interface with ipod

[Schwepps]

Bro soulasylum, you said earlier that your car is an 07 Sports and now Feb08? I assume you're saying it's an 07 pre-registered in Feb 08...correct? On that basis, the answers to your questions are:
- The 08 Sports were available, but have all been sold and won't be produced again until the end of the year or early next year. If you troll all 3 dealers, you may still find 1 or 2 units left at this point of time. Best to ask the sales managers because some SAs seem to be able to reserve units. I asked 2 SAs at the same dealer, and 1 said absolutely no more and the other said he had 1 unit left! I asked the sales manager and he brought out the list and there were 3 units left! Competition even within the same department! :stupid:
- Can't comment about your registration woes. Better see what it's really all about. Some SAs can be very hopeless. That's why when I buy a car, I deal with more than 1 SA from more than 1 dealer to see who can deliver. They want my signature on the sales form, they'd better hustle. :wink:
- The 07 Sports still had the CD changer but that's been replaced by the USB in the 08.
- You should ask your SA what the options are for installing a USB and/or bluetooth interface. These are all BMW options and what you get bundled in a car depends on what the local distributor decides to market. You'll have to pay for it of course, just like I would have had to pay for a CD changer if I had wanted one in my 08. But it's either or, you can't connect both USB and CD changer.
- The bluetooth works fine and dandy. :top:

 

[soulasylum]

Thanks Bro/babe schwepps..! how you know i am bro and not babe? haha

The usb port became NOT an option for my 07 sport... not even if I pay myself...hmm..frust...they can't find it as an option because it doesn't have radio professional, excuse saying the interfaces are used for idrive, cd changer etc ....frust..!

ipod interface 1600, ipod classic 1000...OMG

 

[Schwepps]

To bad babe...

Suggest you check with the other 2 dealers too. Really, I got different strokes from different folks this time round. One of the SAs never even called me back on my enquiry what units of Sports they had left. Guess which dealer? :wink:

 

[soulasylum]

This is latest, i was told by the SA that the ipod interface could only read 256 songs in your onboard computers??
This is worse than a piece of CDR..

 

[Juan Powerblow]

This is latest, i was told by the SA that the ipod interface could only read 256 songs in your onboard computers??
This is worse than a piece of CDR..

Huh? I don't quite understand this cos the purpose of the i-pod interface is to read from your i-pod. It does take a few seconds to work after you plug on but thereafter, my whole arsenal of 6,000 songs are available on my finger tips via the radio headunit.

 

[Schwepps]

soulasylum, why do you still believe this SA? He obviously doesn't know how his own equipment works. Try the other dealers as I advised earlier. The SAs are more professional there, based on personal experience.

 

[soulasylum]

Thanks bro Schwepps, the reason is they are giving me a "free gift" as ipod interface when i bought the car...though now i found it quite sufficient for my 6CDR already..worst when he told me 256 songs only, today he says first 5000 songs..should be more accurate? It was conveyed to me directly from their "technical department".

I asked for the bluetooth phone instead, it costs 6700+ and that means i have to top up RM5k..

Instead of the ipod interface, what other object you guys would suggest as a better choice? I have the tint already. I am reluctant coz i have not own a ipod yet...

 

[Schwepps]

Hmmm...at first 256 and now 5,000 songs? Very flexible spec from this SA huh? :stupid: Maybe he's talking about the capacity of the different iPod models. Eg a 1st generation Shuffle with 1GB will hold about 256 songs while the top of the range 6th generation Classic with 160GB will hold 40,000 songs.

Does it really matter? I have only about 70 songs in my USB and that's more than I care to listen to, hahaha

Bluetooth at RM6,700 is ridiculous. You can get a full spec computer for that price. Not worth it.

The other showroom goodies are not worth the prices, so the iPod interface is the best option unless you can twist his arm to subsidise your insurance cost or something.

 

[soulasylum]

bro, i am so admiring the usb port..that doesn't come with my 2007 325 sport.
May i know if you are having the 2008 325 or 320? beneath my arm-rest only come with aux-in, no usb port..or you added in after that? how?

 

[Schwepps]

soul, the USB port comes with the 2008 325i Sports. But the trade off is that I don't get a CD changer, and according to my SA, you can't connect both a CD changer and a USB port. I'm not bothered to find out if it's true because I don't focus on these gizmos. I don't even use the Bluetooth as I generally refuse to take calls while I'm riding my baby (unless it's the home minister or kids... )

The important thing is that we have a car that is the most rewarding drive out there and really rocks.

 

[Schwepps]

BTW, why isn't your name in the registry, soul? You waiting for no 118 or wat?

 

[Traveler]

I'm not sure if I want to shell out for the Ipod interface as it costs more than my 1 year-old Ipod Video 60GB. Since I have the 2007 325 Sports without the USB port, what I have been doing is burning my MP3s onto CD-Rs and loading them all on to the CD+CD changer, so I have 7 CDs full of MP3s which is close to 5GB of MP3s. Not as big as the Ipod, but enough for me at the moment

 

[soulasylum]

BTW, why isn't your name in the registry, soul? You waiting for no 118 or wat?

Nola..last check was 114 mar ..let me check again now

 

[soulasylum]

I'm not sure if I want to shell out for the Ipod interface as it costs more than my 1 year-old Ipod Video 60GB. Since I have the 2007 325 Sports without the USB port, what I have been doing is burning my MP3s onto CD-Rs and loading them all on to the CD+CD changer, so I have 7 CDs full of MP3s which is close to 5GB of MP3s. Not as big as the Ipod, but enough for me at the moment

I agree with you traveller, I am sufficed with the 7 CDR now as well... That is why i am asking what replacement i should get...rim? paint diamond package? top up for bluetooth?

 

[soulasylum]

An update info for you guys...
Fyi, my car is 07/08 325 sport..

I just installed the ipod interface courtesy of sapura auto. The process is not so smooth not because of sapura but seemingly they need to dial up (like streamyx/1515 haha) to BMW server in cyberjaya to update the idrive software version, which is faster to be done overnight. But sapura is kind enough to gave me a courtesy car, good good..!

Next, i got a manual for this interface..in FAQ, it surprises me of what the SA was saying.
Other than 7 series, the ipod interface applies as below:

1. If you install the ipod interface, you will have the CDC disabled.
2. It's clearly written that you only 500 songs are readable in each folder.
3. It's also written that only 255 folders are readable.

Well, I will only get my ipod from US next week. I am assuming maximum songs readable is 255 X 500 = 127,500 songs = 637.5 GB (maximum songs readable assuming 1 song is 5MB). Any feed back from existing users?

haha, i am dreaming if the video can be played in idrive interface screen

 

[Schwepps]

soul, the issue is not how many songs the interface can read, but how many your iPod can hold. Even desktop PCs don't have 600GB storage. The biggest iPod Classic has 160GB. Most people have much smaller iPods, and my in-car Whitecard thumbdrive has only 1GB...more than enough for me.

Unless someone has figured out the format used, I don't think video can play on the iDrive screen.

 

[soulasylum]

yeah i know bro... i've gotten the ipod classic. i was just saying that the previous SA + their "technician specialist" keep telling me that the maximum readable number is only 256 songs for the interface.
Then they began telling me 500....hai....

 

[Schwepps]

They don't know nerts. I think I saw in the manual that the USB interface can read 20,000 songs from a thumb. But seriously, I wouldn't want the car to read so many songs...it would take too long.

 

[soulasylum]

yes bro you are right.
I've tried plugging in the usb port during my courtesy car days with a portable notebook harddisk 40GB, it seriously cannot read

 

[Schwepps]

Noh, it can't drive a portable HDD. But the iPod and USB interface are heck of a convenient and the list coming out on the idrive is really cool, complete with stats like artist, album...and PLAYLISTS!

Congrats on getting the interface, soul! I knew you would in the end. Mind telling why you're getting your iPod from the US? A model not available here?