I was just out playing with the real time GPS nav system on my roomate's new Z4. It just about the coolest toy I've ever played with on a car. Driving around the neighborhood you can watch as the little pointer moves along the map with smooth scrolling.
I almost want to drive it randomly until I'm totally lost just to see how fast the nav computer can show me the way home.
So I've been reading up on navigation systems after playing with this thing today....and I want one.
His being factory mounted in the dash is cool. I see that I can have such a thing installed in my car and have it look really good....for roughly the price of my own Leer Jet. So that ain't gonna happen.
But I've seen they have these PDA based gps nav mapping systems too that seem very reasonably priced. And since it can go outside the car with me it seems like a much better value.
Anyone know anything about them?
Do they work with real time updates showing exactly where I am on the little map at any given second?
Do they work in general?
Anyone know of a store I can go to talk to someone about these and learn more? Does Best Buy have this kind of thing or go I have to find a specialty store?
I really want to learn more about these things so I can get one that both works and really suits my needs.
I don't need all this fancy stuff where you can program routes in and have it tell you when you make a wrong turn. (I wouldn't turn it down. I'm just saying that's a luxury) I'd just like to have a simple screen with a map on it and a big arrow pointing to exactly where I am. Anything more than that is an added bonus.
We stuck Microsoft AutoRoute on our laptop with a NavMan GPS unit, and it did everything but the talking. Great for driving in Europe where I'm not exactly familiar with the roads. Total cost was just under $100 for the software and maybe $200 for the GPS unit. It also can plot your route, show you where the next gas station is located, and give you the phone number of a restaurant you might want to eat at for supper. If you take a wrong turn, you right-click on the location indicator, add it to your route, and it gives you directions to get back on track. It's also a much bigger screen than I've ever seen installed in a dash (but not nearly as clean-looking, of course).
My only complaints are that it takes a couple minutes after you turn everything on before the satellite signals are all synchronized and the thing starts tracking. And if you're in a serious downtown with high buildings all around you, it gets a bit goofy once in a while.
Or replace your head unit. I know you already have an aftermarket HU, but the Pionneer AVICN1 is a pretty good way to go. Like the factory unit in the Z4 it's an indash unit, but one ups the oem unit by offering an automated screen that tucks neatly into the dash when not in use. It also offers onscreen touch control for all audio aspects on it's large 6.5" screen in addtion to it's real time full color GPS system. Oh, did I mention it also plays DVD, MP3, and WMA formats as well. Man, I've been selling this stuff too long, I really sound like a salesman. :P
Yup CD's too. The only discs it won't play are DVD-Audio or SACD. Unless you plan on doing some serious work on your car audio system, this isn't really all that necessary.
It's a bad boy, deffinately woth the price of admission.
OMG This is quite possibly the coolest nav unit ive seen so far I just have to get this.... Play cds and navigate at the same time, play dvds, mp3s, hook up a backup camera.....
I am totally getting this installed instead of my system lol.
Because it's small and flat and a single unit I figure I can remove the OBC and the sunglass storage thing and mount this upright in that 2 DIN sized slot area. These things are roughly the same dimensions of that spot, though it would take a little reworking to make it fit perfectly. But I'm certain I could make it both good looking and functional.
I've found a couple different brands of these all in one units. They are all basically the same size.
Then my only question is do I really need the OBC?
I have the crappy version anyway and the only thing I use it for is temperature check. Will the car like not work properly is it doesn't get feedback from that computer or anything?
I guess I could always mount that hidden under the seat or something if I wanted to keep it available for the check control indicators....
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I just have to get this.... Play cds and navigate at the same time, play dvds, mp3s, hook up a backup camera.....
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