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I've called Alpine customer support to ask about an update and they keep telling me that "there is one coming". Ok, the gps works fine in my car, I rarely have to reboot and it's really no big deal when I do. I think they've given up on this product. They sound a little agitated. I really like it when it can find where I want to go.The problem is the attributes and features are way out of date (as of 5/13/09). There are so many times when I want it to take me somewhere and it's not in the database.
The trips I have made with it were great, put in a destination and it took me right to it with clear turn by turn directions, of course I updated the database before inserting it so routing was current. Installed mine in a 2001 Toyota sequoia with a IVA-W205 April 2009. My Mother is thinking about having me install the same system in her 2003 Mazda van. The SD card plays beautifully through the W205 along with the FM modulator being a great feature to use it in another car. Bluetooth works great with my Verizon Samsung phone with people telling me they can hear me clearly and I can hear them clearly also. I have never had it reboot nor have I had to reboot it.
Have not tried the FM TX, or the SD music.It seems to be using the Navtec 05 maps, I wish I could update that. Works great in the alpine reciever, BT works good with my samsung phone(sucked with my LG). And the traffic I had major issue with since it could not get a good signal with the HD radio module installed, so it was pretty much worthless if you use HD, unless you want to add another ant. Got it when it first came out last summer, so far ive had to reboot it maybe 5x in the last year. never had it reboot by itself.
I got the Blackbird when it had just been released and there were hardly any reviews of it. Now instead of losing signal intermittently, it sometimes takes 2, 5 or 20 minutes to find the signal and start tracking my location. You can only save a destination and the way it takes you there may not be the fastest way, like avoiding known traffic areas.4.If there are two somewhat equal ways to get somewhere and you choose to go a different way than it has picked for you, it will continuously reroute you, back tracking for miles after you've passed the way it wanted you to go.5.You can not receive traffic information while its docked in the stereo unless you install an antenna Y fitting, which it does not come with.6.I have been unable to find any map or firmware updates through Alpine or even where they would be if there were some.7.The few times I've used the GPS outside of the stereo the battery life had been pretty short, 1 to 1 ½ hours is about it.8.The nag screen at every start up gets very annoying.9.When switching from any other source back to the Nav, there a delay of about 5 seconds where you can not use any functions until the source screen goes way. I bought this GPS unit about 8 months ago to use with the IVA-W205 head unit that I've had for about 10 months. Switching from Nav to any other source there is no delay.10.The ability to insert a SD memory card to listen to music is cool and easy to navigate through but any time it reroutes or thinks you've gone off course the music is paused while it figures it out.Other than these items it's not the worse GPS unit but the price is too high for what you get. That seemed to solve the problem, at least for a while. I guess you have to pay a premium for the clean look.
About 3 months ago I started losing signal while driving, it seemed as though left turns would make it better and right turns would make it worse. (A common problem).2.Also about 1 out of 20 times you have a route set it decides to reboot it the middle of it and when it comes back on your destination is gone and some of the setting go back to there default, like the zoom level and the map view.3.There's no way to set a route and save it. Here are some other issues I have with it:1.About 1 out of 20 times you start it up, you'll get a flickering white screen, meaning you'll have to take it out of the unit and hit the reset button. So I thought it was either the external GPS receiver connection to the stereo or the docking connection between the GPS and the stereo because taking the GPS out and using it always worked fine. It seems to only happen the first time I use it after it has been off for a while.
I love the clean OEM look you get by having the unit dock inside of the stereo and that was really the main reason I went with Alpine, that and I've always loved Alpines products. Again taking the GPS out of the unit solves the problem and once it lock onto the signal and put it back in everything works. After they did some troubleshooting they determined that the head unit was faulty and swapped it out with a brand new one - something they surely did not have to do, they could have just sent it back to Alpine for repair and I would have been without a stereo for who knows how long. I should have waited for more reviews because I find a lot of people experiencing the same problems I'm having. I had the stereo and GPS installed by a shop so I took it back to them.
same price as a low end laptop. it is very bulky and will not easily fit in a bag or pocket. get a tomtom one 3rd edt or anything else but dont buy this. was not reliable. had to reboot constantly.
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