OK I am embarrased to ask this. I am in the It field and yet I am rather the novice with MP3 players and have never owned one or a IPOD. Witht he USB port in the 4G TL and lack of CD changer I need to cary some USB Flash drives. I have my entire CD collection ripped into an MP3 library so I dragged a few album folders to a USB drive. I put it in the TL and the play order seems to be odd. The TL manual says the order listed is based on order on the USB drive itself???? How the heck do you get this thing to play songs in the order they are based on track number? Is it as simpleas renaming the files to start with the track number in each folder?

 

Keith, is the car set on random or folder random? I

 

buy an iPod - plug it in - forget it -

 

Sad, but true. Since WMPlayer/ITunes keep the files sorted by artist and USB doesn't support playlists for whatever reason, I kind of see that as the answer. Too bad because my 8GB thumbdrive was like $12 shipped and an IPOD anywhere near that will be disproportionately expensive. I guess I will have to join the IPod camp, if I ever get my car.

 

I don't jump on the bandwagon too often but CRXB is right. Until we can figure out how to "hack" the USB stick, the iPod will save you frustration and time. They're so cheap these days. Without sounding snobby or boushy, if you can't afford an iPod GD, you can't afford this car.

You can go in and place 01, 02, 03 before each song on the USB files, but now the playlist will read, 01 01 Song title, 02 02 song title. It's rather annoying that the TL list view keeps those 1 2 3 numbers on the left side of the display, especially when using an iPod? In the words of the Oracle, "not too bright though..."

 

I tried using Tag and Rename to rename all the files with the track number in there, but that does nto help. According to the TLOwners manual the way it reads the USB drive is the ORDER THAT IT IS ON THE USB DRIVE. So it uses no intelligence to display it simply readsa file list and displays it in the order it is on the directory tabel on the USB drive. WOW Very crude and basic to say the least. Looks like I will be IPOD shopping. Any advice from you IPOD experts? I want to take an IPOD and throw it in the consoel and forget it, will the car keep it powered/charged?

 

yes it will keep it charged. I tested the interface out at the dealership and it is pretty slick. Which Ipod you get really depends on how big of a collection you want to have in your car and if you want to have to bring it inside to swap the music in and out if you get the smaller one. 8gb, 16gb, 120gb etc.

 

Stash, you beat me to it! LOL. Yes, this is the best part, the provided USB adapter in the TL will charge your device as you listen.

iPod touch is sick and basically an iPhone without the phone and internet. Huge screen! I think it's 420x320 pixels? 8GB/$229, 16GB/$299, 32GB/$399
iPod classic gets you a bigger HD 120GB/$249 - the grey finish goes with most cars
Nano 8GB/$149 or 16GB/$199

No matter what you go with, the most important part IMHO is the quality you put into these devices. You don't always have to use a compressed format such as MP3. I have about 4GB of AIFF files of really import music that I don't want to convert to save space, such as Bmode's Eclectic Cafe (shameless plug). But if you do have 5,000 songs you want to throw on one of these joints, then use a higher bit rate in iTunes when you convert your music. I wouldn't go lower than 192Kbps.

A compressed format takes away valuable bits of musical information that you normally get from a standard stereo CD which is 44.1khz/16-bits, so keep that in mind. I only use 320Kbps for my iPhone when converting AIFF's or WAV's.

I would recommend the iPod classic at 120GB you can probably get 15,000 songs on there with a decent MP3 rate. Be sure to check out the Apple store's refurbished section (bottom left column of store page under specials). You could save up to 40% off on certain items and you get a full Apple warranty. Good luck wit it!

 

Thanks, I am leaning toward the 120GB Classic!

 

Wish I would have seen this last night, I could have saved you the tagging effort lol. I had the same problem and made a thread for it a few weeks ago. All my albums/songs were in funky order. I could not solve it, so I plugged in my ipod and am very happy thus far. It loads faster than the USB stick did as well.

 

While Apple gives all their players the same specs:

* Operating temperature: 32° to 95° F (0° to 35° C)
* Nonoperating temperature: -4° to 113° F
(-20° to 45° C)
* Relative humidity: 5% to 95% noncondensing
* Maximum operating altitude: 10,000 feet (3000 m)


I wonder which one is most suitable for living in a center console?

 

I was thinking that myself, my guess is the flash based ipods will work regardless, the HD based classics, will probably be fine, I will have tinted windows and use winshiled visor when it is parked outside, I doubt the center console will get much above their rated specs. Wish thy had a 64GB or even 32GB Nano.

 

Noo... I hate Apple.

 

Watch your mouth CL smoove! That's blasphemy where I come from...LOL. Without Apple, I'd be a PC dork like the rest of you non believers!

Keith & GD, I had a 4GB iPod that I left in the center slide out section when I first got it the car during a 96 degree day, so you know the car inside was like 120! And it worked no problem, I don't know your weather area, but that's pretty frickin' hot. Going the other direction, most electronics do well in cold temperatures as the circuitry runs smoother and quicker. Heat is a killer for electronics!

 

I have a 5th gen I don't use since I have an iPhone now. I just leave it (iPod) in the center storage w/ the usb plugged in. Now here is not the winters up north. - but few days in the 20'F and it worked fine. For me its easier than plugging and unplugging my iPhone every time I enter/leave the car.

 

I leave mine in my TSX 24/7 with no problems. When I get my TL it is just going to stay stashed in the center console.

Price per space nothing beats the classic. If you are going to leave it in the car and not carry it around or use it for other things (jogging, email, etc) then the classic is the way to go.

 

I'm not so much a PC dork, I'm an IT Admin, and I use Linux systems a lot. I just refuse to use anything Apple. :P

If the iPod is a flash drive type of storage, it can survive pretty much any temps you throw at it, minus sitting in a desert or arctic for extended periods.

 

I'm no IPOD expert, is the current 120GB classic good, I read some reviews saying the DAC they switched to isn't as good anymore? Also older IPODs dna some of the other current ones don't support GAPLESS tracks so when you play something like Dark Side of The Moon or The Wall there will be a pause between tracks?

 

I don't have a classic iPod, and gapless audio is a setting in iTunes, not so much the iPod unless they changed it, which I doubt? Be careful of what you read on the internet, it's mostly subjective. Do your own research and go to an Apple store. The 4th and 5th generation iPods use a excellent high-quality internal Wolfson Microelectronics DAC's, Wolfson DACs are used in quite a few high-end home audio CD players, so don't believe the hype.

 

What I heard is the current 6th Gen Classic uses now Cirrus Logic DAC, clearly a cost cutting move.

 

I did confirm if I formata USB Drive then manually create folders and then drag tracks into the folders 1 at a time in track order it will play them that way. Rather a bit of a pain, but unilt I get an IPOD it will work. Boy what is up with Acura technology for the 4G, the poor USB support by not sorting by anything and then the HFL being such a pain to use.

 

http://anythingbutipod.com/

 

I wonder if you ripped the existing CDs to the cars HD, that you could get away with a flash based iPod? I stopped buying CDs a few years ago, but I still have about 6-700. Naturally I wouldn't listen to all this in the car, but I bet I could fit a whole lot of it. Then I'd only have to carry the newer stuff on the iPod. The iPhone could then hold the daily content like podcasts.

 

I'm ripping my core stuff to the car, will try a few flash drives then look ta an ipod, maybe the 8GB nano or somthing.

 

8Gigs is a lot of music Keith, and remember it's always a quick change to update.

 

Hi all,
I think I found a solution to the USB Flash Drive song ordering problem. I use Linux, so I was able to use the script located here: http://www.linuxforums.org/forum/lin...directory.html
However, this Windows utility appears to be able to do the same thing (I haven't used it myself):
http://www.jetman.dircon.co.uk/software/foldersort.html

Scott

 

Keith, dont overlook getting a used iPod from Craigslist. . . since the batteries eventually die, people are always trying to unload 4G and 5G ipods cheap, but since the TL recharges continuously that is no issue. I bought an 80G classic that way and it has worked perfectly. With the ability to sort by album, artist, custom playlists, get free podcasts, etc. . . .you won't turn back.

 

That's an option, but you don't know what your getting, so I'd go with the Apple refurbished store, you get a little discount and still have the full year warranty on it! Consider that.

 

This tool (when the web site is up) is decent, but it some how does not get all my folders, but it gets almost everything so I can load up a 16GB thumb drive now and sort it and skip an IPOD for now.

 

I busted down and bought a Nano, works well so far...and the screen is actually pretty good...too bad it's crammed into my arm rest.

Anyone figure out a way to get a cable up into the little slider tray thingy?

 

Negative. You would have to drill up and through the center console, it's just not worth it for me. Why didn't they think of this during conception? In the meanwhile, I just leave my iPhone on top the cup cover slider thing so I can see the screen while it's plugged in to the USB port.

 

Well I looked a little more today, there is a little groove for the cable to come up and around to connect...but it still wouldn't be as neat as having the cable routed on the inside.