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- Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 14 reviews Back to product review
- My rating: 0 stars
Full user review
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3 out of 3 people found this review helpful
4.5 stars
"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.
Summary: I've used a Garmin nuvi, StreetPilot 7500 for over a year. I've also played with a Magellan and Tom Tom display. I've been using my Dash for 5 days.
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.
Dash Express:
