I received a card for the 8.1 update. Has anyone purchased the upgrade and if so how much did you pay for it?

 

$250 - $260 is pretty standard fare, grousing aside about whether it's worth it or not. That's the dealer standard price. You may still be able to get it here http://www.sewellpartsonline.com/par...id=90141&all=Y for $250 plus get a $50 rebate for sending in your old dvd (if it's v 7 I believe).

Regardless, it's an easy upgrade. eject the old dvd, insert the new one.

 

With $250, one can subscribe to more than 2 years of up-to-date map with real time taffic and POIs data with VZ Navigator or AT&T/Sprint Navigator on your phone.
Phone bases GPS is Assisted GPS that uses cellular network in addition to satellite. When GPS signal is lost, location information can still be found using cellular network.
All one has to do is download the app on existing phone and enjoy the voice guided turn by turn service. Now most wireless operators offer one month free trial, if one has a smartphone with a data plan this is a no brainer to skip the expensive DVD.

 

Worth the upgrade?

 

That one has been beaten to death in many threads. It depends on how you use your system, how much new development has happened in the areas you drive since the last update you bought, how old the dvd in your car is and how intense you are about spending $250.

 

Or move to Montana where even the oldest version is still good.