[erikpukinskis]

I don't understand why these companies are providing USB/iPod ports. Hats off to the ones that provide 1/8" audio jacks, but I don't get why they don't just provide a 1/8" audio cable that comes out of somewhere.

Every audio device since the dawn of time has a 1/8" audio jack in it. Why not interface with the technology that's already omnipresent?

[doublec]

Because you can't charge the device through the 1/8" jack. The devices would also need something to plug into to be used for any length of time.

[scott_s]

Probably because most people who want external input have iPods. I recently got a new stereo in my car explicitly so I could get a USB input port - I just picked the cheapest stereo that had one.