Basically, I am looking to use either a via EPIA 533mhz fanless motherboard, or maybe even something more depending on how my money goes later this year.

I want to make a "carputer"(computer in the car), and have all of the details, for the most part that I need. I will want a wireless network card, a pcmia wireless high speed modem, usb slot load slim line dvd drive, and a small lcd screen as well as functional surround sound.

I origonally planned to use windows 98 or 2000, but after playing with a couple of versions of linux (mandrake, redhat 9, suse, and a few "live" cd's) I decided this would be a good way to go. Also I want to use a lower powered version. A ram hogger would be fine. It takes ddr ram

I want a mp3 player, dvd player and other then that, just basic stuff like internet browsing. is there already a linux distro that would be suited for my use?

I am not really a newbie to computers, but I am alot newer to linux. My experiance with it has been purely recreational. Any pointer would be greatly appreciated.

I would rather have a gui, but I wouldnt mind a text based version either. I miss dos

linux can do most of what you are looking for right out of the box, the biggest issue will be your wifi. make sure to get a card and chipset that work with native linux drivers. dealing with ndiswrappers can be a PITA. will you be looking for a touch screen or just mouse controll?

there are some basic pre-built software suits out on the web that run a lot of what you are looking for. good for carputer and you will be supprised.

as for a distro, go with one of the .rpm based distros to start with if you are new to linux. this will make life simpler for you in the long run. i sujest FC (fedora core) or SuSe 10. SuSe will be more stable and IIRC has more packages then FC does atm, but i really like the way SuSe works on systems. it can be very heavy with the GUI, but with enough ram you will be ok.