Bichon

Can you elaborate? I see few if any cons to having the hard drive based system.

It's a pain in the butt to hook and unhook the iPod every time I get in the car. Plus, often I'll forget to bring it.

It's like the difference between ordering the factory navi system or buying a Tom Tom portable navi. One is always there when you need it, the other one has to be hooked and unhooked, hidden from theives, etc.

RaZoRaMoN

thanks for the advice, just picked it up during lunch for use with my cell phone charger. I hated plugging it in cigarette lighter and cluttering up the middle console. Now I just have to remember to get my cell phone out of the middle compartment before leaving the car...out of sight out of mind.

kensteele

Oh, I dunno, just off the top of my head I'm thinking....since I haven't really read up on it much:

1.Maintenance, what happens when they fail; serviceability; lose of music.
2.Cost, putting a harddrive in every car when only 10-50% of them will be actually used.
3.All those iPod owners, will they use the harddrive, too?
4.Synching/moving files issues; how do you reformat, drm issues.
5.Shock, durability, does it skip?
6.How large, how small, upgrade options?
7.Is it portable?
8.How long does it take to scan, seek, scroll, what about the menus?
9.Technology changes (files, compression, etc)
10.iTunes

Not everything applies, just thinking out loud. I know I wouldn't want one. Wouldn't want to be stuck with it for 5 years.

lexnan

Well, just like a cd changer back in the days. Pop it in, pop it out. Load cd's, etc, etc. I'm sure they could integrate a hard drive w/ all the anti shock bells and whistles, as far as cost, then it should be a package option. As far as upgrades, then maybe Lexus could offer different hard drive configurations (40gb / 60gb / 100gb, etc). Then about if it's serviceable, It's just like any other mp3 players, could have a warranty for certain amt of years. Just like any other gadgets/toys, technology changes every now and then but having a hard drive I think is a Plus.

Just a thought...

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IS350 soon

TimboIS

You're contradicting yourself..."one is always there". You mean your music library NEVER changes. Wow! You must must like the oldies. I'm always updating my iPod with new songs. AND I'm sure it's a lot easier to take in and out than your hard drive design ("hooked", "hidden from thieves").

kensteele

= sounds like a total nightmare.

phish2112

I'm assuming at some point in the near future and what i'm scared about is full ipod integration that charges and displays your ipod screen in the NAV will come out in next years model and we can't upgrade our 06's to do that. If that ever happened I'd never forgive myself for not waiting for the ability

kensteele

You will not be able to upgrade your 06 feature set. Almost guaranteed not.

Foxberry

Back to our regularly scheduled thread topic....yeah the design is a pain. I have my radar detector plugged into the ash tray outlet, so when I have to plug my Blackberry in, I can't close the console. I haven't found a 90 deg. charger yet that would allow me to close it.

wayner

Then your iPod isn't big enough - I have a 60GB iPod and I have nhundreds of CDs and I still have my iPod only 60% full. As far as new music - how many Lexus dealers want to add new music to their iPod???

Lexus sponsors Paul McCartney, not Three 6 Mafia and IMHO other than the odd new U2 album there isn't much new music worth listening to. Load your hard drive up with the Beatles, Stones, Pink Floyd, Led Zep, Iron Butterfly, etc. and you are set!

Inna-gada-da-vida honey!

wayner

This idea works and 60 GB hard drives are pretty cheap and hold more music then you will ever need.

The other way to do the updating is to have WiFi in the car. That way you could turn it on and connect to it from your PC and it would be visible on your PC as an additional hard drive. You dump your music and then shut off the Wifi - just like you transfer your phone book over Bluetooth.

Come to think of it - if you have the Wifi connectivity there is no reason not to put a web browser in as well. Some cities now have WiFi throughout the city. You could also browse your email and/or web pages while in the car - shut off while you drive of course.

wayner

Sorry to keep dumping on Lexus, but this is the second piece of poor design. Did they not think that anyone would have wanted to charge an iPod while it was playing?

Isn't that why you put the Aux In and power adapter in the console?

Could they not have built a ground loop isolator into the Aux input?

TimboIS

I have no clue what you're talking about?!? What does the dealer have to do with anything? New albums are released every tuesday, I buy it, I put it on my iPod. The idea of having to remove some locked away hard drive every week to put my new tracks onto is crazy. Are you saying I have to take it to the dealer to mave new track "installed"? That's even more absurd.

Word has it, there is a service bulletin in progress to fix this.

kensteele

wayner, thanks for participating on the board late[ly] but you're very welcome, i think we'll enjoy hearing your thoughts and comments, just the wifi one above; it's nice to dream from time to time. lexus supposedly already has a fix in place for the buzzing.

wayner

My point about Lexus sponsoring McCartney is that the Lexus demographic is more likely an older person who isn't buying lots of new albums. You wouldn't have to go to the dealer to load new albums, the hard drive would reside somwhere accessible, like your trunk, and it would slide out. You would take it into your house, plug it into your PC and download tunes. Then you just take it back out and plut it into your car.