Toyota isn't at fault, here. If there's someone to be mad at, it's the technology companies who can't decide on a single standard. If anything, Toyota has been smart by not pairing up with a single technology manufacturer. Doing this would serve to alienate potential buyers who own competing technology.
I see most of the people who don't care for the iPod connectivity are from outside the USA. I guess iPods aren't as ubiquitous outside the US, but here in the US, most manufacturers are putting in full blown iPod integration (and lets not forget that the iPhone is an iPod) into their cars along with USB connectivity. Shame Toyota is not. I understand people are blindly defending Toyota's choices, but I'll have to protest and ask Toyota to put in the iPod/USB integration in the Prius in all trim levels.
Just because not everyone agrees with you, shame on us and Toyota? I have an iPhone, and several iPods. Each of my children have an iPod, as does my wife. I live in the US (Chicagoland), and could care less whether full integration is made available. If they do not build it in, I may consider getting a 3rd party hardware/software solution. However, I would be more upset if they included it as an option, and then charged me $600 for a wire that would then give me full access to my music. If you choose to to use the bluetooth streaming, and you keep your battery charged, this is not an issue. As for me, in my current '05 Taurus, I will usually plug my iPhone into a power jack anyways, so that is not an issue for me. If you want to complain, tell Apple to build it's Phone with a better battery, or a user replaceable (without needing a soldering iron) battery. Until then, I am fine with needing to plug in my iPhone in order to have music streaming. It doesnt seem as though anything that any one posts here makes you happy, so I am nit sure that you will like my reply either. Then again, frow what I have read this week, many Texans don't like the US anyways, and may form their own nation again... Maybe you could better petition Toyota to build a Prius for the Texas market the way that you want it?
Indeed! This one request I can support easily! It would be to take the device playing capabilities out of the external device and use it only for storage. Perfect. Of course if you have HDD radio then you most probably won't use it, but it would make a lot of sense to have it on non-HDD radios. If playing device connectivity is what is needed, then bluetooth has it already, and does it with device full control support.
Regardless whether the audio is streamed via Bluetooth or hard-wired, what really matters is whether the information can be viewed on a screen and be manipulated by the driver from the steering wheel controls. That's the real requirement from a usability and safety standpoint. And the system should be standard and universal, not proprietary, although people who own proprietary devices (e.g. iPhone) should be able to buy adapters if they so wish. It may cost them extra, but that's their choice to begin with.
Do most mp3 players have streaming bluetooth anyway? Only phones have that so if you don't have a USB port that's still ignoring the vast majority of mp3 players regardless of whether its an Apple product or not.
When you say device full control support, with streaming BT, can you scroll through artist/album/track file structures on the car's display? That's what I'm interested in.
Yes its a shame Toyota won't make it built into the radio system. Where was it that I said shame on you? Well then shame on you for reading too much into my post.
Bluetooth only offers basic control (play/pause/skip next/skip prev) - you'd need to manipulate the device for playlists, etc. The version I tried didn't support title display either.
Hi Stream, Please seek one of my previous posts where I naively tried to explain to Texas911 what A2DP can do. Somewhere in those posts is a link to the protocol and available functions. Please don't forget that one thing is to say the protocol SUPPORTS one feature, another thing possibly quite different is the list of features supported by one PARTICULAR device. What I mean is that although certain features are supported by the standard, its ultimately up to the devices paired in bluetooth to implement that features or not. It can be the case that the Prius CD player/radio does not support all features, or the case that your player device does not support all features, or both combined.
Here's an interesting development if some were not aware ( I wasn't ). The new 2010 Camry with the JBL system comes with a USB port next to the line-in jack at the base of the console. This is the first factory installed USB I believe in any Toyota. I take this to mean that the 2011 Prius with JBL system will also get it.
I have an iPod and I don't care if it's offered or not lol. BMW has offered USB integration since 2006. Are you gonna chatise every other auto maker for not including it?
Maybe in the USA. In Europe the Avensis has the USB port for quite a long time, and that did not mean we got it on the European Prius...
My 2010 Model III due to arrive Sept 15 states that it comes with USB Port with iPod Connectivity as part of the solar roof package Solar Roof Package:........................ 3830.00 Tilt/slide Moonroof with Solar Powered Ventilation System and Remote Air Conditioning System. Voice-activated Touch-screen DVD Navigation System with JBLAM/FM/MP3 4-disc CD Changer, Eight Speakers,Integrated Satellite Radio(RequiresSubscription), XM NavTraffic RequiresSubscription), Hands-free Phone Capability and Music Streaming Via Bluetooth Wireless Technology, USB Port with iPod Connectivity and Integrated Backup Camera.
