Why Apple's Next Revolution Should Be In Your Car 293
New submitter eetc writes "This article surveys the sorry state of car makers' stereo and navigation systems: 'It's clear that most of the auto companies that offer more than a car stereo want to lock you into their interface and services — as awful as they are. The rest don't care. The aftermarket stereo and nav systems are no better. Stuffed with even more buttons and light-show gewgaws, they're sure to keep your eyes off the road and may not work easily with your stuff. Add to that mix the split focus of also having to use a separate GPS unit in most vehicles, and you have to wonder what keeps our roads so relatively safe.' The answer in one word: iCar. This is just the sort of broken market that Apple specializes in taking over."
Not a novel approach to subject. Vanity link. (Score:3, Informative)
Wordpress founder Matt Mullenweg in October 2011:
http://ma.tt/2011/10/whats-next-for-apple/
"This is the most far-out, but I think most certain. Voice-controlled search through Siri and Apple Maps provide the hands-free framework for a rich interactive experience while driving. Walk down the car stereo aisle in Best Buy and see what $800 gets you, or a $300 GPS from Garmin, vs an iPad or iPhone. The screens feel like a TI-92 calculator. The typography makes my eyes bleed. I find it morally reprehensible how bad these products are because it’s one of the areas of technology where a bad interface is most directly tied to injuries and deaths. Car folks are making their iPhone/iPod integrations better and better, which may be a glass of ice water in hell, but they’ll never make the jump to providing a beautiful marriage of media, search, and navigation that a great in-car experience needs. Right now you can spend 110k on a Tesla Roadster, a car of the future, and for an additional $4,500 (9 iPads!) get this Alpine head unit. (Watch that video and try not to laugh at how bad the interface is.) Retail it only sets you back 1.4 iPads. That’s just sad."
I think if editors are going to post non-news blog opinion pieces, they have a duty to do a little due diligence--is the argument novel, or have other people made it before? Is it well explained, or not? Is Galen Gruman a heavyweight? Is Infoworld? Are their arguments likely to provoke further discussion amongst heavyweights?
Not to say that the issue is any less germane than it was in October 2011, but just accepting a link because it was submitted and it seems reasonable enough is not good editorial practice.
The article linked doesn't really add anything to the one I just posted, it's split over two pages for extra ad impressions, and the site is incredibly visually busy filled with social widgets and tags and ads and everything, in contrast to the one I posted which is clean.
Re:Sorry to rain on Apples parade n all but... (Score:3, Informative)
iPad - not living room specific - did not cause a living room revolution. There were laptops and tablets in the living room long before the ipad.
Apple TV.....Really?......REALLY? a crippled late-to-tha-game almost-abandoned video streamer box is a revolution?
Fan much?
Re:Sorry to rain on Apples parade n all but... (Score:5, Informative)
Have you actually used an iPad with the AppleTV? The Airplay functionality alone makes it worth having an AppleTV.
Re:Sorry to rain on Apples parade n all but... (Score:5, Informative)
I just changed my mom's living room experience with a Roku box. I got her the extra fancy one that can play Angry Birds for $99, along with a year of netflix. I have to pay for a Hulu account for work, so I'll be setting her up with that, too. She's nearly 70 and didn't have a problem figuring it out.
I've got a Samsung TV loaded with apps. Netflix, Vudu(not with Ultraviolet, so the stuff I buy isn't tied to a company), Hulu, etc... Using my Synology NAS and my Android phone, I can even remotely playback media through the TV using my phone as a remote.
The cable company may lose a few more customers, but it won't be because of Apple.
Re:Apple will decide where you can and can't trave (Score:4, Informative)
Microsoft's already there. It's known as Ford's MyTouch and Sync.