In the CD players place will be a USB and iPod port, auxiliary input and Bluetooth (or you can upgrade to Ford Sync). The CD Player isn’t dead dead, as it’ll still be an option for customers, but the end is obviously near. Ford plans to remove CD players in all their other cars in the next few years.
Ford’s bid to kill off CD players is an industry first and obviously a bold move but not one that’s unexpected. Technology gets outpaced and killed and to be honest, CDs became irrelevant years ago. Car manufacturers, who are notoriously slow at adopting good technology, are probably realising that very few people use the CD player over an auxiliary input (when given the option). Most people I know never even touch the CD player. Why bother, right?
But still. Even though the CD player purge isn’t happening in America, I still feel a little sad about its European death. Ford killing it in the Focus is a little like Archduke Franz Ferdinand getting assassinated before World War I (OK, not really). This shit is going down guys. And it’s sad! I remember the awkwardness of six-disc CD changers, I remember lugging around a 9kg book of CDs and I remember woefully simple dashboards where all you could do is play tracks (go figure, right). Ah, what memories. Mixtapes gave way to mix CDs which gave way to playlists, I guess. It’s the circle we live in. New things get better while old things disappear. [Ford via Sound and Vision Mag]
Patrick
Saturday, August 6, 2011 at 11:28 AMCant say I agree with the “CDs became irrelevant years ago” phrase. There are very few places where you can purchase lossless or WAV versions of albums online, so until then, CD’s will be very relevant if you care about how your music sounds, not to mention packaging and art work, though iTunes LP’s are quite good from that aspect. 320k MP3′s and AAC’s are OK, and will certainly do in a car where the listening environment isnt optimal but CD’s are far from irrelevant. Same with vinyl! :)
EckyThump
Saturday, August 6, 2011 at 3:54 PMUnless your car is sound proof, running lossless music files on your CD player is a moot point! MP3 players in the car are definitely the way to go! #]
Nathan
Monday, August 8, 2011 at 11:51 AMDoesn’t matter that your car speakers either can’t handle them or road noise ruins it. I want to be able to have one format and one type/copy of my music, if I have lossless at home I don’t wanna have to convert back and forth just to be able to play stuff in two different locations.
It’s about choice. You’ve chosen compressed Mp3s that’s fine I just ask for lossless to be supported as well.
It’s funny how people say that lossless supporters are pedantic but the people who say that you can’t hear the difference in ‘most’ situations and to a certain compression are just as indignant.
Will
Sunday, August 7, 2011 at 12:49 AMHa! As if your car’s speakers are going to be able to distinguish any meaningful level of sound fidelity between a 256 and 320 file :P
Shane
Saturday, August 6, 2011 at 4:01 PMSo long as the give as more then “cabled” options, such as bluetooth, I’m not fussed.
Simon
Monday, August 8, 2011 at 12:35 PMFord isn’t the first company to get rid of the CD player from a line of cars, Ferrari did it with the new 458 which only has an iPhone dock. Ford is just the first big manufacturer to do it.
TSH
Monday, August 8, 2011 at 1:56 PMI’d agree that in Australia the CD player is more or less irrelevant *in cars*. The standards for library management, metadata naming schemes and streaming still aren’t universal enough to make the old shelves o’ CDs obselete.