Does anyone knowledgeable or in a position to know have any reason to think that Columbus might have improved in the FL compared to my 2010 model? Three particular points would be:

 

1. Is the touchscreen likely to be any more responsive? You really have to stab mine 2 or 3 times sometimes (but not always) to get it to recognise eg a radio station change. I could almost believe that it was a resistive and not a capacitative screen (maybe it is? Car technology often seems to lag some years behind). But maybe the CPU just isn't quick enough to keep up.

 

2. Is there any chance that the CPU might have been upgraded to a faster chip/board? How would I know - presumably no easy way of telling?

 

3. Is there any good reason to think that the maps version would be properly up-to-date. It would be nice to think that the firmware has been updated for the FL, but again maybe that's not a given. Could someone remind me where to look for the relevant version numbers please?

Until somebody takes delivery of a FL fitted with Columbus, this will be impossible to answer - watch this space!

The Columbus in our VW California is definitley more sensitive than the one I had in an Octavia a few years ago. I don't know if they vary or if it is an improved screen.

As far as I can make out the latest maps are still around a year old which seems to be general for built in systems. The routing has improved as well.  The TomTom fitted as standard in my company  Mondeo is rubbish compared with Columbus.

On the contrary - the Columbus in TIBET II (2012) definitely needs a tad harder stab than the one in TIBET I (2009). Might be an individual unit/screen thing.  

All they'll have done is update the unit firmware, Id be very doubtful indeed of any hardware improvements like the CPU being quicker/commands being more responsive as they are pretty much end of line now (with everything else moving over to MQB and getting the new range of head units - which Yeti 2 will get also) Responsiveness of the screens does differ on different columbus units that Ive used - again this may just be down to the firmware revision oe as Jerry states above, differing hardware specs.

As Yeti_man said, Yeti 2 will be the one to watch, I imagine it will be the same Columbus as in Octavia III which is amazing!

As Yeti_man said, Yeti 2 will be the one to watch, I imagine it will be the same Columbus as in Octavia III which is amazing!

Agreed, after spending so much time with the new MQB Columbus mine seems rather antiquated! :(

On the ordinary radio there was a massive improvement between my first 10-plate Yeti and my current 13-plate one - especially for SD card stuff, Much, much faster and more responsive.

I know they changed the screen at some point to a LED one. Not quite sure what the previous one was or when the change took place. I thought it was around 2010/2011.

But it was quite slow and unresponsive and the routing and traffic is nowhere near as good as my new Tom Tom with their traffic built in.

I had one in my Octavia and one in the Yeti.

The screen will still be LCD, but the backlight will have changed from CCFL to LED.