Apple achieves what Empeg started
by Anand Lal Shimpi on September 8, 2005 1:39 AM EST- Posted in
- Anand
Almost exactly five years ago I reviewed something a little on the unusual side for AnandTech: an in-car MP3 player. Today, having an in-car MP3 player isn't so big of a deal, in fact a lot of new cars come with the option of adding MP3 playback to their stock stereo systems for a marginally overpriced option fee. But 5 years ago, the Empeg was a very big deal. It was the first attempt at a hard-drive based, in-car MP3 player, that offered the whole package. The Empeg (later known as the Rio Car) offered a stylish design, by far the best UI of anything available at the time, and a boatload of features.
The problem with the Empeg was that it was expensive; the first Empeg I bought set me back $1200, but it was by far the best investment in car audio I had ever made. After the Rio folks bought Empeg, the unit was rebranded as Rio Car but eventually the project was killed. The project was supposedly killed because the market for an after-market DIN-E sized device was shrinking; most car manufacturers had moved to non-standard dashboards and had opted for their own custom audio systems that integrated with all of the electronics in the car. The market for after-market was fading quickly, and thus the Empeg team apparently refocused their attention at helping bring the technologies behind Empeg to OEM car audio systems. One statement I will always remember was one of the folks behind Empeg saying that we shouldn't expect players like Empeg in cars for, at the time, at least another 5 years.
During and after the Empeg's death, Apple's iPod was quickly becoming a success and a household name. Yesterday, Apple introduced the iPod nano, frankly the coolest iPod to date. But what really got me thinking about the Empeg again was this page on Apple's site.
Apple's got a list of 12 car manufacturers that either current do support or will support iPod integration in their cars, not to mention that the manufacturers and cars supported by this thing are actually cars people want to buy! Apple's got everyone from Acura to Ferrari to Scion on that list, and you know that list is going to grow.
Currently the iPod interfaces with your car by yielding all of its controls to your car's audio system itself, it just basically acts as a big CD changer full of MP3s. Effectively what it's doing is it is leaving the UI up to the car makers, and leaving the storage technology up to Apple...see something wrong with this scenario?
If we've learned anything from decades of automobile manufacturing with modern electronic technology, it is that car makers just don't design intuitive user interfaces. Take BMW's I-Drive for example; although I haven't personally used it, all of the reviews seem to indicate that it is an abomination as far as UIs go (but it has gotten better over time apparently).
Today, the iPod is often tucked away in a glovebox, connected to your car stereo, out of sight and touch while you're in the car. If they aren't already, Apple will be in more cars than the Empeg folks ever were - but we are one step away from reaching that end goal of getting MP3s in our cars: the interface. The one aspect of the iPod that is arguably its strongest, is currently tucked away in a glovebox full of napkins and owners manuals. And that needs to change.
Apple is close, they are very close to achieving what the Empeg folks sought to do with car audio more than 5 years ago. There's just that one last step, that's always so very hard to implement. Either the car makers are going to have to start thinking about UI more, or someone else is going to have to make the first move, and Apple is in the best position to make that move.
By no means is this a prediction, in fact I think the exact opposite will come true; the car makers will continue to be stubborn and improve UI in their own convoluted ways and the iPod will remain in gloveboxes all over the world. But these days I miss my Empeg, and I desperately want the past 5 years of technological innovation to make their way into cars. I want an iPod in my car, but I don't want to give up its interface to do so.
I tend to ask for what I can't have :)
The problem with the Empeg was that it was expensive; the first Empeg I bought set me back $1200, but it was by far the best investment in car audio I had ever made. After the Rio folks bought Empeg, the unit was rebranded as Rio Car but eventually the project was killed. The project was supposedly killed because the market for an after-market DIN-E sized device was shrinking; most car manufacturers had moved to non-standard dashboards and had opted for their own custom audio systems that integrated with all of the electronics in the car. The market for after-market was fading quickly, and thus the Empeg team apparently refocused their attention at helping bring the technologies behind Empeg to OEM car audio systems. One statement I will always remember was one of the folks behind Empeg saying that we shouldn't expect players like Empeg in cars for, at the time, at least another 5 years.
During and after the Empeg's death, Apple's iPod was quickly becoming a success and a household name. Yesterday, Apple introduced the iPod nano, frankly the coolest iPod to date. But what really got me thinking about the Empeg again was this page on Apple's site.
Apple's got a list of 12 car manufacturers that either current do support or will support iPod integration in their cars, not to mention that the manufacturers and cars supported by this thing are actually cars people want to buy! Apple's got everyone from Acura to Ferrari to Scion on that list, and you know that list is going to grow.
Currently the iPod interfaces with your car by yielding all of its controls to your car's audio system itself, it just basically acts as a big CD changer full of MP3s. Effectively what it's doing is it is leaving the UI up to the car makers, and leaving the storage technology up to Apple...see something wrong with this scenario?
If we've learned anything from decades of automobile manufacturing with modern electronic technology, it is that car makers just don't design intuitive user interfaces. Take BMW's I-Drive for example; although I haven't personally used it, all of the reviews seem to indicate that it is an abomination as far as UIs go (but it has gotten better over time apparently).
Today, the iPod is often tucked away in a glovebox, connected to your car stereo, out of sight and touch while you're in the car. If they aren't already, Apple will be in more cars than the Empeg folks ever were - but we are one step away from reaching that end goal of getting MP3s in our cars: the interface. The one aspect of the iPod that is arguably its strongest, is currently tucked away in a glovebox full of napkins and owners manuals. And that needs to change.
Apple is close, they are very close to achieving what the Empeg folks sought to do with car audio more than 5 years ago. There's just that one last step, that's always so very hard to implement. Either the car makers are going to have to start thinking about UI more, or someone else is going to have to make the first move, and Apple is in the best position to make that move.
By no means is this a prediction, in fact I think the exact opposite will come true; the car makers will continue to be stubborn and improve UI in their own convoluted ways and the iPod will remain in gloveboxes all over the world. But these days I miss my Empeg, and I desperately want the past 5 years of technological innovation to make their way into cars. I want an iPod in my car, but I don't want to give up its interface to do so.
I tend to ask for what I can't have :)
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hussein - Friday, October 14, 2005 - link
I have an Empeg, and it works great in my 2003 Skoda Fabia. When you're talking about the interface on the Empeg, it is something best demonstrated. A simple stacked menu means you can tweak and pick playlists in seconds. It is very fast and reminds me of a Palm in the way it is lightweight and responds instantly to button presses.Another thing about the Empeg is its flexibility. Want to pick an album? You can use turn the knob on the face, or you can press the buttons, or use the remote, or even queue up some tracks on my Treo and beam them over. Take it home, plug it into your stereo and use it from across the room - the display is big enough. Plug it into your network and stream your music to iTunes with an ARM compile of mt-daapd. Run out of space? It takes up to 2 standard 2.5" laptop drives. There is serial, you can have GPS, you can have Pacman, the possibilities are endless.
Never think the Empeg is old or dead. Check out the active BBS at http://empegbbs.com/">http://empegbbs.com/ or the most comprehensive FAQ known to man at http://www.riocar.org/">http://www.riocar.org/ The v3 software is in Alpha and still in active development. There are still lots of accessories being made.
Anand, what do you drive? If you try hard enough, it will go in any car :)
kalaap - Wednesday, September 14, 2005 - link
I know Alpine is making an aftermarket ipod interface. And you can expand it to use on their nav systems w/ the lcd screens.http://www.alpine-usa.com/products/leading_technol...">http://www.alpine-usa.com/products/leading_technol...
creathir - Sunday, September 11, 2005 - link
Anand,what exactly are you looking for when you say UI?
I mean, technically speaking, we are talking about a way to choose what song you want, and play that song. Maybe I am not understanding due to the fact that I do not own an iPod, but how hard is that? Are you refering to navigation of the hard drive and organization of how the music selection is presented? I am guessing this is the case, because beyond that, it really would not be any more different than a CD changer. Display songs. Choose song. play song. I mean, to me, the "coolest" part of the iPod would be that darn little wheel. Quite clever. But I cannot imagine trying to use that while traveling 70 MPH down the freeway in traffic. I'd be all over the place in the menus... the volume going up and down... it would not be a pretty sight. I just would like to know what you mean exactly when you say you do not want to give up its interface... Thanks in advance!
- Creathir
michael2k - Sunday, September 11, 2005 - link
Really what we need is a HUD;a projector displays the UI on the windshield.
eye tracking cameras will pick up where you look (it has to be calibrated, and it has to be activated; perhaps a button or voice command to tell the cameras to start)
Then the issue of UI is up to the software; the iPod software is better than a CD changer, as the CD changer only displays a list of CDs (akin to a list of playlists). Being able to select by artist/album/genre/composer would be nice.
Kensei - Saturday, September 10, 2005 - link
My guess is that Apple knows it's way better at UI development than the auto manufacturers. But, the auto giants want a universal UI that runs everything and won't relinquish power over to Apple. Apple has no choice. It's either play the game the way the auto folks want to play or not have any place for the iPod in a car. An imperfect presence in the car is better than no presence at all. iPod users will know that the iPod's auto UI was not designed by Apple so Apple's UI reputation should remain untarnished. Only car owners will suffer having to use an inferior UI.There's also politics. There are probably already established groups in the auto industry working on UI. They don't want someone else telling them "how to do their job." Not only is it demoralizing but also threatens their livelihood (i.e., they'd eventuall be layed off).
Oh well... I guess the beat will go on.
Kensei
Nemokrad - Thursday, September 8, 2005 - link
Solution: Mount the iPod next to your steering wheel and plug it in to your head unit's line-in. Continue using your iPod's UI.dwcal - Tuesday, September 13, 2005 - link
The big problem is that very few head units come with a front line-in connector anymore. So your choices are hack an extension on a rear line-in, live with the bad sound quality of an FM transmitter, or buy an overpriced iPod dock.Gage8 - Friday, September 9, 2005 - link
Yes, but sometimes it is not very easy to find the line in, especially when, like Anand mentioned, so many cars have non-standard dash boards. They make it very difficult to get to the radio. Then it is basically a hack job anyway.my .02
Gage
michael2k - Thursday, September 8, 2005 - link
So what you want to see, really, is an Apple iPod Auto.Or a Mac Auto? Take a mini, strip out the laptop harddrive and put in a 60gb iPod harddrive, rework the UI, and make it the car-computer for anyone!
Either one would work. I wish someone would do something like that.
Wahsapa - Friday, September 9, 2005 - link
can a stipped mini fit in a DIN?