[SkykingUSA]

Originally Posted by AlteBMW

That's what I experienced also. Painfully slow loading. I had a similar amount of data . My computer is an Apple Studio that runs very fast and it still took many hours to load the USB. When the drive failed, I bought a 128g Samsung (which is small (but not as small as the thumbtack drive)) and what had taken 3-4 hours on the thumbtack took just a few minutes. This leads me to believe the thumbtack has some very old technology. However, while it was working, it seemed okay for playing music. As I have noted, I had 2 of the thumbtacks and both failed after a couple of weeks of use. I hope you have better luck.

If mine fails, I'll try to remember to post that information here. I think generally speaking, buyer beware with these tiny slow drives.

[Blue Sky]

It doesn’t pay to use cheap stuff. I use a slim Samsung T7 SSD in my F10 5’er with a short angled USB-C to USB-A cable to make it fit nicely in the bottom of the center console compartment. I can post a picture later. Since it’s a good performance SSD, writing time when adding music to it from my PC is quick. If you buy a super slow thumb drive, you will regret the write times when adding music to it. At least shop around if you really want to use a thumbdrive and get something with excellent write performance so it won’t be an ordeal when copying over your collection to it.

My music is FLAC losslessly compressed, which reduces storage from uncompressed somewhat but not nearly as much as lossy MP3 or MP4. With modern storage capacity sizes, there’s no real need for lossy compression for something like automotive jukebox. So with an SSD, or even some of the larger thumbdrives now, you can live it up and go with a modest lossless compression format like FLAC.

[AlteBMW]

Originally Posted by ToddRGuy

I wonder if iDrive 8.5 would recognize one of those faster USB C SSD drives?

Yes it does. This Samsung 128G works fine in 2 cars with iD8.5 and one with ID7. There's a 64G version too.

It is not as small as the thumbtack drives and does not sit flush as they do but in my wife's 530ix it is in one of the front USB C ports, and it is unobtrusive and out of the way. In my 760ix where it connects in the center console, I use a short USB C extension. My music files are mostly MP4 and occupy about 24G.

[Blue Sky]

Here’s the 1 TB T5 I’m using in the 2014 F10 M5. Note I bought a cheap pack of short converter cables with various angles so I could get the one that would fit the USB port the right way and curl down to the USB-C on the SSD.

2

[SkykingUSA]

Originally Posted by Blue Sky

Here’s the 1 TB T5 I’m using in the 2014 F10 M5. Note I bought a cheap pack of short converter cables with various angles so I could get the one that would fit the USB port the right way and curl down to the USB-C on the SSD.

2

That is a nice clean solution, but since there are no USB ports in the center console of the G60, that same setup in a G60 would require a USB cable to be run from one of the front ports and then somehow into the center console. It's not impossible, but I prefer the cleaner look of a small thumb drive plugged into the port directly. Since my music collection doesn't change much, I'm not too worried about the write speeds after the initial transfer.

I think I will probably just get a small Samsung drive if this little drive fails in the future. Thanks for the picture and for the help!

I was also thinking of one of these too, if my current one fails. These seems a little smaller than the Samsung, but probably not by much.

https://a.co/d/0InyoPC

https://a.co/d/0oLRFcM

[Blue Sky]

Hmm, good point. Any chance there’s a USB port in the glove box? Both my F10’s have those, though it varies from iDrive HW version whether or not it can be used for music or just loading maps into the Nav

[SkykingUSA]

Originally Posted by Blue Sky

Hmm, good point. Any chance there’s a USB port in the glove box? Both my F10’s have those, though it varies from iDrive HW version whether or not it can be used for music or just loading maps into the Nav

Good thought, but I think there are only 6 USB ports in the vehicle and only the two front ones near the cup holders are valid for data transfer. The other 4 are for the rear passengers and I believe are power-only. Two in the back of the front seats, and two in the back of the center console under the air vents.

[AlteBMW]

Originally Posted by SkykingUSA

Good thought, but I think there are only 6 USB ports in the vehicle and only the two front ones near the cup holders are valid for data transfer. The other 4 are for the rear passengers and I believe are power-only. Two in the back of the front seats, and two in the back of the center console under the air vents.

The only ports usable for playng music are the ones up front. And if you're looking for a drive that fits it has to be USB-C. No USB A ports.

[SkykingUSA]

Holy cow. I don't know about you guys, but I can't imagine doing this to my car.

https://a.aliexpress.com/_mNcp8L9

[ToddRGuy]

Originally Posted by SkykingUSA

Holy cow. I don't know about you guys, but I can't imagine doing this to my car.

https://a.aliexpress.com/_mNcp8L9

Maybe if the inside was contaminated with Ebola virus or Bacillus anthracis. 🤣😂

[nf0rc3r]

Originally Posted by SkykingUSA

Holy cow. I don't know about you guys, but I can't imagine doing this to my car.

https://a.aliexpress.com/_mNcp8L9

For interiors that are so screwed up it can't get any worse

[Almanzor]

Originally Posted by SkykingUSA

[*]Almanzor - Make sure you check underneath the large rubber mat in the tray (if you haven't already). When I took mine out of the box, it was also missing the two small rubber pieces. However, when I took the big rubber piece out, the two small ones were stuck to the bottom of the larger one! So, all three pieces were there, but the two small ones were not installed in the right place.

Thanks, they were sticked under the big rubber piece... and they could be there for years if you didn't notice it

Thanks

[SkykingUSA]

Originally Posted by Almanzor

Thanks, they were sticked under the big rubber piece... and they could be there for years if you didn't notice it

Thanks

Awesome! I'm glad you found them.

[AiredaleDad]

Originally Posted by AiredaleDad

I'll check when I get home next weekend. I am in London this week.

Well Mine came in today. I'll have to see when I get home. The sun shade came in as well. I'll post pictures tonight or tomorrow so you can see how they fit.

[SJCFlyer]

Originally Posted by SkykingUSA

I ordered these over the weekend they should come this Tuesday and Wednesday.

• Cup Holder Coasters: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...2?ie=UTF8&th=1
  

If any of them turn out to be duds, I'll post it in this thread. Here are some pictures:

Any idea of why you can't find these cup holder coasters anywhere???

[Scrapula]

Originally Posted by SJCFlyer

Any idea of why you can't find these cup holder coasters anywhere???

I have those. Found them on Amazon.

[ToddRGuy]

Originally Posted by Blue Sky

Here’s the 1 TB T5 I’m using in the 2014 F10 M5. Note I bought a cheap pack of short converter cables with various angles so I could get the one that would fit the USB port the right way and curl down to the USB-C on the SSD.

2

I'm just impressed there's a Blackberry on the front of that box. That brought back a few memories! lol.

[Blue Sky]

Originally Posted by ToddRGuy

I'm just impressed there's a Blackberry on the front of that box. That brought back a few memories! lol.

That’s the original paperboard sleeve around the phone snap-in adapter from 10+ years ago, when car manufacturers were past the point where they wanted to sell you a phone that fit the car, but not yet over the idea that a premium car should have a little cradle that holds one of a couple of supported phones. Then all car companies figure out that nobody cares and everyone just dumps their phone here or there, inside this or there, and only more recently has gone back to once again having a designated spot (mag charger) for the phone to be esconced. Back to the Future.

[geneatals]

ended up ordering the painted reflectors from IND on black friday. small discount. I'll post some pics when I get my car and get them installed. I've done this minor mod on all my previous BMW's, makes good difference for me. Not a fan of that amber reflector on the side of each bumper. nothing else planned but most likely going to do a chrome delete gloss black vinyl wrap for the kidney grills, since I opted out of the msport pro pkg and didn't get the LED grill....

[AiredaleDad]

Ok so the sun shade works great! Fits perfectly and folds into a small package that fits under the rear seat. The door pockets work great in the front. But like the rest, the rear ones don't fit right. So I left them out.

[SkykingUSA]

Great info and pictures. Thanks for that.

[arturos]

Nice sunshade AiredaleDad
Could you please share the website of the sailer?