Looking at navigation systems

[Ext User(bernardz)]

I have been quoted for a range of items going from about $500 which is
a hand held computer device which is good if I go interstate and need a
mabile unit. The guy in the shop though reckoned that most people were
not that happy with the cheap unit as they broke frequently the screen.
He liked the slightly dearer blue tooth system.

Then there are the fixed units like for $1100.00 a VDO DAYTON MS4200RS
which has a nice radio and CD in it.

Anyone had any experience with these units and what do you think of
them.

[Ext User(Bernd Felsche)]

"bernardz" <bernardz@mail.com> writes:

>I have been quoted for a range of items going from about $500 which is
>a hand held computer device which is good if I go interstate and need a
>mabile unit. The guy in the shop though reckoned that most people were
>not that happy with the cheap unit as they broke frequently the screen.
>He liked the slightly dearer blue tooth system.

>Then there are the fixed units like for $1100.00 a VDO DAYTON MS4200RS
>which has a nice radio and CD in it.

>Anyone had any experience with these units and what do you think of
>them.

AFAICT, the map data for ALL navigation systems is supplied by
Sensis (aka Senseless) your friendly subsidiary of Telstra. There
appears to be no other map source for Australia.

Map quality is quite bad. Sensis is reported to be unresponsive to
error reports. Exploiting their monopoly, they can afford to not
only charge like the wounded bull, but also to behave so arrogantly.
--
/"\ Bernd Felsche - Innovative Reckoning, Perth, Western Australia
\ / ASCII ribbon campaign | Cynicism \Cyn"i*cism\
X against HTML mail | A visual defect caused by the
/ \ and postings | intrusion of reality

[Ext User(Toby Ponsenby)]

On Tue, 10 Jan 2006 09:59:12 +0800, Bernd Felsche wrote:

> Map quality is quite bad. Sensis is reported to be unresponsive to
> error reports. Exploiting their monopoly, they can afford to not
> only charge like the wounded bull, but also to behave so arrogantly.

Which is why I'm waiting for someone to 'break ranks' and get in
amongst the sensless sensis scam with some decent software.

Because as long as those arseholes have anything at all to do with the
electronic maps, we're doomed.


--
Toby.
quidquid latine dictum
sit, altum viditur

[Ext User(None Entered)]

I've found my Tomtom Go 500 is great (w/ Bluetooth). The weather & traffic
features are pretty good too. The problem is the fact that it uses Sensis
maps which are unacceptably out-of-date, and roads are misspelled in some
cases. I emailed sensis, and they kindly replied that they planned to have a
"significant" update to their maps early 2006. I would estimate the maps
will cost around the ~$150 mark for updates as that seems to be inthe
ballpark.
The other option is to get the Destinator software, which from what I've
"heard" is nowhere near as good as the Tomtom/Sensis combo.

--
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Jyetara German Shepherds - http://www.jyetara.com

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Bernd Felsche" <bernie@innovative.iinet.net.au> wrote in message
news:g0hb93x5s8.ln2@innovative.iinet.net.au...
> "bernardz" <bernardz@mail.com> writes:
>
>>I have been quoted for a range of items going from about $500 which is
>>a hand held computer device which is good if I go interstate and need a
>>mabile unit. The guy in the shop though reckoned that most people were
>>not that happy with the cheap unit as they broke frequently the screen.
>>He liked the slightly dearer blue tooth system.
>
>>Then there are the fixed units like for $1100.00 a VDO DAYTON MS4200RS
>>which has a nice radio and CD in it.
>
>>Anyone had any experience with these units and what do you think of
>>them.
>
> AFAICT, the map data for ALL navigation systems is supplied by
> Sensis (aka Senseless) your friendly subsidiary of Telstra. There
> appears to be no other map source for Australia.
>
> Map quality is quite bad. Sensis is reported to be unresponsive to
> error reports. Exploiting their monopoly, they can afford to not
> only charge like the wounded bull, but also to behave so arrogantly.
> --
> /"\ Bernd Felsche - Innovative Reckoning, Perth, Western Australia
> \ / ASCII ribbon campaign | Cynicism \Cyn"i*cism\
> X against HTML mail | A visual defect caused by the
> / \ and postings | intrusion of reality