Apple Adapter Enables iPod Use In BMW Autos

[m3magic]

By PUI-WING TAM
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
June 22, 2004

Apple Computer Inc., aiming to extend the utility of its hit iPod digital music player, said it has created an adapter so that the device can be integrated with the audio systems of BMW AG cars.

The adapter is the latest effort by Apple, of Cupertino, Calif., to extend its lead in digital music. Apart from the iPod, Apple helped popularize legal music downloading with its iTunes Music Store. Recently, Apple has made several announcements to boost that business, including the launch of the iTunes Music Store in Europe this month and the unveiling of a wireless base station, dubbed AirPort Express, which can wirelessly transmit digital music from a home computer to a home stereo.

Steve Jobs, Apple's chief executive, said in an interview that making an iPod adapter for cars was a "pretty obvious marriage" since audio already is a prized feature in automobiles. Apple chose to work with BMW first because it regards BMW as innovative and because many Apple employees own BMWs, Mr. Jobs said. (Mr. Jobs himself owns a Z8 Roadster.) Tom Purves, CEO of BMW of North America, said BMW decided to work with Apple since so many BMW owners already own iPods. "BMW customers want to feel cocooned in their cars and listen to their own music," Mr. Purves said. "So it was logical to put BMW and the iPod together."

The adapter was co-developed by Apple and BMW. It is designed so that an iPod owner simply has to plug the music player into a cable in the BMW's glove department. The music on the iPod can be controlled through buttons on a BMW steering wheel. The adapter is being priced at $149 and will be available in mid-July for a range of BMW models, including the 3 Series and Z4 Roadster. It will be available in the Mini Cooper cars later this year, but won't work with the BMW 5 Series and 7 Series until "a later date," Mr. Purves said.

Mr. Jobs added that other car makers may follow BMW's lead in making an iPod adapter available in their automobiles. He didn't provide specifics.

There already are several ways for iPod owners to play their music in their cars. Some companies have created audio cables that hook the iPods into a car audio system, for instance, and there are cassette-tape adapters to connect the iPod to the car stereo. There also are FM radio transmitters that can fill a FM radio channel with music from the iPod.

Write to Pui-Wing Tam at pui-wing.tam@wsj.com

[Racebred]

crap. i already spent money on iTrip.

btw, those ppl who own iTrip and other similar devices, can you guys find any clear channel at all? I cannot.

[ryan]

Originally Posted by Racebred

crap. i already spent money on iTrip.

btw, those ppl who own iTrip and other similar devices, can you guys find any clear channel at all? I cannot.

You willing to sell your ipod to me when the new ipod comes out for your car or not?

steady boh? Since im not driving one anymore...

[Racebred]

i think they only selling an adaptor lah. it shouldnt be a bespoke iPod for BMW only. That'll be marketing suicide.

anyway, i think they should have gotten together as an obvious choice.

see, iPod, iTunes, iTrip, and you have iDrive. hahaha

and seriously, I have absolutely no idea how ppl can ever cram 40GB of songs into an MP3. I have like all the songs I can lay my hands on, and i'm into my 2nd GB only. iDiot.

[ryan]

Originally Posted by Racebred

i think they only selling an adaptor lah. it shouldnt be a bespoke iPod for BMW only. That'll be marketing suicide.

HAhahahaha,

damm you didn't fall for that one.

can ever cram 40GB of songs into an MP3.

iPod you mean?

ANYWAY, i can cram 40 gig of music... kept the songs since i was in Secondary 4. hhahheah, but i probably dont like listening to some of them. A few of my friends i know are MP3fanatics. They keep a FEW (more than 7 hdd, each hdd is 90 gig)harddisks in a dry cupboard. Every day they're downloading MP3s from 'mp3 dump' servers online. Album after album after album, all automated. Japanese English and chinese songs...

Burning CDs is way too slow, so they store it into harddisk and take it out and keep. Not cheap but cheaper than buying CD-Rs/DVD-Rs..

Don't really think the 40 gig iPod is a good buy IMO..............because you will never reach that limit of 40 gig most favourite songs list. You will need a database of about 20,000 gig of songs to pick out the best....or at least the ones you would like to listen to....else you just listen, skip, listen, skip skip skip skip and spoil your buttons very fast.

[Racebred]

true. thats why i plan to use it to store porno video clips from now on. when you going to share your collection?

actually i really dunno why i bought the ipod. i dont even listen to the radio while driving. i just listen to the gruppeM, and coincedently they cost about the same.

[minx]

not to mention quite heart pain as well since they had a bday sale over the weekend... 20% off with 2 yrs warranty!
my iTrip freq is set to 88.6fm. No disturbance.
my main grouch is basically the sound quality cos i cannot for the life of me get a hang of tuning the sound system in the car. So for every different track, watever EQ i set it to on my poddy, its got a distinct fuzzy feedback sound.

*ryan : i was a bit confused as to what i was hearing when the track by Perry Como came on. Magic moments?? was thinking must be from nic's selection

Ok, so we've raided ryan's, my sisters pc and waiting for the final swap after shawn completes his cd burning. Oh and sam's when he finally gets back.
Balance left : 16.4gb

[CyberTron]

Wonder will the song title be displayed on our headunit with this gadget?

[CyberTron]

Info here.

http://www.bmwusa.com/ipod/

[Tanzy]

It would seem that it is a direct replacement for the CD changer according to the BMW USA website. Looks like I should hold back from getting the CD changer for my car.