I've been considering getting a F700BT, and have read about all the issues. I also know that fiddling around with one in the store is nothing like actually using one in your own car.

My question is pretty simple for you F-series owners: having lived with the slow boot up time, and assuming that this won't get any better with a firmware/software upgrade, if you had to do it all over again, would you still have purchased your F-series unit?

I'm really happy that I found this forum. It's been a hugely great source of information.

I think this exact thread has come up at least a dozen times. Maybe there needs to be a sticky at the top of the forum or something.

To answer your question, yes the slow boot-up is excruciating for me, and yes I would have purchased a different unit (Kenwood DNX-5120) if I had it to do over again.

I´ve had my F700BT for 2 months now and I´m already used to the slow boot time. To buy it or not??? ...It all depends on what your priorities are, mine are

1. ipod integration: I think is one of the best, if not the best on the maket, the interface looks awsome with the album art and the ipod wheel and its decently fast.

2. BT hands free: many people have complained about this but for me works just fine with my nokia phone.

3. Interface: although the touch screen is not as responsive as you would like (like an iphone or an itouch for example) its OK but what I really like is the look of the menus and the icons and it´s ease of use. I think there isn´t a unit in the market that looks as good as the F-series, IMO.

4. SD slot: A big plus, specialy for the F700 that doesn´t have a DVD drive, I´m not a fan of watching videos in the car but with an SD you can load some if you want.

5. Hackable: Very interesting if you like to personalize your unit with new icons and backgrounds,

6. Navi: I bearly use it so I´m not the person to comment on this. you might want to look nore info on this.

Yes, it has minor bugs, it boots slow, but overall, in my case the above stuff overcomes all the problems and makes it a very good unit with lots of potential. You also have to have in mind that this is a "PC" running windows CE 5.0, good in the sence that some very smart members of this comunity have been able to fix some pioneer mistakes and make it posible to modify some stuff, and bad that it might be what makes it boot so slow....

This is all my opinion and my experience as you might also read some very bad posts of very angry people saying that this is the worst unit ever....

Learn some more and make your desition. Hope this helps.

...and yes I would buy it again

I hate the slow boot time and how buggy it can be, but all in all I do not regret purchasing it.

I got used to it. No regrets. Another update would make it perfect, but its pretty darn cool as is

Hey Camel, how reliable is your guy on information? Just curious... trying not to get my hopes up for an update this week but thought I would ask anyways. Thanks!

I got used to it. No regrets. Another update would make it perfect, but its pretty darn cool as is

I have just called Pioneer Cust. support rep.:

"They know about issues . . they are testing beta update . . . boot time will be about twice faster . .they do not have exact date, but it will be sometimes next month . ."

bobD

He has always been reliable before but I would imagine if they found errors while testing, it would delay its release. Last week he said the 21st, now he says hopefully the 24th

Hey Camel, how reliable is your guy on information? Just curious... trying not to get my hopes up for an update this week but thought I would ask anyways. Thanks!

He has always been reliable before but I would imagine if they found errors while testing, it would delay its release. Last week he said the 21st, now he says hopefully the 24th

 

Hey Camel, how reliable is your guy on information? Just curious... trying not to get my hopes up for an update this week but thought I would ask anyways. Thanks!

THANK YOU!

He has always been reliable before but I would imagine if they found errors while testing, it would delay its release. Last week he said the 21st, now he says hopefully the 24th

 

Hey Camel, how reliable is your guy on information? Just curious... trying not to get my hopes up for an update this week but thought I would ask anyways. Thanks!

I got spoke with the service manager today...He told me it would be tonight or would be by tomorrow....That everyone has signed off on it and not its a matter of time.

I wouldn't buy it again. The boot time isn't the issue; I've gotten used to that. It's a little annoying that I have to wait so long to change the music source, but assuming that I like what's on when it starts up, I'm okay. I mostly listen to AM/FM and the previously-selected station starts playing very quickly. It's all of the niggling little other bugs that drive me batty.

The music app (that is my #1 use of this thing, being used 100% of the time I'm in the car) is just plain slow and hard to use. Button presses aren't responsive enough, and just to change the source from AM to FM takes way too many "button presses."

The phone app, my #2 requirement -- lousy sound quality, it takes over the screen when a call is active (although I've figured out a workaround to be able to use both the map and the phone at the same time), and voice activation doesn't work well ... just not a "win." It's functional but lousy.

Navigation, my #3 requirement -- lots of drawing bugs, etc. People here have figured out how to fix some of these and I've done some of those fixes. But I just shouldn't have to. And even in that app, way too many button clicks required to do simple things. If I want to go to somewhere in my history list, I have to click way too many times. If I click a destination, it should just go there, not require two more clicks after I select it!

GDGR, I have played with the F700BT in the store, it takes 2 button presses to go from FM to AM. Granted it's more than in my stock radio, but not that bad compared to some aftermarket radios that have to go through FM2, FM3 then get to AM. I think it may take 3 if you're using navi which could be improved but is similar to its competitors.

Pioneer should put a shortcut bar either on the side or bottom (make it your choice like in windows) so that you could choose what you want instantly. Maybe it could be added to the Avic launcher?

Ps. When you're on the phone, wouldn't a press of the MAP button to the left of the screen bring up the map?

GDGR, I have played with the F700BT in the store, it takes 2 button presses to go from FM to AM. Granted it's more than in my stock radio, but not that bad compared to some aftermarket radios that have to go through FM2, FM3 then get to AM. I think it may take 3 if you're using navi which could be improved but is similar to its competitors.

Yeah, 2 SLOW button presses if you are already on a audio screen, or three if you are on a nav screen. After a while, you miss the quick press of a real button on a factory radio.

Ps. When you're on the phone, wouldn't a press of the MAP button to the left of the screen bring up the map?

You'd think so, but ... nope. When a call is active, the only things you can do are hang up or change the speaker volume. That's it.

But if you have the actual handset do something else (in my case, I can switch it from bluetooth to the handset and back to bluetooth), then the AVIC returns to its previous mode, but the call stays active. It also does this if I receive another call while the first call is active. Of course at that point I can't use the AVIC to hang up the call, but I can still use the handset for that. Or I can let the other side of the call disconnect.

Wow, that's messed up. So if you're in the middle of a route and a turn is coming, you won't know about it until after the phone call is over? I can't believe that they would leave it that way. That would be useless for business users where you usually go to a new place and spend 2/3rds of the way there on the phone.