Pioneer AVIC-F900BT In-Dash Navigation Audio/Video Receiver with DVD Playback and Advance Voice Controls Buy Now

I purchased this from a dealer in January, 2009, who installed it very well. 2.0 firmware out of the box. The unit has some good points, however, the bottom line is that it is *mostly annoying*

What drove me over the edge is that today I received an Email from Pioneer wanting $120 for new maps and new OS. I will NEVER buy another Pioneer product!

Nevertheless, to give you more detail:

PROS;
1.) It generally works, sooner or later. The integrated functionality with bluetooth, iPod, DVD, GPS is nice.
2.) iPod functionality is much like the real iPod interface using the touchscreen.

CONS: This unit is slow. The touchscreen is slow, sometimes pauses for a long time. The unit reminds me of when Microsoft came out with Windows ME when pentiuum first hit the streets: Flaky and slow and it gets confused about once a day. . . needs a Ctrl/Alt/Delete key to reboot it seems

The GPS is slow. Slow. Forget a rear camera because it takes much too long to boot. My wife has a Magellian which is much better as it announces street names and is faster and gets it right more often. Being new to Houston, it is tempting to borrow her Magellian just to not have to put up with this (garmen) contraption.

The voice recognition is poor. It misses more than it get it right.

My biggest complaint are the FONTS (Pioneer are you listening!?) I replaced a nice clock in the dash and because the fonts are soo small and some baby-blue color, I frequently have to have a passenger tell me what time it is, much less the GPS info. Annoying is an understatement.

Bluetooth is also annoying. The volume is all over the place some days. The fidelity of the voices coming through the car speakers is very shrill and cannot be adjusted, even though the other audio is OK.

If I thought the dealer would give me a refund this late in the game, I would. There has GOT to be something better out there --reader, you probably want to shop around- I wish someone had warned me. . .
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