An Apple Iphone, that is. This guy actually has used a pre-production Iphone and says some good stuff:
http://www.suntimes.com/technology/i...Andy18.article

Yep, I can see me tooling down the road sometime in August in my RL linked to my Iphone with my Treo 650 being relegated to history. Part of an on-going evolutionary adaptation process, eh?

You think there will be a way to link the music part of the Iphone to the RL's audio via Bluetooth? Anyone have insights on Ipod to Bluetooth to RL audio adaptors/interfaces?

 

I think the RL's Bluetooth implementation only supports the Headset and/or Hands Free Bluetooth profiles (and maybe the Dial-Up Networking profile due to AcuraLink). It doesn't support A2DP (or AVRC) which would be required for stereo Bluetooth. Using the HFL currently overrides the audio system output. Maybe a firmware upgrade could be done to enable A2DP support but I doubt Acura would do it for older models. I'd expect to see bluetooth stereo audio support in a few years - I'm not aware of any cars that support it right now (does anyone know if there are?). It would be cool to just play my MP3's stored on the 2GB microSD in my KRZR through the Bluetooth link. The KRZR does support A2DP.

 

Found this tonight on the engadget.com site. He makes some interesting comments about market share that almost sound like of the RL marketing discussions here.

Beatus Mongous @ Mar 6th 2007 3:59PM
"I see Apple gaining a 1% share of the cell phone marketplace, but little else. Cell phones are a commodity which the public usually gets for free when they sign-up with a carrier."

1% market share = 10 million units = $500 million. I think Steve will take 1% market share with a smile. I sure would.


"Plus, Apple isn't jumping into a new market here like they did with the iPod. They'll actually have competition with this product. For an example, look at how well they've won the personal computer wars, what with their 5% market share."

People always throw that "5% market share for personal computer sales" figure to prove some point. When trying to compare Apple's 5% market share to Microsoft, you're most likely making the assumption that Microsoft is scoring the other 95%, or at least a huge part of it. Microsoft and Windows should not even be conisdered in this figure. Doing so is like comparing Ford to Exxon. Ford makes cars. Exxon makes gas. Not the same thing. Apple makes computers. Microsoft makes software (and some other things, too).

Now let's compare Ford to GM (not literally, so don't go there):

The 5% market share refers to new computers distributed during the year. 5% market share translates into over 4 million Macs. Since HP (the highest hardware vendor) is at 17.4% market share, for every 3 or so HPs sold, a Mac is sold. 3 to 1. Not too shabby, if you ask me.

Another thing to look at is the installed base. Since the average Mac buyer upgrades their computer every four years, and the average HP buyer replaces their computer every 6 months, the Mac installed base number of 16% is actually higher than any other hardware vendor. That means there are more Macs in use than there are HPs in use. WOAH! I'm not saying that there are more Macs in use than Windows machines, though. But I hope that explanation actually helps solve the "low numbers" question.

As far as the iPhone, I want one. It's just cool, and you can't argue on that point (mostly because it is MY opinion).

Sources:
http://www.macobserver.com/article/2007/01/18.9.shtml
http://macdailynews.com/index.php/weblog/comments/5933/
http://apple.slashdot.org/apple/05/0...25.shtml?tid=3

 

HP owners flipping their computers every six months sounds a bit far-fetched don't you think?

At any rate, I agree with what another poster said regarding Acura and Apple doing some co-branding marketing. Cool car interfacing with cool gadgets. From some of the engineering and car mags, there have been comments about BMW putting a lot of money into research regarding consumer electronics interfacing with auto electronics.

It would be detrimental to a car manufacturer's exclusivity, but don't you think we will one day be buying cars that have electronic racks where we (the owner) can snap in whatever package we choose (GPS, audio, etc.) at time of purchase without having to do any custom wiring, etc. Furthermore, as electronics advance, we would be able to up-grade the electronics package without trading our car. Plug and play. Would be tough on car sales but great for the consumer.

 

Potential Iphone demographics sound strikingly like 2nd gen RL owner demographics (particularly income).
htp://.com/2rww9c (t to http - site keeps wanking up the link)

 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/macworld/200...yJHbT9CwcE1vAI

The site wanked-up the unfinished link! Let's see how this link goes.

 

Steve Jobs may have hit man looking for this guy with one of the first twenty pre-production Iphones. Also a interesting conversation about a restaurant called Balthazar:

http://episteme.arstechnica.com/eve/...m/428001635831

 

Or, the guy was doing exactly what Jobs wanted him to do -- viral marketing.

 

Even as an Apple fanatic, Mac Kool-Aid drinker, and stockholder, I'm not interested in the iPhone. The network is more important, in my area Verizon is king , and my Treo 700p works fine. So until the iPhone is on VZW, meh.

(AAPL shareholder hat on) Of course, if you want to switch to AT&T (yuck) to buy an iPhone, go for it! (AAPL shareholder hat off).