Connectdrive - "internet" option by another name?

[silverous]

Was pleasantly surprised to try out connected drive in the car tonight for the first time.  The iphone app is a bit dissapointing, it seems a bit hit and miss at locating and locking/unlocking the car and only works within 1.5km due to "privacy reasons".  I can sort of see the point if you park at disneyland and can't remember where, but given most people will know where they left the car surely the technology is ready and able to be used as a "tracker" if someone takes the car without authorisation.  That said, I would imagine a number of partners engaging in extra marital relations might prefer privacy and perhaps be entitled to some !

Anyway, the main reason for the post was to try to understand difference between the "internet" option and Connectdrive.  It looks like it will do email (gmail, icloud, others) and I definitely did a "local" search in google and found a petrol station and it was ready to navigate to it.  Also seems to do "weather" and "news" and other apps.  Quite impressed.

I guess the "internet" option gives you free reign over google seearches which this "local google search" does not appear to, is that the only difference for your £250 or whatever Internet option costs?  When most people carry a smartphone I was strugging a bit with the concept of googling at 3g (or perhaps less?) speeds from the car, but this connecteddrive I could see myself using.

Didn't seem to want to authenticate my wife's gmail account but it has two full stops in the username which I guess they may not have allowed for as we've had problems with that before.

Anyway, would appreciate your findings/thoughts on it.

[sramsay]

The Internet option is really just the in-car web browser.

In my car it is completely useless. I took it to a dealer to see if there was a problem and they made some changes (I think to the gateway it uses) but it still takes ages to load a single page. It is as bad as browsing the web c1992.

Can you browse to and navigate a site like the BBC?

[silverous]

Thanks, I thought it (internet) would be useless from what I'd read.  Old technology by sound of it.  Connected drive is I'm sure same connection mechanism but didn't seem too slow.  Can't visit sites as far as I can tell but then I'd use my smart phone for that probably.  I think this is too early at the moment, needs 4g networks with coverage even in the sticks and also integration with smart phones and apps.  Then it will really be something.  Quite pleasantly surprised with what comes with connected drive though for now, can see me using it sometimes to get a local nav location when out and about or as a gimmick to show off the car or check the weather !

[Bomber]

The standard system uses gprs which is painfully slow, you can code it to tether to you phone and use whatever connection you have on that, personally other than a gimmick I don't really see the point its a lot faster just to look on your phone

[Mpower]

[quote="Bomber"]
The standard system uses gprs which is painfully slow, you can code it to tether to you phone and use whatever connection you have on that, personally other than a gimmick I don't really see the point its a lot faster just to look on your phone
[/quote]

I can't agree more,the system is way out of touch with todays technology and as Bomber posted its faster if you use your own mobile phone instead.

[X5Sport]

I believe the 'next generation'' iDrive systems with 'Connected Drive' will use 3G but LTE (4G) may still be a way off - too expensive to use and too little coverage as yet.

Richard