I didn’t intend on making the second blog post quite so soon, but there is a valid reason. I design websites (including this one) as a hobby, and although some are built using content management software such as WordPress, many are coded from scratch using a mixture of HTML, CSS, and PHP coding. This particular website falls into the latter category, although I did start the ball rolling with a ready made template to speed up the process.
I’ve brought forward the second post, partly out of excitement to build up the blog, but in the main to populate the website with some more content. This will allow me to fine tune the website easier, whilst I build on the template and customise in into something far more unique. Don’t be surprised if you see some sudden changes, and apologies in advance if I accidentally break something, as I’m very much testing ideas as I go along.
Now, back to cars. The real topic of this post relates to an odd mandatory specification requirement when I was looking at a newer car, the process of which led to me acquiring the Kia Cee’d. This involved the need for a CD player.
I like to listen to a lot of music, especially when driving, and whilst I do use digital music saved on my phone, I still use CDs on a regular basis in my car. As such, this was a key consideration when looking to buy another car. With modern cars having sound systems integrated into the dashboard, I was reluctant to spend a lot of money on a car, only to have the hassle of ripping the entire dashboard to bits to fit an aftermarket stereo.
With my Kia being a pre-facelift 2nd generation Cee’d, it is amongst the last to feature a CD player. Thankfully, and worth bearing in mind for the future, it is also possible to fit an aftermarket head unit for the stereo without two much effort, albeit replacing the fascia panel surround the existing head unit. As it transpires, this has also proved important, as with the car lacking satellite navigation, I’m actually considering upgrading the head unit. No doubt this topic will resurface in later posts.
I know I’m in a declining majority, but I still find CDs a convenient and high quality method for listening to music, and as such CDs still play an important role for both in home and in car listening. As I wrap this article up, if you’ve noticed a lack of photos, no I haven’t forgotten about including them, I just haven’t yet got a far as adding them in. You may see some appear as I improve on the website. In time, I’ll also review the sound system in the Kia.