Posted on: Tuesday, January 11, 2005

Putting the iPod in the driver's seat

Apple sold 4 million iPods over the holidays, including the colorful Minis above. New adapters will hook up the iPod to car radio controls. Gannett News Service

By Chris Woodyard
USA Today

The iPod is knocking the car stereo business on its ear.

Looking to capitalize on the digital music player's sales success over the holidays, auto electronics makers are rushing to develop plug-in adapters that let drivers pick tunes from their iPods using the controls of their car stereos.

It's a market that can't be ignored: Some retailers sold out of Apple Computer's iPod during the holiday shopping blitz. Analysts estimate Apple sold more than 4 million iPods during the holiday rush; that could push the number of iPod users to 10 million.

Yet Phil Leigh of Inside Digital Media says 60 percent of music listening takes place in cars.

Not only can iPod music sound better through expensive speakers, but safety is an issue, too. With adapters, drivers can use their car stereo controls to run their iPod instead of fiddling with the unit itself.

Coming to market:

• Pioneer Electronics plans to introduce a $140 adapter in March that will be compatible with 3 million of its newer and older car stereo units.

• Clarion says it will unveil an adapter at an industry trade show this month that will work in conjunction with a 7-inch monitor. When it's available in February, listeners will be able to pick the tunes they want by touching the screen.

• Alpine Electronics announced in September that it had developed a $100 adapter that keeps the iPod out of sight with a plug in the glove box, behind a seat or under a dashboard. Other high-end stereo makers such as Blaupunkt say their units are usually equipped with a plug-in that can accommodate an iPod, although the iPod can't be controlled from the stereo.

Apple's Web site sells a couple of set-ups for playing iPods in cars, though stereo makers say they are inferior to adapters. One is a wireless device that transmits iPod signals to the FM radio. Another plugs into cassette players.

Automakers are clamoring for iPod hookups, too. BMW and Apple announced a $149 adapter earlier this year for "seamless integration" between iPods and the car stereo. The adapter, which works on BMW's smaller models and the Mini Cooper, was sold out until two months ago, says BMW spokesman Oleg Satanovsky.

In Europe, a limited edition of DaimlerChrysler's Smart two-seater has a built-in cradle for an iPod.

Others are watching.

"It's certainly something we're looking at," says Subaru's Mike Whelan.

And for good reason: "If you can motivate some people to buy a car because it's iPod-friendly, it's an important advantage," Leigh says.