wayner

I don't think Wifi in cars is too far away. It's very doable with today's technology. With the Nav system in Lexuses you get much of the functionality of a PC (video, audio playback, GPS nav, bluetooth, phone). Why not go all of the way and put a full fledged PC into the car? And with a WiFi connection you could use VOIP for phone calls so you wouldn't even need a cell phone as long as you are connected to the Wifi network.

Kipperm13

Forget WiFi - how about EVDO so you can beconnected to the internet anywhere you get phone sevrice at broadband speed. Then you can do anything. Download music on the fly, watch TV, the list is long my friends

kensteele

Yes.

TimboIS

Bad assumption(s). People have more than just one fav artist. (2) artists do release new albums, even if they're the "older" ones as you say. Hell, even McCartney released one in the past 6 months. (3) "Older" people AREN'T going to jump of the digital music bandwagon anyways. They'll understand an iPod way before they "get" the hard disk.

genyosai

Why impossible? Many other auto manufacturers have full iPod integration:

http://www.apple.com/ipod/ipodyourcar/

I mean... if Toyota can fully implement an iPod solution for the Scion xB, then surely us IS350 owners should have it as well, wouldn't you think??

I was absolutely P.O.'d when I received my IS, looked at the supposed iPod interface, and realized that it was simply a freakin phono-in port in which you can push audio out from any device that has phono-out! I was mislead by the know nothing sales rep at my delearship who told me that there was an iPod "integration" option. Too bad there was never an IS on the lot here that I could actually see. Everyone that got an IS around here preordered, so there was never one on the lot. Otherwise I could've checked one out and realized that this was a simple phono plug. Not like I would've decided to NOT get the car (because that's rediculous), but at least I wouldn't have been hyped up about this feature

kensteele

No you're right it is possible today. I meant awhile back when this car was being designed. Trying to squeeze in full ipod intergration on the 2006 IS during the design stages and looking at the timeline and the costs plus all the equipment that was already spec'd and the consider the best way to market it and the whole Apple deal...but I do think it is coming soon on the IS. I really didn't expect it on this 2006 model, no one should have. How long ago was the IS on the drawing board anyway? I'm thinking one or two years, maybe longer. 2003? I dunno.

Bichon

I didn't say my music never changes. When I buy a few new CDs, which happens once or twice a month, I would rip them, get the hard drive from the car, update it, and then put it back.

The hard drive could easily be located in a place hidden from thieves, since it isn't removed all that frequently. The Phatbox (an aftermarket hard drive system) is usually installed in the trunk.

tonyxcom

While I personally love the hardrive idea and understand that it will be fairly simple to implement into the car, there is one fatal flaw. It requires to much user thought.

I highly doubt there are very many people that buy luxury cars are going to understand how to..

1. Remove a harddrive (even if it is in a hotswap style enclosure)
2. Hook harddrive upto computer (USB obviously)
3. Then RIP a cd to MP3/WMA or whatever
4. Then copy them to the drive
5. Reinstall drive

Being a consultant and dealing with a customer base that, lets just say that Ferarris arent out of reach, are really dumb when it comes to technology. And that isn't a bad thing either.

wayner

What about my Wifi idea - have the car show up as a Wifi device. You could write some software to simplify the process, just as there is software to simplify the process of transferring photos from a digital camera. The only problem I see with this idea is that you may not be able to get a reliable Wifi connection between your WAP and your car. That and having to enter WEP or WPA keys.

tonyxcom

another great idea that I wouldn't mind. but wifi can be painful for large data transfers, especially considering most people wont get very good reception in the garage.

but I still doubt that most users completely understand how wifi works and I can see them getting connected to the neighbors and stuff.

I dont see any of this out of the realm of possibilities, but as easy as it sounds (to us at least), I can imagine the nightmare Lexus customer care would have trying to support it. They would almost certainly have to write some type of itunes type software to facilitate the ripping and data transfers, but at that point, why reinvent the wheel. It makes more sense to just fully integrate the ipod.

If you really think about it, it makes even more sense. The type of buyer with above average computer skills that would be interested in an mp3 harddrive in the car probably already owns an mp3 player of some sort, with a large percentage of them having ipods already.

I have never had the need to own an mp3 player of any kind, the only time I listen to music is in the car. I don't particularly care for apple's products either, but if the ipods were fully integrated I would have no problem buying one.