CL6

If you look at the stereo photo on the right side there is a button that says 'Folder' on it. Will this be for a hard drive or to navigate the iPod files? Any idea?

dipkat

I think its for the MP3/WMA decoder of the CD player. Adding a hard-drive would unnecessarily add to the cost and weight of the vehicle. I hope its not a hard-drive.

Colin

I seriously doubt it will have a hard drive, but I also doubt that the weight of a hard drive has anything to do with that decision.

mg7726

lol - a hard drive is like 16oz. you crack me up!!

BuddySol

The Fit also has the folder button...

...so maybe it's for the iPod connection that the Fit will have. Which would be quite awesome.

CL6

I think it must be for the iPod. But that would mean that the Nav system will display what the iPod has on its screen?

blnemec

The 2005 RDX concept video said there would be a stereo hard drive. Sony MEX-1HD and Pioneer DEH-P90HDD were early (2003) models. Newer model has removable USB drive, etc.

250 gig Western Digital PC hard drives have sold for about $40 after rebate. Price and weight should not be a factor - Acura's willingness to be a leader is a factor.

Colin

Not to be rude, but is this the first time you've ever seen a concept car? Seriously, the concept shows a lot of things that will never make production. Air jet wipers, cameras in place of side view mirrors.... to name a few. The marketing types will decide if adding new tech like that will increase sales.... engineering types will have to decide if they want to offer computer type tech support should something go wrong for the life of the car!

dipkat

Agree that weight is not a factor and if it ain't gonna cost too much to have the hard drive integrated into the audio system, then why not? With all the other gobs of lux features and this RDX is truly in a league of its own when it comes to defining luxury. BTW are there any other factory systems from any other manufacturer that currently offer a hard-drive ?

dipkat

Also on a similiar note, the audio system supports 5.1 DTS surround sound

http://www.vtec.net/articles/article...naias-0218.jpg

That means this should definitely be a 10" sub-woofer.

http://www.vtec.net/articles/article...naias-0208.jpg

http://hondanews.com/CatID3094?mid=2...38521&mime=JPG

I only that the prototype shown here makes it to the production version.

Colin

I just don't see it. How are you going to warranty that? What if someone complains (when it fails) that they lost their data? What are you going to do 10 years from now when a replacement is needed? Acura won't produce the HD, they'll have to rely on the computer industry to provide parts and support for this for 10 years after production ends on the car. The computer industry changes too fast.... try finding a 4x CD-ROM drive now...

dipkat

I see your point. I see more value in having a SD card slot like what they have on the new Civic SI. The only limiting factor over there is that you are theoretically limited to the max. capacity of SD (which I believe is somewhere close to 4 GB) . Well atleast you have the capability to have some form expandable memory.

Colin

Ture, but at that point, why not plug in the iPod?

kbecker

Back in September of last year Acura announced they would support iPod connectivity in the 2006 RL, TSX, RSX, and MDX, using the "Acura music link" adaptor. The cost is supposed to be around $250 plus any installation labor charges. I would be very surpised if the same option wasn't available for the RDX.

The cool part is that they mentioned something about text-to-speech or VoiceID support using the adaptor. Being able to navigate iPod playlists and folders by voice command would be a real big plus for Acura. The RDX looks to have voice command support with the NAV option - might be another good reason to fork over the extra cash for NAV.

One of the prototype photos shows a massive subwoofer embedded in the passenger side of the rear cargo area; the concept had a matching one on the driver side - two 10" subs in the rear would definitely give some "punch" to the bass!

The only thing missing is MP3 support from DVD. DVD-Audio is nice, but I'd like to pack 4.7Gb worth of mp3s on a DVD. JVC seems to be the only one who offer this in a headunit so far, though. I guess I'll just have to settle for an iPod!

I think I'm going to get an RDX this summer! My wife loves her TL so I won't have much of a problem selling her on the idea!

CL6

In the MDX with the Nav you cannot 'see' anything from the iPod on a display except which track you're listening to. I see by the stereo it supports WMA, MP3, DVD-A, CD.

Only thing I can think of is the iPod for the folder button.

97AcuraCL

its probably for the built in Mp3 decoder that a lotta hondas are showing up with. the new civics and elements for example all the the ability to read an MP3 CD... which is to say 800mb of mp3's on one disc.

randomTL

Since the stereo shows that it plays MP3s, the file buttons would be to move between file folders on an MP3 CD-R. Many new cars have this feature. It may also give you control of the iPod as kbecker said.

blnemec

Pioneer stereo with 30 GIG hard drive sounds like the RDX stereo ??

http://www.cnet.com/4831-11405_1-6413238.html?tag=all




Cnet editor's best of CES:

Count Blah

As cheap as hard drives are now, 30gb just seems silly for anything other than an iPod.

Packrat55

The VP of Honda Sales presented at a show and said the car would have hard drive audio. He wasnt talking about the show car but what would be delivered.

regarding the technology I don't think spare parts will be a problem for a hard drive in our life time. Face it technology has slowed down so much since the ninety's things are faster but still the same. At this rate we will never have the flying cars they promised us 50 years ago.

thorium

I agree. I'm a computer consultant.

The vast majority of PC hard drives were all IDE interface for a long time (10 yrs min.) - and IDE hard drives will be around for at least another 10 yrs.

Sure, the hard drives get exponentially larger, but the connector remains unchanged for a long time.

Colin

Well, just to clarify my position: I hope it has a hard drive cause this would be a huge advantage for Acura as they push the high tech nature of the product. My argument isn't really against it from a personal point of view, but rather an (attempted) justification if it never appeared. If it really makes it to prodution I'd be thrilled!

thorium

Yeah I think if they don't add it, its simply because they don't need to. There's almost no cars with one included. My guess is it is not included in the '07, but is then added in '08 or '09 as a cool new feature, after they perfect the MP3 playing software through the NAV unit.

Colin

I agree, this is EXACTLY the kind of upgrade they like to do in "year two" cause there is little or no re-tooling necessary to introduce it to production.

Rocket_man

The Folder button is to navigate to folders on a hard drive containing MP3's, WMAs etc. We have an 06 Civic (non-nav) but it has instructions for using this feature in the owners manual. The Navi has a PC Card slot which can accept a PC Card hard drive. This is where the music is stored. Plug it in, remove, replace, takes about 5 secs. I suspect the RDX will have the same thing. The Nav system is likely the same as the 06 TSX navi which has the slot but no functionality.

The Acura Music Link is appearently a waste of time and money. Check the threads in the TSX forum. A few have tried it and it seems to be a waste.

Colin

Well, no Hard Drive Audio I guess with all the grumbling about the autodimming mirror.... everyone forgot about this.....

Packrat55

I didn't forget the VP of Marketing for Acura speaking at a press conference talk about the HD audio.

Everyone in the car business is a liar.

Colin

Well, I'm in the car business and I said it wouldn't happen.... no everyone is a liar. Lot's of things change between prototyping and production....

CL6

Yeah and a lot of people not in it are stupid.

HondaGuy347

An integrated hard drive is one of those things that sounds like a great idea in the abstract, but is something very few people would ever use.

Why?

Because there are two groups of people, those who care about MP3s/Digital Music, and those that don't. Those that do all already own some sort of MP3 player, beit an iPod or some other product which can be plugged into the AUX. Or they can burn an audio disc. They can also apparently burn a data CD, and use a PC card/USB drive/whatever. That's 4 ways to listen to digital music (nevermind AM/FM/XM), so why does Acura need to add a redundant FIFTH way of doing it? People who have resisted buying an MP3 player for the past 5 years aren't going to start transfering music to the HD of their car all the sudden, and people who listen to digital music already have a portable HD. So what would be the point aside from bragging rights or "it's cool?"

cali TL

when they said HD audio, is it possible he meant High Definition audio, IE dvd audio? And ya, as an acura sales consultant, i take offense to that myself. You would be surprised how many of us lurk around here and gladly provide in house information to you guys.

Im sure my colleages will agree tho, the stereotyping is worthwhile, considering i get paid to talk to people about cars all day

CL6

"Buyers are liars."

chyllintsx

i think all this is bull.. the only thing ive seen is the new g35 with a memory card slot... just like the ones on the printers where u can plug in all sorts of memory cards... thats hot... but space is limited..

wolfeman314

I believe the new Mitsubishi Outlander has a partition on its navigation hard drive for songs (up to 1,000 I think). . . automatically saves whatever you've played on the CD player. The new LS460 also has a hard drive (up to 2,000 songs). Don't kid yourself, chyllintsx, the technology is here and pretty sophisticated.