jUST MY OPINION
He was also wrong about the map versions.
This one I've checked. Buy a Garmin today that does not have V8 maps and Garmin will update for free. Buy a Nav II and Garmin will supply the maps free but charge for the unlock code. Not a big deal but adds about £40 to the already overpriced Nav II.
I can agree that the Nav III is much better than the Nav II.
What Nav III. It does not exist yet. If we all waited for the next bit of `super kit' that is still at the vapourware or press release stage none of us would have a PC yet and we would still be waiting to buy our first TV. I have yet to see a reliable release date for Nav III but from what I read it is likely to be a modified 2720 with a couple of extra buttons.
the all important zoom buttons
I can't see what is so important about the zoom buttons. Both the Rider and 2720 have touch screen zoom and although this would be impossible to use while driving I have never found the need. On the 2720 there are options on how the zoom is set so there is even less need to use them. For example, by default the screen shows the whole route to the next turn and zooms in closer as the turn approaches. This, coupled with the excellent voice prompts makes the buttons totally redundant.
For my use this comes under the heading of `bells and whistles' that may come in handy. I found this facility very useful on my very old Garmin 12 as it was easy to backtrack a course. As an example, finding my way back to my campsite outside Brussels to overcome Belgium's none existant signposting. Did not really miss it on the Rider and have now turned it of on the 2720 as it does not really help me. For my use it is easier to set a `favorite' and set a route back to it.
built in bluetooth and cell phone control
These would be nice and this is one of the options that attracted me to the Rider - and also the reason I have got rid of it!!. In practice it was not that useful but that may be something to to with the way Tomtom implimented it. Firstly, by relying on Bluetooth the system needs regular recharging to work. That's OK if you remember and if you have regular access to charging power. Camping around Europe for a couple of weeks (one of the main reasons for having satnav) means little or no access to mains power so it would be necessary to charge from the bike. Unless the bike had a socket to bypass the ignition this would have to be done while driving so you would be back to a wired system defeating the object of bluetooth. Also if it was like the Rider (and my Motorola bluetooth earpiece) the bluetooth turns off while charging so for an hour or so of riding every day there would be no voice prompts and no mobile.
So what do I lose by not having bluetooth on the 2720? I can still use my mobile hands free via the Autocom so I just lose the refinement of a screen showing who is calling but so what. My home phone does not do that either. I can't dial a number from the gps screen but the Rider would not let me do that while driving anyway - probably quite rightly as I would hate to try to navigate the screens to try to dial a number while steaming along an autobahn. If I have to stop to make a call its easier to dial it from the keypad on the phone.
With 2720 + Autocom, when I start a ride, I have the time consuming task of plugging in my helmet and phone. This 15 second job is a price worth paying to avoid the worry of continually having to find a chaging source and remembering to recharge.
Incidentally, both my mobiles eat battery power when bluetooth is turned on so wiring it to the Autocom cuts down the frequency of having to drive with the phone plugged into the bike power socket.
To my opinion your "parts manager" was just talking bulls***t
My dealer has always given me good advise and service and I have no reason to distrust them this time. It is difficult to mistrust the information when one realises that the guy was talking me out of a sale of over a £1000 for kit he had in stock !!! I won't name the dealer as publicising the fact that they are talking customers out of sales may not go down well with BMW but I have always found that,unusual in the 21st century, they are more interested in customer satisfaction than making every sale.
Yes he did tell me that the Nav II was due for replacement but could not provide a spec, price or release date. He also pointed out, as noted on this thread, that it was likely to be a 2720 with a couple of bells and whistles which, depending on your needs, were unlikely to be worth the potentially high price when compared with a bog standard 2720.
