Apple Steals a March with iPhone
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MBWorld Fanatic!
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From: Tampa, FL
2005 S500 4-Matic, 1978 450SL
Apple Steals a March with iPhone
Their website says it better than I can - see http://www.apple.com/iphone/technology/specs.html - also click on the other symbols at the top of the page.
As Steve Jobs said - widescreen iPod; revolutionary cell phone; and internet access device.
If you think the discussions over using RAZRs and PDAs with Mercedes COMAND and other audio systems have been interesting, wait until you see this!
As Steve Jobs said - widescreen iPod; revolutionary cell phone; and internet access device.
If you think the discussions over using RAZRs and PDAs with Mercedes COMAND and other audio systems have been interesting, wait until you see this!
Thread Starter
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 3,063
Likes: 26
From: Tampa, FL
2005 S500 4-Matic, 1978 450SL
That's certainly how you integrate the phone feature. But you know MB owners. We will want full integration of the iPhone's internet capabilities (including widgets, SMS, and e-mail, Google maps, plus remote control of our desktop MACs - all iPhone features), mp3 playback, and movie playback, all on COMAND and all over Bluetooth.
And why not?
Heck, with widgets (part of the MacOS that runs the iPhone) you can get a large radar display of current weather conditions, check flight arrivals, the location of your FEDEX or other package, check traffic, and do a hundred other things. You can even check on Wikipedia or Britannica to settle an argument. Maybe one could even find time to drive the car. The possibilities are endless. The iPhone could almost replace COMAND altogether, except it lacks local AM, FM, weather, and satellite radio.
Now - how to get it all to display on COMAND...
Are you listening, Mercedes?
And why not?
Heck, with widgets (part of the MacOS that runs the iPhone) you can get a large radar display of current weather conditions, check flight arrivals, the location of your FEDEX or other package, check traffic, and do a hundred other things. You can even check on Wikipedia or Britannica to settle an argument. Maybe one could even find time to drive the car. The possibilities are endless. The iPhone could almost replace COMAND altogether, except it lacks local AM, FM, weather, and satellite radio.
Now - how to get it all to display on COMAND...
Are you listening, Mercedes?
Last edited by Skylaw; Jan 10, 2007 at 11:35 AM.
Super Member
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From: Northern California
MBs
One possibility is syncing with a next gen Tele Aid box, like this one. 
http://www.conti-online.com/generato...rosoft_en.html
http://www.syncmyride.com
http://www.conti-online.com/generato...rosoft_en.html
http://www.syncmyride.com
Member
Joined: Sep 2006
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From: Jakarta, Indonesia The Land of Milk & Honey
W211 / E280
Even if you cannot get it to sync in your car when it first comes out, I do not think it will hurt sales that much, this thing is going to literally fly off the shelves.
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Joined: Jan 2007
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From: Mountain View, CA
His '06 C350 SS 6MT, Hers '07 C280 S Auto
The biggest problem I have with the iPhone is that it's using Cingular's EDGE network. I don't know how fast it is on the iPhone (I don't think anyone outside Apple's R&D department does), but compared to my buddie's phones that use Cingular's EDGE network, my Treo 700p and Samsung i730 with Windows Mobile 5 both run rings around them because I'm using Verizon's EVDO network.
But then again, that thing is a computer in the palm of your hand. Now we just have to see if it'll take hold with the masses
But then again, that thing is a computer in the palm of your hand. Now we just have to see if it'll take hold with the masses
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Joined: Mar 2004
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From: San Francisco Bay Area
2003 SL500
The iPhone does look good, I"m pretty sure it will do well.
But the integration question is certainly something that car manufacturers will have to look at and do better.
Back in the '70s-80s auto manufacturers moved towards standardized setero systems, which made it easy to upgrade as newer units (CD players, for example) arrived on the market.
The problem with the current integrated systems like COMAND is that consumer electronics move so much faster than the lifespan of autos, that 5 (or even 3) years down the road, you might as well have built-in an 8-track player. It's still surprising to see BMWs from 2001-2 with cassette players instead of CD changers. And as standalone units improve (see the recent Garmin Nuvi, for example - much better as a Nav system, MP3 player, and Bluetooth phone integration) and fall in price, the in-built units look even more obsolete, even without considering new options like satellite radio and MP3 players.
An integrated unit does have some advantages - steering wheel control buttons, and good display integration (the MID and the in-dash screen), so it would really be great if auto manufacturers would offer a simple way to integrate with those, allowing easy upgrades of the electronics as things evolve (Satellite radio, MP3-CD, DVD-A, iPOD, iPhone, ...)
Sadly, though, I think auto decisions are driven more by short-term extraction of dollars from the consumer. And especially inthe more specialized segments of the car market, there aren't always enough comparable choices available for a manufacturer offering easy integration and upgradability to win significant enough market share - that will probably happen at the low end of the market first (the Scion/Honda-Fit type vehicles).
But the integration question is certainly something that car manufacturers will have to look at and do better.
Back in the '70s-80s auto manufacturers moved towards standardized setero systems, which made it easy to upgrade as newer units (CD players, for example) arrived on the market.
The problem with the current integrated systems like COMAND is that consumer electronics move so much faster than the lifespan of autos, that 5 (or even 3) years down the road, you might as well have built-in an 8-track player. It's still surprising to see BMWs from 2001-2 with cassette players instead of CD changers. And as standalone units improve (see the recent Garmin Nuvi, for example - much better as a Nav system, MP3 player, and Bluetooth phone integration) and fall in price, the in-built units look even more obsolete, even without considering new options like satellite radio and MP3 players.
An integrated unit does have some advantages - steering wheel control buttons, and good display integration (the MID and the in-dash screen), so it would really be great if auto manufacturers would offer a simple way to integrate with those, allowing easy upgrades of the electronics as things evolve (Satellite radio, MP3-CD, DVD-A, iPOD, iPhone, ...)
Sadly, though, I think auto decisions are driven more by short-term extraction of dollars from the consumer. And especially inthe more specialized segments of the car market, there aren't always enough comparable choices available for a manufacturer offering easy integration and upgradability to win significant enough market share - that will probably happen at the low end of the market first (the Scion/Honda-Fit type vehicles).
