We’ posted about one PND (personal navigation device) from Michelin, the ViaMichelin X970. It’s a tight design, the size of a Nintendo DS, as we had described it. Consumers, though, never warmed up to the ViaMichelin branding and so here comes Michelin announcing that they will be abandoning the brand.
If you own a ViaMichelin, you’ll be glad to know that warranties will still be in effect. The casualties include 60 employees and 14% of the French PND consumers, who made the mistake of buying from a company that doesn’t think 14% of the French market is good enough.
[via engadget]
March 26th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
ViaMichelin Says Good-Bye to PND Market
Not off to a good start with me. Ordered a new ViaMichelin X-970 unit from CompUSA on March 19th, received unit March 24th. $139.97]
Unit packaged nicely, but instructions are not very complete.
Unit does not initialize properly past the [I agree] button on the LCD [Liability waver] and locks up.
Spent hours and most the night and early morning reloading the GPS eRam, and the SDcard from the supplied DVD to no avail.
Called Product Support at ViaMichelin. After explaining problem all they wanted was the last two digits of serial number, then said send the unit back to the dealer it cannot be corrected and they do not know whats wrong, and have been getting many units back in a bad series of spot checks.
CompUSA said they would issue RMA and sent a Shipping tag via email. They charged me for another new one, and sent it via UPS 2nd day air.
To date i havent received the replacement unit…
Confusion signing on to their website as it defaults to their French webpages.
The X-970 is a nice bright and compact unit with voice street name readout turn by turn, and has integrated Bluetooth interface for cell phones. The base has a 3 watt loud speaker, external antenna for traffic or GPS, External power, and headset out, and a SD card slot, and comes with a 2GB SD card loaded with N. America, Canada, and Hawaii maps, POI’s, Plug Via Michelin’s Green Guide. The unit comes with AC, and DC power adapters, mini USB interface cord, a DVD, and set up guides, instruction manual and dual purpose in car mount.
Now that they have terminated USA and French sales/support or soon will, I have hesitation of keeping this ViaMichelin X-970 GPS Unit, and think I will go to CostCo and get their Megellan 3225 for about the same price and features and from a company who will be around for a while and who’s sole business is GPS navigation devices.
I do not want an orphan which you cannot update its navigation maps and POI’s next offering or years down stream.
Gary Bart
Sacramento, CA