Verdict: Just A Sliver Above Atrocious

You might be surprised to learn that Alpine is the #1 rated OEM GPS supplier in North America (I know I was). Many of you have asked me to review the Blackbird, so this week I took a look at Alpine' s flagship GPS, the Blackbird. When the Blackbird was first released, feedback on the unit was poor.

Alpine has re-worked the unit and issued a major software update that adds traffic data capabilities, improves route calculation speed, and improves vehicle positioning performance. They've also dropped the price to $499. Alpine's line of after-market car audio equipment is legendary, so I had high hopes for Alpine's high-end GPS unit.

I put the Blackbird through the usual rigorous in-depth review criteria and see how it stacks up against the competition.

Continue reading "Alpine Blackbird Review" »

Posted by Fletch at 12:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (23)

Yesterday Garmin posted version 4.10 software for the StreetPilot c550. I haven't applied the update yet, so I can't vouch for it, but from the looks of it, there's some fairly significant issues resolved with this update.

Changes made from version 4.00 to 4.10:

* Resolved Address search problems
* Added Brazil and Mexico locale options
* Improved tone generation efficiency
* Resolved lock up issue when setting traffic provider to Auto
* Modified UK, New Zealand and Australia default setting
* Fixed car driving sideways problem
* Fixed issue where scroll up still valid after clearing entries from recent selection page
* Improved GPS reception in long tunnels

The update is available from Garmin's website as an individual download, or can be applied via their WebUpdater software.

Posted by Fletch at 10:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Garmin has posted version 2.60 firmware for the nuvi 660. I've downloaded and installed it, and all appears well. I know some of you had experienced problems with the previous update (stuttering voice prompts), but this one looks pretty solid. Seems like a fairly significant update -- a lot of bugs are fixed, so I'd recommend installing it. Only available via Garmin's WebUpdater application. More information available on Garmin's site.

Changes from version 2.40 to version 2.60

• Added SMS/Text Messaging support
• Improved shutdown sequence when disconnecting the Nuvi from the computer.
• Show ferry lines on the map.
• Fixed problem with some help files not showing up.
• Improved support for USB mass storage on Macs.
• Centered battery gauge on screen locked page.
• Fixed lock-up selecting traffic provider.
• Added '-' to edit phone number keyboard.
• Fixed browse map to display correct colors in night mode.
• Added 4GByte SD card support.
• Fixed possible file corruption.
• Changes from version 2.00 to version 2.40:
• Select Language Page string corruption
• FM Frequency page not in sync with Quick settings page
• GPS starting location not being saved properly
• Memory leak in bluetooth setup page
• Changed saftey camera tone rate
• Traffic receiver missing message error
• Increased Backlight at power on
• Increased touch size for Traffic icon on map page
• Improved large phonebook sync
• MP3 playlist support (m3u)
• Added Estinonian and Romanian text languages
• Added Greek, Croation, and Slovenian voices

Posted by Fletch at 12:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)