|
| Dash Express Two-Way Internet-Connected Portable GPS Navigator | 
 enlarge
| Brand: Dash
Category: CE
List Price: $299.99
Buy New: $299.00
You Save: $0.99 (0%)
New (1) Used (2) from $199.97
Avg. Customer Rating:  166 reviews
Sales Rank: 3497
Color: Black
Media: Electronics
Native Resolution: 480 x 272
Display Size: 4.3
Includes MP3 Player: 0
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 2.8 x 4.8 x 4.1
MPN: 99-1000-001
Model: 99-1000-001
UPC: 892437002012
EAN: 0892437002012
ASIN: B0014CIBWC
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
|
| Customer Reviews:
 Dash Express May 22, 2008
6 out of 10 found this review helpful
I've owned this unit for 1 month. I've owned two previous Garmin GPS units. The good points: internet connectivity through cellular technology is truly an outstanding feature and it works well. Points of interest are limitless and always up to date. Using the same technology, the Send-2-Car feature is very convenient and works well also. The company is runs an excellent forum and support site and is responsive to critique and questions. The promise: Because of 2 way internet connectivity, real time traffic information and frequent traffic updates and semi-annual software and map updates should make this unit better and better the longer one owns it. The downside: the routing engine is not quite as good as Garmin's (not that Garmin was perfect either!) The company promises improvement and can provide it by wifi connectivity with system software improvements. Finally, the monthly service fee hurts but actually is economical if one factors in the cost of map upgrades from other providers. Plus, map upgrades on the Dash occur in the background transparently. (you receive a message that a map upgrade is available, connect it for 5 minutes to a wifi hotspot, and you receive a message that the upgrade has been installed successfully. Further comments: the realtime traffic information is great when it's available. The more people who buy Dash units, the more information will become available since some of the real time information comes from other users. One issue that the company has pledged to address: the unit doesn't automatically route you around stalled traffic so one may suddenly drive into a mess and be stuck in traffic while the unit is showing a traffic jam. On the plus side, the suction cup that attaches the unit to the windshield is much sturdier than the one my Nuvi uses. Also, switching from 2D to 3D view occurs with a quick screen touch on this Dash while it was deeply buried in the menu on the Nuvi. Overall, the Dash is a winner and I'd rate it 4 on a scale of 5 as there is room for improvement. The final optimistic additional point is that one's own unit may well improve after purchase because the Dash people have built in upgradeability and seem committed to supporting it.
 What a shame! May 21, 2008
11 out of 12 found this review helpful
It's a shame. Potentially this can be a great product. But right now I regret buying it.
The idea of getting real-time traffic updates is great. Of course, not enough Dash units in the field yet so guess it will be better. Search is good and works as advertised.
Big failing? As mentioned by others, it prefers highways to local roads. No option for local routes. Wanted to go to a restaurant that was down the road from where I was (Fairfax, VA) this weekend. Even though it was less than a mile away, the Dash wanted to route me to local highways, which caused the route to be ELEVEN MILES long. Not good.
Same thing when I was in Washington, DC. Some routes offered took me away from my intended destination to go on larger roads rather than direct and local roads.
Coming back to New York City, it stuck to the I-95's even though there are alternatives that were more scenic and with less traffic.
The item is well made, but the suction mount was very finicky.
All in all, not very happy with the Dash. They do seem good with updates (over the air), I like sending the addresses through my computer, and I do think the unit is good with displaying turn directions unlike some others.
But right now I can't recommend it. Get a Garmin.
Bill Gore
A few quirks, but overall very solid May 19, 2008
6 out of 10 found this review helpful
I have had my unit for about 3 weeks and so far I have been happy with it. The traffic information is very accurate and I have been astonished at how the red areas on the map correspond almost within a car length of what traffic is on the road. How they are getting this data and how it is so accurate is beyond me.
There are a few quirks with the system that I would love to see fixed:
-Would like more information at the beginning of routing in order to make a decision on which route to take. Currently, the route options show a wide map with color coded routes and mileage and estimated arrival time. I would love to be able to click somewhere and get more detailed information on what each route will entail. The color coded maps are difficult to comprehend sometimes.
-Yahoo! Local searches could stand to be a bit more robust. Searching is a bit hit or miss, but it is still awesome to be connected to the internet. I would expect this feature to improve over time.
-I would like to see a list of turns to get a general idea of what my trip will look like so I am not just reacting to the GPS all the time.
-At the beginning of each route, it could stand to give a little more information. When you are coming out of a private road or a parking lot, often the device says "Continue to MLK Drive", but you won't know whether or not you should be turning left or right on MLK drive. It is perplexing as to why the information is not given.
The quips above are overall not too damning as to the device's overall performance. The routing thus far has been very solid and the traffic has been extremely helpful. If you are headed to a major traffic jam, the device reroutes you on the fly and I have been very pleased with that feature.
As to whether or not this device will be worth an additional $9.99 per month, I don't know if I will be as fond of the product once the subscription part kicks in, but thus far I feel the connectivity and especially the traffic information is very valuable. And honestly, if the device saves me a few minutes a day and keeps me out of a major traffic jam even once a month, it will be worth $10-12 per month.
The "send to car" feature works amazingly well and information gets to the GPS absolutely instantaneously. It is very impressive. Because of this feature, I have not had to do much typing on the touchscreen, which is a real time saver.
I would definitely recommend this product upon my initial review. I have found it to be a useful tool even when you know where you are going because of the traffic, and is has been just as useful finding new locations.
Not perfect today, but over-the-air updates will soon make it so. May 18, 2008
6 out of 10 found this review helpful
First, I should say that I was a beta roadtester for Dash. Over the period of the a few months that I had the Dash I really came to love its Yahoo local search and send2car features. But it was most definitely a beta product with lots of bugs.
Then came the time for me to return the freeby and decide whether I was willing to spend my own money on the 1.0 product. I um'ed and ah'ed between the Dash and a Garmin Nuvi for a few weeks. I was in love with the Dash, but had also experienced a lot of bugs during the beta period - just how much better was the 1.0 version? I also wanted a bluetooth GPS (I wanted to connect my phone hands free).
In the end I went with the Garmin. It was head winning versus heart. I convinced myself that Garmin was tried and tested and I would leave Dash to iron out their problems for a couple of years.
Then came the embarrassing moment with my wife on the first evening out with the Garmin. We were going to a restaurant. Of course, it was one we had been to before and so knew how to get there. But I had so show my skeptical spouse just how useful the device was. I'm sure you've guessed already what happened. That's right, the restaurant wasn't in the Garmin's POI database. This isn't a new place; it's been around with the same name and at its current location for years. After we returned home that evening, I went online and checked Yahoo local and sure enough it found the restaurant no problem. My sadness with giving up the Dash was beginning to mount, but I consoled myself with the Garmin's bluetooth cell phone connectivity.
Except ... although that worked fine at first, after a while it just wouldn't connect my phone (my Blackberry is on Garmin's list of phones that should have worked, and yes I did check their website for firmware upgrades).
That was the last straw. With joy in my heart, I returned the Garmin and ordered my Dash Express.
My Experience with the Dash has been great. It is substantially better than the beta version I had. I still love the yahoo local search and send2car. The device is big compared with the Garmin, but I can't say I care (it's mounted in my car and I don't plan to move it around). I have read other reviews saying that its routing algorithms are poor (particularly for long trips), but I haven't experienced any problems. I make some use of the traffic data, but I don't think there are many other users in my area as of yet - hopefully over time that will get better. Its core GPS features are weak compared to other GPSs (eg no search along route for gas etc) - which is why I only gave it 4 stars.
Since buying the device, I have already received some over the air updates - this for me proves the power of the Dash. While Yahoo local search and send2car make this device stand out, its core GPS routing capabilities will be fixed over time. Couple that with regular map updates and, for me, this device stands out from the crowd BY A VERY LARGE MARGIN.
Bottom line: not perfect today, but over-the-air updates will soon make it so.
 Exceeded my expectations May 18, 2008
5 out of 11 found this review helpful
It does all the things my other GPSs have done and fixes the things I hated about the others. It updates itself! No more downloading new maps or software updates. My favorite thing is that It can take a feed from Google Mymaps. I have a mymap with all my favorite destinations. Anytime I update the mymap on my computer the Dash is updated automatically.
|
|
|
Copyright
©
2006 Adminpal LLC | |
