BMW to Replace Paper with iPads at Auto Shows

The advancements in technology, and especially those made by Apple, are finding quite enough room for integration in the automotive world. Both the iPhone and the iPad have quickly became partners in crime for car manufacturers, who are beginning to integrate them more and more into the machines they make.

BMW is about to try a different approach however. All of you who have visited an auto show, regardless what it was, have seen that each of the cars on display are accompanied by a tell-tale paper sign, stating the cars' name, attributes, specs and so on.

BMW has decided though that the time for the paper has passed. The carmaker announced that, starting with the South Florida International Auto Show in Miami, it will use the iPad for this task. A much more... interactive piece of paper if you like.

The technology will be used to display technical specification and pricing, but most importantly, it will allow visitors to choose the information they are viewing. To get things even more exciting, BMW models, perhaps except concepts, will each have a configurator installed on the iPad (allowing customers to choose color, wheel and interior options). Ads, commercials or presentation videos of the cars on the floor will also be available.

For the Miami show, BMW's iPads have both English and Spanish language settings. The first use of the technology in such a way will take place starting this week, giving the world a preview of what the floor of an auto show will look like in the future. Because we have a feeling iPad use in such a way will expand.