Registered: Mar 2000
Location: Hermosa Beach, CA
Posts: 222

A recent reply I received from Nexian/Navicom:

Dear Customer:

We are working hard to ship HandyGPS modules by the end of May. We are very sorry that our launch schedule has been delayed.
Any changes on our current plans will be posted on our web site and Navicom's soon.
Sorry for late reply and thanks for your kind advice.
Regards,

[email protected]

Registered: Mar 2000
Location: Miami, FL, USA
Posts: 96

Well at least you got a reply. Nexian site is not available now which concerns me.

I guess I have to wait some more.

A disappointed


------------------
Mike Vidal
Ice Owner
Corvette Enthusiast
Racecar Spelled backwards is Racecar!

Registered: Feb 2000
Location: Chicago, IL, USA
Posts: 57

Don't wait for HandyGPS. Take a look at www.geodiscovery.com. It seems to be a much better product that will offer topo maps as well as street level maps. Potentially, a much better product with more to offer.

June 21 is the "big" announcement.

Registered: Mar 2000
Location: Hermosa Beach, CA
Posts: 222

Geodiscovery's GPS has a release date of Late Summer. It will be interesting to see who can get their GPS units out the door first. I do have concerns for the current 2 major players in this arena, though.

HandyGPS: Nexian's website is out of commission and Navicom doesn't know the meaning of the word "web update".

GeoDisc: Why is the Chief Customer, Joe Free, called an "Evangelist"? Is it a Utah thing?

Either way, the more competition, the better.

Registered: Feb 2000
Location: Chicago, IL, USA
Posts: 57

You're right Nhatman, Evangelist definitely a strange title.

I even heard of a combination GPS/MP3 springboard that allows for a "guided audio tour" that you can download.

At any rate, I think we are all getting tired of empty springboard promises.

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan USA
Posts: 790

Apple has had an official Mac "evangelist" for probably a decade now. Like in religion, it's someone whose job it is to convert the masses.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Metro Station, Hollywood and Highland
Posts: 1018

My $0.02 US, which I posted earlier:

My guess is that the "Chief Customer Evangelist" moniker is an old Silicon Valley trick. Because tech companies in the Valley are (justifiably) paranoid about having their staff gutted by headhunters, they tell their employees to come up with some creative name like "Senior Software Shaman" or what-have-you. That way, when a headhunter looks up a company's software project manager, they can't find it.

Registered: May 2000
Location:
Posts: 6

(as seen posted earlier)

My job is to represent the customer's needs to the company. I "evangelize" the needs of the customer to the company, rather than the other way around...that's the sales guys job!

So you don't need to worry that I will come knocking on your door!

Joe Free
Chief Customer Evangelist

Registered: Mar 2000
Location: Hermosa Beach, CA
Posts: 222

Newcomer Joe Free steals the ball from Navicom/Nexian and shoots for a customer-involvement basket....nothing but net.


Nexian/Navicom: 0
GeoDiscovery: 1

And the game continues....

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: at work...
Posts: 736

quote:

---

Originally posted by Nhatman:
Newcomer Joe Free steals the ball from Navicom/Nexian and shoots for a customer-involvement basket....nothing but net.


Nexian/Navicom: 0
GeoDiscovery: 1

And the game continues....

---

Registered: Mar 2000
Location: Columbia, MO
Posts: 125

quote:

---

Originally posted by JJR:

I even heard of a combination GPS/MP3 springboard that allows for a "guided audio tour" that you can download.

---

Registered: Mar 2000
Location: Hermosa Beach, CA
Posts: 222

quote:

---

Originally posted by Rob:
...ah, but you forgot the three 'slipping delivery date without explanation' personal fouls, and the 'not responding to customer questions' technical foul!

Navicom: -4
Geodiscovery: 1

---

I will give Nexian some credit (1/2 point) for responding to my email (posted earlier) within a few days. But since I like to round DOWN, the score still stands...

Navicom/Nexian: -4
GeoDiscovery: 1

PS - Joe, Evangelist Extraordinaire, will your GPS unit take regular batteries or have an internal rechargeable like Rand McNally's? Or are you allowed to answer that? And if you could tell me, would you then have to kill me?

Registered: May 2000
Location: Laurel, MD USA
Posts: 26

quote:

---

Originally posted by Nhatman:
I will give Nexian some credit (1/2 point) for responding to my email (posted earlier) within a few days. But since I like to round DOWN, the score still stands...

Navicom/Nexian: -4
GeoDiscovery: 1

---

Registered: Mar 2000
Location: Miami, FL, USA
Posts: 96

Well this is interesting:

After trying Nexian's site for the last 4 days, it now comes up under constructions, and directs you to Navicom's site in the interim.

Maybe the Koreans (and I have worked with them)are a little slow in the decision making process and execution?

It looks like I may have to settle for the Geodiscovery myself. I also signed up for the beta, and given that I travel a bit, I was really looking forward to a GPS module for my visor. That is the main reason I upgraded from an old pilot. :-)



------------------
Mike Vidal
Ice Owner
Corvette Enthusiast
Racecar Spelled backwards is Racecar!

Registered: May 2000
Location:
Posts: 6

quote:

---

Originally posted by Nhatman:
...
PS - Joe, Evangelist Extraordinaire, will your GPS unit take regular batteries or have an internal rechargeable like Rand McNally's? Or are you allowed to answer that? And if you could tell me, would you then have to kill me?

---

Registered: Mar 2000
Location: Hermosa Beach, CA
Posts: 222

Joe, I like what I hear. One of the many things that I like about the Visor is that it does not have an internal battery. Surprises usually happen at the most inconvenient places and times.

Mavidal, hopefully, Nexian is down because they are preparing their website for ordering OR (and it's a big OR) they are changing their release date to the next leap year.

Registered: Mar 2000
Location: Miami, FL, USA
Posts: 96

Nhatman:

Is that leap year ours or GPS leap year?

LOL



------------------
Mike Vidal
Ice Owner
Corvette Enthusiast
Racecar Spelled backwards is Racecar!

Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 18

The geodiscovery is great news. I almost popped for a palmIIIxe so I could hook up my Garmin 12. I will set back and wait now. I am extremely pleased that this new player recognizes the need to be open with the software. I plan to use this for ocean navigation so software can get specific. Thanks for reinstilling my hopes. Handy GPS is wasting our time

Registered: Mar 2000
Location:
Posts: 97

Joe Free for President in 2000.

Sure beats the smucks that we have to choose from now.

Seriously, I had not heard of the GeoDiscovery product until reading this post. I wanted to chip in my 2 cents for one main reason. To applaud Mr. Free for keeping in touch with VisorCentral discussion boards and for chiming in response to potential buyers' questions.

I'll have to say that amidst all the whining about the fact that there seem to be so many "vapor Springboards" -- I've seen legitimate concerns, suggestions, recommendations and possible bugs on software, the Visor itself as well as the currently available Springboards. VisorCentral readers are an informed and sharp bunch.

So "thank you", Joe, for keeping your pulse on the VisorCentral boards. And you have my vote for president this year. You could run on the "A Visor + GPS Springboard in every home platform." Forget the "chickens in every pot"... they're too shot up with hormones anyways...

Registered: Dec 1999
Location: Denver, CO, USA
Posts: 42

Just to keep the joke going, the Navicom web site has been updated to say:


Ordering information will be on our web-site at the end of May.


Again they do not specify whether or not that is 2000, 2001 or some later year .

Take care,
Jerry