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I definitely want 1 for my future Ferrari 
I've been thinking a bit about this matter, but as long as the iPod has no built in Bluetooth/ Wifi the solutions will always be a bit clumpsy.
The most elegant solution seems to me a bluetooth/ Wifi iPod and on the side of the car's dashboard a front panel consisting of an AirPort Express-like receiver/ tuner with a display for playlists/ songs etc.
I've been thinking a bit about this matter, but as long as the iPod has no built in Bluetooth/ Wifi the solutions will always be a bit clumpsy.
The most elegant solution seems to me a bluetooth/ Wifi iPod and on the side of the car's dashboard a front panel consisting of an AirPort Express-like receiver/ tuner with a display for playlists/ songs etc.
Has anyone actually read up on the way the integration is supposed to work? It's WAY less impressive than we're led to believe just through the words "seamless integration".
You must create five playlists specifically for the BMW controls, as there are buttons 1 through 6 on the BMW console. 1-5 will play the corresponding playlists, while 6 will play the entire library. The controls themselves are supposedly very simplistic and conventional. The iPod itself is docked into a receptacle located in the glove compartment.
And yes, the ad is real. It was seen in the July issue of Maximum PC. (ironic, no?)
From what I'm hearing so far, I much prefer the Alpine iPod solution, which has a console-mounted 7" LCD touchscreen controlling the iPod, with almost the same functionality as the iPod itself, along with the ability to create playlists.
You must create five playlists specifically for the BMW controls, as there are buttons 1 through 6 on the BMW console. 1-5 will play the corresponding playlists, while 6 will play the entire library. The controls themselves are supposedly very simplistic and conventional. The iPod itself is docked into a receptacle located in the glove compartment.
And yes, the ad is real. It was seen in the July issue of Maximum PC. (ironic, no?)
From what I'm hearing so far, I much prefer the Alpine iPod solution, which has a console-mounted 7" LCD touchscreen controlling the iPod, with almost the same functionality as the iPod itself, along with the ability to create playlists.
iMook said:
hmmm, interesting. i would be happy w/ 'next', 'previous' & volume controls at this point. i GUESS picking btw 5 playlists would be useful in the car. i tend to organize my playlists by mood anyhow & honestly, how many moods do i have? angry, happy, sleepy, dopey....no, wait. those are dwarfs.
Excellent News
Getting lucky. I have 3 iPods and am a Mac user. Couldn't see paying for the CD changer that's a option on the 2004 M4 I pickup next Thursday. The Phatbox Mps players are MP3 only so that would mean AAC and MP3 dupes of my music collection.
Figured I'd wire up the radio with the BMW Aux adaptor. That's workable but apparently nnot as elegant is this appears to be. 40gb of music, books on tape, etc in the car and then in your pocket.
Great idea.
Hope it's available soon. Any idea on an interface with the Nav System? That would be great too.
Getting lucky. I have 3 iPods and am a Mac user. Couldn't see paying for the CD changer that's a option on the 2004 M4 I pickup next Thursday. The Phatbox Mps players are MP3 only so that would mean AAC and MP3 dupes of my music collection.
Figured I'd wire up the radio with the BMW Aux adaptor. That's workable but apparently nnot as elegant is this appears to be. 40gb of music, books on tape, etc in the car and then in your pocket.
Great idea.
Hope it's available soon. Any idea on an interface with the Nav System? That would be great too.
veedubdrew said:
Correct me if I am wrong, but I think the icelink doesn't actually display the song names/menus on your car stereo. The cool thing about the BMW solution (and Alpine hopefully soon) is that you can store the ipod in your glove compartment and access everything through your existing units display and controls.
More tidy IMHO and secure, no need to hide your iPod when you park in that dark alley...
I wonder if eventually i'll be able to get the same kind of setup for my mini. The way the controls are situated on the steering wheel would make the integration interesting. Theres actually some buttons on the left side that have no functionality.
etoiles said:Correct me if I am wrong, but I think the icelink doesn't actually display the song names/menus on your car stereo. The cool thing about the BMW solution (and Alpine hopefully soon) is that you can store the ipod in your glove compartment and access everything through your existing units display and controls.
More tidy IMHO and secure, no need to hide your iPod when you park in that dark alley...
As far as I can tell, the BMW setup doesn't display song title information either. It appears to be nearly identical in function to the icelink with the exception of being able to assign playlists to presets 1-5. I'm curious to see the glove box dock and compare it to the icelink, it might just be the same unit with a little special programming. They're priced about the same too.
-Drew