We’re off to a great start!
We’ve been very pleased with the Dash Express launch. It is hard to believe that we’ve been shipping for over a month already.
In addition to lots of positive press, we’re seeing so much passion from our first customers. There is nothing like hearing directly from real customers about what they love and perhaps more importantly, what they’d like us to improve upon. This feedback helps us ensure that we focus our attention in the right places.
One of the great things about Dash Express is that it keeps learning and getting smarter over time. Speaking of that…
Earlier today we released our first wireless historical traffic model update. When our customers turned on their devices, they received a message on the screen asking them if they would like to install an update. This update included all of the traffic data that we have gathered from the Dash Driver Network since we launched. Now, customers who live near other Dash drivers will see more traffic data on the screen and will have better arrival time estimates (ETAs).
For example, watch this animation which shows how our historical traffic model has evolved in Washington D.C. The first image shows what traffic data looked like before we had any Dash devices in the market. Red is no data, green is traffic data. The second image shows how the model changed as the result of our beta test- with a handful of devices on the road. The final image shows what it looks like a month after launch. Pretty cool!
We plan to update our historical traffic model just about every month.
Right now we are hard at work on first wireless software update. This will include a number of device improvements as well as a new feature or two. We plan to roll this out toward the end of June.
And, earlier this week, we began selling the Dash Express through Crutchfield, one of the nation’s leading catalog and Internet retailers of consumer electronics. Here is that press release.
I’d like to thank our first customers for joining the Dash Driver Network. We appreciate your business!
Sincerely,
Paul Lego
CEO
May 10th, 2008 at 9:01 am
It’s kinda exciting to hear that the Dash team is already working on the first software update :).
And, while I’m not a customer yet, I’ve heard generally positive things about the Dash Express — to be honest, I’m really tempted to buy one. What’s holding me back at the moment, though, is that the return policy is limited to 30 days. That’s within industry norms, to be sure, but it also means that if I were to buy a Dash Express now — and if I then ended up running into some of the routing peculiarities that some people are reporting — I believe that the return-period would expire before the upcoming software revision (which might theoretically fix any such woes) were to became available :(.
All that aside, I don’t mean to rain on the Dash parade — it looks like the device has a lot of promise. Still, I may just have to hold off until “the end of June” before thinking about buying one just so that I’ll have a chance to try the new software update (while at the same time remaining within the product’s return window).
May 12th, 2008 at 11:13 am
Alex - I just want to let you know what yes the dash does have some routing issues. Dash is working hard to fix them and this upcoming software update will address some minor issues. Long distance routing issues(over 100 mile) will most likely not be improved until after the second software updates (3 months after first update).
I currently own a Dash Express and cant wait to see all the improvments and fetures that are going to me made to the device.
The API alone will send it way up ahead of the other GPS’s out there once its released.
May 12th, 2008 at 6:58 pm
how can I get a demo unit for a comparision article?
May 13th, 2008 at 11:08 am
Brian- I thought that my PR agency had followed up on your request. I will connect with you to get you a device.
Best,
Gina Bender (gina@dash.net)
June 11th, 2008 at 6:41 pm
I cannot wait to receive the Dash I just ordered. As a perc of my job, I never pay retail. If I see something I really like, I buy a bunch and feature it in our stores.
I am the VP of a regional Electronic/Appliance chain. I have gone through numerous GPS devices, none had what I was looking for.
We hope to sell this in our store soon.