I prefer to keep everything original, but it's only a few hundred
I like that very much
S212 E500 Avantgarde on Autotrader
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I like that very much
My old boss has done something very similar in his E36 330 Ci. Albeit using a cheap Chinese one (hmm....).
OP
OP
I have the set of Media Interface cables so can plug in a USB stick or iPod. And yes, I have to load files onto the SD card from a PC (I happen to have one with an SD card slot). It's also possible to copy-paste files from the SD card into the hard disc on Comand and so now I have a few dozen albums saved on there too in case I've forgotten to bring anything else.
Yes, things have moved on pretty fast in only a few years. It's only 15 years since some new cars still had a cassette player!
OP
OP
I prefer to keep everything original, but it's only a few hundred
Wow - how does one go about this upgrade?
MikeInWimbledon
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Apple Car play
That's an Apple CarPlay unit.
Apple started experimenting with this interface 2-3 years ago.
The unit I posted earlier is a cheap Pioneer unit (maybe £300 ish?), but there are much better units from Alpine and the usual suspects.
Here's a review from Cnet. Note that they vary in how they operate if you're not carrying your own phone - you might just be limited to radio functionality
https://www.cnet.com/products/alpine-ilx-007/review/
Note that different units may have different limitations about A2DP music streaming - for highest quality music, a cable connector is the best option.
They're all plug in units, but your local expert Car Audio geezer is the man who knows exactly how the compatibility works and what bus connectors and blanking plates are required.
In South West London, Sextons in SW18 would be my first port of call.
I would always keep the original head unit of the car, as many future buyers (including myself) would always prefer the original set up.
Here's an article on other units: https://9to5mac.com/2017/03/07/best-carplay-displays/
That's an Apple CarPlay unit.
Apple started experimenting with this interface 2-3 years ago.
The unit I posted earlier is a cheap Pioneer unit (maybe £300 ish?), but there are much better units from Alpine and the usual suspects.
Here's a review from Cnet. Note that they vary in how they operate if you're not carrying your own phone - you might just be limited to radio functionality
https://www.cnet.com/products/alpine-ilx-007/review/
Note that different units may have different limitations about A2DP music streaming - for highest quality music, a cable connector is the best option.
They're all plug in units, but your local expert Car Audio geezer is the man who knows exactly how the compatibility works and what bus connectors and blanking plates are required.
In South West London, Sextons in SW18 would be my first port of call.
I would always keep the original head unit of the car, as many future buyers (including myself) would always prefer the original set up.
Here's an article on other units: https://9to5mac.com/2017/03/07/best-carplay-displays/
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MikeInWimbledon
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Why is it that car audio can look a little dated after a while?
I was recently having and interview with a sotware company and we were discussing this.
The summary is that traditional car manufacturers work on a four year engineering cycle.
Tesla don't - the work on the "app on the screen" fast, iterative development lifecycle.
The big boys are (finally) beginning to think in those terms.
So in a few years time the lag will disappear.
ie the next gen E will no doubt have a proper app-driven interface.
Onlt seven years to wait until I can afford one LOL
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Strictly no subwoofers allowed in that car. No driving either if the musics on
MikeInWimbledon
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A bit of creativity and duck tape
With a bit of creativity and duck tape, there must be some way of retrofitting the Tesla screen in an E Class
The hour long test drive I had in the Tesla S must go down as the only time I've had to studiously ignore what was happening on a display screen. How those things don't kill people, I don't know. That screen is....."ludicrous."
With a bit of creativity and duck tape, there must be some way of retrofitting the Tesla screen in an E Class
The hour long test drive I had in the Tesla S must go down as the only time I've had to studiously ignore what was happening on a display screen. How those things don't kill people, I don't know. That screen is....."ludicrous."
With a bit of creativity and duck tape, there must be some way of retrofitting the Tesla screen in an E Class
The hour long test drive I had in the Tesla S must go down as the only time I've had to studiously ignore what was happening on a display screen. How those things don't kill people, I don't know. That screen is....."ludicrous."
God, it is a bit Dom Joly, isn't it?
Right; so the adaptor-thingy that goes into the head unit has arrived.
Can I just put any PCMCIA card in there or is there a particular spec I need to order?
EDIT; ordered this one; SanDisk Ultra Compact Flash 8 GB UDMA7 Memory Card up to 50 MB/s
Next question, assuming this the correct one I assume I'll need to get an adaptor for my laptop so i can download onto it?
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OP
OP
Yes, I guess so! I'm not sure about that part, as I happened to have a laptop with the right card slot already in it....
I had a look at my wife's laptop - I think it's got one. The card arrives on Friday as does the car (I hope) so I can try it all out then. Maybe. By the time I get home I'll probably have to head straight our again to catch a train to Derby......sigh
MikeInWimbledon
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(Cough) SD or Compact Flash....?
SW18 was talking about an SD card, which is half the physical size (ish) of a Compact Flash card (see below), so it "may" be that there's a size incompatibility here.
Have a look at what you've ordered by way of the PCMCIA card and the Memory card to check if they're both the same format.
But if your PCMCIA takes CF and you've ordered a CF card, then there's no problem.
If the PCMCIA takes CF and you've ordered an SD card, then all you need is a (cheap) adaptor thing which holds the SD card.
I'm told that if something's small, it can be inserted, but if it's too big you will just have to look at it and shake your head. (Same as usual.)
Depends on the age of the laptop as to which card it takes. Older laptops will take CF, but modern laptops such as the MacBook Pro will take SD.
There are rules about the number of files that can be held. It's something to effect that there can't be more than 25,000 files (sic) but files must be organised in up to eight directory levels. Something like Music / Artist / Albums / Tracks....etc.
Hope this helps....??
.svg/2000px-Flash_memory_cards_size_comparison_(composite).svg.png)
Here's the adaptor:
SW18 was talking about an SD card, which is half the physical size (ish) of a Compact Flash card (see below), so it "may" be that there's a size incompatibility here.
Have a look at what you've ordered by way of the PCMCIA card and the Memory card to check if they're both the same format.
But if your PCMCIA takes CF and you've ordered a CF card, then there's no problem.
If the PCMCIA takes CF and you've ordered an SD card, then all you need is a (cheap) adaptor thing which holds the SD card.
I'm told that if something's small, it can be inserted, but if it's too big you will just have to look at it and shake your head. (Same as usual.)
Depends on the age of the laptop as to which card it takes. Older laptops will take CF, but modern laptops such as the MacBook Pro will take SD.
There are rules about the number of files that can be held. It's something to effect that there can't be more than 25,000 files (sic) but files must be organised in up to eight directory levels. Something like Music / Artist / Albums / Tracks....etc.
Hope this helps....??
Here's the adaptor:
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Think it's the large one (the first one) now will have to see if I can get my MP3'stuff out of Amazon Music. No idea how to do the MP3 thing......SW18 was talking about an SD card, which is half the physical size (ish) of a Compact Flash card (see below), so it "may" be that there's a size incompatibility here.
Have a look at what you've ordered by way of the PCMCIA card and the Memory card to check if they're both the same format.
But if your PCMCIA takes CF and you've ordered a CF card, then there's no problem.
If the PCMCIA takes CF and you've ordered an SD card, then all you need is a (cheap) adaptor thing which holds the SD card.
I'm told that if something's small, it can be inserted, but if it's too big you will just have to look at it and shake your head. (Same as usual.)
Depends on the age of the laptop as to which card it takes. Older laptops will take CF, but modern laptops such as the MacBook Pro will take SD.
There are rules about the number of files that can be held. It's something to effect that there can't be more than 25,000 files (sic) but files must be organised in up to eight directory levels. Something like Music / Artist / Albums / Tracks....etc.
Hope this helps....??
Here's the adaptor:
In case that wasn't obvious.....
MikeInWimbledon
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Borrow a teenager
You must have a teenager to hand, somewhere?
They can do all this stuff in minutes - either from your music sources, or from their "own resources."
You must have a teenager to hand, somewhere?
They can do all this stuff in minutes - either from your music sources, or from their "own resources."
I stopped buying CD's a few years ago and just went streaming.
I never did do that intermediate MP3 thing.
Wife and kids are the same.
It's a different mind set as you don't own anthing and never have to organise it.
Anyway, Spotify is no good for this application as you can't take content and move it around on cards.
I've been trying Amazon (as they automatically ripped MP3s of the last few year of CDs that I bought off them) and have got one album downloaded but it's in Zip wrapper and doesen't seem to ne easily moveable in folder format (which is what I think UMI wants).
Frustratingly I can't try any of this out as the car is STILL being prepped.
Worst case scenario is that I'll buy a few new CDs for my France trip from Amazon and if I can't work out how to transfer the MP3's over I can just use the physical CD's.
(PS of course the previous owner might have left some of his/her music on the HD of course).
EDIT; wow CD's are cheap thes days! Just bought some Gregory Porter, Paulo Nuttini and Michael Kiwanuka - each one is around £5 fof the CD and incudes the MP3.
I never did do that intermediate MP3 thing.
Wife and kids are the same.
It's a different mind set as you don't own anthing and never have to organise it.
Anyway, Spotify is no good for this application as you can't take content and move it around on cards.
I've been trying Amazon (as they automatically ripped MP3s of the last few year of CDs that I bought off them) and have got one album downloaded but it's in Zip wrapper and doesen't seem to ne easily moveable in folder format (which is what I think UMI wants).
Frustratingly I can't try any of this out as the car is STILL being prepped.
Worst case scenario is that I'll buy a few new CDs for my France trip from Amazon and if I can't work out how to transfer the MP3's over I can just use the physical CD's.
(PS of course the previous owner might have left some of his/her music on the HD of course).
EDIT; wow CD's are cheap thes days! Just bought some Gregory Porter, Paulo Nuttini and Michael Kiwanuka - each one is around £5 fof the CD and incudes the MP3.
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MikeInWimbledon
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Borrow a teenager
A teenager / undergrad will swiftly rip your CD's, and source you all the music you need.
A fiver for a CD - no wonder you can afford an S212 E500 !
A teenager / undergrad will swiftly rip your CD's, and source you all the music you need.
A fiver for a CD - no wonder you can afford an S212 E500 !
Actually not a bad point - even I can rip a CD.
And no wonder loads of my mates have bailed out of the music industry.....
The pads & discs are done. The MOT's done. The valet's done. IT'S READY!
All I need to do is jump on a train tomorrow morning.
That was one of the longest weeks since I was a four year old on the run up to Christmas.
All I need to do is jump on a train tomorrow morning.
That was one of the longest weeks since I was a four year old on the run up to Christmas.
