Apples and Autos

Whether you buy into the white computers or not, there's no denying Apple is on a roll. To date they have sold over 10 million iPods, more than 8 million of those in 2004 alone. Placed end to end, that's enough iPods to stretch well beyond the 600 miles from New York to Detroit.

In what may be an even more amazing feat, by offering iTunes Apple has also simultaneously transformed what might possibly be the largest copyright infringement battle of all time into a genius marketing coup worthy of the Harvard Business Review.

What do technology and the automotive industry have to do with one another, you ask? Well, with all of the advanced electronics littering the insides of our vehicles (as well as many of my recent posts), the answer is: plenty.

If that isn't enough, Ford recently announced that it will offer a free Dell Desktop computer with the purchase of any 2005 Focus. Yes, a free computer.

Never mind that PCs have replaced toasters as the current cadeau du jour, I can't think of anything Ford should be avoiding more right now than some cheap marketing gimmick that might further erode their already fragile consumer confidence and loyalty. Heck, if they're going to go ahead and give something away, why not an iPod? That's obviously what everyone wants.

The relationship between portable electronics and the car business has always been an interesting one, so much so that there is an actual industry group dedicated to just that. The reason for this is that electronics manufacturers and automotive companies seem to be caught up in an endless race to offer trendy equipment. Generally, electronics companies introduce the products first, leaving the car manufacturers to play catch up by introducing their own versions expressly for vehicles. Before there was a tape deck in your car, for example, there was the walkman (the Telematics Research Group (TRG) is the association whose task it is to keep score of who is introducing what).

Should you opt for the non-factory installed components and still want to stay up to date, consider the limitless tangle of wires, adapters, and chargers that would impede your ability to operate a motor vehicle. Think cell phone/charger, headset, navigation unit, radar detector, MP3 player, and DVD (backseat entertainment), and it’s a wonder anyone is able to drive at all.

While Bluetooth technology and Telematics like On-Star will certainly alleviate some of the clutter in areas where the auto manufacturers simply can't keep up, happily, some manufacturers are not completely paralyzed with bureaucracy. According to TRG, 17 manufacturers (up from 7 in 2004) will offer Bluetooth in model year 2005.

With regard to the iPod, Apple just announced that it has teamed up with Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Nissan, Alfa Romeo, and Ferrari to offer iPod integration in their vehicles in 2005. BMW and Mini seem ahead of the curve in this department. They began offering integration in 2004.

*Useless feature alert: Push button Start/Stop. Look for it in more and more models.

For information on the Bluetooth technology, see their site www.bluetooth.com.