Waggin

In the image below, the top half is a new RNS-E screen at 900 ft resolution.
The bottom half is a 5-year-old Garmin GPS-V showing the same area coverage (higher actual scale)
Note that the Garmin shows the smaller streets, useful for navigating through this area. The RNS system shows empty space where there should be roads:

<img src="http://webpages.charter.net/dwarner2/NoRoads.jpg">

The RNS has far more processing power than the GPSV, and could easily handle the increased detail.
If you feel that this would be useful and you own an Audi, please let them know here:
(The more complaints they get, the more likely it is that they'll do something about it.)<ul><li><a href="http://www.audiusa.com/customer_care_feedback/0,3819,,00.html">Audi customer relations.</a></li></ul>

TeddyBGame

Go ahead and rotate the large **** on the right hand side of the rnse in a counter clockwise direction until the "900ft" reads as 300 or 250ft. Then you will see more detail. The level of detail of the RNSE is dictated by the the "zoom level".

I/we appreciate the fact that you went to all of this trouble to show us the level of detail between the two. You make a very interesting point.

Here are some other things to consider:

1) Did it occur to you that looking at that little screen of the Garmin (with all that detail) while driving........is like...and accident waiting to happen?? Looking at the B/W picture of the Garmin....looks pretty darn distracting to me.

2) The garmin gets mounted up on the dash in the line of sight...and the RNSE is located below your line of sight.

3) Audi, being a car manufacturer....could be somewhat liable if drivers [using the RNSE factory installed] started getting into accidents trying to read all that map detail. Sure, the rnse has that "liabilty" screen that pops up when you turn it on.....but at some point...you have to assume that German engineering had something to do with way the rnse functions.

4) The level of map detail is also dictated by Audi and how much information they tell NavTeq to include in their map dvds. Also, the map dvd is a dual-layer....so you're maxed out at 9GB. Some of the newer garmins have 20+GB internal memory...so sure....they will more detail. Something to keep in mind.

If you dislike the rnse so much....you should just sell it and get your $$ back.

Hope this was helpful.

-ted

Waggin

If I'm looking for a bypass between a clogged-up major road and another one, the 600 ft view only shows the small roads branching off nearby, with no indication as to whether they connect with another main road, just dead end, or curve away someplace else. When I zoom out to see if they are viable bypasses, they disappear.

There's no need to read ALL the detail on the screen, but only the roads ahead of your path, to see if they go where you need to go. This only requires a quick look while waiting at a light.
It would be a simple firmware fix to increase the detail and make some use of all that empty space.
I've been told that the European versions do this already.

I'm suprised that they don't make use of the larger screens on the NAV units to show more detail, instead of less than older, smaller units do.

TeddyBGame

probably too much legal liability for Audi.......i would guess.