Is that all you have got? Come on Mav...a simple question...asking for your reasoning...but I guess it's just easier to rely on stereotypical "bullshit" than actually seek out the facts. You never know, the truth may just ruin a good story.
Ask any of the sellers if the navigation software is legal, all of them will not answer. Ask them how the navigation software comes and they will say on a SD card. Ask them for another type and they will offer to supply that instead. They don't supply any licenses for the software, nor anything printed. I'm sure that some of the Australian purchasers can tell you this. Also check the windows ce "about" screen, 4.2 still had the area where the manufacturer would put their name if the ce was licensed.
Take a look at the source of the units, they're coming out of small factories that sell through places like ebay, there's a reason why you don't see them being sold out of stores and large chains (other then the interface and the changing spec on the units all the time) and this is because they don't have licensed software as this would add $100+ per unit.
True...you never said non-OEM wasn't any good, but your soap box stance on the RSN certainly delivered the message that anything less than the OEM part was simply not worthy. I think I have made my point.
There's plenty of times where there are better options then OEM depending on what it is, suspension is one area. I just don't believe that the after market head units integrate well enough, if the after market head units would get together and come up with a standard for passing things like mp3 tags, controls and navigation instructions around they could create interfaces for the canbus for example and allow mp3 tags and so forth to be sent via the canbus and the steering wheel controls to be sent via the canbus rather then additional adapters.
I like many of the features on the after market head units like divx support, better playlists and so forth but find the interfaces to be pretty average. It's easy to not realise how much the factory units integrate into the cars, VW have added new features this year with the reverse camera system working through there (won't work with after market), park assist displaying on there and the mfd, reverse sensors displaying on there and being able to adjust the sound of the reverse and now the AC controls are going to display on the RNS510.
So..after spending $2.5k on the RNS, I am expected to fork out another $500 (approximate...maybe more..actually, if it is a VW item, IT WILL BE MORE), when the roads change, suburbs develop etc etc. At least with Garmin, I can get a map from them for our portable GPS for (approximately) $120.00...
You get the maps with the unit generally. And you can also modify BMW maps for example to work on there.
I don't agree with the map pricing but one of the problems is that Telstra/Sensis are involved and a lot of that pricing comes from them because of the low volume nature of the VW systems.
Anyway...I'm off to detail the R with some non-VW car cleaner.:biggrin:
Your car will rust now :bellyroll:
