US 3.0 update for F500. Status: UPDATE COMPLETED

[ninbience]

I ordered my 3.0 update for the F500BT on 7/31/09. I just called and was informed that they were currently out of stock and awaiting a shipment of more. I should be getting an email with an eta at some point.

[Joe Schmoe]

Now that I've had a while to use it, I'm only now getting the unit to work in a way that I feel is ACCEPTABLE. Not great...just good. When reading the following, keep in mind that I use the F500 only for BT calling, and traffic information. Occasionally it will be used for navigation. I know you folks know many of these already, but...

 

What sucks:

-map becomes unresponsive. You have to click and drag and wiggle to get the thing to "wake up" sometimes.

-clicks and drags aren't very reliable. Sometimes is registers your drag, sometimes not.

-map should keep moving/scrolling after you've do a quick drag if you lift your finger off the screen. Pressing the screen again should stop the scrolling.

-single-pressing the screen should also center the map on that point like the AVIC-Z1,2,3.

-it's too easy to accidentally press the voice command key when trying to zoom in or out. Once in voice command mode, the unit is slow in letting you back out of it.

-freeway signs are HUGE. They could be effective @ 25% that size. They also seem to slow response of the unit down. They also should be defeatable.

-No mute? You must be joking. You can't shut the instructions up. Drive fast enough and you hear less music than instructions. 4 instructions per fwy interchange is way too much.

-traffic flow lines are MINISCULE! I had to change the unit to always display night-map colors just so I can get better contrast to see traffic flow better. The traffic lines should be 3X thicker, or the day maps should not be shaded in forms of yellow and beige. How are you supposed to be able to see tiny yellow lines on a background of soft yellow at a glance?

-there should be a rubber strap(s) on the back to hold an ipod, as well as an ipod adapter that is appropriately short to go along with it.

[BorisM]

--map should keep moving/scrolling after you've do a quick drag if you lift your finger off the screen. Pressing the screen again should stop the scrolling.

 

Why? There's an option to turn that on in iGO through SYS.TXT, but it's generally a pain...

 

-single-pressing the screen should also center the map on that point like the AVIC-Z1,2,3.

 

Again, why should it? Z-series software does it that way. Pretty much any other navigation just selects the location that yo have clicked. iGO sets a cursor location there, which is just as good an action as any...

[Joe Schmoe]

--map should keep moving/scrolling after you've do a quick drag if you lift your finger off the screen. Pressing the screen again should stop the scrolling.

 

Why? There's an option to turn that on in iGO through SYS.TXT, but it's generally a pain...

 

-single-pressing the screen should also center the map on that point like the AVIC-Z1,2,3.

 

Again, why should it? Z-series software does it that way. Pretty much any other navigation just selects the location that yo have clicked. iGO sets a cursor location there, which is just as good an action as any...

1. Because it's far easier for users to "push" the map in the direction they need it to go and stop it in a little bit than it is for users to devote their attention and their hand long enough to the unit to click-drag-click-drag-click-unsuccessful drag-click-drag-bumpy road wait-click-drag.

 

2. Similar answer. Press to recenter and you're done. That vs. that whole click and drag hokey pokey described above.

 

Maybe it's the way I use navigation, but beyond my commute, I'm not a point A to point B driver. I don't usually have an address or a specific destination. Beaches, mountains and National Parks don't have addresses. Well, maybe some do, but you get the idea, right? And when I'm scanning the drive home for traffic, and not lookinig for a particular destination it would help to keep my hands on the wheel and not on the unit.

 

And one more: double clicking with two distinct map presses should zoom in on the exact center of the screen. Though zooming is pretty good when the multi-function button, no harm in making thiis an option.

[BorisM]

1. Because it's far easier for users to "push" the map in the direction they need it to go and stop it in a little bit than it is for users to devote their attention and their hand long enough to the unit to click-drag-click-drag-click-unsuccessful drag-click-drag-bumpy road wait-click-drag.

 

2. Similar answer. Press to recenter and you're done. That vs. that whole click and drag hokey pokey described above.

 

May be if you have a (human) navigator it might work, but I do not see how one can drive, scroll map with inertial movement, catch it before it scrolls too far, drag it back, and not crash into something

 

In any case,

[map]

follow_gps=1

inertia_on_map_move=1

 

should take care of it.

 

For the other, it's personal preference. I click the map to get point info. If I want to center there there are ways. Could be easily changed in a skin, but again... if you are driving, click the screen (to silence a camera alarm, say), miss the button, and screen recenters 10 blocks away from whewre you are, I don't see how that's better.