Apple’s iPod Cuddles Up With The Auto Makers
In the latest boost to its dominance in portable music players, Apple Computer Inc. is teaming with General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and Mazda Motor Corp. to integrate the iPod into car audio systems. GM and Ford are the nation’s No. 1 and No. 2 automakers, and the new alliances mean the iconic audio gadget will now be compatible with more than 70 percent of the new 2007 model vehicles sold in the United States, Apple said Thursday.
Carmakers say they are responding to a booming trend in which sales of iPods and other MP3 players are predicted to more than double from 58 million units in 2005 to 132 million in 2009. The iPod holds about a 75 percent share of the portable player market in the U.S. Working with the iPod maker is part of increasing effort by Ford and other car companies to make it easier on drivers to access a variety of gadgets–from cell phones and navigation systems to music players–while on the road.
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