Based on observation, I would have phrased this the other way around...

I'm another who will confess to being a regular lurker in this thread. So much entertainment value! It would be shame to close it, and even it was closed, the aviarian one would likely rise from the ashes and merely start another "bull-y" pulpit.

 

You had better believe it!! This will NOT go away, until it is fixed and/or at least ADDRESSED by Mini/BMW, period. That, I can assure you on.

For you guys "defending Mini", it amazes me how dumb of a thing that is to do. Unless of course, you WORK for mini??? I wonder?? Because EVERYONE agree's, if not at the very least, the software absolutely SUCKS. Even those that think I'm an idiot, and say bla bla bla about "Birdman" for over a year now, they still admit one way or another, the software SUCKS. You simply can NOT find a basic POI (like a winery or Costco, or Officemax) in the DB. Having said that, anyone inm their right mind who has paid hard earned money for the software ($2,100 of it!) would have to be absolutely brain dead to fight somebody like myself simply trying to FIX YOUR software.

So the question to you guys defending Mini becomes, which category (no pun intended! ) do you guys fall into? a)Mini employee or b)brain dead

OR, should I just stop complaining about it? Should I say, wow, I love my Mini, Mini is the best company ever!! I don't care that the Nav doesn't work, the car is cute anyway. You know what, you guys are right!! Mini is the Best Ever!! Ok, thanks, gotta go now, I have to go try out for American Idol..

Oh, and never mind about the Cold Start problem either!! Do any of you have that issue?? Just leave it!! NO, don't FIX it, just leave the engine alone, it's a Mini, it's the "Bestest car ever"!! Who cares the motor is grinding itselft apart everytime we start it up in the morning when it's cold!! It's a Mini, Oh Boy!!!!!!

That's what you guys sound like....

 

That is hilarious!! "no big Whoop", I love it!! So the ONLY thread I've ever seen on this site get 16,000 views, the most popular thread in the "NAV and Audio" section of the forum, kept in the top ten for 1 1/2 years now, is "no big whoop!"

Then throw in the fact that 2 out 3 posts on this Nav section of the forum are regarding "How to mount an aftermartket Nav display" or "How to replace all together the OEM Nav system" or something along those lines... yea, it's no big whoop. Yep, you nailed it.


Now, BACK TO THE SUBJECT MATTER!!

Has anyone herd anything new about an update? How about the Pimp My Nav software, anyone try compiling a new version of the data DVD recently?

 

AWESOME, thanks for sharing!! And I use my yacht to go fishing, and catch fish sometimes!! Awesome!! Now lets get back to figuring out how and when Mini is going to FIX our broken software that does not work as advertised!!

PS- When did MiniUSA employee's start getting company issued Iphones?

 

Nobody is 'fighting you' for 'trying to fix our software'. We do get annoyed when every few months you come out and say "There's a fix! Call your service department!" instead of being honest.


Why would anyone need a recent compilation? The Office Maven reconfigured his, and it works, though there are space limitations, as noted earlier in the thread.


Note: You sound delusional when you accuse long time NAM members of working for MINI simply because they don't march in lockstep with your approach/actions.

 

Eric,
To keep the facts straight.

1. I have never lied about anything. If I posted there may be an update, it's because my Mini dealer said they thought they had something, or I read it here. There IS, and still will be, a class action lawsuit filed against BMW/Mini on this issue. My last update from last month, They are waiting for resources as they are just closing/finishing the "NY Microsoft business practice lawsuit" (for which they won). Stick around, they will do it....

2. Office Maven was not able to get it working, nor was I because of some DVD and DL issues on top of space issues. MINI and Navtec needs to fix it, not us.

3. Not delusional, when they post the same exact text here, that they emailed to me, from a MINI/USA email address, that's called too much of a coincidence.

 

The only person who ever said this was you.

Your lawyer was going to file a lawsuit over a year ago.

As was said earlier, I think your stringer is full.

 

Eric, you are better off banging your head against the wall. He hasn't even been smart enough to go back and correct the places where he contradicts himself.

 

The popularity of this thread at this point has little to do with the nav system.


I look at it like an interactive daytime soap opera.

 

He/they, are not my lawer. Nice try though...

 

No, you meant to say, ""I look at it daily, to see if Mini has fixed my BROKEN software".

Come on now, admit it.

 

 

It took you four days to come up with that?

 

 

daflake,
Thanks again, not sure why I keep answering the trolls. I'll ignore them, thanks for the reminder!!

Anyone else have an update?? Anyone else try the new version of the PMN software??

 

I totally agree with you, I just traded in a 2006 Honda Civic Hybird with Nav for a 2009 Cooper S with Nav. The Honda Nav blows the Mini Nav out of the water! I am really shocked that BMW would allow such an inferior product on the market. The graphics are a joke and the joy stick thing is a joke. The Honda Nav was much more user friendly. It had touch screen functionality and the graphics were ten times better. You could do a search on banks, shopping (stores), parks and recreations, etc. Even the voice recongnition was much better on the Honda Nav. I guess it's true, the Japanese have some of the best technology in the world!

BMW really needs to go back to the drawing board on their Mini Nav. It really stinks for $2000. I wasted my money!

 

MiniLotus,
Welcome. And don't worry, we are NOT alone. I have now received 163 emails to my personal email address either complaining about this problem, or asking how to get involved.

I wonder how many people at BMW and/or Mini has been fired over this?? And more importantly, I wonder if/when and how the new team being put in place to replace them will fix the broken software?

 

Thanks Birdman. I really hope they do something about this pitiful Nav sys. I am tempted to go out and buy one of those portable GPS systems. My son has one and it too blows the Mini Nav out of the water. I spent $2000 for this piece of you know what (like a tumor) in this gorgeous new car. I feel ripped-off!

Do you think BMW is doing something about this issue?

 

I have not read this thread from the beginning but am interjecting because we are getting complaints about it. I also do not have a MINI Nav system, I use a Garmin and rarely use the POI functions.

In the recent Roundel there was a short bit about Nav systems ratings and the BMW/MINI one was at or near the bottom of the list. Nav systems are designed and built by 3rd parties and BMW chose a bad one. I remember that Nav systems made by Mitsubishi and Alpine as being the top picks for ease of use and the VDO-Siemens navigation units as used by BMW as one of the worst.

The deal here is that this system in the car is not on par with the best thats out there. Thats a given. Ranting and raving is not going to fix the issue. It's probably a non-issue to MINI.

Stop sniping at one another and work out a plan to present the issue to MINI if you want to get involved. If all you have to say is "It works fine for my needs" or "Get a Garmin" then there is nothing here for you.

 

Well said Gnatster, except one thing I want to make VERY clear.

I (and many others) are not complaining (in this thread anyway) that the NAV system is poor, or is one of the worst... thats another topic and for another thread. The fact the Mini Nav system has poor usability compared to others is very well know. A fact that we knew (or should have known anyway) prior to purchasing it. I was fine with that part when I bought my mini. I was ok with having a poor NAV system in comparison to what was available, using the trade off of having a built in OEM system instead of having to install my own, having wires and mounts dangling not to mention the "other" features you get when ordering the Mini NAV (backup display, mp3 song lists...).

BUT the problem is, there is functionality in the software which was advertised that simply does not work. There is a huge difference between "does not work", and "we do not like the way it works". And with the POI search functionality (or lack of), we are in the case of "it does not work, period". And that, MINI needs to FIX. They sold us something, advertised it to work a certain way (aka, you can search and find over 6 million POI's). And the fact is, you can not.


Now before all those jump in and say "Birdman, you should have tested it first before buying it.....". Think of it this way: If you buy a dictionary in the bookstore, and the dictionary says: "Contains 6 million words". Are you required to open the book, and make sure you can find all the words in it in a reasonable manner? No, that is assumed. Maybe you flop open the book quickly, and see it is in Alphabetical order and understand it is easy to find all the words. Now what if you get home and open the book and find that it is alphabetical from A to D, and the rest of the other 5 million words are in random order. What would you do?? Exactly, you would bring the book back and either get you money back OR, get a replacement FIXED book.

And that is exactly what we are asking Mini to do. Simply honor the warranty on the vehicle they sold me, that said it includes a search-able db of 6 million POI's. That assumes they can be found, in a reasonable way, just like the words in the dictionary. Unfortunately, the POI's are not findable in a reasonable way. They are randomly thrown around in a 6 million strong db, virtually un-accessible as in a dictionary that is un-alphabetized.

As for "it was made by a 3rd party". That is MINI's problem, not mine and not yours. I bought my car from Mini, and Mini needs to make good on it. How they do that, and with whom I could care less. That said, if I were Mini, I would be standing over the president(s) of Navtec and/or Siemens VDO asking WHEN the fix would be done, because the way I see it, they sold Mini a defective product.

I've said this before, people always seem for whatever reason to be more accepting to defective software, than to a piece of hardware. But there is no difference. Software is a product, and you/we paid money for that product. IT should function properly, or be fixed. Just as if it would be if it were a defective muffler, blinker or whatever.

 

well put.
not that it will do any good, but well put.

 

Nicely put Birdman. It's sad Mini's released 2 more model years of vehicles with all the same Nav problems.

 

Birdman is categorically right. I started monitoring this thread when it began. Then stopped watching the drama, figuring eventually Mini/BMW would update the software. But, I was wrong. I just left a dealer. The salesman fiddled with the Navi for about fifteen minutes trying to find a particular store. In the end he said they could install a Garmin instead. So, go to any dealer and see how many cars they have with built in Navi. My guess is either none, or a car that someone ordered and now doesn't want. In any event, you won't find more than two. That the dealers won't order a stock car with one should tell Mini/BMW a story. So, the only conclusion one can draw is that they (Mini/BMW) do not care. And, unfortunately, Birdman you are on a quixotic mission. Unless you try to organize us (I bought the unit anyway, knowing the POI issue) and the getting Mini/BMW to listen to us

 

The issue reaches far beyond 2 model years of MINI. The entire 5 year run of the 1st gen MINI had the same Nav issue as well. It gets even better. BMW cars use the same Nav systems as MINI, and their numbers completely dwarf MINI. The 3-series is among the top selling 20 cars in the US. So this issue goes back 8+ years (even before MINI came out) and includes a very large number of vehicles. That is one reason why some of us are cynical that BMW will do anything.

 

Yep, RKW hit it on the nose.

The attorneys office that I walked into last year (for completely un-related business, a lunch date actually!), were discussing the nav systems in their brand new fleet of something like 10 BMW 740 series cars for the partners of the firm. That's over a million dollars worth of cars!! They were all "biatchin and moanin" about how bad the POI stuff was. So I chimed in and explained I had just bought a Mini (for which I got some snickers and glaring looks as if I was in need of some spare change! ), and explained that the nav had the same issue because it was the same nav. I then educated them (of course to their surprise! ) on how the software worked and why it is an absolutely ridiculous problem that should be fixed.

From that point on, they got so hot, and red faced over the issue they were organizing a class action lawsuit over it right then and there.... I left, and luckily got out of the room alive, man they were pissed off!! Anyway, last I herd, they were too busy with the billion dollar Microsoft thingy they were in the middle of to deal with this one. But they had it on the back burner.

Bet ya, THEY get Mini/BMW's attention when it comes to fruition, if we haven't by then.

And before all the Mini reps that post on this site get all flustered and start bashing me and the lawsuit... I have NOTHING to do with it. Although I'd surely join in on it. Don't shoot the messenger.

And yes, I have bought my wife a new car, and did not consider the BMW because of this issue. Went with a Audi A8. And yes, I will probably loose the mini next summer, and replace it with a competing small economical sporty car, that has a Nav system that works. So Mini will NOT be on the shopping list. And YES, eventually enough of us will do the same, and Mini will be wishing, like GM is now, they had taken care of their customers while they had them.

Old proverb: "It takes years to gain a customer, but it only takes minutes to loose them".

.
.