Figure 22: Map Menu

After pressing the info icon on the map screen, various menus appear next to the soft keys on either side of the console display.

• Info - displays more detailed information about the current route, including a maneuvering list
• St-over cancels the current route and allows you to start over and route to a new destination
• Detour is used if you encounter heavy traffic and wish to route around a stretch of road. Press the Detour soft key and the navigation system will allow you to select how many miles around the current problem area you want the GPS to route you. So, for example, if you choose 5 miles, the navigation system will take alternate roads towards your destination address for the next 5 miles. After 5 miles the system will place you back on the normal route.
• POIs allows you to search the POI database for businesses along your route or near your destination (such as restaurants, hotels, gas stations, etc.)
• Memory is used to save addresses for future use (i.e. an Address Book)
• + and - keys control the zoom level of the map display
• Coord. lets you route to longitude/latitude coordinates instead of a street address

Figure 23: Displaying the Maneuvering List

Pressing the Info soft key from the Map Menu (shown in figure 22) brings up the soft key options shown above in figure 23. From here, pressing on the List button brings up the maneuvering list.

It takes three key presses to bring up the maneuvering list from the map view. This can be very annoying if you're quickly trying to see what the next turn will be -- I feel there should be a shortcut to access the maneuvering list straight from the map view via a single button.

Figure 24: Maneuvering List

The maneuvering list on the Mercedes navigation system. Each maneuver is shown along side the distance between turns. This screen displays 6 maneuvers at a time. The soft keys for Page up and Page down are used to scroll through the maneuvering list.

I would have preferred to see a graphical representation of each turn as well as the text description. For example, an arrow showing the direction of the turn next to each maneuver would greatly increase the usefulness of the maneuvering list - especially when looking at the list while driving and trying to quickly see what the next turn(s) will be.

Figure 25: Maneuvering List, Details Page

Details of any given maneuver can be viewed by highlighting the particular turn with the pushbutton arrow keys and then pressing on the Details soft key. Instead of simply displaying the text of the turn in a floating text box, as shown above, I would have preferred to see the Mercedes navigation system display a true details page, showing a graphic of the turn, complete with turning arrow and street names.

Figure 25: Accessing the POI Database from the Map Screen

While navigating to a destination, the POI database can be accessed by bringing up the map menu and pressing the POIs soft key.

Figure 26: Accessing the POI Database from the Map Screen

By default, only icons for a few POI categories are displayed along the left side of the console: Mercedes service locations, gas stations, parking garages, restaurants, and hospitals. More categories can be viewed by pressing the More soft key on the right side of the console.

Figure 27: Adding a Stop to the Current Route

While navigating to a destination address, it is possible to enter an additional destination as a stopover along the route. The Mercedes navigation system allows you to choose a stopover from the saved addresses (Destination Memory), previously entered addresses (Last Destinations), the POI database (POIs), or manually enter a new street address (Destination Entry). In this example, I'll choose POIs.

Figure 28: Setting the Search Scope

After choosing POIs, the navigation system asks where we want to search for POIs: at our current position, in a different city, or "Global Destinations". Again I found the terminology confusing on the Mercedes navigation system. It turns out Global Destinations is simply a way of telling the GPS to search the entire POI database, and not restrict the results by location. It would make more sense to say "Search Entire POI Database" instead of the cryptic "Global Destinations" term currently used.

Figure 29: Searching the POI Database

After telling the GPS where to search geographically, we are presented with a list of POI categories to choose from. The Mercedes navigation system includes some esoteric Points of Interest categories no doubt geared towards the more well-healed among us: Ski Resort? Border Crossing? No doubt very handy when heading across the border into switzerland for a quaint weekend getaway from your mansion in Munich...