NaviGadget

Pioneer AVIC-D3 Review

Mar 13, 2007 gps navigation, reviews

A recent review of Pioneer AVIC-D3 by CNet gave it a 6.3 points out of 10. Most of the points were lost due to the fact that it only has one optical drive – which means you have to switch between the navigation DVD and your favorite music CD once in a while. But the situation is not as bad as they make it out to be. First off AVIC-D3 has an internal memory, so when you enter your destination all that info is stored. In addition you can directly connect your iPod to AVIC-D3. So if you have all your music in your iPod you really don’t care what occupies the optical drive.

When the DVD-ROM is removed–for the purposes of using the disc slot to play CDs, for example–the Avic-D3 resorts to “memory navi mode”, which will allow drivers only to access the last route that was entered. Memory navi mode also disables destination entry and any editing of the current route. Accordingly, users of the Avic-D3 will have to ensure that they always have the relevant disc on hand each time they want to enter a new destination or add in a waypoint to an existing route. Alternatively, they could leave the navigation disc in the unit and resolve never to play a media disc.

AVIC-D3 usually sells for about $1000.