Monday, December 17. 2007

All Dash, All the Time

The Internet-connected DASH is now available for pre-order. That means all the techies are showing off their reviews and sharing pricing.

Some tidbits:

Compared to your usual, run of the mill GPS, whole connected navigator experience was not dissimilar from the jump between going from a VCR to a TiVo -- which is why we think maybe, just maybe, people might actually want to pay for service with this thing.

- engadget

The big news today is that the eagerly anticipated Dash Express is available for pre-order for $599 with three months of free two-way GPRS information and traffic service. After that, the service will cost $10 to $13 monthly on top of that. Pricey to be sure, but the newly unveiled features solidify the Dash's reputation as a turn-by-turn GPS navigator unlike anything seen before...

- Gizmodo

And although it is by no means the most expensive GPS system out there, it is indeed a device that reflects the true spirit of Web 2.0. ...I didn’t necessarily want to do a review of Dash, but it’s allowed me to point out something that is being forgotten in the mad scramble that is Web 2.0: The Internet is not just about the browser, but rather it is about data and how one can use it to build clever products. I think Dash, much like Amazon’s Kindle and RCA’s Small Wonder video camera, is part of a movement that is breaking Web 2.0’s browser shackles.

- GigaOm

Also of note - "Mark from Dash" chimes in regularly on blog comment threads to answer questions posed by readers. This is the way to support marketing and outreach being done by bloggers. That's another sign Dash gets Web 2.0.