Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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42 of 43 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Sony - sadly, could do better, 16 Nov 2007
Well featured on paper, but a bit of a let down in the flesh.
1) Maps - out of date / errors - and no sign of updates on the Sony web-site yet?
2) Safety cameras - missing ones - lots of them, even ones that have ben there for years. No sign of update on web-site
3) doesn't display speed limits when approaching cameras - it just says 'watch your speed' a few hundred meters beforehand - but doesn't indicate what speed - useless!
4) doesn't display your speed when navigating! (it does display when you are just letting it follw the map, without directions - so obviously it can do it) Why?
5) TMC - alerts don't clear automatically when you go past incidents. So you have to keep re-checking to see whether there are new problems, or just the ones you passed hours agao, still nagging you. Rubbish.
6) TMC - you can't just say 'replan my route and avoid incidents' Why not?
7) TMC - doesn't seem to know about all roads, and frequently traffic jams have built up significantly - yet TMC either doesn't ever report the problem, or finds reports it too late!
8) inputting destinations and post-codes - quirky user interface / often gets (me) confused, and keeps asking what country I'm starting from. Surely, it would be sensible to assume that I'm going to a destination in the country I'm currently in? (particualrly for those of us that live in the UK)
9) keyboard input is so slooowwwwwww - as is map redraw when scrolling around. Processor way too slow? (funnily enough my sexy-looking Sony Ericsson P990i PDA phone is equally under-powered)
10) why the hell does it boot up and every time asks me to agree not to play with it whilst driving. An annoying and pointless extra keystroke step every time I start the car.
11) let the internal battery go flat, and instead of just shutting down gracefully, it crashes - requiring the reset button to be pressed - and then needs setting up again. Aaaaaarrrrgh
12) points of interest - lots of garages (especially supermarket ones) are missing. Worse than that, the data layer is so old that there are thousands of now-closed garages still listed. Need more accurate data as to which petrol stations are 24-hour. Lots more layers needed - how about banks/cashpoints? Why can't I search for 'Ford' dealers? (eg)
13) why is a second cradle so expensive? The very effective suction pad is brilliant, but soon deteriorates if you keep moving it between vehicles. Rip-off!
Come on Sony - you can do better than this. This is a £300 unit! It's not just about developing good sexy hardware, it's about having the commitment to keeping the data maintained accurately and up-to-date. Looks like I'll be throwing this one away soon, and buying a Tom-Tom......
As a 40,000 mile a year professional driver, it only took a few days to work out that there must be better units than this on the market. So promisingly good, yet so practically useless - and mostly just due to weak software and poor customer after sales data service.
.....and in the first month of having it, I have experienced a software error that popped-up on the screen, and then rebooted the unit. unforgiveable lack of testing.
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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Yes, Sony definately could do better, 30 Dec 2007
I read Paul B's comments before buying, but, being a SatNav virgin, thought that a big name like Sony couldn't / wouldn't make all those (sometimes simple) errors.
It's 1-0 to Paul.
1. With supermarkets controlling 40% of petrol stations in the UK, why doesn't Sony list them?
2. Vista has only been out for 11 months, so why is the NV-U92TW still incompatible with it?
3. Why, every time I switch it on, do I have to 'agree' to observe safe use whilst driving? [Its like MS insisting you agree to their EULA every time you switch your computer on.]
4. The last journey should be the default country for all subsequent journeys.
5. At least I paid only 2/3 of what Paul did.
Update Oct 08.
Because this Sony SatNav is incompatible with Vista, I couldn't 'update' the maps online. Accessing an old XP machine today, I now find Sony want to charge £90 for a current map DVD!
If I could change my rating of this gadget, it'd be down to 1 star (but only 'cos there's no entry for Nil stars!)
Do not buy a Sony SatNav.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Just How Terrible Can a SatNav Be?, 17 Mar 2008
I've used a variety of Satnavs over the last few years. My job involves visiting 8-10 addresses each day, doing field service, the Satnav makes my life easier and safer. My old Garmin Nuvi was playing up, so I decided to go for one of these Sony units. My impression after 1 month? Rubbish.
Firstly, the touch screen. A reassuring bleep lets you know that you've inputted information, until you look at the screen to see you haven't and have to re-enter the postcode or whatever. The amount of button presses to get an address in is ridiculous.
The time it takes to work out the navigation to my next address that may be only 5 miles away is very slow. The processor in this unit appears underpowered as the screen refresh rate is so slow you can miss turnings if using visual navigation. If you're a boy (or girl) racer, forget it - you'll have passed the turning by the time it has told you to turn! Anytime the voice is saying "turn left" or "watch your speed" the screen locks, so if using visual you miss your turning.
Safety camera information works by the voice saying "watch your speed" whenever you are about a quarter of a mile away from one EVEN if on a motorway going over the road that has the speed camera!
The inputting of address information will drive you crazy. It is not at all intuitive and if you press the wrong button, you'll be waiting for it to sort itself out. Sometimes it takes ages to lock on to satellites and I often have to reset the device because the screen hangs - hopeless. Why is it my cheap Nuvi is faster, brighter screen that can be seen in full summertime sunlight and can even tell me which side of the street my target address is and the Sony can't?
The thing is - if you plan to use this unit occasionally and have the matching Vaio laptop - get one. You'll probably be very happy. If you, like me intend to use it several times per day - my advice is DON"T. If this is the case, get a Garmin Nuvi or better still a TomTom. Good points - the suction mount sticks on just about any surface - really good. The speaker volume is good but distorts at full volume. The unit (mine anyway), has the traffic update feature - I had to pay £20 to register it though.
I hope this posting is useful to you.
It's been a few months since I did this review, so I've had time to get used to this product - verdict? I hate it more than ever. If I were Sony I'd be embarrassed by this product - I mean this is just so poor and would put me off buying anything else by them. Probably why I walked past the Bravia's and bought a Panasonic telly the other day...
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