Onstar

I agree. Most cell phones were Analog/Digital back in the day, but I still have a couple of Analog only phones laying around that will become useless.

An adaptor to make an 8-track work with a CD/cassette deck? There is something I can honestly say I have never seen. :-P

You are right. They are two different things, however, I still think it makes some sense. When GM was still putting Analog only OnStar systems in vehicles, did they know that in 2008 Analog would be completely gone? Did they know this 100%? If not, why would they start using Digital equipment when the Analog was more reliable?

I will admit, I am no wiz with cell phone electronics, but IMHO, if it was

*that* easy to make an Analog only OnStar system work with a Digital system, the Aftermarket companies would be all over that like a fly on honey.

I think you got it exactly right there. Like I said above, if the Aftermarket companies thought there was even the slightest chance of making money, they would be all over making OnStar upgrades. The fact that they (and GM) aren't lends me to believe that most people with Analog only OnStar aren't really that concerned about it. It has been said here by several different people that many folks don't even renew the service after the 'free trial' anyhow.

That I will agree with. Try putting an aftermarket CD deck in a new car. You might just as well design the car around the new CD deck. But, this trait is hardly exclusive to GM.

Reply to
80 Knight
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That is true, but the fact is you are replacing the phone. You aren't taking the phone in for new programming or something, getting it back, and having it work with Digital. You are giving them the current phone, and they are giving you a totally different one. It would be like trading in your 1999 GMC for an '07 (...you get my point).

Very true.

GM actually did take that route. As far as I can recall, most GM vehicles made after 2004 were Analog/Digital, and could work on both networks.

I honestly can't say as to how much the OnStar is integrated into the car, but I find it highly unlikely it could have just been swapped out for a new one. Plus, like I have said, we don't know at which point GM knew 100% that Analog was going to be totally phased out.

No offence, but just because the vehicle has OnStar, doesn't mean the owner still uses the service. My family buys GM, and only GM, and I can't think of any who use OnStar. Most have a cell phone, and that's good enough for them.

It's a free world. If you want to go buy a car made in Japan, go ahead. But, doing it only because your OnStar stopped working doesn't make much sense. Do the Imports even offer anything like OnStar?

I just don't personally think it's *that* big of a deal. If I were to see that even 80% of people with OnStar equipped vehicles with Analog only were still using the service, then I would think it a much bigger deal. That, however, begs the question, if OnStar is so popular, and so many people with Analog only want to convert, why aren't the Aftermarket companies trying to devise an alternative?

I can agree with that point there, but where did your son get the adapter? Probably RCA, or some such company. Like I said, if there is such a demand for Analog only OnStar systems to be converted into Digital, why aren't the aftermarket's doing it?

:)

The point is, at the time, Analog had the best service area. If you wanted to get a signal most anywhere, Analog was the way to go.

I also don't think customers expected Analog to be phased out completely.

Like I said, they eventually were.

:-P

Perhaps, but I do think some people overplay OnStar. Some think they couldn't possibly leave the house not knowing the system was working, and that there very existance depends on it. Let's get real here. It's a cell phone built into the car. You make calls on it. Some even notify 911 if your air-bag should deploy. Some even have a GPS transmitter built in, so 911 can find you. So does my cell phone. The only thing my cell won't do is call if my air-bag goes off.

No offence towards your neighbor, but GM didn't *have* to do anything. Hell, my '96 Bonnie could blow up right now, throwing parts all over the place, and GM would give me the finger. If your friend is so determined to use his OnStar, perhaps he should take up GM's offer.

Reply to
80 Knight

Hi...

New to the thread, and I apologize if it's already been suggested, but there's a way out for GM that would allow them to keep their current users happy, I think.

How about if they offered to replace the current analog units with new digital ones free of charge for those existing cars in which they are actually used, in return for a three or perhaps five year contract?

Essentially the same thing as the cell phone folks do when they "give" us a phone in return for a contract.

Just my 2 cents.

Take care.

Ken

Reply to
Ken Weitzel

Depends on the cost of the update, or if possible at all. Would you take a five year contract (minimum of $1000) if your car is already five or more years old? GM would rather you buy a new car. That is their suggested resolution for most every problem. That is where they (should be) making the profits.

Reply to
Edwin Pawlowski

Thanks for your post, Ken. I suspect there are relatively few vehicles involved, and retrofitting would probably not be a good deal for GM, the client, nor any aftermarket supplier.

I haven't done the mathematics, but GM would lose, and the client wouldnt really gain that much either, except in a minority of cases. This is the sort of think that really irks a relatively small number of GM customers, not without cause mind you, but leaves a bad taste in people's mouths.

At this point, GM needs all the good will it can muster. They have a long road to hoe, even though their truck sales looked promising, etc.

Reply to
<HLS

I think that would depend on how much it would cost to upgrade the unit.

Reply to
80 Knight

You don't have to "buy" a new phone, just sign up for a 1-2 year cell phone contract and they will give you one. Even if you did need to buy a new phone, it wouldn't cost the $15-45k purchase price of a new vehicle.

Reply to
John Horner

A very reasonable idea which GM has chosen not to go with. The bottom line is that GM remains a customer antagonizing company, not a customer relationship building company.

Reply to
John Horner

Onstar is just a cellphone connected to a GPS location receiver. If GM is spending more than $75 to build the electronics box for it then they don't know a thing about modern electronics manufacturing. For example, in 2002 the price for a GPS integrated receiver IC was $3.50:

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Obviously it takes more than one IC to build the required electronics, but it still is a way less than $75 box.

Reply to
John Horner

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