Forgive my complete ignorance, please.

I have just installed a new stereo in my vehicle, an Alpine CDE-183BT, and I am trying to get my iPod Shuffle to work. In my other vehicle, with an older model of the same stereo, my old iPod works without a hitch, but I run it via a cable into the back of the stereo.

In this case, according to the manual, I am supposed to connect it through the USB port on the face of the stereo, and it should simply get picked up, but for some reason, my stereo is reading ‘Device Error’. Then I get a message telling me to turn off ‘Demo Mode’ in settings. I don’t know if they’re related, but there doesn’t seem to be a way to turn off ‘Demo Mode’ in settings, and there is no way I can get the stereo to see the iPod.

Ideas?

Read the manual.

Page 18 or 23 for info on Demo Mode

This might help for your iPod issue:
http://www.manualslib.com/manual/643656/Alpine-Cde-183bt.html?page=37
I’d bet it’s not an official Apple cable.

Is it a genuine cable / try a different one?

Ooh you toad, you edited that after I posted! (-:

The cable I used to plug it into the USB port on the stereo is the same one I had used to plug it into the Mac when I was transferring music over to it.

You’d think one of my teenage sons would be able to do it, but no. Unless it’s just that they like hearing me swear.

Have you tried switching it off and back on again?

No Bluetooth support? Wires are a bit 20th Century.

Did you say iPod shuffle? If so that won;t work, must be a classic, touch, or iPhone

I had an Alpine unit, the experience wasn’t a happy one; the user interface was horrid, any attempt to change anything was an excercise in teeth-grinding frustration. Even altering the time was almost impossible to do, the manual made no sense whatsoever.
It’s out in the shed somewhere, anyone interested can have the thing.