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The iPad As In-Car Entertainment System Killer

Posted by kdawson on from the spreading-disruption-wherever-it-goes dept.

theodp writes "Cars.com's David Thomas speculates that the iPad could prove to be a serious problem for automakers that charge a ransom for rear entertainment systems. The base iPad, Thomas notes, costs far less than most DVD options offered by automakers. Ford charges $1,995 for a dual-headrest-mounted DVD system in its Flex crossover. In the Acura MDX, its single-screen system, with three wireless headsets and a 9-inch screen, costs $1,900. At $500 a pop, giving two kids their own iPads would cost far less than what the automakers charge for an ICE system. The Cars.com article mentions some of the advantages of ICE, including being weather-tested to work from -5 to 160 degrees F (-20 to 71 C), and being far less prone to breakage."

58 of 415 comments (clear)

  1. hmm by mapkinase · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I thought mounted entertainment systems were killed by portable $100 DVD players already...

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    1. Re:hmm by poetmatt · · Score: 2, Interesting

      they were. some people are stupid enough to buy the dvd systems in the car. I used to sell cars and seeing someone buy one of these meant a: they were stupid and b: you were making a major profit.

      ps: the $2000 ish units? They cost around $300 including installation.

    2. Re:hmm by mysidia · · Score: 2, Informative

      It doesn't matter, as sometime in the future they will probably be able to re-buy their Disney DVDs for the iPad.

      Subject to DRM, preventing them from taking the content anywhere other than their iPad (without buying again), of course.

    3. Re:hmm by CecilPL · · Score: 3, Funny

      These days, what often brakes in cars are the electronics

      Unless it's a Toyota.

  2. Sick and tired by vikingpower · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Really. I am sick and tired of seeing posts on /. on the Ipad. It's a waste of our time. Wasn't /. supposed to be "news for nerds, stuff that matters"? Ipads are not news for nerds, nor are they stuff that matters. Yuck.

    --
    Religous speak to God. Insane are spoken to by God. When all shut up, one can finally hear Shostakovich in peace
    1. Re:Sick and tired by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Ipads are news for the USA's middle class conspicuous consumers. You know, being "cool".

      It is not hard to go to a country that is not the USA and see editorial pieces in mainstream papers openly mocking people in their own country who buy Apple products. (I am in New Zealand, and the NZ Herald had a cartoon about this recently.)

    2. Re:Sick and tired by jo_ham · · Score: 4, Informative

      Well, the stories that appear on slashdot are submitted by slashdot readers, so clearly some people are interested.

      They're obviously news for someone. Might I suggest submitting stories that *are* news for nerds if you think the iPad is not worth it to you.

      Or just turn off the "Apple" section in your preferences, which is much more effective than moaning about it on the actual story, as many people seem to do.

    3. Re:Sick and tired by OnlyJedi · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Yes, bringing a collection of a hundred DVDs is far easier than storing those hundred on 64GB of flash memory.

      Seriously though, if you know what software to use (Handbrake has built-in presets for ipod and Apple TV; iPad is only a matter of time if those don't work) it is a piece of cake to DeCSS a movie and convert it to H.264. From there, just drag into iTunes and sync. For a one-time viewing, a portable DVD player may be more convenient. But if you plan ahead or have movies that your kids want to watch often in the back seat, storing a substantial portion of your movie library on the iPad wouldn't be so hard.

      The biggest hurdle to this that I can see is one of security. How do you keep your kids out of your private documents/email? I've seen this mentioned elsewhere; unlike the iPhone which is a more personal device, the iPad is much more geared as a shared entertainment device that also happens to do email and documents. Without some sort of user login to differentiate between family members may cause problems. But none of that has anything to do with the ease of getting DVDs onto the device.

      Blu-ray now; that's another story. But find me a portable Blu-ray player first...

    4. Re:Sick and tired by Xest · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Yes, bringing a collection of a hundred DVDs is far easier than storing those hundred on 64GB of flash memory.

      Pray tell what kind of quality you'd have to rip down to to get 100 movies onto 64gb of flash memory, some of which is already used by the OS and apps.

      I think most people would rather keep their cheap, rather small, perfectly portable DVD wallets and not end up with abysmal quality, and have to spend hours and hours and hours for the privalage I'm afraid.

      I could understand your argument if anyone actually carried their DVDs around in their original standard DVD sized cases, or if anyone owned an automatic disc loading and ripping device, or had the will to literally spend days manually loading, unloading, and ripping their DVDs. But right now, it's far too time consuming and dull a job, for most, particularly when you can just buy a cheap DVD wallet to carry the lot around with you.

      Your sarcasm was misplaced- carrying a hundred DVDs around really is easier than ripping them to flash memory, and you wont have to try and destroy the quality to squeeze them into 64gb of storage either.

    5. Re:Sick and tired by Amarantine · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Who is going to carry around 100 of their original, expensive dvd's in their car? Waiting for them to get stolen, damaged by kids, scratched in the player when you take a speedbump? If you want to carry around so many movies, i think most people want to carry around copies, which involves de-css'ing them anyway. And then, carrying them around in the flash memory of a player seems suddenly a whole lot easier than burning them on physical media.

      Besides, the way i understand it, most people don't buy dvd's anyway, but download them in the first place, making it even easier.

    6. Re:Sick and tired by MattSausage · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Just out of curiosity, isn't storing two iPads in the car the same sort of conundrum? And if you mean to remove the iPads every time you leave your car, why can't you do that with a dvd wallet?

    7. Re:Sick and tired by e3m4n · · Score: 2, Informative

      Who is going to carry around 100 of their original, expensive dvd's in their car?

      this was my thought too. My wife has a dodge grand caravan with a dvd system in it with a 5 disc changer. Personally I think it was worth every penny and has kept our road trips less stressful. Having the controls up front lets us manage playback which was great when my daughter was too young to operate the controls and once my son gets old enough to face forward in a vehicle I am sure I will re-appreciate the parent operated controls.

      The system in the minivan uses a 5-disc changer. Usually thats the maximum number of movies we have at any given time unless we're going on vacation and the kids want to pack a few extra. Aside from the fact that 5 kid movies is approximately 7hrs anyway... I cant express the fact enough the replay value a single movie seems to have with children. Watching a show 2, 3, even 4 times in a row has and will likely happen again. I can quote, in sync, just about every line to shrek (1 and 2), madagascar 1 and 2, all the pixar movies, and shark tales.

      I couldnt fathom a selection of 100 movies, I think the kids would still watch the same one 3 times in a row.

  3. I do not get it... by betterunixthanunix · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Can someone explain the appeal of these "in car entertainment" systems? Seriously, this sounds like another way to not pay attention to your kids, even while you are within 2 feet of them.

    --
    Palm trees and 8
    1. Re:I do not get it... by wiredog · · Score: 4, Insightful

      No, you get it. That's the purpose.

      --

      Best Slashdot Co
    2. Re:I do not get it... by Parlett316 · · Score: 3, Funny

      Dick waving contest. I always love driving behind a car that has two tvs in the headrests that are on and no one in the backseat.

    3. Re:I do not get it... by $RANDOMLUSER · · Score: 5, Funny

      Damn right!

      Kids these days with their "in car entertainment" and their "iPods" and whatnot; when I was their age all we had to do in the back of the station wagon was fight with our brothers and sisters and make faces at the cars behind us! And we were damn glad to do it!

      Now get off my lawn!

      --
      No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism. - Winston Churchill
    4. Re:I do not get it... by mungtor · · Score: 2, Insightful

      They're awesome ways to keep kids entertained when you're on an 8-hour road trip to take them to visit family and stuff. It's not a matter of "not paying attention" to them since they only come out in preparation for a long trip (at least in our case). They're not necessary, but it makes a trip much more enjoyable for everybody and significantly cheaper than flying. Often it's my wife and the kids in the back watching a movie together, talking, and basically hanging out while I'm driving.

    5. Re:I do not get it... by betterunixthanunix · · Score: 2

      Actually, I survived many such trips as an only child in a one parent home, and the only electronic entertainment was music. It was not that bad, I did not get bored speaking to my mom and looking at the various oddities in the rural regions between New York City and Toronto.

      It was not just my own mother; I have seen plenty of parents who are able to keep their children engaged, even on very long trips.

      --
      Palm trees and 8
    6. Re:I do not get it... by xgr3gx · · Score: 3, Interesting

      What we need to do is stop bombarding kids with constant streams of electronic entertainment.
      If a kid always has a screen with moving pictures (be it a dvd player, game or whatever) in front of his face, how do you expect them to sit still when you take it away. It like digital crack.
      Yes, kids can be a pain - but part of being a parent is dealing with those situations by interacting with them in a positive way.
      I'm not saying no TV ever, but people wonder why kids have attention deficit disorder. I'm sure most of those kids can hold their attention perfectly fine when it's focused on a TV. How is a teacher supposed to teach a class when most of the kids are used to constant electronic entertainment?

      --
      Shameless plug alert: Game server control panel
    7. Re:I do not get it... by sharkey · · Score: 2, Informative

      You're forgetting the semis! Anyone who could make an unsuspecting dad shit his pants by getting a trucker to blow their horn at the right moment was the clear winner.

      --

      --
      "Outlook not so good." That magic 8-ball knows everything! I'll ask about Exchange Server next.
    8. Re:I do not get it... by jo_ham · · Score: 5, Informative

      As any parent with a kid will (or should!) tell you, giving them access to things like that is all part of a managed activity schedule, much like access to TV or the computer. You can set aside times when your children can use these things, and for how long, and various other rules. In car entertainment is just another medium where this occurs.

      in the same way that multiple TV sets in homes added more flexibility for families where someone wants to watch channel A while others watch channel B, the in car systems mean not everyone has to listen to the radio, which can be a total blessing if your kids really want to listen to the high school musical soundtrack *again*, or the Bob the Builder greatest hits.

      Like anything involving parenting though, not everyone makes good parents, but allowing kids access to things like this doesn't automatically put people into that category.

    9. Re:I do not get it... by Dan+East · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Sure. I have a just-turned-2 year old. Legally he cannot be placed in the front seat (even with a proper carrier), so his car seat is in the row of seats behind me, where I cannot even physically touch him. I cannot read to him, or play with him, or do anything but say words out of my mouth. Last week we made a 14 hour round trip (and Mom couldn't go), and I was very, very thankful that he enjoys watching Curious George and Elmo on the integrated entertainment system, because otherwise he would have been miserable - bored out of his mind, screaming his head off, and stressing me out and taking my concentration away from driving.

      We stopped and grabbed a couple DVDs out of a RedBox for a buck a piece, and returned them the next day at our local RedBox when we got home.

      We even have a TV and DVD player at our house too. More than one, believe it or not.

      --
      Better known as 318230.
    10. Re:I do not get it... by Psmylie · · Score: 5, Funny

      No kidding! We made our own entertainment as kids. We played games, and not just the tame ones like "I spy" and the like. We made our OWN games, thus increasing our creativity! We played games like, "What's that smell?" and "Does this hurt?" and "Let's make the veins pop out on the driver's forehead"! And, of course, the ever popular "I'm not touching you!" while waggling a finger mere millimeters away from your siblings body after being instructed not to touch them. This last game was a real challenge, as a pothole or sudden change of direction could jostle you just enough to come into contact with your sibling, and therefore breaking the "rules" and getting you into trouble.

      Ah, good times. Good times.

      --

      psmylie's dictionary: Godzillion (noun) Any number large enough to destroy Tokyo

    11. Re:I do not get it... by $RANDOMLUSER · · Score: 2, Funny

      LOL. I swear to God, one time my kids got into a fight because "SHE'S LOOKING OUT MY WINDOW!!!".

      --
      No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism. - Winston Churchill
    12. Re:I do not get it... by Lumpy · · Score: 2, Funny

      what was fun was mooning and flipping people off from the back seat in the station wagon. Dad cant see what you are doing and he wonder why everyone passing is honking at him and flipping him off.

      P.S. doing it to a cop will get you in trouble.

      --
      Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
    13. Re:I do not get it... by istartedi · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Yeah, do kids even play the "license plate game" anymore? They'll never know the reward of hours in the car, and then the majesty of the Delaware Memorial Bridge looming up on the horizon. "Daddy, is that the golden gate?" "No. This is Delaware". I bet they just look up from their gadget and go "hmph" if the 'rents point out the landmarks. Are these kids going to be so overstimulated that the only thing to turn them on will be something truly dangerous?

      --
      For all intensive purposes, "whom" is no longer a word. That begs the question, "who cares"?
    14. Re:I do not get it... by Just+Some+Guy · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Kids these days with their "in car entertainment" and their "iPods" and whatnot; when I was their age all we had to do in the back of the station wagon was fight with our brothers and sisters and make faces at the cars behind us!

      Being serious now, I do feel bad for today's kids. When I was growing up, you could sleep across the back seat or climb up front to hang out with the parents. On quiet stretches of the interstate, Dad would let me sit on his lap and steer while he worked the pedals. Sure, it was unsafe as hell, but it beat being continuously strapped down as is mandated now. I can't blame the kids for wanting their DSes and iPods because they're stuck in their seats for 8 hours at a time.

      --
      Dewey, what part of this looks like authorities should be involved?
  4. People are less like to smash your car windows... by Assmasher · · Score: 4, Insightful

    ...to steal the factory installed DVD system than they are to grab the two iPads in your back seat.

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  5. Why would this be different from navsystems? by TomHandy · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Automakers still seem to charge ridiculous amounts for integrated navigation systems - the fact that you can pick up a GPS unit for under $100 doesn't seem to prevent them from charging $500-2000 for nav systems. Somehow I doubt they'll change anything here either. I figure that the thinking is they can charge a huge premium for the benefit of having a system integrated vs. just a separate device.

    1. Re:Why would this be different from navsystems? by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The worst thing about the integrated sat-navs is that they are often worse in every way(except the awkward cigarette-lighter-for-power and suction cup mount aspect) than even substantially cheaper discrete units.

      Standalone GPS units live in a brutal darwinian hell-world, where only the strong or the super-cheap survive. Integrated units live sheltered lives; bundled with much more expensive objects. The difference shows.

    2. Re:Why would this be different from navsystems? by TomHandy · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Yeah, that's always seemed like the craziest thing to me. Whenever I've been driving with someone with a luxury car and some expensive $2000 nav system built in, I've been kind of blown away that the system seems like something from 10 years ago, incredibly inferior to even the base model Garmin or TomTom units you can get for under $100. It really does seem like the only thing they have going for them is being integrated into the dash rather than a unit you have to put above your dash, but still...

  6. duh by alen · · Score: 5, Insightful

    i figured that out when the iPad was first announced. $2000 for a glorified $300 DVD system vs $500 for a dumbed down computer that can play movies and games and you don't need to take shiny discs with you that scratch easily

    and you can use the ipad outside the car as well. and if you're an IT geek with kids, the App Store has tons of IT management apps to give you console and any kind of remote access to almost any platform from anywhere. just in case you get a call while on vacation that something is wrong

    1. Re:duh by $RANDOMLUSER · · Score: 5, Funny

      If you're an IT geek you probably aren't buying Apple products.

      No, but if IT geeks work for you, you probably are. :(

      --
      No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism. - Winston Churchill
  7. And, guess what? by msauve · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Unlike the iPad, they too can play DVDs!

    --
    "National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
    1. Re:And, guess what? by rolfwind · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I would prefer the iPad, because I personally hate a bunch of shit in the car, including a mound of DVDs. They just clutter up the whole car, and usually become unplayable either through sticky fingers or scratches from going all around uncased, and what not. Not to mention that in an accident, shit flying all around can cause problems. Heck, it can cause an accident just from sliding around and somehow ending between your feet and the brake.

      In fact, unless it's a real car trip, I hate the thought of bringing up kids conditioned not to be away from a screen for a minute, being fed it nonstop. Not too long ago, once you got out of the house, you got to escape the TV at least.

      At least a portable gaming system is interactive. The iPad wouldn't be too bad either, with movie downloads and whatnot, especially netflix. But I won't be buying downloaded movies from apple or anyone else until the sell DRM-less versions just like the music now. They might as well, people just convert and upload the DVDs/Blu-Ray without problems as it is.

      But I do wish a simple book would be adequate these days. And I'm saying this as a frequent flyer who appreciate the personal entertainment systems in the seats these days, and their role in shutting the brats up.

    2. Re:And, guess what? by netsharc · · Score: 4, Informative

      There's a cool app on the App Store called "Air Video", it requires a server app on your normal PC (Windows/Mac), and a client App on the phone, the server reads your videos from its disk, converts it on the fly to an iPhone-compatible format, and streams it over WiFi (or 3G if your 3G is good enough) to the phone.

      I suppose for the ultimate in-car entertainment hackery, one could store an SSD-disked PC in the trunk, with WiFi that can connect to the "MyGarage" SSID, as well as offering in-car WiFi (or would that have to go the other way around, the home PC/server connecting to the "MyCar" SSID?), and with a network drive so you can just drag&drop stuff from your home PC "into" your "car". Maybe cron-job too for TV episodes. Add Wake-on-Bluetooth too so you can just click a button to turn on the in-car PC from the comfort of your own desk.

      Would surely save a lot of time compared to doing an offline conversion/USB sync...

      --
      What time is it/will be over there? Check with my iPhone app!
    3. Re:And, guess what? by Lumpy · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Buddy of mine ripped the DVD player out of his and left the screen. he built a XBMC to feed the screen and headphones and carries 250 gigs of movies and TV shows in the car with no cluttler at all.

      --
      Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
    4. Re:And, guess what? by 2obvious4u · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I bought a WD TV mini and burned my movie collection onto a 500GB USB drive. I didn't rip out the old DVD player I just connected the WD TV to the existing AV ports. We still use the DVD player for movies we haven't converted yet, but have access to the rest of our movie catalog while in the car. The best part is that the DVD's aren't constantly getting scratched up by the kids. Oh and it frees up a lot of space in the glove box where we had a case of DVD's now there is just a USB drive and the very very small WD TV box.

    5. Re:And, guess what? by Richy_T · · Score: 4, Funny

      Heck, it can cause an accident just from sliding around and somehow ending between your feet and the brake.

      Is that you, Toyota?

    6. Re:And, guess what? by lowrydr310 · · Score: 2, Informative

      XBMC is one awesome approach that provides movies and gaming. I too have a friend who did this.

      Another friend of mine had an interesting setup with a custom touchscreen in the center of the dash and two more in the headrests for the rear passengers that were connected to a microATX PC in the trunk. mp3car.com provides a ton of resources for the project. In this friend's case, he had a media center, GPS receiver with navigation software, an OBDII diagnostics utility, and a few other neat utilities. It was a cool setup, but as with any 'custom' solution it can be a chore to troubleshoot any problems that may arise. In my experience, the manufacturer-provided ICE systems usually 'just work' without much trouble.

  8. DVD Entertainment System?..sans the DVD. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Though it doesn't have a key element for kids: A DVD drive or a suitable ability to play the same movies they watch at home.

    Anyone who has a kid knows if they like their kids movies then there's got to be a easy way for them to watch it. Most parents aren't going to be ripping their kid's whole collection of DVDs and putting them on an iPad. There needs to be a connection here for this to be even semi-viable for parents. That or iTunes is going to have to try to get some more kid's videos than I believe it has.

    I don't think Jr is really going to be all that excited about all the apps.

    1. Re:DVD Entertainment System?..sans the DVD. by Lectoid · · Score: 5, Interesting

      I don't know, my 3.5 year old daughter and 1.5 year old son love daddy's "omputer" far more than TV right now. They can draw and color wherever they touch, then send the picture to grandma. Play animal sounds by touching the picture. They can watch an awesome animated Toy Story book as it reads to them (I read to my kids everyday, but try as I might I can't make books animated). She can watch cartoons on netflix anywhere in the house. And that's just in the first few weeks, Who knows what they'll come up with months from now. I went on a trip a few weeks ago and took my iPad and my laptop. My laptop is still in it's bag.

      Now I am like some of you in that your against apple's walled garden, but it's a big damn garden and I've yet to find something I need that's not in here.

      --
      Is it just me, or do you hate it when people say "Is it just me..."?
    2. Re:DVD Entertainment System?..sans the DVD. by nicktripp · · Score: 2, Interesting

      "Anyone who has a kid knows if they like their kids movies then there's got to be a easy way for them to watch it." "I don't think Jr is really going to be all that excited about all the apps." I ripped all of my kid's DVDs for an iPod Touch because it was the easiest way for him to watch them. He can operate the thing without any help and it has a ton of age-appropriate learning/edu games from the App Store on there as well. He loves them. I limit his time with it pretty heavily and I've got the parental controls enabled, but that iPod is absolutely his favorite thing in the world. He's 3 years and 7 months old.

  9. Re:People are less like to smash your car windows. by nacturation · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...to steal the factory installed DVD system than they are to grab the two iPads in your back seat.

    Maybe one day Apple will develop an iPad which is portable so that it can be removed from the vehicle? One can only hope!

    --
    Want to improve your Karma? Instead of "Post Anonymously", try the "Post Humously" option.
  10. iPad for GPS and Music by Go_Ask_Alex · · Score: 4, Interesting

    As soon as I heard about the iPad 3G, the first thing I though of was velcro-attaching it to the dashboard to use as a GPS unit, with full true Google Maps functionality ("My Maps"). A couple of 3m Command Jumbo Hook "velcro" strips should hold an iPad on the dash just fine, until some company makes a decent suction mount.

  11. -5 to 160 degrees? What about the kids? by Shag · · Score: 3, Funny

    The Cars.com article mentions some of the advantages of ICE, including being weather-tested to work from -5 to 160 degrees F (-20 to 71 C)

    Great! Glad to know the ridiculously expensive option allows the little tikes to enjoy their Disney fare while dying of hypothermia or heatstroke.

    --
    Village idiot in some extremely smart villages.
  12. Re:Old news - very old news by vlm · · Score: 3, Funny

    So what is so new with the ipad in this sense?

    When you really want to buy an ipad for yourself, and you tell the wife its actually for the kids.

    --
    "Science flies us to the moon. Religion flies us into buildings." - Victor Stenger
  13. Devil's in the details by Dan+East · · Score: 4, Interesting

    We have two vehicles - one with an integrated dual-screen entertainment system (screens fold down from the ceiling), and another vehicle with a $100 DVD player strapped to the back of the seat (actually came with two screens, but the wires going between them got in the way too much so we only use one screen).

    Let me say there is no comparison. Having an integrated system is so much better it's not even funny. There are audio IR blasters integrated into the ceiling which allow 4 people to listen to the movie simultaneously via wireless headphones. If the movie is piped through the car's sound system then it is in full surround through the Bose audio system. My HTC Touch Pro 2 has video out, so I can plug it into the car and play Youtube, encoded videos, etc, right through the integrated system. Wired headphone jacks throughout, DVD controls on the ceiling in addition to standard IR remote.
    And the best part is the screens fold flat into the ceiling and totally disappear. Out of sight, out of mind, can't be stolen, scratched or have crap spilled on them.

    The BEST option, if money was no object, would be to purchase a vehicle with a fully integrated entertainment system, then add an "automotive" PC that can play back through that system as a secondary display (with the primary display being a touch screen in the front).

    --
    Better known as 318230.
  14. Death and Taxes by whisper_jeff · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Quit bitching or go somewhere else. Lots of Apple fans read _and contribute to_ Slashdot. There are a variety of subjects I don't care about but I know numerous Slashdot readers are passionate about them so I know I'll continue to see those subjects in submissions. I just skip them. The content I want to read is interesting enough that I can just skip over the content I'm "sick and tired" of seeing. So, seriously, you have a choice - quit bitching about it or go read your geek news somewhere else. It isn't going to change so you might as well complain about death and taxes while you're at it.

  15. Re:Apple Marketing Spammers Can't Save This Turd by jo_ham · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The Edsel was actually an excellent tech testbed and spawned several ideas used in later products, despite being a financial failure as a product itself.

    Either way, I'm not sure that I can take the word of an AC on slashdot that the iPad, which has been on sale for about a month is a "dismal failure" and a "turd of a product". From what I have seen of a broad range of reviews, both positive and negative, I don't think it can really be classified as that.

    Perhaps your anti-Apple anger is making you resort to hyperbole. Perhaps that is also why you accidentally checked the "post anonymously" checkbox.

  16. uhh by nomadic · · Score: 2, Funny

    At $500 a pop, giving two kids their own iPads would cost far less than what the automakers charge for an ICE system.

    And the only drawback being they can't play DVDs at all? Why not replace the ICE system with a shiny rock they can look at, even cheaper than the ipad and it can't play DVDs either.

  17. Re:plenty of people in the US too by stewbacca · · Score: 4, Insightful

    And plenty of Apple customers don't care one bit about what people think about them, or if it is "cool" or not to be using a MacBook, iPod, iPad, iPhone, or whatever.

  18. Re:-5 to 160 degrees? What about the kids? by elrous0 · · Score: 2, Informative

    Actually, it's more appropriate to say that it can WITHSTAND those temperature extremes. While your kids may not be in the car when it's 120+F, those players still are. Try leaving a iPad out on the seat for about a year in Arizona and see if it still works (direct sunlight at the height of summer here can melt most common plastics outright). That "ridiculously expensive" DVD system is so priced because it's built to last and survive over the long-term in an environment with extreme temperature variations and to handle daily jarring movement/vibration.

    --
    SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
  19. don't mean to state the obvious here.... by SethJohnson · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Do a Google search on the phrase, "Disney largest shareholder" and you will also answer the question of who has the keys to the "Disney Vault."

    Seth

    --
    $5 / month hosted VPS on linux = awesome!
  20. and for under 120.00 by night_flyer · · Score: 2, Insightful

    you can buy an after market portable DVD player designed to use in a car...

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    Thanks to file sharing, I purchase more CDs
    Thanks to the RIAA, I buy them used...
    1. Re:and for under 120.00 by EmagGeek · · Score: 2, Insightful

      And, unlike the iPad, it'll actually play DVDs!

  21. A waste of money by GoJays · · Score: 2, Insightful

    In my day, entertainment on long drives was looking out the window and making up games as we went. Kids are already exposed to enough television and other mindless entertainment. Do they really need to have their own iPad for the occasional long drive? Maybe they should try looking out the window and experiencing the world in which they live.

  22. How is this specific to iPad? by Sloppy · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Doesn't the exact same thinking apply to any personal computer that isn't bundled with the car? If a $500 iPad is trouble for Ford, then a $400 laptop that can do anything, even things not approved of by Apple, is even more trouble for Ford.

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