vastmax Posted September 18, 2008 Report Share Posted September 18, 2008 Great unit F90bt start up time sucks but remember it boots off a hard drive think about how long your PC takes to boot up. everything works after bootup Still no excuse, I've had the Z2, F90, and now the DNX and the F takes over twice as long to boot up....unacceptable. It's Pioneer "economy" unit, they aren't going to put the effort into it as they do their flagship Z-series. (Direct quote from a Pioneer rep) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chriso Posted September 18, 2008 Report Share Posted September 18, 2008 Great unit F90bt start up time sucks but remember it boots off a hard drive think about how long your PC takes to boot up. everything works after bootup Still no excuse, I've had the Z2, F90, and now the DNX and the F takes over twice as long to boot up....unacceptable. It's Pioneer "economy" unit, they aren't going to put the effort into it as they do their flagship Z-series. (Direct quote from a Pioneer rep) Wow - a quote from a callcenter rep. Buy the Z it costs more - must be better. All the good new features are in the F series. I shopped around - I would have bought the D series over the Z - way better reviews. The iPod interface of the F series makes it much better. When the Z gets the voice control and better iPod interface it will be their flagship product. I have iPod control after 30 seconds (via steering wheel controls) - I can wait 30 seconds. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LT234 Posted September 18, 2008 Report Share Posted September 18, 2008 I would buy mine again! I've had ample time since the update to really evaluate the units functionality. Even though Pioneer thinks of this unit as an entry level GPS system, I think most of us would agreet that the features this unit offers are anything but "entry level" The update fixed everything that I was unhappy with including the horrible bluetooth connection. Only thing bothers me at this point is the boot up time, but I guess I can live with that. Yes I would buy mine again! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Head Unit Posted September 20, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 20, 2008 I'd definitely do it again. When it works, it works great. Most of the interface screens are tastefully designed and I'd give their functionality options at least a 70 out of 100. Some things that still annoy me: 1. Sometimes the Back button (et al.) takes way too long to respond...and occasionally it just doesn't. Maybe improved by additional upgrades but the winCE platform might have limitations on what can be done here. 2. Bluetooth: The one-number-per-contact is inexcusable. Don't Pioneer developers know most people have more than one number these days? I kind of like the little colored heads but touching them should show all numbers listed for that contact...then you make your call. Software fix. 3. FM seek function is marginal. Software fix? 4. Multi-function knob. I started another thread with my gripes on the knob alone and other folks added more legit points. Wimpy feel and functions can conflict. Hopefully Pioneer will improve this for the next hardware release. (Unit needs a faster functioning Mute). Biggest drawback IMO. 5. HD blind presets. Lame 6. Title bars on screen during video playback are pointless and further shrink an already small screen by industry standards. HIDE THEM and maximize the screen please! Other bugs like the Nav green boxes have been discussed at length, no need here. Overall though there's lots to like about the F-Series head units. Let's hope Pioneer feels responsible for tweaking them until they deliver on their promises. I'd do it again. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
JayinMI Posted February 16, 2009 Report Share Posted February 16, 2009 Nope. I don't think I would. Even for the $400 I paid (NIB from Pioneer -- Yay, accomodation pricing) The nav seems to work very well, the voice control for the iPod (and voice dialing) suck. The way it imports phone books sucks -- instead of multiple numbers for each entry, it should only have one entry. The unit is not intuitive. The steering wheel (wired remote) input compatibility sucks. Since there are so many phones with compatibility problems, I am limited in what phones I can choose, because I want it to work with my radio. If I hadn't had to perform MAJOR surgery on my dash to fit the F90 in my '98 Neon, I'd probably sell it and switch back to my DEH-P790BT. Hopefully the next update makes improvements. Jay Quote Link to post Share on other sites
S4 Posted February 16, 2009 Report Share Posted February 16, 2009 All I wanted was true iPod control and navi and both of those things work really well. I would never use 2D mode so that's not a problem for me. Same goes for BT and VR so I'm pleased with the 90. Boot times could be better but seriously that is not an issue as everyone makes it to be. can't wait 30 seconds? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LawVol Posted February 16, 2009 Report Share Posted February 16, 2009 since the thread has already been revived, I guess I'll throw in my thoughts: I really like my F700; it's way more of a system than I thought I could get for the money. I was actually just looking for a higher-end portable GPS when I realized the F700 could be had for about the same price. It's not perfect, but for the price (I got mine with live cashback), I didn't expect it to be. XM and iPod control, which are the two features I probably use the most, work great, even though there are minor things I would change about both. I didn't consider bluetooth to be a big deal when I bought it, but I've really enjoyed it, and mine works very well. I didn't really care about voice recognition either, but it's pretty handy for voice dialing. The VR can be pretty frustrating for audio control, though. All that being said, if I had to do it over, I probably would spend the extra money for a Kenwood simply to have Garmin navigation. I know alot of people like the F-series nav, but, for me, it's just OK. It has a lot of features, but I just need it to get me from A to B with as little effort on my part as possible. With my F700, I still have to keep a sharp eye out for my destination because the unit is usually a couple hundred feet off and doesn't tell me what side of the street it's on. This means that I often miss my destination and have to turn around and go back. That's wasted time that a nav unit should help me avoid. My wife's $150 Nuvi is more accurate, better at routing, and tells the destination's side of the street. Like I said, I was really looking for a portable GPS when I bought the F700, so the navigation was really very important. I just think the Garmin nav on the Kenwood unit would have been a better fit for me. I would definitely miss the nice graphics of the F-series, though. That's neither here nor there, though, because I don't plan on getting rid of the F700 anytime soon. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
cptdean Posted February 16, 2009 Report Share Posted February 16, 2009 I'll toss my hat into the "Yes" ring. I bought my Xterra for the express purpose of replacing the factory HU with a DD capable of video playback with touch screen controls. While I'm disappointed with several things (lack of wireless remote, useless knob, nav voice interrupting my music, etc.), most of my complaints can be resolved with some minor modifications. I'm glad I can override the video lockout, and the BT function works great with my BB Curve. My only other serious choice was the upper end Kenwood (I'm a Garmin fan), but I just couldn't make myself spend the money. For now, I'm happy. I hope Pioneer continues to provide updates for the F90BT, though. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Hierog Posted February 16, 2009 Report Share Posted February 16, 2009 well, i've had my 90 for a week now and I'm pretty dissapointed. I had a Kenwood 7017 with a G510 and the Garmin Nav was soo much better. Boot up time is absolutely ridiculous! I just wanted to try something different. The Pioneer does shine on the screen quality and overall sound quality. If the shop would let me, I would rather have the Kenwood 8120 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mubbly Posted February 16, 2009 Report Share Posted February 16, 2009 I love my f90bt. I'd buy it again and recommend it to anyone. I REALLY want a bluetooth update though.. PLEASE!! I think a major overhaul is needed for the contacts feature. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jfeld Posted February 16, 2009 Report Share Posted February 16, 2009 I'm another "YES would do it again" vote. I've had mine a week... got it off Amazon for $383.00. Can't beat that! Reasons: 1) NAV - I'm a Garmin fan, but getting the hang of this. Like it! 2) ipod - Works great, still looking for optimum (size/quality) ipod video compression. 3) Bluetooth - Works everytime! However, not crazy about the "contacts" implementation. This is weak in my opinion. LOOKING for updates/improvements here for sure! Still need to program the SWI-PS (& SWI-CAN) for my steering wheel controls (Audi A4). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
basstoy Posted February 16, 2009 Report Share Posted February 16, 2009 no.. I would go for the Kenwood.... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ScottyP Posted February 17, 2009 Report Share Posted February 17, 2009 Hell yeah I would, great unit with minor problems totally worth it Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BorisM Posted February 17, 2009 Report Share Posted February 17, 2009 I'm another "YES would do it again" vote. I've had mine a week... got it off Amazon for $383.00. Can't beat that! Reasons: 1) NAV - I'm a Garmin fan, but getting the hang of this. Like it! 2) ipod - Works great, still looking for optimum (size/quality) ipod video compression. 3) Bluetooth - Works everytime! However, not crazy about the "contacts" implementation. This is weak in my opinion. LOOKING for updates/improvements here for sure! Still need to program the SWI-PS (& SWI-CAN) for my steering wheel controls (Audi A4). IMHO, Navi is better than Garmin, if you take time customizing it to your preferences. Now getting SWI_CAN working on an Audi... We could not get it to program right in an A3 and my installer said that it is a PAC problem... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bitman Posted February 17, 2009 Report Share Posted February 17, 2009 no, since it's an underpowered windos box. for less £££ i could have a working box. and if you all think it's such a great box why is no one want to buy mine? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.