Apple Developing Car Navigation System?

I can't really think of what Apple would bring to this market. Sure, you could make the thing more iPod like, but would that really matter?

P-Worm

edit: On second thought. All of those GPS navigation devices have the ugliest and hardest to use GUIs imaginable. I guess that's what Apple could bring.

I'd say it's an obvious "next step" for the iPhone. :D ;)

great... so you have to fork out $80,000 on a car just to get the apple features. i don't mind AT&T having exclusive rights to a service/feature, but i think it's unfair to let a top dollar brand have exclusive use. Would be better for Apple's sake to introduce their super-user-friendly GUI to a more consumer and wide base of clients.

just my $0.02US

i can't wait, a car driven and controlled using a click wheel, and nothing else :D

It must be run by Mac OS X 'lite' like the iPhone, if this is the case..

But I see this as a car-mediacenter, instead of a GPS-thingy. Transfer music to your car, like having a built-in iPod, but with included GPS. Would be nifty. But how to transfer music, well... Over Wifi prehaps, or by using a laptop? O_o

Maybe it could automatically find free parking-lots/houses via the internet, or the closest gas-station/restaurant, etc..

But it certainly doesnt sound appleish.

Focus's reliability is completely untested, therefore we hesitate to place too much stock in this rumor at this time.

Focus is a reliable German news magazine, though I don't know anything about its reliability regarding Apple rumors...

I'm calling BS. I've a Garmin Nüvi 300 and it's great. Touch screen everywhere (fewer hard buttons than the iPhone). To navigate a map, I simply press on it and move my finger around. How's Apple going to improve on that? IF they were to bring in GPS, I would expect it to be in a future iPhone, but doubt Apple are really interested in the market.

makes sense, a computer for your car. who else would you want to make it.?
you will have one at home, you will have one in your pocket, so next step is the car. the iphone can bring it internet and it can bring the iphone a bigger screen, gps and a seemless sound system... sync between all three, never lost info... i just hope it is touch screen and has a itunes interface instead of the ipod interface.

p.s.
why would apple port safari to the pc, when there is no money involved..?
i bet it is too help open up the itunes music store as a webpage...
bring in buyers that don't want a ipod.......

makes sense, a computer for your car...

A very expensive backup drive on wheels? (Pun intended.)

I thought about this a couple of months ago. All of these luxury car companies are moving towards instrument panels that are more like computers, complete with touch screen UIs or selector-knob pointing devices (MB has one, BMW has iDrive, Audi has MMI). It seems like it would be possible for Apple to make a vastly better, universal system. This technology would eventually trickle down into lower priced models, giving Apple a large share of the in-car computer market.

However, I think it would be extremely difficult to maintain a universal system across the board for each car brand, as each brand would develop different technology to differenciate themselves.

Anyway, it is an interesting idea.