I've been using the dash express (DE) for the last 5 months, and while it has some high points, overall the company has chosen wrong for almost every choice they've had to make regarding this device.

The device is large. Too large for any pocket. Too large for many purses. Way too large for a laptop case. You better plan to keep it in the trunk or a backpack.

They used teleatlas map data. As a result many roads have incorrect information for details such as road speed, number of lanes and the road's "importance".

They wrote their own routing engine, and it's not very good. There are a lot of very good routing engines they could have licensed, to allow them to focus on the traffic and connectivity features instead.

The traffic data isn't actually that good. I can't count the number of times I've come to a stop on the freeway while the DE is showing a solid green line. Similarly, I've had many times where I changed my route based on the DE's information, only to check google maps or sigalert from my phone at a light to see the section I was trying to avoid is green (and the DE still lists it as orange/red.)

They have a release due soon that they won't tell us anything about, but was promised "in 3 months" at the end of June when they released their last update (I'm writing this in early september.) It's supposed to address the many issues with this device, but I'm not holding my breath.

If you write to them with a specific bug or problem, don't expect to get a response. Especially if you plan to report problems with the yahoo listings. They'll simply tell you to do their job for them by reporting it to yahoo.

It's too chatty. On a trip from Oakland, CA to Portland, OR, I was being told that I should "Continue On I5 in XX miles" every 3-5 miles. I was between 90 and 100 miles away from this "turn".

There's a dearth of information. No way to get the device to tell you what road you're on, or even what city or zip code you're in. It won't even tell you how fast you're going unless you're currently on a route, and you tap the icon of your car, then tap another button.

Forget about the possibility of bluetooth integration, voice recognition, media playing, or any other feature that hasn't been available in a GPS for at least 10 years. Also forget about some of the lesser used but still important features like selecting the measurement units or waypoints based on latitude/longitude.

These are only the major issues I have with the device. There are many other minor issues and annoyances, but they all add up to a product that I currently strongly discourage people from buying.

There are some good points for the device, and soon one of the major players will add these features. These include:

* Internet connectivity. It's nice to be able to search for a product, (say, toner cartridge) from your GPS, and have a list of likely places that carry it pop up.

* Send2Car. This is easily my favorite part of the dash. Until you experience how nice it is to send an address to car, get in and have it show up, you probably won't get it. Trust me, this is fantastic.

However, these don't at all make up for the shortcomings of the device.

I've used GPS before now so I am somewhat familiar with most of the pros and cons regarding these devices. This is a new device by a new manufacturer and it includes a number of ground breaking innovations not found in any other device of its type. Frankly, I expected some flaws. So, I bought this with a little trepidation.

The reviews on this device ranged from stellar to the basement. The current reality is probably somewhere between and the potential to be an outstanding device is high. A large part of my purchase decision was based on potential alone.

Map Accuracy

Maps for GPS devices are largely provided by one of two vendors: NAVTEQ and Tele Atlas. Neither one is particularly better than the other (except perhaps on a regional basis) and both suffer from the same general problem, keeping the maps and routing data up-to-date. Because both are updated independently, one will have changes that the other will not and it will always be that way as long as they remain separate companies. In addition to the physical maps, these companies are also responsible for GPS accuracy (relative to the map), and various routing parameters like speed limits and traffic controls. This means that you cannot blame the GPS manufacturers for every single map or routing issue. The Dash Express maps only cover the contiguous United States, Hawaii and Alaska.

Radio Access

GPS is available all the time from the U.S. Government GPS satellites and does not require a subscription. GPRS is a data transfer method that occurs over the cell phone system using nationwide cell access contracted by Dash. This is part of your subscription service and is provided at no extra cost. Wi-Fi is available from ANY IN RANGE, AVAILABLE OPEN access system. Think Starbucks and a number of other eateries, etc. Wi-Fi is a wireless internet access method that is popular among home users. Dash does not (cannot) provide this with your subscription as there is no regional or national access for Wi-Fi.

Updates

Dash has said that (as long as you are a subscribing user) historical traffic updates should occur 10 - 12 times per year, map updates at least twice yearly, and software updates every four months. I've had my unit for 5 weeks and have seen one traffic update and one software update. (This software update occurred on June 30, 2008 so be aware of this when reading reviews prior to that date as the update included a number of fixes and new features.) Traffic updates take place over GPRS. Maps can be updated over either GPRS or Wi-Fi depending on the size of the update. Software is updated over the Wi-Fi connection due to the bulk of the update and speed difference between the two types of connections. The unit can also be connected to a computer by a USB cable so there is the ability to update the unit by direct connection.

Routing

Entering the name of a street for routing is simple. Dash Express will normally display a list of available streets based on the first three letters of the street name. Then just choose the appropriate street from the list. Dash will then try to provide up to three routing options to your destination. If you have already driven a route to the destination, a fourth option is included based on your last route driven. This means that if you drive a different route than one offered, that route will display the next time you route to the same destination as long as you start close to the same starting point. Routing is one of the most important functions of a GPS. One of the things Dash can do is to include traffic information in its calculations to find the fastest route. Some GPS's are better at routing than others. At this time, Dash is neither the best or the worst. They know this. The last update improved this function somewhat. I am confident that future updates will continue to refine and improve this function. Something that you can discern at a glance from a map can be very complex for a computer to resolve because it has to work with a set of specific rules that must be followed. To make the routing better, problems must be identified and the rules changed accordingly without creating more problems.

Traffic Data

One thing that Dash excels at is the presentation of historical and live traffic data in both directions along a highway. The data comes from several sources including Inrix and LIVE traffic data reported automatically by other Dash drivers. The Inrix system includes traffic sensors in many urban areas that also report live traffic data. In addition to live traffic the unit will also display historical traffic information and the difference in the display of the two is a solid line vs. a dotted line. The live traffic data from other Dash users is uploaded to the Dash servers over GPRS then downloaded into individual Dash Express GPS units. Included in the the display of current traffic data is the reported traffic from other Dash users. (You cannot tell the difference between live sensor data and live Dash user data.) Green, Yellow, Orange and Red are used to indicate degrees of congestion. I have found both the historical and live information to be reasonably accurate. It will never be perfect since unforeseen events do occur that affect traffic and these things cannot predict the future. Plus, sensory data is sometimes in error due to defective sensors. But on balance the information is timely and accurate. As noted before the subscription service is required for the feature. Note: Traffic is not reported for every road. Subdivisions are not included since there is generally no through traffic. Generally, interstates, major US and State highways and connecting roads are included. Other roads can be added as the need presents itself.

Search

The Dash Express contains a large number of points of interest with location data that can be searched, off-air. In addition, with the subscription service, you have access to real time, relevant, GPRS search capability via Yahoo. It is a simple interface with a number of frequently used searches pre-programmed into the device. Relavant, searchable information includes movie times and locations, gas prices and locations and most anything else you can think up. You can also download custom searches from the MyDash.net web site or save your favorite search right from the Dash Express. The searches typically return, the name, address, phone number and star rating (where available) for each search result. Each returned item is then routable. Ever been in the car with the family or friends and decide you want to to see a movie or want to go to that new restaurant you heard about but don't know exactly where its located. Save the 411 cell phone call and look it up on the Dash Express then select a route to the location. You would not believe how easy this is or how often you will find yourself using it. The search can not only be applied locally, but to another city, your destination or along your route.

Search Applications

The Dash has the ability to accept new search applications by third party vendors. To date these are free and available on the MyDash.net website. This includes such things as WeatherBug for current weather and weather alerts, a list of radio stations, etc.

Send2Car

Ok, what's this. You can use the MyDash.net website to send an address from the Dash website to your GPS over the GPRS or Wi-Fi connection, EASY. At home, or office and got an address you need to go to. Just use your computer and send it via the internet. You don't need to connect the GPS up to your computer. Dash Express will pick it up in seconds after you turn it on in the car. Then just select the new address from the menu and route to the address.

User Interface

The system of controls and menus is very simple. There are only four external controls, Menu, Volume, On/Off, and Reset. These controls are well placed and sized for easy access. Everything else is done using the display as a touch screen.

Display

The display is a wide screen format that has become popular with other GPS manufacturers. Initially the information on the screen appears a little drab. But this actually plays in the device's favor since important information like traffic is displayed in color. Too much color on this display for ordinary things would potentially detract from other things of importance. The display can also be configured to automatically adjust its brightness based on current conditions and switch to night mode without user intervention. The Dash Express will display both a 2D and 3D image of the map with routing and traffic data based on the user's selections.

Audio

The Dash Express does not have speech recognition. A car is a noisy place and speech recognition is not quite ready for this application. It does have audible directions for navigation and alerts. This works quite well even with the occasional mispronounced street name. Some regions of the country may have more trouble with this than others due to the use of more extensive use of ethnic or uncommon names.

Unit Size

There has been some comments about the unit's size and weight. It is bulky compared to more recent competitive products, but keep in mind that this GPS contains not one, not two, but three radios: GPS, GPRS (Cell), Wi-Fi. In addition it contains a battery powerful enough to run the unit for two hours (disconnected from any external power source).

Mount

Dash has excelled by providing a hefty mount manufactured by PanaVise. PanaVise has been around for years and is known for providing durable, quality products and this mount is no exception. The mount can be utilized on the windshield or dash and comes with an extension and mounting plate for the dashboard.

Subscription Service (not required)

Maintaining the subscription service does add the the recurring cost of the device on a monthly or yearly basis. But, consider what you get for the money. Software/Map updates for other GPS devices often occur only once a year if that often and that could cost $70 or more; then you have to order it and install the update yourself. Traffic radio subscriptions can run $40 annually or more. With the subscription you get: 2 map updates per year, 3 software updates per year, 10 - 12 traffic updates per year, continuous access to the Dash traffic and internet servers via GPRS, live as well as historical traffic data, internet search in real time, capability to send addresses directly to your GPS from any internet connected computer and more...for about the same price or less in some cases.

It Does Not Have...

Dash wanted to produce a device focused on providing navigational information. It does not contain either Bluetooth or an MP3 player as these tend to detract from the device's mission. Maps of Canada, Mexico and Europe are not provided at this time.

Summary

In the end I am pleased with my decision to purchase this device. Yes it has some room for improvement, but the recent updates show that Dash is committed to the necessary software improvements plus adding new features that will ultimately enhance the value of the device and remain competitive with if not ahead of other GPS devices. It is a good GPS now and will only get better, in short order. Another software update is due in just 4 months. No need to wait a year or longer for a competitor's product.

I've been using GPS navigation systems in my car for about 5 years. Before the Dash, I was using a TomTom Go 300.

Pros:

* Online search by Yahoo! is nice. TomTom's database is sparse and searching it is painful.

* It works pretty well as a basic GPS navigation system - it will get you from point A to point B via a reasonably efficient route.

Cons:

* The traffic data is totally bogus. Roads are routinely yellow or red when there's no one on them. Dash probably has a chicken and egg problem here, in that there aren't enough Dash devices out there to generate accurate traffic data. But having the data be wrong is worse than not having it at all. And it is, in my experience, very often wrong. You are better off looking at Google maps traffic.

* The route selection algorithm is slow, taking 20-30 seconds to plan your routes.

* There are times when you just want to take a route, not see 3 choices, and there's no way to do that. This is easily fixed.

* The device consistently interferes with at least one my FM radio stations.

* It lacks some of the advanced features of the TomTom, such as:

- alternative routes

- ability to customize what you can see on the screen (e.g., arrival time, current time, speed)

* The hardware is large and clunky. Some of the marketing shots make it seem misleadingly slim. The mounting arm is a marvel of engineering, and it needs to be to support this thing.

If this device had come out 3 or 4 years ago you might say, "Wow." But there's a state of the art in GPS navigation systems, and the Dash Express comes up significantly short of that. Moreover, the one area where it is differentiated, online traffic, simply doesn't work.

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

I've had this GPS for approximately a week. This review is a first impression. I bought the GPS after having had a TomTom ONE XL 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator for some time. I decided to move up from the TomTom ONE because there had been alot of local construction going on and the ONE was quite outdated. It got me thinking about a more connected GPS. In addition to the Dash Express, I also looked at a TomTom GO 730 4.3-inch Touchscreen Portable GPS Navigator with Bluetooth.

The Dash Express has a nice screen and clear graphics. However, it is quite bulky compared to the ONE XL and it dwarfs the smaller TomTom units that I've seen. The windshield mount is rather large as well. The only place I could mount it in the car without blocking my view was the angle where the dash meets the windshield on the left. I can't remove the GPS from the mount without detaching the mount from the windshield - you slide the unit up off the mount, and it is too big to do this on a fixed mount without hitting the windshield.

Compared to the TomTom ONE, the 3D view is lacking. The street names aren't as clear, and I enjoyed the additional information on the TomTom screen, such as the speed of travel and the current street name.

Unlike other reviews I read, I think the navigation component and planning features are roughly equivalent. I did see the GPS lock up once or twice when I missed a turn and forced it to recalculate a route. I also noticed that it lagged my true position a bit, but I'm not in a big city and had time to compensate.

There is no ability to enter corrections. I'm hoping that the more frequent map updates will obviate the necessity for this feature.

Regarding the internet connectivity, I haven't found this to be reliable. I frequently have GPRS access in the first 5 minutes following power-up, and then it is lost. I contacted Dash about this, and they recommended restarting the unit when I lose GPRS. I'm located right in the middle of a "green" zone with plenty of coverage, yet the unit can't hold the signal. I was told by Dash that they just started placing towers in my area, yet the map they provided on the website shows solid green coverage for 20 square miles around my location. They gave me an extra 3 months of free service and apologized for the problems.

As I've driven around town, I have seen the traffic patterns reflecting the data generated by my and others' Dash units. Hopefully over time this will improve the traffic features.

For now, I'm not getting much from the connected features of the device. There aren't enough other Dash units in my area yet to make traffic features useful, and with the problems the unit has with coverage in my area, I can't get the connected features to work. These two complaints have been thoroughly vetted by Dash customer support - they were quite nice.

In time, I think this will be a great idea. For now, you've really got to be willing to put up with a device that promises more than it can deliver.

I've ordered a 730 and I'm going to compare them for a couple of weeks until I get closer to the end of the return window. I suspect the Dash unit may go back until 12-24 months from now.

I've been using my Dash in Ft. Myers FL for about 3 weeks - this is my first non-auto manufacturer installed unit. Generally this is a very slick unit - I love the send to car feature - from my office computer I can take an address and send it right to the car and it's there and ready to go when I hop in my car to go to an appointment. You do have to be very accurate with the address or it does not take. Also, it DOES NOT WORK with Microsoft Office Version 7 (most recent), which means I cannot send any of my addresses from my Outlook contact files - bad for me!

I've found the positioning is slow when driving - I'm 100ft past a street when the screen shows I'm just passing it. At a corner, even at a dead stop, it will show the turn as anywhere from 50 ft to 150 ft ahead - so it is clearly off by that distance - only rarely is it dead on.

I find the feature navigation intuitive and easy to use. I like the screen - easy to read and view in virtually any light condition. Just today, it became very confused when I didn't follow its routing directions, and was coming up with some crazy re-direction. Fortunately I had a pretty good idea where I was going, and could ignore its directions. NOT GOOD, if you don't know where you're going and are relying on it completely for guidance to your destination. To the best of my knowledge, they have not offered any updates since I received my unit. With nothing to compare it to, it seems good, but not great at this point - but what unit on the market gets consistent great reviews - none I could find?? I'm looking forward to future updates to fix some of the glitches....

Update #3:

August 2008

The bad news is that it broke. The touch screen threw itself out of alignment (apparently a number of Dash owners have experienced this). This meant that you can not get past the legal disclaimer page. Fixing it necesitated a return.

The good news is that Dash support was superb. The phone was answered quickly. I was given the option of returning it for repair or else having them send me a new unit and a return label for the broken one. The new one was shipped out right away via 2 day UPS.

Routing remains an issue. Dash is now saying that an updated routing algorithm will not be available until end of year. Hopefully, for Dash's sake, they have this ready prior to the holiday buting surge.

Update #2:

The June update was indeed released. It introduced a few new features and improved the interface in a few areas. Unfortunately, we have still not seen a revised routing algorithm and the DE continues to send users in 50 mile circles as it strives to stay on major highways no matter what. Dash states they are working on improvements but no dates have been provided. Just this month I bought a GPS as a gift for a colleague. I considered the DE but instead opted for a Garmin solely because of the routing issues.

Update #1.

Having lived with the DE for over a month now, I would give it a C+ for current state with an A for potential. The routing algorithms seem to have some significant issues. That is not good considering the primary function of a PND. This is a device I really want to love but the flaws are tough to overlook. A major new software update is pending this month so hopes are high that it will address many of the issues, especially with routing.

On a recent trip from Philadelphia to Ocean City, MD I experienced. 1) Less than optimal routing (only one choice given vs. 3 from TomTom), a lock up that required hard reboot, at one point it told me to make a hard left turn onto rte 13. This was in the middle of the highway and made no sense from any perspective at all. Unfortunately, when traveling in unfamiliar territory, I still grab the Magellan or the TomTom. (I am one who thinks the Garmin's have been dumbed down in their interface).

Early adopters saw a price drop of $100 (25%) within two months of release. Dash did not go as far as Apple in offering an equivalent service credit to early adopters but did recently give us 3 months of additional service. B- for customer focus.

A new release of software is promised soon. Hopefully, this will address some of the shortcomings and raise the grade to a B+ or an A. If this is your ONLY gps, you might want to wait a couple of months. You may also benefit from further price drops.

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First off, let me state that I am NOT a beta participant. I bought my DASH with my own $$$. I have also owned many different GPS units starting with a Garmin GPS III when they simply showed you where you are. I love gadgets. I own or have used current Garmins, Magellans, TomToms, and manufacturer equipped vehicles. I have also returned a few that I did not like thanks to Amazon's excellent customer service. I had been watching development of the Dash for some time and even though they rejected me for the beta, I decided to buy one. I had some reservations as I discredited the "best thing since canned beer" fanboys who got one for free as beta participants. On the other hand, there seemed to be a lot of negative comments from non-owners as well.

After a few days of ownership, I do think the Dash is a game changer for GPS units. It raises the bar by offering something really new and unique. It has its shortcomings, most of which will likely be addressed in new software releases, others will need new hardware.

After reading the comments about how huge the Dash is I was worried about what I would see in the box. My first thought on unpacking was, "eh, it ain't that bad". This is definitely not something to slip in your shirt pocket but is no more bulky than the Roadmate 700 series, the StreetPilots, or even the softball shaped TomTom 900 series. Once it is mounted to the windshield, you only see the screen and the size becomes a non-issue. If I were flying from city to city it would not be my first choice to carry. Yes, it could be sleeker but the average person who will keep it in his car, it is a non-issue. The windshield mount is extremely sturdy, probably the best design I have seen If you want to see a junk mount, try a TomTom 900 series.

Upon powering her up she took about 3-4 minutes to get locked in and ready to go. On subsequent restarts the signal aquisition was within 30 seconds. What really surprised me was that I almost immediately saw both dashed and solid lines indicating other users on nearby highways. I thought I would be the only kid on the block for at least a few weeks. The menus seem very well laid out and logical. The display does not provide as many geographic landmarks as some but it is very clear and easy to read. Instead of an arrow you have an image of a car. A clever touch although I did see someone griping about not being able to have an arrow, get over it!

At this point I have only about 200 miles on her so I will update this review as time progresses. Here are my initial observations. Some people have observed drifting of actual versus displayed position. I have not seen this as of yet. Even in areas where a bunch of roads run parallel, the tracking was spot on. I have also yet to experience problems with screen refreshes.

The "send to" feature is nice and works well. The Yahoo search for POI's is excellent. Sure, Google is better but what Dash offers is leap years ahead of even the most comprehensive set of built in POI's.

The routing algorithms definitely need some work. As others have noted, it sometimes proposes some outright bizzare choices. I suspect this will be addressed in upcoming software releases but is currently the Dash's greatest weakness. Most of the time the routes are OK but enough are not to raise concern. There is also a definite tendency to force you to a main road even when a secondary makes much more sense. Some people may blame this on use of teleAtlas versus NavTeq maps. I have other units with current versions of both. The differences between the two have really become negligible.

The ability to choose among "avoid highways", "most use of highways", "avoid toll roads", etc. is a related item that will hopefully be addressed soon. Likewise, the ability to easily exclude a road is important.

Auto-zoom on approach of turns is needed.

The text to speech is functional but needs some tweaking.

It was an unfortunate decision not to bluetooth enable the Dash. Having your GPS serve as a wireless speakerphone is really helpful. Unfortunately, I do not see this being supported until the next generation of Dash hardware.

The button placement may cause you to inadvertently tap one for about your first minute of ownership. Personally, I like the idea of having buttons to quickly adjust volume, go to the main menu, etc. No qualms here.

Dash seems very committed to addressing shortcomings, updating the software, and adding value over time. If they do this quickly and consistently they are to be commended. I always appreciated how Magellan made major new features available to the older Roadmates without requiring you to buy new hardware (unlike some other GPS manufacturers who only provide minor software updates). Let's hope that Dash delivers on its promises.

Yes, you can get sexier hardware. Yes, the Dash routing engine needs some fixing and there are some features that are still lacking. But I do think that networking of GPS raises the bar to a whole new level and I am thus willing to make an early investment. The strenghts seem to outeigh the weaknesses and I do believe that within 6 months most of those weaknesses can and will be addressed.

Two years from now these features may be common place. Dash does need to act fast and stop making stupid excuses about the poor routing like, "well, the primary market is commuters". Dash will either become an industry leader or else a page in the history books. I suspect that they will become a big player.

I've owned a few different units over the years and it seems everyone does certain things very well and in other areas could use some improvement. This unit is no exception but a few of the things that it does VERY well are features that I love. I travel a lot of long distance traveling, 5-12 hours typically 2-3 times a month. I don't use my GPS as a media device nor for bluetooth so these functions are not important to me.

My history with GPS units include the Garmin 2610, Garmin Nuvi 680 and the Magellen Maestro 3250. I'll run through a few pros and cons of each unit.

Garmin 2610

Pros

-best routing preferences I've seen, you can rank major hwys, secondary roads and local roads on a scale between 1-10 for routing preferences.

-has ability to find POI's along your current route

Cons

-no traffic

-big and bulky

-$150 annual map upgrades (I believe this price has come down).

-long time to boot up

-lose reception and directions are gone

Garmin Nuvi 680

Pros

-small in size, packs a lot of features, easy to use

-quick to map and has ability to find POI's on your current route

Cons

-Limited routing preferences (no-uturn, avoid tolls, avoid highways and avoid unpaved roads) You can pick shortest or fastest or off road

-MSN connectivity not ready for prime time, I commute 30 miles to work and work right at the Lincoln tunnel. MSN does not pick up a signal until I am 2-3 miles outside of NYC, WAY too late to help me with traffic. The traffic is pretty useless as a result even within 10 miles of the largest city in the US.(returned it as a result after 9 months)

-even when MSN works you can only see regular fuel prices (I drive a diesel truck so it doesn't help me locate diesel fuel stations)

-can't use zip codes

Magellan Maestro 3250

Pros

-if you don't like the route you can click on a specific turn in the navigation to eliminate that portion of the route and the unit will recalculate the route with the exclusion (very cool feature)

-has 3 options Nuvi has for routing, plus use most highway

-when highway traveling you can search upcoming exits for food, fuel and lodging (very cool feature)

Cons

-NAVIGATION IS HORRIBLE!!!! I can't stress this enough, this unit CONSTANTLY tries to reroute you around ghost traffic. Traveling from the NC boarder to Morristown NJ, the unit read 16 hours with traffic for an 8 hour trip. At one point the unit tried to reroute us 45 miles south on I-95 while we were traveling north. When we arrived at the trafficed area there wasn't anything there and it was 11:30pm when it would be VERY unlikely a traffic issue would exisit. Traffic is very important to me and if for no other reason this is the worst unit I've ever owned(I bought it for traffic)

The Dash unit does a few things very well.

Pros-

-Traffic is amazing, even with the unit just being launched last week. I travel home during some serious traffic times and the unit does a fantastic job of keeping me up to the minute on traffic.

-Connectivity works very well, a world of difference from the Garmin

-Send to Car makes life very easy to send addresses and searches right to the unit

-Yahoo Search is also a fantastic feature, many many POI's on the other units I've owned are not still in busines Dash does a great job in this area and is second to none.

-Yahoo tells me the prices on each grade of fuel and diesel also!

-gives up to 3 routing choices

Cons

-when coming to a turn there isn't a split screen or any beep or any type of indication of when to turn.

-location of the car isn't 100 percent accurate like the other units

-no "along current route" searches you can search in your area or in a city but not along your current route

-does not offer routing preferences

Overall I think the yahoo and traffic capabilities are great features and make up for any minor shortcomings of the product as others have mentioned. The fact that dash has promised at least two upgrades a year at no additional cost, makes this unit with the 10 dollar a month service charge pay for itself. With that in mind, there are some improvements I'd like to see to make this unit the best in every category. No unit I've used is the best at everything, but Dash is so good at some of the things that are important to me, the things it doesn't do well are only an afterthought for improvement.

I've had this product for several days and have also owned a Magellan Roadmate before this one. Most of these cons could be fixed with future software updates.

Cons:

1. No Static IP addresses. When you connect the device, you must have DHCP enabled as there is currently no way to enter a static IP address/subnet addresses.

2. When GPS signal is lost (eg you drive through a tunnel), it doesn't give you a list of upcoming turns. My Magellan did this so that you could still make the turns that you need to.

Pros:

1. Traffic data is extremely accurate. When traffic conditions got worse, it gave a pop-up asking if i wanted to re-route around it.

2. Live internet searching is a God send. There has only been one entry that I have searched for that it was unable to find.

3. Map updates included in the service fee. I saw at Wal-Mart yesterday that map updates for a competitor device was $100.

At the end of the day, would I recommend this device, yes I would, but only if you live in a metro area that would benefit from the traffic information. Again, my cons can be fixed in future software updates.

I have had the Dash for three days now and I happy to report that it works very well. It's not perfect, but with the ability to receive software updates at any time, it might just get close to it.

The pluses:

1)Traffic is very accurate and will only get better. It is better than my Nuvi 680's MSN traffic, which I found to be hit and miss (figuratively :)).

2)Satellite access times are very quick. I don't know why some people are reporting slow times. Mine is as fast as the Nuvi, or faster.

3)Gas prices are very complete. Much more complete than the Garmin. On the Garmin it would take minutes to receive the gas data. On the Dash, it's there almost immediately.

4)Same with movie times. Much more complete than my Nuvi 680 via MSN. The Nuvi has maybe 20% of my local Los Angeles theaters. The Dash is nearly 100%. And again, you get the data right away, not in minutes.

5)For that matter, same with traffic. You get it immediately, not in minutes on the morning start up on my Nuvi.

6)The Send to Car feature, where you can type an address on your computer and send it to the Dash is amazing. It receives the send within one second! It's so fast that you almost can't believe it. What a great feature.

7)Connected internet searching and routing changes everything. This may be the best feature. You get the impression that there everything out there is available. You get this feeling of limitless searching, which is exactly what a GPS should give you.

8)The text to speech, while not as natural as the Garmin, is just fine. And louder than my Nuvi.

9)The screen is very bright and the non reflective coating makes it easy to see in the day.

10)The ability to be given up to three routes, while I wasn't that impressed at first, turns out to be a good choice. The Nuvi sometimes just doesn't give me the route I want to take. The Dash gives me a choice, which I like.

11)The mounting bracket is very heavy duty. I don't think this will fall off the windshield like my Nuvi does all of the time. Of course, the unit is huge, too, so you need a large mount.

Now for the minuses:

1)It has bugs which need to be fixed. When you do a search you only get around 16 or so results. So if you ask for the restaurants in Los Angeles, which should bring in thousands of hits, you get around 16 or so (I haven't counted). I called Dash and they noted this as a reported bug they are working on.

2)The UI is just not as nice as the TomTom or the Garmin. It looks more first generation. They tuned down the colors on the map so the traffic stands out, but it ends up looking too bland. They need to find a way to make it look nicer and not diffuse the traffic information.

3)The menu system needs a redesign. Some choices sound the same, and take you to similar areas. It needs a rethink to make it easier to use.

4)The 3D view shows an arrow where you need to turn. The 2D view doesn't. This needs to be corrected. You can't always tell where to turn in 2D view.

5)For that matter, it isn't always easy to tell exactly which road is the route. Due to their muted colors, the route is white, but roads without traffic information are grey. These colors are too close to each other. The route itself should stand out more.

6)Missing features: waypoints, avoidances, detours, etc. Dash says these will be added. Not sure why they weren't in version 1.0, but glad to hear they're coming.

7)The size is big. But this is NOT a minue to me, because when you have it mounted you can't tell the size from the driver's perspective. You just see the screen, and the depth does not show to the driver.

But all in all, I gave it a 4 rating for effort. This is a revolutionary unit. I don't have any doubt that their competition is sweating it out to make a similar product. In many ways, it's like the iPhone in the way it will change the GPS market. It has that potential.

And imagine if they really do offer the features people have imagined they could: restaurant reservations, ticket purchases, email, web browsing, etc. At that point, the promise of the mobile internet in your car becomes very real. The Dash may just be able to pull it off.