Apple + VW = Nope

[mikinoz]

Apple would not work with VW as their service departments are called Genius Bars and well we have all been to a VW service center now, haven't we?

On the car, it was never proven that it was an Apple interface, only an Apple Style interface IIRC...

[mikinoz]

Too bad. If the iPod adapter is the best effort VW can summon up, they're in the ****. Their interface is appalling. Apple could only improve it.

Huge loss.

They only made this up because the cassette deck is no longer an option.

[DubSteve]

Ahh the Creative Zen suphiscated, intellectual, brilliant and innovative! Can you tell how much I don't like the Ipods lol.

There not that bad as what they used to be, the video ones is one that I would like I think In tafe I we had to do a presentation on something that you like and dislike for IT (it was a module designed for PPS it was shyte and poo if you ask me) but I did it on why the Creative Zen was better than the Apple Ipod

[Tim]

buy a vr6 and u wont need music in the car

[DubSteve]

buy a vr6 and u wont need music in the car

Amen to that Timmey

[dodgeGTI]

The functionality and user friendliness is due more to the perception of the product in the market moreso than the product itself.

dribble. itouch ftw.

[BarneyBoy]

I always thought it was the clever and succesful marketing campaigns the made apple succesful, not the product itself...

The marketing cost drives up the price of the units and is what allows often superior products from other brands to compete but still funnily enough fails to get apple's market share.
The functionality and user friendliness is due more to the perception of the product in the market moreso than the product itself. I have a creative unit
that I think is much better than my friend's ipod.

Its all marketing people, thats all ... Its also the reason or siginifant contributing factor why many of you bought VW's in the first place.

Actually, what the iPod's competitors haven't come to grips with is that it's not the iPod on its own that makes it successful - it's a combination of front end (iPod), software (iTunes), and back room (iTunes Music Store).

It's this combination that makes it a pleasure to own. And it's the lack of one or more of these that makes the others such a frustration for the majority of folks. Whether it's a skanky interface, frustrating buying of content or overly strict licensing of content, the WHOLE iPod experience is what so many customers like. And I believe that this is the secret to its success, not just the 'Pod itself. My 2c

[SoVeReIgN]

I always thought it was the clever and succesful marketing campaigns the made apple succesful, not the product itself...

The marketing cost drives up the price of the units and is what allows often superior products from other brands to compete but still funnily enough fails to get apple's market share.
The functionality and user friendliness is due more to the perception of the product in the market moreso than the product itself. I have a creative unit
that I think is much better than my friend's ipod.

User friendliness has nothing to do with marketing - When your 65year old mother can pick up an ipod and work out how to get a song playing you HAVE to be doing something right.

Apple have an incredible knack for creating very simple yet functional user interfaces. Nothing i've ever used comes close.

[99gti]

I always thought it was the clever and succesful marketing campaigns the made apple succesful, not the product itself...

The functionality and user friendliness is due more to the perception of the product in the market moreso than the product itself. I have a creative unit
that I think is much better than my friend's ipod.

Care to explain "perception of the product in the market" to me a bit more? I'm not quite sure I get what your trying to say.

There is nothing clever to apples advertising. It is just simply a catchy tune with simple graphics. Barely a word is spoken in any of their adds. And the adds haven't changed in years! Perhaps that is the clever part of their marketing - it's just so simple.

IMO their marketing reflects the product for what it is - just good old plain and simple. This is a growing trend that consumers want in alot of things these days. They want one bill, one device, one brand and one answer. Apple are doing a great job to achieve this. As said above, the iPod is only a small part of the experience, it's the other iProducts that compliment it to make it all so easy.

I would say that the functionality and user friendliness is not due to the perception of the product in the market, the market is driven by consumers demands for something that is user friendly.

By the way I don't work for apple - but i love the fact that they are back in the game and we now have competition and inovation in an area that was once saturated by microsoft.

Could you imagine driving a car that had a microsoft interface. I'm sure there was a funny email that went around about that and I'd dare say it would be far from the truth too.

[Tim]

Could you imagine driving a car that had a microsoft interface. I'm sure there was a funny email that went around about that and I'd dare say it would be far from the truth too.

welcome to BMWs iDrive. Most motoring journos HATE it

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2002/mar02/03-04BMWpr.mspx

[BarneyBoy]

^LMAO
Too true - it's a ****ful user experience!

[Bunty]

Bluetooth Kit solves it all

I see that you can now buy Bluetooth adapters for your IPOD that allow you to use your Golfs Bluetooth kit to play music thru your stereo.
I currently use my MP3 capable phone to play MP3's thru my stereo.
If only I had made sure that the Bluetooth kit was the lastest A2DP capable unit. My VW supplied bluetooth kit (Parrot v510C) is only mono and the quality is not that great. Therefore I only use it for audio books etc.
The latest incar Bluetooth kits are supposed to have awesome quality and some can even handle streamed video etc, with the right head unit.

[GermanwithaVdub]

got any links for us? that sounds pretty cool

[Bunty]

Try
"http://www.mrgadget.com.au/catalog/jabra-a125s-ipod-bluetooth-adapter-p-2146.html"
or
"http://apcmag.com/6818/music_on_the_move_sony_style"

The last link is to a new Sony head unit that has an inbuild bluetooth A2DP unit that allows you to stream music straight from any bluetooth phone or MP3 player with a bluetooth adapter.
I would imagine that a lot more will be coming out soon, and some cars are now coming standard with bluetooth kits built in.

My phone is a $200 Nokia 6300 that has a 2GB micro SD card that allows me to play music via bluetooth to a bluetooth stereo headset (or incar bluetooth kit). The latest kits should be A2DP capable or else you just get poor quality mono. If I get a phone call it just interupts the music.

[BarneyBoy]

If Apple aren't working with VW, maybe it's because they're working with BMW (again!)? This from yesterday:

http://www.phonesreview.co.uk/2007/12/27/apple-and-bmw-working-together-on-the-new-idrive-system/

They got their work cut out for them there