[Peter_Headland]

Panasonic will support your unit for about another 2 years tops. As with all manufactures of navi / tv / blu-Ray / game console / etc. The cost of supporting something 2 years old becomes greater then the cost of pleasing the customer

He said Pioneer, not Panasonic.

If you are referring to maps updates, Garmin's map updates work on their mapping units that are many years old. I expect to get map update support on my (new this year) Garmin Nuvi for at least 5 years, and a lifetime map update subscription was only $90 - Kenwood charges about $250 per year. And the Nuvi didn't cost anywhere near $2,000, can be used in other vehicles (such as our minivan, and rentals when we travel), on other continents (we'll get the European map set for a couple hundred $$ when we travel to the UK next year), on foot in cities, etc.

I can also hook it up directly to my PC to add waypoints ("favorites"), add to the Points Of Interest database, etc.

Yes, integration with the car's sound system and a bigger screen would be really nice, but...

 

[Peter_Headland]

Pioneer or Panasonic or Garmin, doesn't matter, support for 2 years is lucky, 5 years is pushing it.. Even with map updates

Unlike you, I am not expressing an opinion, I am describing my experience over many years using a series of Garmin products. Just go look at Garmin's web site to see that you can still update Nuvis and GPSMAPs from six or seven years ago. They will also still service/repair really ancient units.

I would expect Magellan to be the same. I would be far less trusting of car audio manufacturers, who tend to license technology in from different vendors from one year to another.

as a geek I know how these work

That "I'm the expert, so my opinion counts more than yours" line is so lame. Lots of folks here are in the tech business, probably for a lot longer and at a lot more senior level than you.

As to the Garmin, hope you keep remembering to take it down with the mount every single time you use it.

Gotta love the rapid swerve to "anyway, what you own sucks for some totally different reason". And, yes, we don't leave valuables of any kind on display in our cars. On the subject of mounts attracting thieves, we have had permanently mounted GPS mounts visible in our cars for many years and never had a break-in. We are fortunate not to live in a high-crime area, but we have frequently left these cars unattended for several days while backpacking.

 

[Peter_Headland]

And as with opinions, experiences differ.

How about the FACT that Garmin has updates for all their mapping units back way more than 5 years. And the FACT that they still offer repairs on ancient units. Not opinions, not experiences, FACTS that you can verify for yourself.

My background has been around technology and electronic "toys" (as I like to call them) for quite some time

Saturday job at Best Buy?

I am glad you live in a perfect place and have had only have had great experiences. I'm very happy for you.

You are being an ass (English, not American meaning).