I have to get this off my chest so here goes:

I contacted Lexus Customer Service with two questions....
1. Was a new update for the navigation software released on October 7, 2003 as I read on the internet?
2. What version is the new release?

NOBODY HAS AN ANSWER!!!! How can nobody at Lexus know?

Customer service sent me this response via email:
"October 7th is just a "padded" date from October 1st to ensure proper ETA's for Lexus dealers. I changed the date with the fear the updates would arrive late and to avoid any confusion with our customers that pre-ordered the updates."

What does this have to do with my questions? Does anybody understand what he's talking about?

Anyway, thanks for listening. I'm still waiting and I feel a little bit better after venting my frustrations!

 

1. yes.
2. see here

 

$288 for only more points of interest is insane. The poi people should foot the bill....after all its them we're trying to get to!

 

EvilStan -- I fully agree with you, but I got frustrated not being able to find simple things like the nearest post office. For example, I was in Chicago and asked it to find one and it said the nearest one was over 50 miles away! I have checked a few things that were not on the old software and they are present on the new one.

I know that $275+ is a lot of money to pay for a simple update, but what's the point of having a NAV if it lacking crucial things like a comprehensive list of POIs?

 

The new Nav has updated maps, for roads/neighborhoods that didn't exist in the previous version. My neighborhood, which is a couple of years old, wasn't on the old DVD. It IS on the new DVD.

if the places you normally go are already mapped, and you don't use the POI features, then you probably don't need to spend the $$.

 

the 2004 ES330 nav system advertises phone number-based address locator as well as additional points of interest. Wonder if the DVD upgrade for the RX330 includes this feature too.

 

It doesn't appear that the new 2003 software update includes that feature.