BMW to allow unrestricted use of internet in your car

Good idea... surf the net while driving = crash

— Targa (View Profile)

Posted on 2/25/2008 10:48:15 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: -8   

PS that is awesome. Its about time.

— sholemon (View Profile)

Posted on 2/25/2008 11:16:51 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 5   

Having never used iDrive, my question is how do you enter text. In other words, should I want to goto www.autospies.com, how long is it going to take me to type all that with a mouse?

— Threepoint1415926 (View Profile)

Posted on 2/25/2008 11:29:24 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2   

most likely.. *spin, spin, spin, click* (w), *click* (w), *click* (w), *spin, spin, spin, click* (.), *spin..... etc.

— jeffy210 (View Profile)

Posted on 2/25/2008 11:32:11 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

If you have idrive now do you think it could be software updated for this to work? Just curious, I have a new 2008 335i coupe with idrive and would love to have this feature.

— bmwman1963 (View Profile)

Posted on 2/25/2008 11:39:24 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 3   

Not all BMW drivers my friend. Most of us are intelligent enough to know not to surf the net while the car is in motion.

— bmwman1963 (View Profile)

Posted on 2/25/2008 1:59:40 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2   

Most of the BMW owners are smart enough not to spit out idiotic comments like you...

— ThierryHenry14 (View Profile)

Posted on 2/25/2008 3:42:41 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -1   

I can see the benefits of this allowance, but the other question is, what are they going to charge for service? Most internet that is wireless charges $40 a month for access. I could see a salesman making use of this, and given the connectivity of cars today, I don't see it too outlandish that you could not plug in a keyboard or have one in the glovebox (smaller version of course), that is available for use.

Again with the charging of internet fees vs. usage. Not sure if it makes it worthwhile, since you already pay for navigation service with BMW, Audi, and MB. Other makers utilize DVD-Roms that only need to be installed and updated whenever the owner feels it, and pay maybe $100 for the upgrade disc every few years instead of over $100 for a service to upgrade said maps cause they use a Satellite service instead of just GPS with mapping from a DVD-Rom.

My only fear is that the same way people can hack their DVD players to play a movie in the front while in motion, people will eventually crack this and sell something for say $20 that overrides it.

— Whelan (View Profile)

Posted on 2/25/2008 2:53:58 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2   

one more point to that. Think of the morons who read and drive at the same time in the morning. I am not saying BMW drivers only, just people in general. Make this available and everyone will be reading foxnews in traffic going under 3mph and when they bump into me from behind, I will with pleasure reach into their car and rip the screen off their dash, smack them and tell them to pay attention, you bought a driver's kind of car to drive.

— Whelan (View Profile)

Posted on 2/25/2008 2:55:22 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 3   

If they do equip their cars with the dual screen that was reported a couple of weeks back on this site, I wonder if they are still going to restrict the use of the internet for the passengers.

— Lavic (View Profile)

Posted on 2/25/2008 4:04:08 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2   

you know this isnt going to be cheap

— KZ258 (View Profile)

Posted on 2/25/2008 6:37:25 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 3   

What's the point, if there's no effective means of inputting information? You'll have carpal tunnel syndrome in no time.

As silly as it sounds, if they had some kind of auxiliary input device, like that of a QWERTY keyboard, like those on some cellphones; I wouldn't care if it looked like the meshing of german engineering and a playschool appliance....it'd make using the internet loads easier. Maybe add some cool oversized whammy buttons, and one of those magnetic hair/moustache games you get for about 25 cents at the party store.

— Bmw8ter (View Profile)

Posted on 2/25/2008 7:19:53 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0   

Well that's a neat trick.

— MunichRob (View Profile)

Posted on 2/26/2008 12:31:20 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

I don't Onstar but it makes more sense than this. Internet would really only be useful for the passenger. If you're parked, then use your blackberry to surf the net.

Unless they develop one heck of a voice recognition program.

— huu76 (View Profile)

Posted on 2/26/2008 12:54:24 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

Or what about a small QWERTY keyboard that is divided into 2 that comes out of both sides of the steering wheel? :P

— M53R (View Profile)

Posted on 2/26/2008 8:10:02 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

This is one of the stupidest idea considering people can't drive well while using their cell phone, and generally that's with their eyes on the road. I think BMW is looking to clean up in the parts and labor department fixing all of the cars that crash from drivers using this while actually driving. Interesting approach to make money.

— Schwitz916 (View Profile)

Posted on 2/27/2008 11:58:01 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1