Entered CNET Catalog: 09/26/2006
SKU: 0892437002012
Manufacturer: Dash Navigation, Inc
Manufacturer description
The Dash Express is the smartest, most Internet-connected navigation system on the road. In fact, it's the first and only automotive navigation system with two-way connectivity. Which means it gets you where you want to go - in the fastest time possible - and delivers the most relevant information - right to your dashboard. Plus, Dash Express is the only device on the market that automatically and wirelessly updates its maps and software, so all you have to do is drive.Product summary
The good: The Dash Express portable navigation system offers Internet connectivity via Wi-Fi or cellular network and allows for live searches, real-time traffic updates, and more. There's also a Send2Car feature for easy trip planning and text-to-speech functionality.
The bad: The Dash's tracking capabilities were off the mark. At this time, there's no capability to connect a Bluetooth-enabled cell phone or use the Express as a hands-free speaker system. The unit is also fairly bulky.
The bottom line: The two-way connectivity of the Dash Express portable navigation system offers powerful search and traffic capabilities to drivers and increases the value of GPS to the next level, but the system needs some refinements before we're willing to invest in it.
Editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 03/27/2008
It's been almost two years since Dash Navigation first announced its Dash Express portable navigation system, and we're happy to say that you can now finally get your hands on this device. The Dash Express is unlike any other portable navigation system on the market today because it offers two-way connectivity (cellular and Wi-Fi), giving drivers access to a whole new world of information via the Internet and the network of other Dash-connected users. You can conduct live (and more relevant) Web searches via Yahoo Local search; get real-time traffic data; wireless send addresses to the system; and much more. It really adds value to portable navigation devices, and it's the type of innovation that we think will take GPS to the next level--so much so that we even gave it a Best of CES 2007 award.
So did it deliver? Was it worth the wait? Well, there's good news and bad news. The good news is that we absolutely love what the connectivity brings to the device. We found great use and value in being able to conduct live searches, look for gas stations by lowest fuel prices, view traffic flow, and more. The Send2Car feature also worked flawlessly. The bad news is the unit was a subpar navigator. It was consistently off the mark when tracking our location, which ultimately affected route guidance. Now, Dash says the Express is for commuters and drivers who typically know where they're going and want the new features. OK, that's all well and good, but we're sure there will be times they have to venture to new places. And come on--the Express is still a GPS device, and it should be able to perform the core navigation functions well, especially if we're paying $399.99 for the thing. If Dash irons out those kinks, the Express will be a force to be reckoned with. The Dash Express is available starting today from Dash and Amazon.com, and includes three months of complimentary Dash Service. Afterward, you will have to purchase one of their plans, which range from $9.99 a month with a two-year plan to $12.99 per month for month-to-month.
Design
The reaction has pretty much been the same from every passerby who has laid eyes on the Dash Express: "Whoa, that's a big device." At 4.8 inches wide by 4.1 inches high by 2.8 inches deep and weighing 13.3 ounces, the Dash certainly is a beast and harkens back to the days of older devices such as the bulbous Garmin StreetPilot c550. Dash says the extra bulk is because of the integrated wireless radios, which we understand, but we still think the company could have streamlined the design better, particularly the protruding backside, which is an eyesore.
On front, there's a 4.3-inch WQVGA color touch screen with a 480x272 pixel resolution and antiglare technology. You can adjust the brightness manually or turn on the ambient light function, which will automatically adjust the backlight depending on your environment. As with most portable navigation systems, there's a mode that will also automatically switch the map colors for daytime and nighttime. The display is sharp and maps are bright, but we wish the street names were in a slightly larger font.
We found the Dash Express to be quite simple to operate. The Dash has an intuitive user interface, and we were able to start planning trips and conducting searches without cracking open the user manual. Still, we recommend checking out the reference material and playing with the device before hitting the road for the first time, since the Dash has a lot to offer.
There are two touch-sensitive controls on top of the unit: one allows you to adjust the volume, while the second (labeled Menu) toggles between the main menu and the map screen. We had no problems with the volume control, but the menu button was a bit temperamental. For the most part, it always registered our touch, but there were a couple of occasions where we had to tap it a couple of times to switch screens. Finally, there is a power button on the right side and a mini USB port on the left.
The Dash Express comes packaged with a vehicle mount (windshield and dash), a mount arm extension, a car charger, an AC adapter, a soft carrying case, a USB cable, and reference material. The car mount has various knobs and buttons for adjusting the angle of the device and securing the entire apparatus to your windshield or dash. Despite the heft, the mount did a good job of holding the Dash in place while driving about town.
Features
There are a number of features that make the Dash Express special and unlike any other portable navigation system on the market, starting with the Internet connectivity. With a built-in Wi-Fi and cellular radio, the Dash can use a Wi-Fi or GPRS connection to provide you with live content in the car. This allows you to perform more relevant and up-to-date searches with Yahoo Local search rather than relying on a stagnant points-of-interest database.
To start, just tap the search option from the main menu page, then enter a search term, and Yahoo will retrieve results closest to your location or in another state or city. Remember, this isn't like your regular POI catalog, you can really drill down and search for specific items. For example, let's say you're out shopping for bicycles. Just type in "bicycles" and Yahoo will find any relevant businesses as well as provide star ratings for the business based on user reviews. Once you have the search results, there are options to route to the location, save it, map it, or add it to your Favorites list. In addition, Dash Express provides current movie times and filters gas stations by real-time fuel prices. Sadly, at this time, there's no way to use the Dash as a hands-free speaker system to make or receive calls.
The Internet connectivity also allows for a couple of other features. One is called Send2Car, which lets you send addresses from your computer straight to the Dash Express. All you have to do is log onto the MyDash Web site where you can then enter an address, add notes about the trip, and then hit the "send to your car" button. If a family member or friend owns a Dash unit as well, you can share addresses with them by typing in their Dash ID. A pop-up window will appear on your Dash unit to let you know that a new address has arrived for you. There's a nifty "MyFeeds" function too that works like an RSS feed. Our demo included a feed to someone's favorite surf spots along the California coast with updated surf reports, which was very cool.
Finally, Dash can deliver system updates, including map updates, over the air. You don't have to connect to your PC or purchase any additional software; it's all done behind the scenes without much user involvement. You'll simply be notified when an update is available. Since there is this over-the-air capability, Dash can disable your device in case it gets stolen.
Another differentiating factor is the traffic capabilities. Dash Express uses a combination of historical data, information from traffic-flow provider Inrix, and other Dash owners to gather real-time updates and traffic patterns for your route. So right out of the box, the historical information gives you an idea of what kind of congestion you'll encounter along your route. Each Dash Express unit also automatically (and anonymously) sends data, such as position and speed, back to the Dash server, which can then update all other Dash units about current road speeds. Clearly, the more Dash users there are on the road, the more accurate and comprehensive the reports will be. If you're a little wary since there are only a limited number of Dash units (beta users, mostly) in use right now, you should know that everything is backed by Inrix, which collects data using road sensors, commercial fleets, and other sources.
The traffic information is also used in route calculations as the Dash Express is able provide up to three different routes with an estimated time of arrival for each based on road conditions. Like most GPS with traffic capabilities, Dash identifies heavy congestion with red lines, slow areas with yellow ones, and clear roads with green. The system goes one step further with solid lines to signify real-time reports from the Dash Network while dashed lines indicate historical data or Inrix sources. It all gives you a quick glance at what you're up against before hitting the streets. If an incident comes up while you're already traveling, there is a detour function. You also have the option to control how much traffic you want to see: all traffic, live traffic only, or just traffic along your route.
Some other things of note on the Dash Express: It comes preloaded with TeleAtlas maps of the United States and has a 2 million POI database, in addition to the connected search function. The system supports text-to-speech functionality and automatic route recalculations.
Performance
We tested the Dash Express in San Francisco, and from a cold start, it took the unit about three minutes to get a fix on our location under clear skies. Subsequent starts varied from just a few seconds to a couple of minutes. As we drove around the city, we noticed that the Dash was slightly off the mark with its tracking; most of the time it was behind by a block, but it could be as bad as up to three blocks off. We know that Dash wants to target the Express at commuters and users who pretty much know where they're going, but it's still a navigation device at its core, and there shouldn't be such a discrepancy.
Next, we entered our standard trip from the Marina District to CNET's downtown headquarters using the Send2Car function. The feature worked flawlessly; we simply entered the address on the MyDash Web site and the information arrived almost instantaneously on our review unit. The Dash Express took longer than other portable navigation systems to calculate a route, but we're not going to knock it for slow performance, since it is creating three different routes. We chose the itinerary that would take the shortest amount of time and checked out the list of turn-by-turn directions, which we found to be accurate. While on the road, once again, we found that the Dash's position tracking lagged behind us. On a couple of occasions, this caused us to miss a turn, since it didn't alert us until after we had already passed the street. Fortunately, route calculations are pretty swift. The text-to-speech voice directions were loud and clear, but it mangled some street pronunciations.
Connecting to Wi-Fi and cell networks was completely hands-off and painless; the Dash automatically connected as soon as we fired up the device. The search functionality was definitely a highlight. It was pretty powerful to be able to search for almost anything on the fly. That said, we did find that search results could be pretty wild. For example, a search for MP3 players brought up a car wash and detail shop. Still, these instances were few and far between, and we found much value in the search capabilities.
Last, but not least, the Dash Express is rated for only about two hours of battery life, and we found this to pretty much be true. The battery drained quickly after a couple hours of use outside the car, so keep a charger handy at all times.
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14out of 14 user reviews
great gps, great features, and upgradable
Pros: GPS receiver is very good, screen is clear and bright, system can be upgraded wirelessly navigation is very good, traffic feature is very helpful where I live. The service you pay for is actually very useful.
Cons: Device "is" bulky, ETA times are off (by 2-10 min) interface is not the most intuitive, cell network is slow, service is expensive 9.99 a month with a 2 yr contract. battery life short (2 hrs) .
out of 14 user reviews
Makes Los Angeles Almost Bearable. Could Be Better But by Far the Best!
Pros: traffic traffic traffic
Cons: a few but not really fair to compare this to anything
It's already saved me a ton of time and gas. There's a monthly fee of $10 for the internet service (which you totally need to make the Dash do it's thing) but I figure that I've already made that $ back when time and gas are considered. The Dash showed me a few new ways to work and each of them cut my normal commute from about 45min to about 35min. To me that's a huge deal. Especially considering that those 10 mins are mins that I would be stuck in traffic. Not just 10 mins of a nice drive in the countryside.
I don't consider myself a technology geek and I'm really not that interested in all the GPS whistles and bells. I bought the Dash for the traffic stuff. And it's by far the best traffic I've seen on any GPS device. That being said a few of the features are really great. The movie search feature works flawlessly and comes in handy. It shows you all the movies and times and it's really easy to navigate. Also the Dash allows you to send your addresses to your car from the internet. This also works very easily and saves a lot of hassle. And finally the yahoo search engine works great too.
Yes, the Dash can be a little slow. Also the Dash figures out the routes first and THEN computes the traffic for each route. This can be slightly annoying and requires you to make some of your own decisions along your route. But still...what are we comparing it to? There's nothing else like the Dash on the market. And besides some of the problems Dash will probably fix. They've recently sent out some fixes that address a lot of the problems I read about in the other reviews. Cool. Really, despite the drawbacks it's still the best GPS out there. There's no comparison because it's the only one of its kind!
Highly Recommended!
out of 14 user reviews
Very good Unit
Pros: Time saver - Great Unit - Saves me time every day
Cons: None that I can see- since the update a week ago all my complants have been removed
out of 14 user reviews
Core competency just not there
Pros: Wireless connectivity, live searches
Cons: Horrible routing capabilities
out of 14 user reviews
Poorly design and engineered product
Pros: None I can think of
Cons: Heavy, poor software performance, poor communication subsystems
I tend to agree with some of the comments on the Amazon board regarding the “All Star” rating about this product:
http://www.**********/review/product/B0014CIBWC/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?%5Fencoding=UTF8&showViewpoints=1
There ratings must be inside jobs with employees, or people connected to the firm running around with this device and posting over the comments.
My experience with this product can summarize in one sentence: “This is total junk”
The GPRS connection is spotty and map update is slow and completely below standard in comparison to some of the high-end Nav devices. The WiFi connection is a complete disaster with connection dropping with different wireless access points and security methods can not be setup properly and probably have not been tested correctly. Overall do not waist your money on this garbage. I do not see how this company can survive with this product design… The price of GPS devices are coming down and you can get well engineered systems for below $200. Why should you pay $400 for something that does not work properly??
out of 14 user reviews
The Latest & Greatest in Traffic aware PND
Pros: Real Time Connected Traffic Information
Cons: Missing some features of a mature PND
out of 14 user reviews
Best interface so far along with the only side road traffic available.
Pros: Very usable interface for commuting regularly and easy to create my own feeds of locations. Support response is excellent. Strong community focus. Great customer support.
Cons: Screen refresh is a little slow at times. Bulky. 3D view zoom is limited. Limited routing options.
The interface for the Dash is, far and away, more user friendly. It took a little while to get used to, but having the upcoming street name, distance and exit along the top of the screen with clear traffic information and the ability to select from up to three routs is great.
The Dash president mentioned in a letter to pre-orders that they designed the Dash for use in regular commuting, recognizing that most people use a navigation system to regularly get to places they know. The Dash does just that, making it easy to select destinations, save destinations, create and save searches etc. Each time I use my Dash I find myself surprised at how normal it feels to watch.
Most searches are created through the my.dash.net Website, which I'll add and they'll automatically download to the Dash. I've created a GeoRSS feed of Washington Metro stations, and found the creation and adding of the search to be incredibly simple.
Both a 2D and 3D view are available. While I always prefer the 3D mode, there are only about three zoom levels. I often wish I could back out another step or too to see more of the route in 3D, but this isn't critical.
When setting a route I'll see up to three options and can easily switch between them. I love being able to route this way, since I do often select a route which may not be the first one the Dash chooses. At the same time I wish there were a way to drag and change a route. I'm not aware that any GPS can do this yet, but then none can get live search from Yahoo and live traffic from other users.
My main reason to purchase the Dash was to get the live traffic for a stretch of road. In the Washington, DC area it seems any traffic reported on the radio is at least 30 minutes old. Dash uses other Dash driver data to show traffic on side streets (excellent so far, and I use them to get to main roads) and main roads. In the two days I've used it I've found both the historical and live traffic to be accurate. If I had any want here it would be to see actual traffic incidents, though from looking around I think I can simply get a GeoRSS feed of traffic which will show me this information.
I also love having the Yahoo Local results for searches. It's great to see the number of stars rated for individual businesses. While I wish it also showed the reviewers text, having the rating works well. I also like having the gas prices listed for the local stations. While some stations are missing from the list, particularly one I use most regularly, it's good to know when traveling that I can find options.
While I'd like them to have live weather, from my support call it sounds as though they're working on that as well.
My original Dash connected once to the cellular network, then stopped. Calling Dash support got me a person immediately, and they shipped a new dash overnight (and RMA for the return). Support has been stellar, better than any other place I've called.
I would definitely buy this again, or buy one for a friend. I don't love paying $10 a month for connectivity, but the company makes clear how much it stands behind the product and answers all user comments made to their blog post. I also weigh the cost with buying map updates for my Garmin which was $70 per year, plus the traffic data (often out of date, and no history) with them which was $5 per month.
While Garmin was ok, the Web site and support made clear they were interested in selling units. Dash makes clear it's interested in creating a community of users.
out of 14 user reviews
Incredibly helpful
Pros: Connectivity! Integrated search feature. Accuracy. Traffic data.
Cons: Map redraw rate is a bit on the choppy side. A little slower refresh than Tomtom on a 640x480 WinMobile platform.
I did find it odd though, that the cnet review dinged it on accuracy. The Dash Express I received works flawlessly in terms of accuracy - none of this 1 to 3 blocks off stuff. It worked about as well as my SirfIII Tomtom device.
The only negative? The map's drawing rate isn't the smoothest. I had a Dell x50v a while back with butter smooth draw rate and I sorely miss it in the Dash Express. Hopefully they'll be able to improve the draw rate in future upgrades.
Overall, this is a more than capable GPS with a highly functional search engine, all working seamlessly.
out of 14 user reviews
Truly Useful GPS
Pros: Smart traffic saves time, send2car, updatable
Cons: She don' speak eSpanish
We all expect certain things out of our technology (and the expectations only grow as they are met). The Dash meets my expectations as a truly useful business tool to get me to important meetings on time and conveniently. It works exceedingly well. AND it can be updated as the folks at Dash think up improvements, as new streets are built, etc. If your business requires you to get around, you need this (remember when a cell phone was optional? It's not anymore. Neither will GPS be.)
The ETA calculator is often accurate to within 3 or 4 minutes over a 50 or 60 mile trip through traffic. Think of all the ways that could be helpful to you. Traffic reporting will only improve as more units are on the road. Imagine having data based on what the guy 20 miles ahead of you on I-5 just experienced?
And Yahoo search: find gasoline, coffee, a bathroom for the kids, flowers for the wife because you forgot something important...
The only quirk is the unit's female voice's handling of Spanish names. Ouch: worse than seventh grade Spanish students with tin ears. But it tends to grow on you... And I imagine they'll fix that too, in time.
Get the Dash--you won't regret it.
out of 14 user reviews
Great so far, and can only get better
Pros: Spot-on accuracy, two-way communication, great traffic info
Cons: No Bluetooth, quirky Text-to-Speech, bulky
This is important, since it is the user base which will make it improve over time. As more Dash users drive the roads, the traffic info will quickly become hyper-accurate, due to the two-way communication of the device.
I don't know why Cnet's test model had such bad accuracy problems (1-3 blocks off?!?), since mine appears to be spot-on accurate, which greatly impressed me as a first-time GPS owner. I urge Cnet to ask Dash for a new unit and test it again (unless Dash sends them one proactively, of course). Or, perhaps they got started with it too quickly, as the manual does say it may take 5-10 minutes when using it for the first time to gain an accurate position fix, and suggest remaining stationary until then, as it will take longer in a moving car. RTFM, Cnet!
If any device can be given a 10, it would be the Dash Express since, as the saying goes, "Perfection is a road, not a destination." (No pun intended.) The Dash Express is the only GPS device on the market which can truly grow and improve over time when you combine the user base and the over-the-air content updates. It's not quite there yet, but it can be in the future and without having to purchase a new device.
As it stands, I would give it a 9, but have to knock a point off for the lack of Bluetooth. I don't even want Bluetooth for any kind of hands-free speakerphone ability, but simply for the Caller ID (then take the call using my Bluetooth headset). Bluetooth is so incredibly cheap nowadays, that they could have included it easily without raising the price much at all.
The only other minor issue I have noticed is the quirky pronounciation of street names. For example, on my drive to work this morning, it pronounced Tropicana Ave as "tro-PEE-cana". Not a big deal, and I could easily see these quirks being corrected with updates.
So, I give it an 8 now, but could see it being a 10 in the near future, as updates roll in and the user base grows.
I have discovered that the 3d map mode seems to lag a bit behind my actual position. This could be the cause behind Cnet's poor accuracy claims in their review. Not by the 1-3 BLOCKS the Cnet reviewer claims, however, which is a HUGE exaggeration on Cnet's part. Maybe 100 feet. It is possible that the longer you drive in 3d mode, the worse it becomes, but I kind of doubt that is the case, particularly since it still seems to know what street I'm on when I make turns. If this were an issue of GPS accuracy, it would probably report that I'm in someone's garden when I'm actually driving down a street two blocks over, which is what Cnet is implying.
Basically, in 3d mode, when passing a street, it still shows that street just ahead of me. If I happen to turn onto that street, it will show me on that street, though still a bit behind. This could be lag in the 3d mode rendering, or it could simply be a matter of the car's position within the rendering needing to be moved up a little. Either way, it can be fixed with a simple software update.
The default 2d map mode has perfect accuracy, however, which is the mode I usually use.
My score stays at 8/10. Again, I urge Cnet to review the unit a second time, and stick to 2d mode until Dash patches the 3d mapping.
out of 14 user reviews
So it has three antennas, so does any GPS enabled cell phone
Pros: Simple, good integration between nav and search
Cons: SLOW, huge, flawed navigation
If I were them I would look at getting out of the hardware business and start providing the functionality as a software package for phones like the AT&T Tilt. This will be good practice, for if and when the iPhone gets integrated GPS, the company that gets a nav package on that device will dominate the industry.
out of 14 user reviews
Innovative GPS unlike others
Pros: Internet connectivity, Yahoo search, traffic
Cons: like any other device, it could be a bit faster
out of 14 user reviews
The future of navigation is here!
Pros: WiFi and GPRS 2 way enabled. Real time traffic
Cons: Bulky, monthly subscription
out of 14 user reviews
State of the Art in GPS Navigation
Pros: 2-way Internet, send addresses to car from internet, Yahoo local
Cons: You will want more than one
After having my dash unit for almost 1 year now I can't imagine being without it. It allows me a direct connection to information on the Internet.as well as it is portable, and it has never let me down. The fact it will never be out of date like the other thousands of dollars worth in paperweights sitting on my shelf from Garmin, Tom Tom and Magellan is an added plus.
I have had numerous people in my travels stop me and talk to me about "that thing on my dash" almost every day. But for me that thing was more than a GPS...It's a dream come true. The conversation usually starts "Is that a GPS on your windshield?" I tell them that it is, but it is also the next level of the future of information delivery in their car and they need "Dash Express." I have even invited them to take a look at it first hand and show them the numerous bells and whistles like movie times, gas prices and the local weather and Weather Alert rss feed I created myself.. This usually gets them thinking of something they would like to spontaneously look up from the internet while out on the road. like the nearest (Starbucks) I just respond "With a Dash you are only limited to your imagination."
I can think of many times Dash has helped me while on the road but the following is an example of one of my favorite Dash moments that stands out.
For several years I have always kept a laptop in my car with me for emergencies and had a access card for the Internet. This was very difficult to use in the car, internet searches and responses were slow and these requests did not take into count my current location. And this was after waiting 10-20 minutes for it to start-up. Along comes Dash... I have always been impressed with the Internet search ability of "Yahoo local" and Dash, but on one particular day. My family and I were driving to dinner at a brand new restaurant in town . we had decided to leave around 4 to beat the dinner rush when we encountered a bad accident that had just happened right in front of us and were forced to stop on the Highway and wait for the emergency crews to clear the road. We had invited friends to join us and they were in a car right behind us. To make matters worse it was now 4:30pm on a Friday and we knew that by the time we got to the restaurant so would the rest of the working world and it would be at least another hour wait to get a table. My wife and I tried calling information on our cellphones to locate this new restaurant's number but since the restaurant was so new there was no listing yet. Just for giggles I checked Dash. typing in the restaurants name... Bam there it was and a phone # as well. I called the restaurant and made a reservation for 45 minutes from then. When we arrived there the line outside the door was huge. I heard several people complaining that the wait was going to be 2 hours. I walked up to the receptionist and said I am 5 minutes early , gave my name and asked if they were running on time with reservations. she replied "Right this way I have your table ready" THANKS DASH!!!
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