Thanks for all the things I've learned already on this forum. I'm about a month away from getting my mini, and the dealer wants to know if I want the iPod interface or not. I'm looking for any and all opinions. Dealer wants $501 for the install.

Some personal data:
My iPhone is my iPod, so 8 GB is all I'll ever have.
I mainly listen to podcasts and books on tape while driving.

I'm trying to decide between the ipod OEM interface and something like a proclip mount and the belkin auto kit. Suggestions?

I have the Ipod Touch and got a FM Module that works perfect so far but I still dont have a mounting kit for it. I looked at the proclip and might go that direction.

Why do you use that instead of the built-in aux port?
Edit: Nevermind - just noticed your sig says '2002'.

I despise FM tuners. If you do any distance drving you have to readjust the frequency for the area. You get poor reception in parking garages, or even on the wrong side of bigger cars. The ipod interface is really for people who want to see the ipod info on their screen. Personally I think it would be cool with the nav since you already have the joystick. but if you dont mind picking up your iphone to choose a song then stick with the aux input (just a 3.5 mm connection on each side coming out of your headphone jack and going into the port)

My opinion would be to skip the iPod interface and use the Auxilliary jack. The factory unit is okay, but it connects through the secret compartment. This works for me as I have a regular iPod and it keeps it charged. Seeing how you have an iPhone, I would think that taking it and out of the compartment might be a drag.

you could buy the interface and install it so that the port is wherever you want

Thanks, guys -- I think I'm going to skip it for now, and if we get reliable good iphone stories, I can get it installed later.