Should have, could have, would have
Except Microsoft did and made an Apple fan-boi realise that Microsoft has got game.
I recently rented a 2011 Ford Edge with Ford Sync. When the time came, I didn’t want to turn it back in.
Sync is the hands-free entertainment/communications system from Microsoft that’s factory-installed in more than 2 million Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury vehicles since the Fall of 2007 — and it’s great. Sync is the kind of technology that Apple could have set the standard and owned the industry, but didn’t.
Sync has a ton of excellent features, most notably all the places to plug in your iPhone. I instinctively grabbed my trusty 12v to twin USB adapter from my Pilot (out of habit) before taking the Ford Edge for a spin — but I didn’t need it. In the Edge, Sync has two USB ports that can charge and (play from) an iPhone, or you can plug in a USB drive and browse your music by genre, album, artist, playlist or song title. In addition to the USB inputs, the Edge has an SD card slot and RCAs inputs to connect just about any video player including a camcorder, video game or video iPod.
The voice stuff is great too. Some of the simpler voice commands include “Play Genre: Rock,” “Play [Artist]” or “Play Track: [Song Title].” But Bluetooth is where it’s at. I love having an audiobook playing from my iPhone out via the Bluetooth connection in the vehicle for longer drives. The best part is turning on my Jawbone Era (the best BT headset around) when I park and having it seamlessly pickup the connection and continue playing my book in my headset as I continue on foot.
Sync’s Bluetooth is great for books, podcasts and music but also acts as a hands-free calling system and it was dead-simple to pair to the iPhone 4. I usually opt for my Jawbone when I need to make calls from the car, but the Sync’s hands-free calling is a nice backup option if you don’t have a dedicated Bluetooth headset — or didn’t bring it with you.
Granted, I’m comparing the ‘11 Sync setup to an ‘09 Honda Pilot and a ‘08 Toyota Prius, and I know that both have newer/better Bluetooth options available. I wish that I would have explored the Ford Sync system further before purchasing our family Pilot — but whatever. I also wish Apple would have come out with some sort of integrated car hub because I think that it could be even better.
Since Apple owns iOS, the dock connector and the wonderfully popular hardware in between, it could build the ultimate automotive hub for our iDevices. Think of a thin client Mac (more Apple TV than Mac mini) that could manage all of the playback, charging, syncing and storage of connected devices, or even better - an iOS-based entertainment system that brings apps to the dashboard?
I know, I know, Apple has its hands full and automotive isn’t a core competency. I get that. But after using Sync for just a week, and seeing how easily it worked with the cadre of devices that I carry around at any given time I was impressed. After using Sync for a couple of days it’s obvious that Ford and Microsoft have made a lot of progress with Sync, but it isn’t perfect and I can only imagine what Apple could do in the same space.
What about you? What’s your perfect car/media player set up?
iMacs are great, except for the grossly-inefficient cooling system, which causes the yellowing and burn marks IN the displays to begin with. 
