bayridgeguy

This is already implemented on the A6 and A7 I believe.

TIME89

Yes, but you have to pay for this $30/mo,
where is in BMW it's use data plan from your phone.

hmn4858

You'd have a hard time trying to triangulate your position with a satelittle... A satellite on the other hand Only requires three for positioning but four or more is ideal for accuracy. I wouldn't say updates via satellite are as much of a stretch as you think. People in rural areas use satellites for their Internet connection vs DSL/Cable etc. Also, how do you think real time traffic works?

TIME89

Real time traffic works exactly as you describe.
Just don't tell me that amount of data for traffic is the same as update Navigation (> 6 Gb)

gat821

I knew I should have ticked off that satellite dish option on the order sheet

hmn4858

Never said anything of the sort but just pointing out the capability is there albeit very slow.

I believe currently, the fastest commercial speed is around 10 mbps but not a stretch to think in the future updates would be via satellite.

TIME89

There no other way to update Hard Drive based navigation in latest cars as to bring car to dealership, connect to dealer computer and run update software, that probably in process update map files and POI's. With DVD based navigation is totally different story. You get disk - popup in DVD reader - you done.

gat821

Interestingly, in Nav/Setup/Settings, there is Customer Update option, then within that, it asks for where the update could come from - CD/DVD, USB, SD 1, SD 2.

You would think that Navteq could supply a disc with just the updated map data and POI, without Audi having to do any other software updates on their side (how the map data is drawn, presented - though it is possible any updated map data may contain new POI types that the software wouldn't know how to present, but heck, part of the data could be new icons too!). But then again, that would be too simple and so probably is not the way it is

TIME89

This morning, when I re-read my post and your replay - I have to admit, that I miss major point in my post. There was a rumors on BMW board that new updates can came in a DVD disk. Make sense.
New cars has very sophisticated computers on-board. To upgrade this computers or one specific application (Navigation) you need update software installed on other computer (via cable) or direct update via media - and in Q case - t can be DVD (just because Navigation files to big to hold on CD), SD card or USB2 port for external HD.
Last week I was attended some classes - all information about class, labs, student reading materials, was on USB drive. No more printing book - electronic pdf file. I can see updates can be send out on USB (4,6 or 8 Gb) tomb drives. It cost way less (probably, not sure here) then burn master gold DVD, make a mold and then stamp thousands DVDs. Regarding updates can not only updates Navigation and MMI - don't know, but if you look at Microsoft and their update process - You can choose one specific update or select all and let installation program take care of this.

But I miss another major point. To do this - car manufacture (Audi), need to request navigation software manufacture to make updates and pay them for their work. I don't think this happen yet.

Stuttgartrob

I was looking through the new German Price guide and there is a data plan option that wasn't in the old guide. It uses the Google Earth pictures for the MMI Navigation and makes the car a WLAN hotspot. So I guess you could see this option in the future Q5's for the states.