When I sat in the new BMW 7-Series at the Paris Motor Show two years ago seeing the demo of the full internet running on it's nav screen, controllable through iDrive, I was as excited as a kid in a candy store.
Until my good friend and BMW PR Rep Tom Plucinsky told me that the FULL internet would only be available on European BMW's and the USA cars would only get a Google search capability.
THAT was some depressing news because the internet is in our blood and we don't want to be disconnected in the car.
So time passed and we read a number of articles saying many companies would soon have internet services in the car.
Well, that has yet to happen in the USA.
Until today.
But it's NOT from any auto company.
It's from Apple and it's on the the new iPad 3G.
I am actually sitting inside my car and I wrote the very article you are reading on it.
Of course, the car was parked and I wasn't driving but it was an amzing experience.
So it got me thinking...NO ONE will have a better solution than this.
NOT good news for any auto company building an in car internet solution.
About the only thing they can do now in my opinion is make an iPad connection kit and start getting bigger screens into the center stacks asap.
Do you agree?
Is it game over for them creating a new revenue stream selling net services?
Discuss...
*iPad dash holder pictured made by USBfever.
2010 Beijing Motor Show Photo Gallery
2011 Ford Fiesta Photo Gallery
2011 MB E-Class Conv. Photo Gallery
2011 BMW X5 Photo Gallery