Toyota Unveils Entune, App-Ready Sync Fighter, At CES

I am not sure why did you buy navigation then if you didnt like it so much? Everyone knew what they were getting or at least should have known about it.

Again for people who think it would be upgraded, there is little possibility of that. Cars are not computers and thankfully so.

In any case, new Entune system is upgradeable via firmware updates that can be done through its interface. It is done by Microsoft, same people who did Ford Sync so everyone will get what they want .

 

Some thoughts:

Looks like a nice revenue stream for Toyota. I'm sure those 6 apps are paying license fees to Toyota for inclusion into "The cloud". Toyota appears to have strict control over who gets their content placed on the Entune front panel. I wonder if this will affect the price of Entune as it is now a hardware platform. Seems it would benefit Toyota to have these units in cars so they can collect more money from the content providers, hence a lower price.

This is a great deal for a struggling Clearchannel. This gives them an international stage for their commercials, hence much more revenue and leverage with their advertisers. And I can't imagine FM radio hardware existing in Toyotas for very much longer.

This is also a death knell for satellite radio. There is now a much more inexpensive way for providers to get content to consumers in their cars via the internet rather than satellites costing hundreds of millions of dollars and custom hardware in every car. Or, maybe, XM sells their satellites to the military and uses the internet like everybody else.

4G and LTE Technology brings the internet to our vehicles much the same as Wifi and broadband has to our homes. I bet this will have a HUGE impact on lower cost vehicles. No FM, No Satellite, No AM hardware. Just a Bluetooth connection and a little screen and a way for Toyota to make money from the providers on this huge vehicle market.

I'm not saying any of these things are bad things, they are progress and innovation...things I really love. It will be fun to see how it all plays out. We've seen that low margin industries like airlines have figured out how to make money through various fees. This should be a great way for the auto industry to make money in a similarly low margin business.

 

Yes, exactly what I am saying. This thread is actually about the entune system, we digressed from it a little

Yeah, I knew what I bought, and did so because I got it all for what I felt was a bargain. Also, I shelled out the extra mainly eyeing the ATP components.

 

Re: Toyota Announces Entune Multimedia System at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show

Well, on some cogitation I think #5 may have a good cause. I do like the address and POI entry in this nav. I think this is accomplished with few button punches (although the system does pause for long between button presses, this may be due to the slow hardware).
The region selection may have to do with facilitating fast address entry. Also, this aspect may not really be a drawback relative to other navs since all other PNDs that I recall using do require entering city and state. Thus the user does enter a "region", which is narrower than that entered in the Toyota Nav, hence this is a plus for the Toyota nav system.

 

I already have full access to a wide range of media through iTunes. Just give me access through my iPhone. Don't these people know what is already out there?!

 

I have a 2006 Prius and just got an email from Toyota telling me about the Entune system. The email sounded like it would work for my car and that all I had to do was download an app to my Droid phone.

But it did not provide a link for the app.

I found this thread in Google and am really annoyed. I didn't need Toyota to tell me they were introducing a new bluetooth sync app and all I needed to do to get it was to buy a new car.

Stupid and annoying email.

Yes, they should provide a retro fit kit for a 2006 Prius. But it doesn't sound like they plan to do that.

Yes it would involvle engineering work. On the other hand, they built a plug-in XM-Radio attachment for the 2006 Prius. I know enough about computers and engineering to realize that it shouldn't be much harder to add a plug-in Entune device to the 2006 that could plug in to the connector for the XM-Radio.

I would pay for that plug-in.
Toyota should build it.

 

Three Points I think Mr. Coleman would do well to dwell on.

1. Why buy the NAV? Toyota bundled the NAV into packages with OTHER desirable features, that are impossible to obtain without the NAV. (and still buy a Toyota)

2. You now find frustrated customers who cannot upgrade to the latest without buying a new car. (You can bet it won't be a Toyota) What are you doing to make sure what Toyota sells next year WILL be upgradable so Toyota can retain those customers in the future? At the rate these systems are changing, you can alienate a lot of customers before their car wears out. OR Toyota could standardize the back of the unit so the next one plugs in just the same, and be able sell a new system to existing customers in the future.

3. Surely someone at Toyota has noticed that no owner ever upgraded their NAV system DVD for $250. Those new roads, if any*, are not THAT interesting. (It is cheaper to buy an entire Garmin, than it is to buy the DVD) Price that DVD sanely and profits will go up. 10 * 25 is more than 0 * 250

*as a Toyota Prius owner, I have never seen a list of updated features in a new DVD, someone at Toyota has given up even trying to sell one.

 

Correct, they don't plan to. From your bolded statement, I don't think you know that much about computers and engineering.

The current 3rd gen Priuses can't even be retrofitted w/Entune and it's not just a "bluetooth sync app". Why would Toyota spend the money and resources to provide a retrofit for 2nd gens? The Entune hardware is different and not compatible.

How much would they have to charge? (Hint: Take a look at how much it costs to add nav on a current Prius or how much it was on yours. Take a look at how much Toyota and other automakers charge for nav updates.) How many people would actually buy it at that price? What's the trend in the population of active 2nd gen Priuses (at least in the US and Europe)?

Remember that the 2nd gen Prius started shipping in October 03. Its design had to have been completed well before then. For the 06 w/its updated MFD and nav, it had to have been finished well before ~September 05. Why should they bother for such an old design?

BTW, since you mention "Droid phone". If it hasn't already, at some point, the vendor of your Android phone is going to stop providing Android updates for your phone so you won't be getting any new features or bug fixes.

 

op2:

 

carputers

 

Entune should be a hit. It is great to see Toyota offerring the cheapest option with 6.1" touch screen. Ford Sync and GM OnStar barebone system only has the clock style one text line LCD screen.

 

Another Toyota's new Entune Demo lets you stream music & search the net on the 2012 Prius V!

‪romanmicagearguy's Channel‬‏ - YouTube

 

Not exactly true, the Fiesta sync screen is a little multi-line LCD:

 

OK! That's better than alarm clock LCD!

 

Just slightly...but it does scroll!!

 

this is why exactly multimedia audio aka Toyota Touch, that will be standard in most models, is going to rock

 

I see I am not the only one disatisfied with the Nav system in the Prius. I purchased a 2013 Prius V with an antiquated NAV system that is abyssmal. It can't find addresses that a 3 year old Garmin can in an established neighborhood in LA Metro area, asked to locate a Bank of America and was taken to a Chase Bank (which was never a BOA - I asked). The map once showed my car on a totally different street blocks from my actual location. The voice recognition is a joke. DO NOT waste your money on the Prius Nav system. The updates are expensive and the system is not trust worthy in the least. The dealership is useless. Even though I was able to duplicate my complaints their response was "it is opperating as designed" REALLY? It is designed to take me to the wrong place? I ask them to put their wife/daughter in a Prius and send them to LA - let them get lost in an undesireable area. Need cash? Good luck finding the right bank. My boyfriend has a 3 year old Garmin and he refuses to use the Prius Nav system. I love the car itself (once I got the reverse "beeping" shut off ). HOWEVER, has anyone else ever calculated their ACTUAL mileage? The actual mileage I calculate is consistently 2-4 miles per gallon LESS than what the Prius computer calculates. FALSE ADVERTISING?

 

Your profile says "Other Non-Hybrid" so you no longer own the Prius?

Regardless, I've never owned a Toyota navigation system, always using Garmin. I can bring the Garmin into the house to dump the trip data and upgrade the map as needed. It also provides an accurate, GPS speedometer.

As for the trip meters, they are more precise than the fuel gauge. Divide the miles by the miles per gallon and you get the fuel burned to the 1/10th of a gallon. Tires change the calibration constant needed for the trip meters and vehicle speedometer which I calculate using the Garmin GPS.

As you've discovered, a Prius is not for everyone. Still considering your complaints are just the GPS and trip meter accuracy for a car you may no longer own, perhaps it is time to move on?

Bob Wilson

 

Funny to see the excitement when this system was announced. Funny how Toyota can't even bring themselves to charge any money for it now…