I think if you can buy a new car stereo that's completely iPod ready, that's the best option. :-) Wherever you buy it, hopefully they'll know what you need, if anything, to connect your iPod. (The Crutchfield people are super nice and very helpful if you call them.)
At the time we got our iPods, you could buy stereos that were sort of "iPod ready" and that's what toolman did for my car. He put my old car stereo in MW's car. Toolman still did whatever he had to do to make it so that MW could play his iPod through that stereo as well. (It wasn't a factory stereo, but one we'd bought a few years previously.)
My car has a plug that's similar to the thing I use inside to connect the iPod to the computer, except it's black. I could ask toolman how he got it in the center console thing (or glove compartment in the other cars). All four of our cars are just plug and play.
The part I quoted for you is how you can have a "plug and play" option even for an older car stereo. We have one of the other options in my car. I'd have to ask toolman, but it's one of these:
"Built-in iPod controls — Some stereos have the iPod controls built in and only require an adapter cable to connect to the iPod. These internal controls tend to result in fast communication between the devices, though not quite as fast as USB. The cable pictured here is all you need to control an iPod with most newer Alpine stereos."
or
"USB connection — Stereos that have built-in iPod controls and connect to the iPod via USB input are the fastest at relaying information between the iPod and stereo. You shouldn't see any lag time. This style of interface is currently found on a few aftermarket stereos, like the Kenwood KDC-MP535U. But, shop carefully — many USB inputs are not compatible with iPods. They only work with other USB devices and thumb drives. "
But even with the other option I mentioned, it's still just plug & play, very easy.
I actually think controlling the iPod with the stereo is the best option, however you have to do it. You control the volume and can skip songs easily using the stereo controls, without having to fiddle with your iPod while driving, which would probably be a bit distracting, IMHO. :-)
Whether you use your iPod or the car stereo to switch playlists, you'd probably get into an accident from not paying attention while you scroll through the playlists. lol It's best to do that when you're stopped, if possible.
That's why I said it's easier to select the playlist on the iPod before you plug it in. It's a little easier to scroll through the playlists on the iPod (at least for me), and when you plug it in, it automatically goes that that playlist.
I think that even if you had an FM tuner or something like that, though, you'd still have to choose the playlist before you started driving. *g* I think it would actually be harder to skip songs or shuffle it or whatever. (If I choose "shuffle" on the iPod, the stereo knows that so when I plug it in, it's shuffled. I also have a button on the stereo that I can use to shuffle a playlist, and that can be done easily while driving. *g*)
Also, when your iPod is controlled through the stereo, you can see the song and artist and whatever else your particular stereo will show you, like the time or the number of songs on the playlist or how long each song it.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2008-11-03 07:06 pm (UTC)I think I'm gonna get a new stereo either in a week if my impulse control is weak, or in a few months after I've paid off my trip completely.
Is your ipod in some sort of dock?
Thanks!
(no subject)
Date: 2008-11-03 07:37 pm (UTC)At the time we got our iPods, you could buy stereos that were sort of "iPod ready" and that's what toolman did for my car. He put my old car stereo in MW's car. Toolman still did whatever he had to do to make it so that MW could play his iPod through that stereo as well. (It wasn't a factory stereo, but one we'd bought a few years previously.)
My car has a plug that's similar to the thing I use inside to connect the iPod to the computer, except it's black. I could ask toolman how he got it in the center console thing (or glove compartment in the other cars). All four of our cars are just plug and play.
The part I quoted for you is how you can have a "plug and play" option even for an older car stereo. We have one of the other options in my car. I'd have to ask toolman, but it's one of these:
or
But even with the other option I mentioned, it's still just plug & play, very easy.
I actually think controlling the iPod with the stereo is the best option, however you have to do it. You control the volume and can skip songs easily using the stereo controls, without having to fiddle with your iPod while driving, which would probably be a bit distracting, IMHO. :-)
Whether you use your iPod or the car stereo to switch playlists, you'd probably get into an accident from not paying attention while you scroll through the playlists. lol It's best to do that when you're stopped, if possible.
That's why I said it's easier to select the playlist on the iPod before you plug it in. It's a little easier to scroll through the playlists on the iPod (at least for me), and when you plug it in, it automatically goes that that playlist.
I think that even if you had an FM tuner or something like that, though, you'd still have to choose the playlist before you started driving. *g* I think it would actually be harder to skip songs or shuffle it or whatever. (If I choose "shuffle" on the iPod, the stereo knows that so when I plug it in, it's shuffled. I also have a button on the stereo that I can use to shuffle a playlist, and that can be done easily while driving. *g*)
Also, when your iPod is controlled through the stereo, you can see the song and artist and whatever else your particular stereo will show you, like the time or the number of songs on the playlist or how long each song it.