I can’t say much about the installation other than I imagine that the $50 Best Buy charged for it was well spent. My factory radio looks and performs exactly as it did prior to the installation – with the expected added functionality. I’m guessing that might not have been the case had I attempted to install the thing. ‘Nough said about installation.

Once plugged in you can control the volume and skip tracks using your factory radio. The gateway provides two alternate modes for browsing your media library:

• iPod Mode allows you to browse your library using the factory radio’s controls. The preset radio buttons (typically numbers 1-6) are used for this, which is anything but intuitive. You are also restricted to viewing the library through your radio’s “screen”. Overall not the best experience, but in iSimple’s defense, this is about as good as I’ve seen on the market.
• Aux Mode requires you to browse your media library from the iPod/iPhone. Not as safe while driving, but infinitely more usable. Once you’ve playing a track you can still skip forward/backward using the radio controls.

The sound is excellent. I cannot tell the difference between sound from a CD, XM Radio, or the iPhone. I’m happy as a clam now that I can listen to podcasts on my commute. Overall this device gets a B+ from me. I expect that better implementations will be available in future generations, but for now this seems to be state of the art when it comes to integration with factory radios.

Here are a quick list of features I’d like to see in the next generation:

• View video on navigation screen. Yes I realize there are safety concerns here, but I want the functionality.
• Browse media library using navigation screen. This would make iPod mode much more functional.
• Use navigation touch screen while browsing media. Need I say more? This would provide the iTouch interface from my car’s existing navigation screen. We’re a long way away, but this would be cool
• Wifi. As long as I’m dreaming, why not include wifi with the gateway. Add iTunes software and I could leave the iPod in the car, but still be able to update media. This really brings us into the realm of a new device altogether – call it the iCarStereo. You listening Steve Jobs? I want one.

So that’s about it for the iSimple. It definitely gets my recommendation. The device cost $150. Add $50 installation and the total package was $200. I will very likely be canceling the XM Radio subscription now that I can listen to podcasts and my own music on demand – which would pay for the gateway in about 15 months.