 MB of RAM, 18 GB hard drive, a DVD with hardware accelerated MPEG decoder, and bundled GPS navigation software. You can also get various drive, sound and video configurations. The company also offers 24/7 customer support.

When the Q-PC Real Car Computer is installed into your car, it runs off the car battery and consumes no more power all day long than a normal car stereo. "The advantage to this is that you can actually see the monitor without having to constantly adjust the screen or drape a towel over your head to view it," says Grigorian. Laptops, by contrast, are designed to conserve their limited batteries, so screens are harder to view.

Without wires all over the place, you have a neater interaction with the computer. Since Q-PC is a full-functioning Windows 98 PC, you can connect any peripheral device like a Canon BJC 80 Printer/Scanner. "This allows a Realtor to type up a contract while with their client, print it out, have the client sign it, then scan it back through the printer and either fax or e-mail the document back to the office," suggests Grigorian. "Listing agents can take digital pictures of a new listing and upload the image to the company website while still in the driveway of their new clients."

As if doing business in the driveway isn't fast enough, "The Q-PC conveys a tech savvy image to your clients," says Grigorian. That's much better than having your laptop fly off the leather seat as you brake for a FSBO, or losing your way around a neighborhood that the buyer thought you knew well.

While you are squiring a buyer around, s/he could be viewing a PowerPoint presentation you've created or browsing listings from your online MLS or listings partner. Kids can be entertained in the backseat watching a DVD movie.

"The Q-PC is a real PC designed for your car that lets you use the software tools you need everyday," sums up Grigorian. "It lets you take advantage of constant innovations in applications, Internet, e-mail, audio, video, games, communications, navigation and much more. It's a quantum leap forward in productivity, mobility and performance, resulting in workstyle and lifestyle improvements for the user."

Now that's a sharper image.

Published: July 13, 2000

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Blanche is a renowned author of five real estate books. Her newest, Bubbles, Booms and Busts: Make Money In Any Real Estate Market, McGraw-Hill, was rave-reviewed by The New York Times. She was also selected from hundreds of real estate experts to contribute to Donald Trump's book, Trump: The Best Real Estate Advice I Ever Received: 100 Top Experts Share Their Strategies, Rutledge Hill Press, and is featured on page 68. Order Now Review - Honors In 2006, Blanche was selected among scores of candidates to author two consumer real estate guidebooks for the National Association of Realtors: The NAR Guide to Home Buying, and The NAR Guide to Home Selling, Wiley & Sons. She is currently planning two new books for the NAR and its members.       Known for her keen insight into real estate industry issues and for her ability to make complex subjects easy to understand, Blanche is a sought-after keynote and continuing education speaker. Real estate organizations from MLSs, to brokerages, to franchisors, to associations hire her to provide up-to-the-minute analysis of real estate industry news and advice on how to improve revenues. Her passionate delivery, peppered with stinging wit, is a huge hit with audiences and fans. Don Klein, CEO Greater Nashville Association of Realtors, Blanche Evans, Richard Courtney, president 2007, GRAR "The GNAR membership meeting last week featured Blanche Evans as the keynote speaker. Her comments and insights resonated extremely well with those in attendance and we have had many requests for copies of her PowerPoint Presentation. She was a terrific part of the membership meeting and convention program!" - Don Klein, CEO Greater Nashville Association of Realtors Coverage from WSMV, Nashville - 8-14-2007 That Interview Guy - Get Inside The Head Of Today's Generation 2007 AE Institute Session - To purchase 2006 AE Institute Session - Parts 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 HouseValues Mastermind call - Parts 1 2 Blanche's fireside chat with Jeremy Conaway, HAR - Click here. For more articles by Blanche, click here.