I'm finding it revealing how many people say their nav works fine. I greatly suspect we're seeing a difference in business decisions here. The Japanese manufacturers decided to build a comprehensive system that works even in obscure little places with only quarter-million people like our area. Porsche and perhaps other German manufacturers seem to picture the U.S. as having four or five big population centers and they put their effort into a system and database that work in those areas, giving up on the great emptiness in between. (From an insular European perspective that is.)

Fascinating thread.

Gary

 

I had the chance to use my NAV in my 997.1 for the first time. I drove to San Antonio, TX. Before i left my house, of course I wanted to set it up, typed the address, cannot find it. What it can do is drive me up to san antonio and leave me there to ask people probably.

I just bought an Iphone 4, typed the address at google map, WALLA!

I used it as a Real Time driving aid. Not too safe but what can I do, I need to go somewhere in san antonio.

This is the second time my Iphone saved me, and the second time an address in san antonio cannot be found in my NAV.

The first time, I wanted to return my rental car near the airport in SA, cannot find the return address of the rental car. I was using Garmin. I almost for sure will be late in my flight. And then I realize, I have my iphone, it saved me that time.

 

None of the nav manufacturer make their own maps. They buy map from one of the map data companies. Can't blame Porsche for lack of map details other than their poor choice of map supplier.

But the PCM/MOST navigation system suck big time, both on the 997.1 and Mercedes. The 997.2 PCM3.0 is better, but still lacking compared to almost everybody else.

 

Speaking as a design engineer, you're wrong. I'm responsible for everything that goes into my designs. That applies even when the gerflunkte production engineers let some nichtegreizell middle manager demand a cheaper component after the design leaves my desk. We may not be able to do more than file a demurrer, but we have to do that as a minimum so wiser heads can prevail if it gets their attention.

Porsche don't run a steel mill either, nor did Lancia, but check Lancia sales in England since they used a cheap grade of steel that rusted while you were having afternoon tea.

Actually, the truth seems to be that Porsche is imbued with a performance car spirit and tin whistles like nav get only grudging attention. We used to joke of using interns (young undergrads looking for summer experience) to deal with requirements foisted on us by marketing people whose view of the goal diverged from our own clearer perspective. I do not assert that Porsche let the intern pick their supplier, let alone design his or her own version, but the result leads one's musing in that direction.

Gary