I'll just copy and paste a message i sent to another user here.

The website is www.MP3car.com. There's a wealth of information there. Primarily you just need a touch-screen, regular desktop computer parts, and a special automotive computer power supply.
I have big plans for my '01 Tahoe, and I'll be making a post and updating on my progress as I go. So far my plans include:
Touchscreen
Athlon XP 3200 processor
1 GB ram
500 GB hdd for MP3s and movies
DVD drive
5.1 surround sound
Backup cam
Dash Cam with timestamp and GPS speed overlay (has been used in court by at least one person for speeding ticket defense, and would be usefull evidence in an accident).
Computer climate control
Onboard Diagnostics
Bluetooth interface for cellphone
Internet Connection (also through bluetooth on my cell phone)
Onboard engine management/tuning
GPS navigation with real-time traffic updates (updates through internet)
XM/Serius (haven't decided which. Might just go with both.)
And anything else I can think of. The sky is the limit with these things. It can be a pretty involved process, but there are also several options for bolt-in systems. If you already have the factory system, you can sell it for quite a bit of cash, and use that to pay for your new (much better, and customizable) computer system.
Good luck to ya!

Mods, if the link is against forum rules, feel free to remove it, I'll just PM it to those who ask.

 

Contact Onstar and verify what the charge was for; it was not for the price increase as that doesn't even go into effect until October and the free service recipients are not going to be charged the extra $2.

 

We bought our new '07 Tahoe LTZ in June and about three weeks later some friends of ours had there bone stock '02 Trailblazer LTZ stolen. You guys keep talking about the phone and turn by turn nav, but forget about this. Their vehicle was equipped with Onstar but they did notsubscribe. It was found a week and a half later about an hour away stripped andcrashed.
Also my sister was in abad single car accident late at night with no cell phone or Onstar in her Jeep Grand Cherokee. Before she could get back on her feettwo monthslater, she had already purchased a GMC Envoy withOnstar.
All I have to say is I have never been in a bad accident or had a vehicle stolen, but the peace of mind knowing that you have a guardian angel watching over you is worth the extra cost per month. And this is why we looked for this option when looking to purchase a new vehicle. I will have my service for as long as we own theTahoe.What's a few less six dollar value meals at McDonalds ora few less beers or shots at the bar after work per month.

 

Cars get stolen. Some people wreck the car within 5 min of stealing it, or at the very least, there's going to be damage from them breaking into the car and brute forcing the ignition. That's what insurance is for!

Your point is kinda moot if you're saying she had neither onstar NOR A CELL PHONE! Buy an old cell phone for $8 off Ebay, and throw that in the glove box. You don't even have to activate it to dial 911. I don't eat at McDonnalds, and I don't drink. To me $20 is an extra afternoon on the lake, 2 extra tanks of gas in my motorcycle, or 1/4 tank of gas in my Tahoe... Or I could eliminate the deductible on my insurance for my vehicles for another $20 a month. Or I could put that money toward the loan on the vehicle and pay it off a few months early.

You can get your vehicle "LoJacked" for a one-time fee of about $600. So at $20 per month it would pay for itself in 2.5 years. Plus with LoJack, a lot of insurance companies offer discounts. I've never heard of that for Onstar. Though I could be wrong.

I bought my Tahoe for $2500 under bluebook, so if it were stolen and stripped/totaled, I'd probably come out a bit ahead.

I already pay enough money keeping my vehicles gassed up, running, and insured, why would I pay $20 a month just so I can play with the blue button on my dash? If you really want to, just paint the buttons of that $8 ebay cell phone blue!

 

I agree OnStar did have a feeling of security with it, but where does it stop? Next year, it will probably go up another $2, and the year after that another $2. Obviously, I am speculating about those increases, but at some point the feeling of security and the possibility of some thief leaving the battery connected while he is stripping my truck, out weighs the price increases.

 

I've heard of thieves disabling Onstar. Someone on the Cadillac forum got his escalade stolen and Onstar couldn't find the vehicle. Sure if some kids take your ride to joy ride Onstar could help, but if a real criminal is after your $60,000+ tahoe (including audio & wheels + other accessories); they already know Onstar can track a vehicle, so they would know how to disable it.

I paid $54,000 for my LTZ. For that price - Onstar should be complimentary.

 

We know someone whose 20-something daughter was on her way home at night and swerved to avoid an animal. She ended up in a ditch on a very low traveled road. She had a phone but was pinned in such a way she couldn't use it. She laid there for over 4 hours until a farmer came along at daybreak and saw the accident. That was 2 years ago--she is still recovering. The doctors said if she had got treatment right away, she would bnot be in the shape she is today--using a walker. If she had Onstar, as soon as the airbags deployed they would have been alerted and she would have been found more quickly. I wish Onstar was available on EVERY car. I think it is a safety feature that everyone should be able to have--not just certain cars.

 

There are many good viable reasons to subscribe to OnStar but if you can't afford it we all understand.

It is like every other product offered; If it aint worth it to you or you don;t have the cash then don't buy it.

I have my Verizon wireless account linked to my Onstar account in my Silverado and my wife has hers linked to her Tahoe via the America's Choice Plan; this combined with the couple of times that we have needed a door unlocked are well worth the tiny expense for us.

 

Please elaborate on the cell phone trick and other key fob.

 

I don't know about his, but mine would consist of (if I had EVER locked my keys in my vehicle... Knock on wood):

Step 1: Take cell phone from pocket.
Step 2: Call wife.
Step 3: Tell wife what a fool I am, and can she please bring her key fob.
Step 4: Instruct wife to drive past with key fob and unlock the door for me. She should not stop, because then everybody would see what a fool I was for locking my keys in my car.
Step 5: Get in car and grab keys.
Step 6: Start car.
Step 7: Pretend it never happened.



Or just get a hide-a-key...