foregoing amsterdam: Will the iPad mini be a double DIN killer?

1 Day Ago	? #1
? DSOTM Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: LFT Age: 39 Posts: 3,195 Thanks: 71 Thanked 78 Times in 69 Posts	After seeing some creativity with the full sized iPad from Soundman: Soundman Car Audio - Home of the iPad mini Car Install this article: The New iPad Mini Will Fit Almost Perfectly In Your Dash and the fact that others are talking about installing the iPad mini in front of the existing car stereo, it makes me wonder if the iPad mini has the potential to be a double DIN killer or not. I know my sister uses a full sized iPad connected to my old Alpine CDA-9885 and it sees the iPad just as it would an iPod for playing music. Let's take it one step further with the 4G/Cellular data capabilities of the soon to be shipping iPad mini, and one has a nifty powerful device that could integrate with just about any iPod/iPhone capable head unit. Then add to that the fact that my DEH-80PRS will allow me to operate an i device in application mode, and now the possibilities aren't so limited. When I was torn between a double-DIN and a single DIN head unit a few months back, one of the largest turnoffs to most double-DINs is that they are painfully slow. It takes a while for them to go from powering up, to playing music. Then if you want NAV, you get to wait even longer. Going further, most DD HUs have limited customization options and are pretty much dead end technology. What you see is what you get with maybe the option of being able to update your maps. One of my MECP installer friends was the one who told me that I was better off going with a single DIN and an iPad or iPhone than going with the most expensive double DIN on the market. In conclusion, it seems as though the iPad mini would kill multiple birds with two stones. It would allow me to have active processing, steering wheel controls, bluetooth pairing, and touch screen entertainment. Then when it is obselete, replacing either the iPad or HU will be cheaper than purchasing a high end double DIN that is still running outdated technology. Does anyone else have any thoughts on this or am I ranting like a mad scientist again?
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1 Day Ago

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Quote:

Kill? No. The vast majority of people who would buy a car audio DD will not know how to implement a bug free seamless tablet head unit. There isn't even an app that resembles a car audio specific GUI, nor a hardware package to make it a reliable and completely functional option.

I'd be willing to bet it is fairly functional with my DEH-80PRS if it is anything like my iPhone 4S connected to it with the HU in application mode. In application mode, it feeds EVERYTHING audio related from the iPhone to the HU, while letting me control it from the iPhone. After all, the iPad mini is just a large iPod touch.

Then again, I could be wrong, which is why I started this thread in the first place versus just jumping in and ordering an iPad mini from the outset. I'm hoping to realize the error of my ways PRIOR to spending the money versus AFTER.

Disclaimer: Posts made under the screen name ChrisB are for entertainment use only! Opinions, conclusions, and other information in these posts that do not relate to ChrisB, shall be understood as neither given nor endorsed by ChrisB.

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I'm more curious on how you get the highest quality sound out of a ipad?

iPad running Apple Lossless files ran through an iStreamer (or something similar) to a DSP, done. If you don't mind losing a CD player and willing to convert your CD collection to Lossless. This could be a very good set up because you could have over 300 CD quality songs with you.