Thanks a lot MapNSoft

[Nikhil Malhotra]

That's really bad business . They should have refunded you the difference since you ordered in Jan and they came out with a cheaper version in March.
Its just would have been kind gesture.

 

[mky]

Thanks OP. I looked at it in time and placed order for the map. Costed me $32 including shipping. I wanted to order it before they pull it back and reinstate the original price.

 

[Aquineas]

Yeah... I'd be pretty annoyed too. Especially if I'd got bagged for $170+ within the last year. But I've seen them post when the next update is to be issued. But it's usually only about a month or so prior to release.

$170 to $25 is a HUGE price drop though all of the sudden, makes one wonder what's going on...

Heck, it probably cost $3 to make the packaging - it's pretty nice, like a hardbound book cover. My DVD NAV updates for my old Acura TL used to come in a plain cardboard sleeve w/ rudimentary black & white printed instructions for about $150.

At least this is user upgradable. Don't even get me started on the mugging I once received at the hands of the Infiniti dealer - You had to go online and purchase a coupon for over $200 and present it to the dealership and they would upload it to the car for another $65...

I suspect what's going on is they weren't getting enough takers on their map upgrades. I paid for one for my 2015 Genesis during the 5 years I owned it. It's better to get 1000 sales at $25 each than 10 sales at $180 (pulling these numbers out of thin air; I have no idea what their actual sales are).

 

[SuperKing]

But that doesn't explain why they're giving it away for free on the website? Whenever it does come online...

 

[EdP]

But that doesn't explain why they're giving it away for free on the website? Whenever it does come online...

Competition? Should I spend $170 twice a year to update, or should I just use Google or should I buy a Garmin for $100 and lifetime updates?

 

[Kraig Wilkinson]

Competition? Should I spend $170 twice a year to update, or should I just use Google or should I buy a Garmin for $100 and lifetime updates?

Competition is a good thing for us as consumers. No competition = Monopoly.

 

[SuperKing]

But they would be losing money by giving it away for free? To be honest, car manufacturers shouldn't even bother with mapping software anymore with Android Auto and Apple Carplay available. They can use those R&D dollars elsewhere in the car. I bought the update but it wasn't for the updated maps.

 

[EdP]

But they would be losing money by giving it away for free? To be honest, car manufacturers shouldn't even bother with mapping software anymore with Android Auto and Apple Carplay available. They can use those R&D dollars elsewhere in the car. I bought the update but it wasn't for the updated maps.

They have to have navigation in this level of vehicle. It may eventually evolve into AA or CP but not everyone wants it. Not yet.

I don't want to have to plug in my phone. Eventually that will be overcome but until it is, I'm not using AA. I may not be using the navigation but decide I want to stop for lunch so check out the POIs. With internal navigation I push a button. With AA, since I did not need it until now, I have to hook up my phone.

Many of you here may not agree, but the people here are more tech savvy that the typical buyer so you have to satisfy their needs too.

 

[Richard Mississauga]

Aside from agreeing with Ed....... there is an additional point - HUD. AA/CP is NOT fully integrated into our cars. If it were, you would see the turn-by-turn nav in the HUD.

Honestly - given the trade between Google Maps (which is a far superior mapping application IMNSFHO, with real time traffic and real time updates) ------------- versus having the HUD nav ------------ I vote for the HUD.

Let me know when full integration takes place. In the meantime, I am sticking with HUD.

 

[joegr]

But they would be losing money by giving it away for free? To be honest, car manufacturers shouldn't even bother with mapping software anymore with Android Auto and Apple Carplay available. They can use those R&D dollars elsewhere in the car. I bought the update but it wasn't for the updated maps.

So, you decide to go up to the mountains for a little hiking.
As you get close, you find that you no longer have cellular signal. You turn around and download an off-line map of the area, so you are still good with AA.

On your hike, you drop you phone into the stream, and it is dead.
Now, you have to stumble around to find you way home. Not good, because you are a little low on gasoline. If only you had some other navigation option in your car...

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[SuperKing]

That didn't seem to be an issue 30 years ago... lol... that's just poor planning

 

[joegr]

That didn't seem to be an issue 30 years ago... lol... that's just poor planning

Yeah, paper maps then. Do you always take paper maps with you now?
Still, it seems that you want the convenience of phone based navigation.
What's wrong with some of us wanting the convenience of built-in navigation as well?

 

[SuperKing]

I didn't say paper maps... but I do have a drawer of old phones. Grab one and leave it in the car.
I didn't say scrap built in nav either, I said they should shouldn't bother. As in not waste R&D money on it. Maybe use that money to implement google maps into the car. Would save a lot more money than spitting out updates for their own skinned maps every 6 months that most people weren't buying. Volvo and GM are already starting to do that.

 

[Aquineas]

Aside from agreeing with Ed....... there is an additional point - HUD. AA/CP is NOT fully integrated into our cars. If it were, you would see the turn-by-turn nav in the HUD.

Honestly - given the trade between Google Maps (which is a far superior mapping application IMNSFHO, with real time traffic and real time updates) ------------- versus having the HUD nav ------------ I vote for the HUD.

Let me know when full integration takes place. In the meantime, I am sticking with HUD.

While I agree with your point about the lack of full integration, the turn-by-turn subset of functionality is largely provided should you happen to be using Waze. It gives you an audible and visual clue at about upcoming turns in the head-unit (I have personally set my Waze voice to Cookie Monster, and I my kids absolutely love it). It's not in the HUD which I agree would be nice, but it's nevertheless roughly not far from eye-level. I have other issues with the Waze integration however:
1. You can't see song titles with Waze up. If you happen to be using Spotify you will quickly see the song flash along the top line when the song changes, but if you happen to be on a radio station, you've got to exit the Waze map and exit Android Auto completely to see that.
2. I haven't found a way in Waze to lock North to the top position. I don't want to be the center of the world with the world rotating around me. Keeping maps oriented correctly helps me learn a new area if I'm exploring.
3. Waze doesn't give general background geographical information, for example the name of the speed-trap small-Texas town you happen to be driving through where they dropped the speed limit from 75 to 45 in about 100 meters.
4. Turn-by-turn in the HUD would be nice
5. Why doesn't Waze support reporting of police from their voice menu? It's explicitly excluded.

 

[skipgen]

While I agree with your point about the lack of full integration, the turn-by-turn subset of functionality is largely provided should you happen to be using Waze. It gives you an audible and visual clue at about upcoming turns in the head-unit (I have personally set my Waze voice to Cookie Monster, and I my kids absolutely love it). It's not in the HUD which I agree would be nice, but it's nevertheless roughly not far from eye-level. I have other issues with the Waze integration however:
1. You can't see song titles with Waze up. If you happen to be using Spotify you will quickly see the song flash along the top line when the song changes, but if you happen to be on a radio station, you've got to exit the Waze map and exit Android Auto completely to see that.
2. I haven't found a way in Waze to lock North to the top position. I don't want to be the center of the world with the world rotating around me. Keeping maps oriented correctly helps me learn a new area if I'm exploring.
3. Waze doesn't give general background geographical information, for example the name of the speed-trap small-Texas town you happen to be driving through where they dropped the speed limit from 75 to 45 in about 100 meters.
4. Turn-by-turn in the HUD would be nice
5. Why doesn't Waze support reporting of police from their voice menu? It's explicitly excluded.

I know what you mean about the " speed-trap small-Texas town" thing - The Austin side of Brenham is especially bad. Those cops spew enough microwaves there to cook a quick shop burrito...

 

[Richard Mississauga]

@Aquineas

My entire post about integration was about the HUD. I have been using Google Maps in my cars for years through my cell phone. (Waze same difference).

It is a safety consideration - the HUD is MUCH safer than taking my eyes off the road to glance at a phone screen - which are way too small anyway (you will confirm this when you get older.. LOL)

There is no aesthetically pleasing spot to mount the cell phone that is anywhere near eye level, and certainly no spot at all that compares with the HUD. So, safety and aesthetics wins over the Maps/Waze functions.

As for police warnings.... they used to be present back a ways, but Police Dept.s all over the country had them taken off. Speed traps are one thing, but what about DWI screenings? or Amber alert checkpoints? There are valid reasons to NOT post police whereabouts on Waze or anything else.

 

[Aquineas]

Richard, I hear what you're saying, and absolutely agree that the HUD is the safest alternative. Just a clarification though, when I was referring to "near eye level", I meant the standard G70 head-unit, not a tiny phone. This doesn't detract from the point you're making, however; just a small clarification. Carry on.