Via Instapundit, this fellow at car connection seems to think the CD player is now history. I think Ford is being delusional in presuming that we're going to want to dump the CD player for something more expensive and complex. If I want complex, I can always research the Carputer.
I have a 3 year old walmart stereo. It has an SD card slot and a USB slot in the faceplate. I used SD cards or USB drives for listening to music. Complex? Hardly. Name a moving part in a SD card or USB drive.
The electrons!
I understand that: Ford's idea of simply is there SYNC system, which requires massive LCD screens and the like. I can take something DIN sized, with CD player and USB port. That's not really a big jump unlike the mandatory touch-screen player.
DoctorBlade wrote: I understand that: Ford's idea of simply is there SYNC system, which requires massive LCD screens and the like. I can take something DIN sized, with CD player and USB port. That's not really a big jump unlike the mandatory touch-screen player.
yeah I wouldn't pay for that crap..
It's a car not a theater.
The other night I was watching a chevy cruze tv ad and it showed the driver being able to check his facebook status or update it through the car.. now thats silly.
Ignorant wrote: The other night I was watching a chevy cruze tv ad and it showed the driver being able to check his facebook status or update it through the car.. now thats criminally negligent to include a feature designed to distract from the task of operating a 3,000 lb. piece of machinery capable of causing death or dismemberment when handled improperly, which is tacitly encouraged by inclusion of said feature.
FTFY.
alex wrote:Ignorant wrote: The other night I was watching a chevy cruze tv ad and it showed the driver being able to check his facebook status or update it through the car.. now thats criminally negligent to include a feature designed to distract from the task of operating a 3,000 lb. piece of machinery capable of causing death or dismemberment when handled improperly, which is tacitly encouraged by inclusion of said feature.FTFY.
but but it's handsfree and therefore safe!
In reply to Ignorant:
Yeah, but it's not brain-free.....
Manufacturers use the excuse that because people spend so much time in their cars, they need/deserve all these conveniences. Anyone ever think that all the distractions are part of the reason traffic is so congested - because no one is paying attention to actually "driving" their car?
DoctorBlade wrote: I understand that: Ford's idea of simply is there SYNC system, which requires massive LCD screens and the like. I can take something DIN sized, with CD player and USB port. That's not really a big jump unlike the mandatory touch-screen player.
It does not require a large LCD screen. Not DIN by any means, but not a 4x6" LCD screen. Seems to be easier to use if you have that system, but none of the vehicles that I'm encountering right now has anything more than a strip LED dot display (or the old radio display).
As for the "end of the CD"- I'm torn with that now- whether to replace my Miata's radio with one that has only an SD or USB input... Not much of my library is digitized, so it makes it tougher.
What I want to know is this: Why are the carmakers' lawyers not screaming their opposition to the placement of distractions within the driver's environment? Can they not see the lawsuits which will inevitably arise when the driver kills people because he was distracted by the pretty graphics and convenient "social networking?" Can they believe that they will be shielded because the operator clicks a simple disclaimer on the screen of the offending device? It is truly irresponsible, criminally negligent, and very short-sighted.
the radio I put into my saab (It had the optional non-working original Tape player when I got it) has both CD and USB and an Aux... I have never used the CD player in it
USB sticks are smaller, easier to package, and do not get scratched.
oldsaw wrote: In reply to Ignorant: Yeah, but it's not brain-free.....
sarcasm is hard to portray in the interwebs.
Ignorant wrote:oldsaw wrote: In reply to Ignorant: Yeah, but it's not brain-free.....sarcasm is hard to portray in the interwebs.
It's a common problem we share.
better than being sarcasm free
What is this "stick" you speak of? I'm still looking for the 8-track to CD adapter!
DoctorBlade wrote: I think Ford is being delusional in presuming that we're going to want to dump the CD player for something more expensive and complex.
I remember people dumping perfectly good turntables for $1000 CD players 30 years ago (holy E36 M3 has it been that long?)
My son has never used the cd player in his car.
Jamesc2123 wrote: The electrons!
Well played!
This week the factory CD player in my Z28 died. I ordered the cheapest CD player I could get that had a free installation kit and an aux in jack for my iPod. $99 total, no shipping, no tax, installed it myself. That's all I want. I had another stereo that had more complete iPod integration (control the iPod through the stereo) and I hated it. Simple is better.
ditchdigger wrote:Jamesc2123 wrote: The electrons!Well played!
My exact words 
I primarily listen to Sirius i the car, but my aftermarket CD deck only has an aux jack. I don't think CD players are going anywhere for at least another 5 years, but USB is much easier to to deal with.
The next stereo I buy will be a digital only model. As it is, I have all of my CDs as mp3s on my computer. I have to burn mp3 CDs to take the music with me.
I do love good music reproduction. A car isn't where I want to spend my money on it, though. Too much road noise for me.
See, I find trying to browse through folders of music, to find the artist, and then the album I'm searching for - while driving - a huge pain.
I can glance at a CD cover & know if I have the right one.
They need to keep CD players in cars. I have to have a physical man-machine-interface. And if the CD players breaks I can still get my music out. I have done this many times. If a USB stick breaks the car may catch fire.
Osterkraut wrote: If a USB stick breaks the car may catch fire.
especially if it is DBW.. Ohh think of the children.
I could care less about a CD player or not. A plain USB slot that can read a thumb drive or an MP3 player is plenty for the new cars. That said, when it's the same price to buy a new single-DIN head unit with or without CD, I'll still spring for the CD version just because. I wouldn't pay more for it though.
I can appreciate the fully integrated stuff with the LCD screen, though I abhor that Faceboof status car commercial crap. Have the screen do the NAV, backup camera (great for the tow vehicle!), and the audio sure, but connected to the internet? That's going to kill way more people than DBW brakes...
I will admit that I still buy my music in CD form, though the CD's rarely ever get used. I've had too many computers crash to trust just a virtual purchase, plus with the CD I get full rights so I can download it to my MP3 player, thumb drive, car's harddrive, whatever. That part is great! Plus, they're cheap.
i have a Sony deck in my car that has a USB port on it.. i love having all of my Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax, Monster Magnet, and Megadeth right on that single 2GB usb stick.. but it's also nice to have the cd player for when i want to listen to something that i haven't bothered to put on the thumb drive yet.. it was also nice to have the other night when i walked out of Best Buy with my newly purchased Volbeat cd...
i've also got about a hundred cassettes with music that i don't have on cd or in mp3 form. i don't currently have a tape player in any of my cars, but if i did you can bet i'd be rocking some old school Iron Maiden or Metal Church while i cruise down the road.. personally, i've always liked the form factor of cassettes over cds for use in a car- the fast forward and rewind thing kind of sucks, tho- but the usb thumb drive is the way to go for these things..
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