We Want Our Gps Update!

[kurtk]

Howdy Fellow Lexi Owners,

I'm a little put off that Lexus has decided not to continue to offer us owners of 1998-2001 GS' the opportunity to purchase the latest GPS updates. I mean we paid GOOD bucks for these cars and all other years since get the chance to buy a updated version but not us. We are the red headed step child. I think we all should contact our Lexus dealers and Demand that their techy people continue to produce new versions that we can use. I mean 2004 is the best they can do? Come on! They have all the info readily available for the DVD GPS so what's the big deal. Let's start a grass roots movement and MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN!! Let them know the people have spoken and give us this day our deserved update.

[1990LS400]

The "big deal" is that the 98-00 GPS system has a 20 megabyte hard drive -- that's only 2% of the capacity of the rather small capacity postage stamp size one gigabyte SD cards I have in my aftermarket GPS and my camera. I assume that some of the 98-00 Lexus nav 20 megabyte hard drive is dedicated to the navigation software and that substantially less than 20 megabytes is available to store the navigation data.

DVDs have a far larger data capacity than the 20 megabyte hard drive. A single layer DVD holds 4.7 gigabytes of data; a double layer DVD holds 8.5 gigabytes. Do the math.

It is not like Lexus can just transfer the data from the current GPS DVD to the tiny 98-00 type hard drive. It would be like trying to stuff an elephant into a glove compartment.

You may have noticed that some car manufacturers have reverted back to using hard drives for their navigation systems. Maybe part of the reason is that hard drives now commonly hold far more information than a DVD can hold. Hard drives that can hold one terabyte of data now cost as little as $150 and the price is dropping like a stone.

Technology-wise, the 98-00 Lexus navigation system has been left in the dust.

I feel fortunate that I didn't buy a new LS400 in 2000 to replace the one I bought in 1990. If I had bought a 2000 LS400 then, I might have bought the navigation option. By the time I bought a used 2000 LS400 in 2003, the 2000 Lexus navigation system was already seen by most people to be obsolete and I excluded cars with nav from my search for a 2000 LS.

One more thing ... the technology in the portable GPS I bought only two years ago is already way behind what is currently available. I like to get my money's worth out of products I purchase but I'd love to have some of the features available in the new Garmins. I'll be dumping my two year old portable GPS soon.

[sakataj]

Howdy Fellow Lexi Owners,

I'm a little put off that Lexus has decided not to continue to offer us owners of 1998-2001 GS' the opportunity to purchase the latest GPS updates. I mean we paid GOOD bucks for these cars and all other years since get the chance to buy a updated version but not us. We are the red headed step child. I think we all should contact our Lexus dealers and Demand that their techy people continue to produce new versions that we can use. I mean 2004 is the best they can do? Come on! They have all the info readily available for the DVD GPS so what's the big deal. Let's start a grass roots movement and MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN!! Let them know the people have spoken and give us this day our deserved update.

kurtk off the subject a little. it was only the 1998-2000. i have a 2001 and we have a upgradeable disc! thought u said on the other site u got the new harddrive and were happy with the 2004 upgrade?

brian

[kurtk]

O h well, wadda going to do? I like the nav system I have and hate to have a after market hanging around on the dash when my radar detector could be plugged in there instead. So I did get the 2004 upgrade for a mere 245 part and trade in and 110 to install at the dealer( only plzce I'm told). It's better with more stuff but not as near as good as what's out there I hear. Beltronics radar units work great BTW. I get tipped off about 1/2 mile beofre I get to the cops...almost enough time to slow down!

[sakataj]

B) so does my k40......... :P but alot better

brian

[Pogigreg]

So is it not possible to upgrade the Nav systems in the 98-2000 GS to one from a 2001-2004?

[kurtk]

So is it not possible to upgrade the Nav systems in the 98-2000 GS to one from a 2001-2004?

No you can't. But there is one final update for our systems with 2004 info, but then thta's it!

[SW03ES]

You guys got trapped in the ever moving field of technology...

It'll happen to us 01-06 owners too, eventually the systems will get so huge the data won't fit on a DVD any longer...

I'd lock the old system on the radio screen and buy a Garmin or TomTom.