Hi! We see you’re using an ad-blocker. We’re fine with that and won’t stop you visiting the site.
But as we’re losing ad-revenue from this then why not make a donation towards website running costs?. Or you could disable your ad-blocker for this site. We think you’ll find our adverts are not overbearing!
Joined: 20/09/2002 10:51:58 Posts: 1 Location: United States
Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2003 8:04 am Post subject: HARDWARE DESCRIPTION: VCOM
This device is AMAZING! I am the Webmistress for Hurley's Auto Audio in McLean, VA. www.hurleysaudio.com I've had several demo rides with it. I wanted it after the first ride. I've used a Garmin I own a Garmin 12 Map but this is FAR beyond any GPS I've seen. It is totally voice-activated and responds to commands. It is intelligent and speaks in a human voice. You can talk to it in sentences. It's like a real copilot! It has a data base covering the entire U.S., including restaurants and points of interest. You can say, "I want to get French food and it will tell you the closest French restaurants, allow you to choose from them, then tell you the directions, distance and time. And, that's only the tip of the iceberg!
Joined: 22/10/2002 00:01:11 Posts: 1 Location: United States
Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2003 8:04 am Post subject: HARDWARE DESCRIPTION: VCOM
I have to agree with the Webmistress, this thing is out of this world! We got them in a few weeks ago and the look of it, well just didnt interest me. After taking it home for the weekend, I wont leave home without it. It just plugs into the ciggarette lighter and I am off. I am doing alot of goofing around with it now, Every school I have attended is in there, with phone numbers and addresses. My favorite Steak House and a freinds Body shop were also listed in its memory banks without even programming. With over 4 million points of interest, who has time to look at a screen. The "navigator" also lets you know how far your exit is, and gives plenty of signals before and when to turn.
Ask it- "where am I" and it tells you exactly, what rd, what town and what direction your travelling.
Tell it "no-turn and" it re-routes you.
"I am lost" also gets the attention of this human synthesized voice. $999 a sure bargain to put confidence into seniors and young ones while driving, and no more "wandering" in bad areas for atm or gas!
Joined: 28/05/2003 21:05:51 Posts: 1 Location: United States
Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2003 8:04 am Post subject: HARDWARE DESCRIPTION: VCOM
I had the chance to try this product for a week side by side with other PC based software, available in US market for prices ranging from 49$ to 400$. Here are my impressions:
1) the device is first of not commercialy attractive, although the bag has enough pockets; in my oppinion a better color could have been chosen (like H.Ford said - you can have it in any color as long as it's black)
2) the technical part: although the idea is great, to get away from screens, the system is a long way to perfection and needs a lot of improvements:
* voice recognition is poor - once you set the mic. sensitivity to 3 the signal get distorted on the other end and nothing is "understood" by the machine
* at mid level the machine is quite temperamental: if you start talking too loud with it ,it will simply not answer back, or not understand; this in trafic conditions, is quite frustrating
* seting the mic. at lower gain, you need to have strong lungs to get to it.
(definitely not for my diesel truck or a noisy car)
* maping software is done by NavTec - the manufacturer of the black box must have been using an old map ! a lot of streets are inaccurate, and some time it takes stranges directions to get to a destination which usually is 2...3 miles away - got for example 2 times on different routes, directions about 50 ! miles away, to get to the same destination.Comparing with any other software on my laptop, the Vcommand performs at times poorly.
3) GPS - I think this is a 8 channel GPS with a poor receiver, definitely under 50$ including antenna - in sunny conditions GPS was lost 4-5 times during the drive test;
4) there is no way the software can be upgraded other than changing the HDD - no USB no memory stick- if you try to buy that from the producer will cost you a fortune;
5) a visual console (optional) would have been a nice feature;
Over all the product is not bad, but the execution and software assembly leaves a lot of room for improvement. Definitely does not justify the selling price requested by the dealer on the web page for 1400$ !!!
The most I would pay for it is less than 400$.
At the moment I am runing on a laptop with a touch screen, on DeLorme and TravRoute software which were also my comparison products vs. this Vcommand; with a 2nd hand laptop and software I am under 500$ and also TravRoute and DeLorme have some basic voice commands, and easier to use.
Let me know if you found similar products and where.
Posted: Today Post subject: Pocket GPS Advertising
We see you’re using an ad-blocker. We’re fine with that and won’t stop you visiting the site.
Have you considered making a donation towards website running costs?. Or you could disable your ad-blocker for this site. We think you’ll find our adverts are not overbearing!
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
Or you could disable your ad-blocker for this site. We think you’ll find our adverts are not overbearing!
Hi! We see you’re using an ad-blocker. We’re fine with that and won’t stop you visiting the site.
But as we’re losing ad-revenue from this then why not make a donation towards website running costs?. Or you could disable your ad-blocker for this site. We think you’ll find our adverts are not overbearing!