The new upgrade is beyond horrible: this app is going to get someone killed trying to use it. The incredibly tiny fonts and busy screen make it's use almost impossible in a moving vehicle. What used to take a few simple "OK" button pushes now require multiple menu selections. Why would I care to see crowded restaurant, bank, gas station and medical icons on my 1" screen when I'm not navigating to those locations? What a horrible, horrible "upgrade." If I can't revert, I'll cancel. I'd rather be lost than dead.
VZ navigator was launched to provide more features and options for the users. Unfortunately, there is not a way to downgrade to the previous version.
Judging from my own experiences, and from the posts made by other users, I would hazard a guess that while BlackBerry users might be seeing improved features and options, other users have had their VZ Navigator essentially crippled in some fashion or another. Why it is that the software development team could not consider this an unacceptable trade off, and focus on making an improved version for all users, is beyond me. In a way, this seems to bear remarkable resemblance to Coca-Cola's introduction of New Coke. One can only hope that we do not progress to the level of Tab Clear.
Navigation software should focus first and foremost upon navigation -- all other features should be relegated to secondary status; they should not be given the place of prominence on the front screen, above the navigation features -- though making it so they are easily accessed is perfectly acceptable. Navigation features should be the most easily accessed, most prominent features. Do we really care what the weather report says for current conditions when we are outside and perfectly capable of seeing for ourselves whether it is sunny, cloudy, raining, or snowing? Being able to look up a local weather forecast might be useful, but is not, nor should be, the primary role of navigation software.
And, with all due respect, I fail to see how the introduction of "sponsored ads", that are usually completely disconnected from whatever search the user is making, on a paid-for-use service in any way provides more features and options. The only thing that makes me think is that Verizon should be refunding me the cost of the monthly service charge (~$10), since they clearly do not need me to be paying for the Navigator service if they have taken on sponsors.
For at least several of us, VZ Navigator 5.1 is a step, if not a giant leap, in the wrong direction; version 4 had better speed, and better suited our use of the software. I am not saying that v5.1 does not serve to give anyone an upgrade -- again, it seems that BlackBerry users benefited from it in some manner. But, to reiterate, an upgrade that gives only some people better services, while crippling those given to others, is not a real upgrade. Verizon is ignoring the needs of its customers, by not providing a way to switch between versions.
bosslady85 wrote:VZ navigator was launched to provide more features and options for the users. Unfortunately, there is not a way to downgrade to the previous version.
Much like the data plans, Verizon has decided which features are most important to consumers and packaged them in a helpful update. I hope that you all appreciate the wonderful work that Verizon is doing to provide all of us with even better cellular options!
I was all set to rant and rave about how I sure wished I had seen this thread before upgrading to 5. I also called to revert back to 4. But I just discovered that two of the most important features of 4 I thought they got rid of, are actually "hidden" in 5:
1) The "Intersection" as an option for navigation looks like it's no longer there. That's an awesome feature in 4 I used all the time for when I know generally where I want to go but don't have the address. Turns out that in 5 you can just type the full description of the intersection in the Address field and it works. Would be nice if text support knew enough to tell me that today.
2) I was also quite concerned that the very handy on screen "Talk" button that I used so often in 4 to repeat the last info, or to hear what's coming next is gone. By accident I found that if you touch anywhere on the screen, it acts the way the "Talk" button used to. Wonder how long it will take most users to figure that out (tech support didn't know about this either).
Three criticisms still remain:
1) The most interesting thing about the upgrade I thought would be speech recognition. But you have to choose each part of the address separately and hold down a button while you speak that part of the address. Only when you're done with all of it and you hit "Find" it tries to do the speech recognition, and I can't ever get it to understand the street address part, only the zip, city, and state parts. Worthless.
3) Many times when trying to input an address, it just crashed and told me to restart VZ Navigator.
4) Worse than that, when trying to choose a destination from the contact list, the phone completely froze like no other program ever has. Battery needed to then be pulled.
I'll have to work with it a bit more to determine if I'd still rather have 4.
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