Gen 3 Navi Update-able.?.?

I agree with Karmick about staying on top of Toyota about this. I'm a total geek-gurl and demand high-functioning tech toys. Yes, I bought the Prius for all it's wondrous mpg's *but* I also expect it to be updateable.

(I almost didn't buy the car when I realized the nav system was not updateable or satelite based, as either option seems so -duh basic- to me.)

IMHO, Toyota has essentially put on a computer in the car, so ideally it shouldn't be any different than updating the OS on your own computer or phone.

 

God save us from car PC control system, doesn't matter if Win or Unix based. A PC OS for NAV/audio/video/BT and other non-essential tasks instead of the legacy manufacture's systems - why not? I'll appreciate it.

 

Based on my experience with a 2003 Chrysler nav system which gets updates from the same source as Toyota (Navteq), Toyota can and probably will provide software/firmware updates with new nav DVDs.

 

The GenIII Nav system here in the Uk is only updatable by visiting a Toyota Service centre. The update (when it arrives) is loaded onto the systems HDD from a laptop.

Lots of complaints about this update procedure which many feel is a retrograde step from the DVD system used previously.

 

As I have said in a previous thread, the least we can do is contact the Toyota 800 customer experience number and let them know. I did this a couple of weeks ago and the guy said it's the first he's hearing of this (is that possible?) and he opened up a case. I agree that the usb interface is basically worthless. I won't use it, and I waited to get a 2010 with the factory installed interface because this feature was so important to me. It's insulting that they would raise the price of the car $400 to include such a moronic piece of junk interface as this.

 

As for the lag in the phone bluetooth, have you shut down and rebooted your phone? Many users have had that delay go away when they've done a full shutdown and restart of the phone after they've made their connection. I know mind did.

I agree with all the comments about the USB interface being practically worthless. And the inability to control my iPhone from my steering wheel during BT iPod playback is just really unsafe....what with all the "handsfree" cell phone requirements these days how could Toyota create a BT link to an iPhone's iPod and then NOT establish two way communication between the devices to make handsfree operation possible??? Really seems like a safety issue to me that Toyota (and Apple) should address.

 

When I decided to get a Gen III Prius, I assumed the interior would have all the latest & greatest functionality *and* have the ability to be regularly updated without waiting 2 years for a DVD, which by it's very nature is out of date by the time it reaches consumers.

I love my Pri V, but I'm frustrated by the Prius / iPhone lack of functionality, integration & compatibility. Yes, my BT phone functionality is working, but the iPod functionality is minimal, at best. (Was I naive to expect more?) I don't want to loose features and data control. I want to see album artwork on the navi screen and treat it like a larger version of my iPhone. (Am I the only one who wants this?)

Fault for part of this may lie with Apple. However, the lion's share falls squarely on Toyota for equipping Gen III with a nav/voice/steering wheel interface that is turtle slow and lacks current technological integration, particularly with the iPhone's iPod features.

Am I ranting?

(I have spent the past week reviewing the tech section of this blog hoping someone had come up with this or that hack/mod to increase functionality. But nothing yet.)

-Prius engine tech is state of the art, so why isn't the interior staying ahead of the tech curve?
-Why not migrate some of the Scion's tech-goodies over to the Prius?
-Or at least offer different options instead of playing dumb that there's a tech gap?

The system should also be flexible or customizable to allow users to enjoy the iPhone's features, create shortcuts (i.e., like aliases on your computer menu bar), cut out things not being used, etc.

If this were the case, it actually makes for safer, more efficient driving. And isn't that what it's all about?

Okay...I'm off my soapbox now.

 

The Nav system here in the USA gets "all" of its information (not Traffic info) and programs from the Dual-Layer NavDVD that must stay in the car. So, these are "easy" to update with a new NavDVD.

The latest NavDVD is v9.1, just available in Oct 2009, meant to replace the previous version 8.1 DVD. Since the DVD is so expensive ($200 or more) to replace if it gets damaged by a head-crash in the DVD reader, I made a backup copy of my 8.1 DVD to use in the car.

I just made an "iso" (about 8GBytes) from the original and burned that to a blank 8.5 GB DVD+R DL Memorex disc. This Use-Copy seems to work fine. Another person did the same thing with their v9.1 NavDVD.

Apparently the files are not compressed, so they use a LOT of space on the DVD. With "only" about a GB of space left, the major "feature" (of both the 8.1 and 9.1 versions) remains the "spotty" map-data coverage, as reported by the Info, Nav, Regional Map Coverage displays.
Southern California is one of the few "large" detailed-coverage areas, perhaps because Toyota sells so many cars here.

However, it appears (from Toyota's Region-Coverage Maps) that over 50% of the area of the Lower 48 states does not have detailed coverage included on their NavDVD.

 

Out of interest, does anyone have a photo of the nav display in the US spec models? Interesting that it appears to be a different model to the European spec. Is there only one nav system option available?