MDI plug location

[BottomScratcher]

It is nearly 10 yrs ago that BMW first put iPod connectivity in and charged the earth for the cables but some makers still think its a new thing. Maybe its a German thing?

I read this yesterday, and something clicked, but the light bulb didn't come on until I saw it again today.

WAFFLE WARNING: I'm stuck on a tarmac with nothing to do for hours, I'm bored, and have had 3 large coffees this morning already.

Yesterday proprietary interfaces were mentioned. Well, I doubt there isn't another product on the market that has as many proprietary software/peripherals than those of mobile phone makers. Even different models of the same brand have different chargers of different voltage and mA outputs. Thing is that the VW RNS510/Columbus head units are made by Siemens-VDO.

I was thinking it might be a German thing, but in another context than implied by woofy. Siemens was a very large German manufacturer of mobiles in Europe, and is still huge globally in electronics, and electrical engineering, but the mobile phone part of the business fell over in 2006, probably about the time the RNS510 was being developed. No European mobile manufacturer, especially Nokia, could've seen the threat to their market share that was about to come from smartphones, in particular Apple and Samsung. Nokia tried to keep up and posted their first loss quarterly loss since 1996. Nokia owns Navteq, the map provider for VW satnavs everywhere else in the world except Australia (Sensis). Nokia also have a partnership with Microsoft for an OS for their smartphones in competition with Apple and Android systems, but the late model VW BT units are based on a Nokia platform. They are made by Novero, a German company formed after it bought out Nokia Automotive in 2008. The Columbus/RNS510 and VW BT units are the product of some pretty convoluted, and in some cases, now defunct relationships.

It is reasonable to expect that the many complaints about the functionality of the Columbus/RNS510 satnav (my 4 year old TomTom is voice activated, gives me audible speed camera alerts, and I've several options for map updates), and the whole MDI not being a standard feature thing are issues that VW group are addressing. The point of all this is that I think VW, like Nokia, were already committed to existing arrangements when the smartphone/mobile music explosion took place. Most vehicle manufacturer's new builds have BT and iPod/Mp3 connectivity standard, and VW are following suit. The new model Golfs include the MDI and cable, and the MY12 Skodas have BT standard. Hopefully when current contractual arrangements are reviewed for the supply of OEM satnavs the eventual replacement for the Columbus/RNS510 will be as efficient as my old TomTom. It's not a huge deal for me, but the one thing about the car that disappoints is the below par iPod connectivity/functionality via a sub-standard satnav unit. And why did they put the MDI socket in the glovebox? If I had a dollar for every time I reach for my phone then realise that it's still in the car, I would be down the park with my dog instead of sitting on this ******* tarmac!

---------- Post added at 09:18 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:11 AM ----------

clunky i can handle, try using Blue&Me with the iPod interface adaptor

Sorry mate, but anyone driving a Fiat or an Alpha deserves whatever they get

[Mysticality]

... I always wondered why the connection of my N8, and now, E6, have been so seamless...