Bluetooth Retrofits from EAS

VP Electricity · 06-02-2008, 09:14 PM

Dude, if Tom says it's going to do something, it usually does. He's a supporting vendor - he pays for the opportunity to tell us what his products are going to do...

AoshichanX · 06-02-2008, 09:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VP Electricity

Dude, if Tom says it's going to do something, it usually does. He's a supporting vendor - he pays for the opportunity to tell us what his products are going to do...

Dude, Tom, perhaps. As for the majority of the supporting vendors, if you were around a bit, you would know that over zealous marketing and satisfactory product delivery are unfortunately, not very correlated on this forum...

Btw, nobody was questioning Tom on his deliivery? We were all just excited?

VP Electricity · 06-02-2008, 09:57 PM

Pally, I've bought from Tom, and I've been around a bit on this forum, as well as bimmerforums, bimmerfest, X5world, and others - and I have some experience seeing Tom support forum members - customers and not - on each of those.

Not my fault if the other vendors prematurely spout off...

AoshichanX · 06-02-2008, 10:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VP Electricity

Pally, I've bought from Tom, and I've been around a bit on this forum, as well as bimmerforums, bimmerfest, X5world, and others - and I have some experience seeing Tom support forum members - customers and not - on each of those.

Not my fault if the other vendors prematurely spout off...

Pally, I don't understand why you are being such a lobbyist when no one has been underestimating or doubting Tom? at least on this thread?

1WickedE90 · 06-03-2008, 12:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tom @ eas

Yes - the best part about the kit is that it is firmware-upgradeable (unlike the BMW TCUs) when new phones and/or features are released.

Tom, simple example from me - will this kit work w/ my Blackberry 8800 and when I upgrade to the Bold model, you can just flash the firmware to make it compatible? Gawd, that would rule!

tom @ eas · 06-03-2008, 12:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1WickedE90

Tom, simple example from me - will this kit work w/ my Blackberry 8800 and when I upgrade to the Bold model, you can just flash the firmware to make it compatible? Gawd, that would rule!

Yes, we've tested with a wide array of phones including the BB 8800/Curve/Pearl and iPhone - all successful. Firmware updates will be provided as new phones are added.

JSpira · 06-03-2008, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tom @ eas

This will fully emulate the factory TCU, including steering wheel and numerical/text display on the radio/iDrive screen.

Tom, the factory TCU includes BMW Assist capabilities. From what you are saying, your unit will work with BMW Assist. Please confirm.

tom @ eas · 06-03-2008, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSpira

Tom, the factory TCU includes BMW Assist capabilities. From what you are saying, your unit will work with BMW Assist. Please confirm.

No, this will replace BMW Assist if equipped.

Streetfish · 06-03-2008, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tom @ eas

This will fully emulate the factory TCU, including steering wheel and numerical/text display on the radio/iDrive screen.

Im very very interested in theis for my e92. Please PM me as soon as it is released/announuced.

JSpira · 06-03-2008, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tom @ eas

No, this will replace BMW Assist if equipped.

Given that purchasers get four years of BMW Assist with their cars now, why would someone want to swap out a TCU?

katsu · 06-03-2008, 04:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSpira

Given that purchasers get four years of BMW Assist with their cars now, why would someone want to swap out a TCU?

BMW Assist is included, but bluetooth capability is optional. Meaning you can use BMW Assist, but you will need to put the phone alllll the way to your ear if you don't have bluetooth. I don't think the EAS kit is meant to replace cars with bluetooth, its to retrofit cars without...

Technic · 06-03-2008, 06:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by katsu

BMW Assist is included, but bluetooth capability is optional. Meaning you can use BMW Assist, but you will need to put the phone alllll the way to your ear if you don't have bluetooth. I don't think the EAS kit is meant to replace cars with bluetooth, its to retrofit cars without...

Assist includes Bluetooth in all BMW's since MY2006 (most models since MY2005).

Technic · 06-03-2008, 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSpira

Given that purchasers get four years of BMW Assist with their cars now, why would someone want to swap out a TCU?

If I understand correctly, what Tom is going to do is finally offering in the USA a programmable ULF for E9x without Assist. Which are a lot of them...

JSpira · 06-03-2008, 07:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Technic

If I understand correctly, what Tom is going to do is finally offering in the USA a programmable ULF for E9x without Assist. Which are a lot of them...

Read what tom wrote

Quote:

Originally Posted by tom @ eas

No, this will replace BMW Assist if equipped.

JSpira · 06-03-2008, 07:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by katsu

BMW Assist is included, but bluetooth capability is optional. Meaning you can use BMW Assist, but you will need to put the phone alllll the way to your ear if you don't have bluetooth.

Not even close. The TCU has Bluetooth and BMW Assist functionality.

magmd · 06-03-2008, 08:49 PM

It all sounds great.

But what I really want to know...how much cheaper? What kind of cost are we talking about here out the door?

Fieno · 06-03-2008, 10:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by magmd

It all sounds great.

But what I really want to know...how much cheaper? What kind of cost are we talking about here out the door?

Well considering the dealer install is around 1200-1300. It should be tons cheaper.

I wonder if voice commands will work.

web1b · 06-04-2008, 01:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fieno

Well considering the dealer install is around 1200-1300. It should be tons cheaper.

I wonder if voice commands will work.

The dealer install is about $1600 if you buy the parts online at a discount and then have the dealer install and program. Probably more like $2000+ if you pay local dealer retail for the parts too. You get Assist with this, but no free 4years of service.
The factory installed unit is $750 for everything plus 4 years of free Assist, so I would have factory ordered a car with it instead of taking a car off the lot without it if I had known at the time.

The Parrot kit with steering wheel controls and audio voice caller-id is around $300, so I wouldn't be willing to spend much more for the EAS kit just to get the phone number to appear on the radio screen.

Technic · 06-04-2008, 04:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSpira

Read what tom wroteÖ

That's right also, an ULF can replace a TCU. Why anybody will do that now with 4 years of free service I don't know, but I also know that a lot of people do not care about Assist, free or not. He also answered that it will not have Assist, so that means that this is some seudo-ULF (Bluetooth only), but programmable (current ULF are not programmable).

There is a retrofit TCU offered by another vendor in the USA as there is no fully functional ULF offered for MOST cars here (like for iBus cars), and my guess is that Tom's device will be mostly an alternative for retrofit of that TCU, not the factory one.

AoshichanX · 06-04-2008, 05:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Technic

That's right also, an ULF can replace a TCU. Why anybody will do that now with 4 years of free service I don't know, but I also know that a lot of people do not care about Assist, free or not. He also answered that it will not have Assist, so that means that this is some seudo-ULF (Bluetooth only), but programmable (current ULF are not programmable).

There is a retrofit TCU offered by another vendor in the USA as there is no fully functional ULF offered for MOST cars here (like for iBus cars), and my guess is that Tom's device will be mostly an alternative for retrofit of that TCU, not the factory one.

Wow really? There is a specific retrofit TCU? Do you think that is what I got, or a factory one?

If the price is at even $800 OTD--I think that would be supremely competitive.

I have a question though, when EAS says "emulate the TCU"--no matter what there nonetheless has to be some unit (ULF/TCU or otherwise) plugged in under that trunk liner right?

OR, do you think they just made the ULF fully compatible on US cars? cause ULF, aside from BMW Assist and (greater ?) phone compatability, would be virtually identical to a TCU unit?

Technic · 06-04-2008, 07:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AoshichanX

Wow really? There is a specific retrofit TCU? Do you think that is what I got, or a factory one?
If the price is at even $800 OTD--I think that would be supremely competitive.

I have a question though, when EAS says "emulate the TCU"--no matter what there nonetheless has to be some unit (ULF/TCU or otherwise) plugged in under that trunk liner right?

OR, do you think they just made the ULF fully compatible on US cars? cause ULF, aside from BMW Assist and (greater ?) phone compatability, would be virtually identical to a TCU unit?

That's what you got...

I think that Tom will have to answer all those questions himself, I'm just guessing. My point is that you cannot emulate a TCU -the current TCU is actually a phone itself and primarily used for telematics, Bluetooth features are secondary- without the phone and its telematic features by definition. What could be done is get an ULF for a MOST car and do some Bluetooth chip swap/programming tricks on it. Or get somebody from Parrot and adapt one of their low cost kits for full MOST compatibility. With the right business plan, people and money anything is possible...

I think that this is more a semantics/nomenclature issue than a fuctionality issue.

0asis · 06-07-2008, 12:01 PM

wow.. i'm definitely interested in EAS's new product!!

06-02-2008, 09:14 PM	#23
VP Electricity Brigadier General 289 Rep 3,201 Posts Drives: F34 xDrive Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: portland oregon iTrader: (3)	Dude, if Tom says it's going to do something, it usually does. He's a supporting vendor - he pays for the opportunity to tell us what his products are going to do...
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06-02-2008, 09:57 PM	#25
VP Electricity Brigadier General 289 Rep 3,201 Posts Drives: F34 xDrive Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: portland oregon iTrader: (3)	Pally, I've bought from Tom, and I've been around a bit on this forum, as well as bimmerforums, bimmerfest, X5world, and others - and I have some experience seeing Tom support forum members - customers and not - on each of those. Not my fault if the other vendors prematurely spout off... Last edited by VP Electricity; 06-02-2008 at 10:13 PM..
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06-03-2008, 08:49 PM	#38
magmd Major General 160 Rep 5,271 Posts Drives: '06 330i Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Torrance, CA iTrader: (13) Garage List 2006 330i [0.00]	It all sounds great. But what I really want to know...how much cheaper? What kind of cost are we talking about here out the door? __________________ 2006 330i \| Black Sapphire Metallic \| Step Auto \| Navi with iDr \| Sports Pkg \|OEM Rear Spoiler \| 3M CS35 Tint \| H&R Sport Springs \| Koni Yellows \| Advan RS Racing Hypersilver: 19x9 et22 19x10 et20
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06-07-2008, 12:01 PM	#44
0asis Senior Officer In Charge. 42 Rep 571 Posts Drives: G30 540i / Past: F10,E92, E46 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Canada iTrader: (3)	wow.. i'm definitely interested in EAS's new product!!
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