New GPS " DASH"

Sorry for misspelling

Yes, I have heard of it. I have been going to the dash express website and checking out their blogs on the newly released product. It is still fairly new so I am just sitting back for now but it has very interesting features that are what a driver needs when driving. Not all the jingles and bells that don't serve the purpose of what a GPS is supposed to be used for anyway.

I currently have a TTN subcription on my c340 and I find it useless. I have come into traffic many times on I-95 or Fl turnpike and have not been alerted of heavy traffic ahead or the option to detour so again my eye is very much on the dash express for the real time traffic.

Thanks for the reply, Istarted looking at their website and blog center. Thanks Again

As I understand the system, the greater the number of units sold in a particular market the better the info. Anyone know how may sold?

I have a Dash Express, but I will probably be selling it soon. I really don't need both the Dash Express and a Garmin Street Pilot 2730.

The Dash seems like a great idea but needs some large numbers to make a difference in travel times. Any review/thoughts you might like to share. I am particularly interested in the more "accurate" traffic info. Without the market saturation numbers, a single dash does not seem like it is a product worth considering. If there is enough units out there, then I would be willing to take a chance on this to cut down on commute times.

Thanks in advance.

Depending where you live, it might work better in your area. I just don't like it. It has too many flaws.

If you want to try it out, get it from Amazon. I ordered one from them and returned it for full refund.

I've not bought from them before - how many days do you have to return and do you have to pay shipping? What is the process for a return?

Daniel

About the new Dash GPS (Dash.net), they started advertising heavily here in LA on the radio a couple of days ago, on about 5/29/08. First I heard of that.

The advertisements say they have a cellular and WIFI connection on all the time. There is a monthly fee between $9.99 and $12.99 depending on what you pay in advance.

It's interesting, definitely a new approach.

The stumbling block of all GPS units is the age of the data. My Magellan 2200T has restaurants in it that have been out of business more than 4 years and lacks restaurants that have been around for over 3 years.

Any Dash users in LA area with any feedback on performance and Value? Thanks in advance.

Looking at the web site, it uses the GPRS network for the wireless connection while on the road. Of course that would vary with terrain, foliage and everything else that affects cell phones. The WIFI is only used to push updates (maps, addresses, favorites etc.) to the unit when an open WIFI network is available. Couldn't find anything about wether or not WIFI security was supported (WEP / WPA)

I didn't read their return policy, probably about 2 weeks. I returned within a week (free shipping).

It's simple. Request the return on the web site and it will print out a pre-paid mailing label for one to use.

Right now it's on sale for $300

17. Pros
Connected Yahoo! searches gives Dash Express owners access to unlimited POIs that are always up-to-date
The combination of historical, live, and predictive traffic patterns creates a level of traffic accuracy and completeness never before seen on a GPS.
Good routing engine
MyDash website let you send addresses and POIs wirelessly to the device
Automatic updates delivered over the air
Map updates are free (if you have an active subscription) and delivered automatically over the air
Includes AC adapter and neoprene carrying case
Loud internal speaker (it goes to 11...literally)
18. Cons
Dash Express is big, heavy, and requires a monthly service fee to get the most out of it
Screen not as bright as other GPS units
Slow map re-draws when scrolling around with your finger
Slow to calculate routes (45 - 60 seconds, on average)
Occasional audio interference from the internal GPRS antenna
Confusing, overlapping search menus
Use of "favorites", "address book", and "sent to car" can make it unnecessarily confusing to find a saved address
Skimpy documentation
No way to browse for wireless networks
Touch-sensitive Menu and Volume buttons are easy to accidentally press when handling the GPS
No automatic map scaling (useful when viewing upcoming turns in unfamiliar areas)
Map screen less refined than other GPS units
Without Internet connectivity, the pre-loaded POI database contains only 2 million entries (compared to 5 or 6 million on competing GPS units)
Now ay to exclude a specific road from the route
No multi-destination routing
No way to specify avoidances (tolls, highways, etc.)
No way to exclude a specific road from the route
No Bluetooth
Doesn't display speed limit information on the map
No detour function
19. Conclusion

Dash Express is a unique product that is changing the value proposition of connected GPS navigation in the already-crowded GPS market. Unlike other navigators that download traffic incident or flow information from road sensors installed throughout the United States, Dash is building its own network of connected drivers. Each Dash Express driver becomes a live traffic probe, anonymously sending traffic information back to Dash so it can be relayed to other drivers in the area. Essentially Dash Express is a connected mobile computer, able to receive software updates, traffic updates, and other enhancements seamlessly over-the-air.

Historical traffic data fills in the gaps for roads without live data, creating a remarkably accurate picture of current road conditions. During my testing, I was highly impressed with the quality of Dash's traffic information, even in rural areas where I was very likely the only Dash driver for miles. Dash is also the first GPS device to report surface road traffic conditions as well as highways.

There's simply no denying that Dash has developed the most accurate and complete traffic information available on any GPS today. That's the good news. The bad news is that Dash Express is so singularly focused on traffic that it falls short in many of the more basic areas. Dash's menu system can be confusing, and the device exhibits almost none of the refinement and polish of a Garmin, Magellan, or TomTom GPS.

The map screen does a good job displaying traffic conditions, but it can be difficult to see upcoming turn maneuvers or the route you're supposed to follow. Panning and zooming the map is very slow, as is route calculation. I also lamented the frustrating situation of seeing red traffic conditions ahead, but having no way to exclude a specific road or segment from the route.

Then there's the size issue: Dash Express is bulkier and heavier than any other GPS around. Granted, Dash has Wi-Fi and GPRS connectivity, but so does the iPhone, and at a fraction of the size and weight. I'm not sure why Dash didn't put the Wi-Fi and GPRS receivers into the (already bulky) windshield mount instead of the GPS, but the sheer size and weight of Dash Express may turn some consumers off.

Priced at $299, Dash's monthly subscription service, required for traffic updates and Internet-connected search, costs $13 for month-to-month service, $10.99 per month for a 1-year contract, or $9.99 per month for a 2-year commitment. The device ships with three months of service included for free. Dash Express can still be used without an active subscription, but you'll lose traffic updates and connected Yahoo search. Without an active connection, Dash Express has a paltry 1 million Points of Interest onboard. Most other GPS devices have between 4 and 8 million installed.

Commuters who must regularly tackle traffic conditions and are primarily looking for a "traffic avoidance" device will find much to like about Dash Express. Dash's TruTraffic is the most accurate and complete traffic service available to date, and it actually works. As a standalone GPS, Dash Express still feels rough around the edges, and a work in progress. I must admit that after several weeks of testing Dash Express, I was happy to return to the relative elegance of my Garmin nuvi. Unless traffic avoidance is your primary objective, you might want to wait until Dash smoothes out the kinks before buying Dash Express.

Yes, it does. It connected to my network in seconds

Thanks. Nice review.

I have both, the Dash & the Nuvi 350. I don't think I need to comment on the Nuvi other than it has been a best selling unit for a long time. The only draw back is that it does not have real time traffic reporting like the Dash does. It is a great unit and I have had no problems with it. Enough said. Now the Dash, on the other hand, is remarkable. It IS larger than the Nuvi, but it does so much more. I have been a beta tester for over a year now. I have had a chance to compare the "ins" and "outs" of the two units. My Dash unit wins hands down. The real time traffic reporting, the Yahoo search function, the free updates are all worth the $12/mo, not to mention the routing feature. Customer Support is fantastic! If you travel a lot over the road, the Dash is for you.

some reputable web sites reviewed that, the Garmin Nuvis, and the latest Tom Tom on a cross country drive. They said teh 5 year old end of life garmin street pilot worked better and was more intuitive then the ones they reviewed but they were very excited about the "potential" of teh DASH as its open source and allows you to add much more applictaions onto it.

I had the Dash Express. The GPS part sucked. The Yahoo Search and the traffic was top notch, though. The real reason was because it was huge and had a hard time trying to hide it.

The Dash has only 1 million point of interest, but, what makes it great is that it has Yahoo! The size was my only issue and the graphics for the maps.

Worked great when I had it. The arrival time was almost perfect!

This site has a fairly objective review of the Dash Express, including the good and bad, as well as users posting threads on their experiences:

http://www.gpsreview.net/dash-express/

Hope this helps as well.

It islisted on Amazon.com for $254.99. Now that more have been sold, it would be interesting to see how they are woorking and how they communicate.

http://www.amazon.com/Dash-Express-Internet-Connected-Portab...

Alan

I heard it's great but the interface isn;t wuite there yet as the garmins are

as expected teh interface is awful if you're relying on this to get you somewhere you've never been.... Don;t, go wuith a one of teh otehrs. BUT! here's where teh Dash excells and surpasses everything else out there intelligence and routing.
when you type in your destination it figures out 3 possible routes with real time routing
you see real traffic flows, not best guesses. My garmin with MSN direct... the traffic information I wouldn;t bet my life on, Dash comes much closer with that. Also searches hooked up to yahoo local. so if you can;t find it there you don;t want it!

The age-old problem with any kind of embedded database is that it gets old. My 2200T had restaurants that had been out of business for 6 years, and lacked the ones that had moved into their building, sometimes 4 years ago.

The Dash might be a solution to that problem, the updates often enough to be worthwhile. It's a great idea, I really hope it works out. I'd buy one.

I will buy one later this winter to play around with, You can only hope it catches on so it's network develops.

Bob

Before you fork out your hard earned $$$ on a Dash Express, read this press release from Dash issued today...Is Dash going down???

http://www.dash.net/press_release.php?pr=16

Interesting, nextohel.

Could a buyout by Garmin, etc. be coming?

Try this article.

http://tinyurl.com/6pc3lw

I hope not
while teh interface needs some work the concepts and everything in it are AMAZING! For starters it gives you three choices on routes with actual drive times as well as yyou're prefered route. That's something that's always annoyed me about teh garmin which will take you off an exit and make you sit at 3 lights to avoid a 1 minute traffic spot. You see real time traffic flow which is HUGE in safety so you know if traffic is coming to a dead stop over taht hill. and teh search AWESOME!!! how many times are you in a new location and need to find the nearest specialty store this will find it! if you can;t find it with Dash you don;t want it. the bad part of teh interface is as follows, doesn;t talk when you want it to, the white navigation line is a bit hard to see.

Their website doesn't have the unit for sale anymore, and they have laid off a great deal of their workforce and have said they'll just concentrate on the software end of it.

It is strange I haven't seen any big sales on the unit on Amazon.com, etc.

Their unit was universally panned because of the size and lack of features even though the traffic is great. They probably rightly decided instead of continuing to develop the costly product, to license their software to other manufacturers.

I don't think this is the last we're going to hear of 2-way connected GPS. It is probably the wave of the future, but it doesn't look like DASH is going to keep developing the hardware for it.