iSimple GateWay (Ipod integration) review

Being the impatient person I am, I did not feel like ordering one of the other integration products, so I got the iSimple GateWay which is available at Best Buy for $149.99. I've been playing with it for a few days now so I thought I'd throw a little review together since I have not seen it mentioned here.

Installation

The unit hooks up just like the DICE Silverline, and I read the thread here about the installation of that unit. That thread was very helpful, so a big thank you to the authors. So since the installation is already covered in a different thread, I won't repeat it here. Needless to say it was very easy.

AUX Mode

I have navi on my Prius, so all my experience is with that. My Ipod is a 64GB Touch (w/ 3.1.1 software), FYI. First off, the unit shows up as a satellite radio. By default mine was in AUX mode which basically leaves all the controls on the Ipod. In this mode the only thing you can control from the MFD or steering wheel is skipping tracks, both forward and backward. Everything else must be done on the Ipod.

Switching to Ipod Mode

It took me a bit to understand how to switch modes, so I figured I better mention it for others who are dense like me. The mode can be changed via the analog dial on the radio, but this must done within the first few seconds of switching into SAT mode. After a few seconds, the mode is locked in. If you want to change it after that, you must go out of SAT mode, then back into SAT mode and switch during your short window. Once you get it, it is really very easy. I just didn't understand that you had to switch it immediately.

Ipod Mode

Ipod mode transfers complete control of the Ipod over to the MFD. From here, you use the Preset buttons to take action. Preset 3 is basically the browse button. From here you can browse via Playlist, Artist, Album or Genre. Using other preset buttons you can fast forward or rewind (fairly useless as it seems to move in 1-second increments so you have to repeated press the button to get anywhere), and you can also randomize your songs (although I never use this so I don't know how it works).

Browsing

Browsing works as advertised, however it seems that something is limiting the number of characters displayed in any field to 10 characters. I'm assuming this is a limitation of the Prius radio, but maybe it is the GateWay. Either way, when browsing, you only see 10 characters. Add to that the fact that three of the characters are taken up by prefixes that are telling you how you are browsing, and you really only have seven characters displaying pertinent information. This is not a huge deal when browsing via Artist or Playlist, since I can generally figure those out with seven characters. However I would think browsing via Album or Song (neither of which I really do) would be quite difficult unless you are very familiar with your collection.

While doing anything during driving is inherently dangerous, if I had to browse the Ipod while I was driving, I would personally feel safer doing it on the Ipod itself. The text is quite small on the MFD when browsing. Either way the choice is up to you - none of the functions are disabled during driving.

Playback

When playing an album, the unit plays back the songs in proper order. You would think I wouldn't have to mention this, but apparently not all the devices do this (instead doing it alphabetically). During playback, if you hit the TEXT button, it will display the song title, artist name, time, and track number (listed as channel number). Again, all of these fields are limited to the 10 characters so you are not usually seeing the entire field.

The unit properly pauses the Ipod when you expect it to: making/receiving a phone call, switching out of SAT mode, turning off the radio, turning off the vehicle. It also properly resumes the Ipod from where you left off regardless of the amount of time that transpired. Very nice.

A Note On Genius Mixes

I've become quite fond of this new Itunes feature. A bit different from Genius playlists, the mixes are endless and are created automatically from your collection. Since these mixes are not saved as playlists on your Ipod, they can not be accessed via the GateWay when you are in Ipod mode. In order to play these you have to switch to AUX mode and control the Ipod from the Ipod.

Sound Quality

For sure, the sound quality is much improved from AUX input that I had been using. I wouldn't say it is night and day, as the AUX input is certainly fine. But there is a definite difference and I would now not switch back to the AUX input unless I had to. I'm sure this is more a reflection on the connection itself rather than anything special about the GateWay, but either way it is an improvement. I noticed no high pitched whine or anything related to a grounding issue.

Overall Impressions

I for one am very happy with the unit. While the browsing can be quite tedious, it does allow complete control (except for Genius Mixes) of the Ipod. And in a pinch you can always switch to AUX mode and control the Ipod itself. It pauses and resumes when expected. I hate doing this manually so this is really one of the main benefits in my eyes. Add to this the improved sound quality and it is an easy decision for me. If they could figure out a way to display more than 10 characters in a field, and possibly make the browsing text bigger, then I would really have no complaints about this unit.