After a month of reading and frustration in deciding which way to go with my planned Octavia HU upgrade I've now started

looking at a Columbus replacement.

As you all know it doesn't come cheap and I could kit the car out with a really good after market HU and speakers for the price of a new Columbus

but It would change the look of the car quite a lot.

 

The price of the Columbus seem dependant on the age of the software so I was wondering how much different is the newer software to the older ones and is it all upgradable anyway.

 

Thanks

 

 

 

Okay just seen on here the units can be upgraded (should have searched) so I just need to choose which version unit to get so

any one I should avoid or look out for?

Edited 8 December, 201510 yr by Screenbyte

Older hardware versions have less RAM, smaller hard disk drives (30 GB), less powerful CPU, older tuners, non-LED screens, non SDHC controllers and probably other minor differences.

Newer ones have more RAM, larger SSD disk drives, more powerful CPU, newer tuners with CD-TEXT and DAB support, LED screens and SDHC support.

 

More or less you can upgrade even the oldest hardware versions a newer firmware gaining some new software (but obviously not hardware) functionalities that were added throughout the years to the Columbus.

 

Personally I bought a really old device cheap and upgraded to a fairly recent software. Other than the occasional slow response, everything works fine. Miles better than the Swing I had previously, and for 15% of the stock price.

 

If you find a bargain price for an old (C3/C4) device, take it. Otherwise go for a newer one.

Don't go for anything below this model: 3T0 035 680 A

 

Otherwise it is too old.

 

After this, there is little real world gain until you start looking at units with SSD's and DAB.

 

The unit I mentioned can be upgraded to 4020 or 4120 without issue (I've done mine) and possible to a higher version, but with no real world gain that I am aware of.

 

You should find these for around £350 or less as the process of SSD and DAB units has come down, forcing the bottom end to drop further.

Thanks Guys. Exactly the information I was looking for :-)

I'm seeing some older units on Ebay with a higher hardware version (H42) than the newer ones, how is that possible?

I'm seeing some older units on Ebay with a higher hardware version (H42) than the newer ones, how is that possible?

The hardware version denoted there is not a linear function of time.

In other words, you can't tell the hardware generation of a unit just by looking at the HW version. You have to look at the HW-Vehicle version, usually NOT provided by the ebay sellers, or trust the part number (???-035-68?-?) as suggested above. Take a look here under the section "Hardware Generations".

035 680 is non-DAB

035 686 is DAB

 

That narrows your search down a little.

 

AFAIK there is no way to identify the SSD versions by part number or HW version. But I am open to enlightenment if the knowledge does exist.

 

HW visions for each part number will be different.

The hardware version denoted there is not a linear function of time.

In other words, you can't tell the hardware generation of a unit just by looking at the HW version. You have to look at the HW-Vehicle version, usually NOT provided by the ebay sellers, or trust the part number (???-035-68?-?) as suggested above. Take a look here under the section "Hardware Generations".

I see, thank you,