A report by market intelligence firm iSuppli pointed out that there is an increasing trend of drivers to want additional features such as Bluetooth connections, navigation systems, mp3 player interfaces and hard disc drives on their car's head unit.
Richard Robinson, principal analyst for automotive electronics at the company, claimed that those developing the next generation of infotainment features for vehicles should be inspired by the history of PCs to increase the options open to customers.
'Early PCs offered a very limited range of default technologies on the motherboard, with additional features like networking, graphics processing, storage interface and audio support all handled by plug-in solutions,' he explained.
The expert also suggested car manufacturers should attempt to differentiate their auto head units through offering unique software rather than hardware, making the ability to connect to the internet and download new applications more important.
Recent research from outsourcing company Accenture found that people looking at buying hybrid or electric vehicles expect them to have better in-vehicle infotainment systems than petrol cars.
Richard Robinson, principal analyst for automotive electronics at the company, claimed that those developing the next generation of infotainment features for vehicles should be inspired by the history of PCs to increase the options open to customers.
'Early PCs offered a very limited range of default technologies on the motherboard, with additional features like networking, graphics processing, storage interface and audio support all handled by plug-in solutions,' he explained.
The expert also suggested car manufacturers should attempt to differentiate their auto head units through offering unique software rather than hardware, making the ability to connect to the internet and download new applications more important.
Recent research from outsourcing company Accenture found that people looking at buying hybrid or electric vehicles expect them to have better in-vehicle infotainment systems than petrol cars.
