Heh, to say the least...

The title has been corrected, and hopefully the cat stereo makers trade group won't come down too hard on us for the confusion.

Thanks for the note!

Bryan
Editor
TMO

And here we see a downside to having so many Windows Media capable players to choose from. There is no standard interface so car stereo manufacturers would have to make a different model for each MP3 player out there. Thats a heart breaker. Hehe.

I just installed a new Alpine system in my 02 Blazer. The main requirement when I started researching was that it needed to work with my iPod directly (not FM) and easily (controller in the head unit). I settled on the Alpine CDA-9835, the top-of-the-line Alpine (non-DVD) unit. Alpine's iPod adaptor (KCA-420i) hooks up via the AI-Net interface. I added rear 6x9s and front 5-1/4 component speakers (Alpine also). Purchasing from Crutchfield and DiscountJungle.net and installing myself, I kept the project under $1000. Later, I'll add an 8-inch subwoofer. One mistake I made was converting a Belkin cupholder mount to a permanent dash mount. It looks phenominally cool, but... It was a mistake because now I have an advertisement on my dash to steal my system. I think I'll move the iPod to the glove compartment where it isn't so obvious .

After a couple days driving around with this thing, there are some things that don't work well in the car. Browsing by artist or album is overwhelming -- through the head unit, it's not much better than trying to do so on the iPod (which doesn't work when the iPod is plugged in). I don't think this will ever be solved until head units have voice controls and interactive voice driven menus. But for short trips, I can pretty much pick a playlist or album before getting on the road. For long trips, I imagine I'll make long playlists.

On the total plus side though... changers are now officially obsolete. I have a Mach in-dash changer in my 01 Mustang, and frankly, if that car weren't in such perfect condition with low mileage and the Mach sound system didn't sound so great, I would ditch the changer in a minute. When I drive the Mustang, my iPod with FM interface always beats 6 CDs, despite the loss of quality. Variety trumps quality any day.

One thing I fear with all this is that iPod connectors and form factors don't last (in terms of support by Apple) as long as a car stereo. I suspect I'll be spending a lot over the 5 years I will probably have this system upgrading the iPod interface. Not that big of a deal if features keep improving (mini form factor, photos, video, etc.) but still not something the car stereo market is used to.

-Brad Hutchings
Hutchings Software

Quote

Bosco wrote:
I just installed a new Alpine system in my 02 Blazer. -snip-

One thing I fear with all this is that iPod connectors and form factors don't last (in terms of support by Apple) as long as a car stereo. I suspect I'll be spending a lot over the 5 years I will probably have this system upgrading the iPod interface. Not that big of a deal if features keep improving (mini form factor, photos, video, etc.) but still not something the car stereo market is used to.
-Brad Hutchings
Hutchings Software

I'm also about to go with the Alpine, but I'm not thrilled with the display on Alpine's head units, not just the "iPod" display.
If you don't mind (I can't seem to find an answer to this anywhere), does the iPod get powered down when you turn off the car or does it stay on?

As for the iPod dock connector, you are safe for the foreseeable future. One of the reasons Apple changed over to this connector was because of the requests by the third party manufacturers. Plus Apple now has a "proprietary" connector, if they stuck with FireWire other MP3 player manufacturers could have stuck FireWire on their units so they would be "compatible" with all this third party stuff. Smart move by Apple.

Why not just make more RCA jacks on the front & back of the unit.... an rca jack extension that can be put into a glove box, or whever it's convenient.

Mac more RCA jacks available car designers!

Guest asked about the display. I went with the pricey CDA-9835 (2004 version) for the BioLite display. It looks very cool but is easy to learn and use. I have really taken a dislike to Sony decks of late because they pack 10,000 features that are impossible to figure out and impossible to remember while you're driving. Alpine has the simplest UI across the board, which is a plus in my book. The BioLite display is gorgeous. The buttons can be configured in any color to match your mood or interior. The display itself is B&W, which isn't so bad. It's simple. If you need a distraction, it has a cool scrolling clouds screen saver.

When the iPod is plugged in, the iPod shows an Alpine logo and the scroll wheel thingy is inoperative. You control it from the deck using the CD Changer interface. Disks 1, 2, and 3 (on head unit) control how you search -- play list, artist, album. It's easy to remember once you read the directions. My biggest "gripe" right now, after 2 days of driving short trips with this thing, is that when you have 100 artists, it's a little effort to get the one you want. The display is 3 lines high and each click of the rotator control moves 1 artists. It's not as quick as the iPod scroll wheel, but then, try using the iPod scroll wheel while driving in the rain!

The iPod is off but charging when you power off the car. For me, that is perfect because I like to take my iPod to the gym. Charging the iPod won't drain your battery too much. I leave my cell phone in the car too to charge. Never had a problem.

Mahuti asked about RCA jacks. Sure, or just get a headphone to RCA adaptor. The issue being addressed by all these expensive products is how you incorporate your iPod into your automotive sound system without driving like you are talking on a cell phone . Controlling the iPod from the head unit is pretty important.

-Brad