Excellent new firmware for Vais SL2i & SL2Vi

I've been testing the latest version of Vais' new firmware for the SL2i and SL2Vi, which are iPod adapters for the Prius (and other vehicles).

This latest version of the firmware is very stable and works perfectly in my '07 Prius. With the new version you have these features:

Works with generation 5 iPods
Displays the following iPod lists:
Playlists (up to 999 can be referenced)
Artists - select an artist and then view tracks for that artist
Albums - select an album title and then view tracks in that album
Audiobooks
Podcasts
View by genre

This latest version works great; using the display in my Prius (while I'm not moving), I can select an album and then a track from that album, or select an artist and then a track for that artist.

Vais has been great about responding to beta-testing results, and with this latest release, they've really gotten it right. I highly recommend their iPod adapters for Prius owners; installation takes about 45 minutes, is easy to do, and adds a whole new dimension to the Prius.

I'm not a Vais employee by the way, just a happy customer...

Bob

 

Yes, I did; it was a little scary, removing the glove compartment and one of he vents on a car with 3000 miles on it...

Someone posted an excellent PDF to this forum somewhere, which I downloaded and used as a reference for installing the adapter; I've posted a copy of the PDF on my website at this link:

http://www.bobpatin.com/aic_100i.pdf

Basically, by removing the glovebox (which is simple), and the air vent to the right of the radio (also not difficult), it gives you easier access to the back of the stereo. It took about 45 minutes to an hour to get the wire attached to the stereo and to have my car put back together. After that, a 1-minute setup of the Vais device, plug in the iPod, and you're ready to go.

I'm hopeful that Vais will add a few more features in an upcoming update, including drilldown to albums from the Artist screen, and the ability to stay on the same song when you switch modes. However, those are minor quibbles with a superior device that has not once caused a moment's trouble in the 7+ months that I've had it.

The best thing is that the Vais support is first-rate; they respond to emails, and you can actually talk to a human on the phone. Unprecedented!

 

I'm pretty sure that video displays while the car's moving... which is exactly why I decided not to get a L2vi...

 

After the awful experience I had with Coastal Electronics (no phone support, no response, no customer service, poorly-built products), I wouldn't recommend them to anyone. In fact, I seriously considered filing a complaint with the BBB at one point.

I'd steer clear of Coastal Electronics; just my opinion, but one echoed by quite a few people in this forum.