To those with split screen navigation system. Lately I find the most usefull split screen position while driving is to have "Current Position" on the small screen to the right and "Map Facing North" on the larger screen to the left.
In that way you can more easily see the direction you are traveling by looking at the triangle representing the car on screen to see which way you are pointing(north if straight up,south if straight down for instance) and on the small screen your current position showing the road and town you are currently traveling in.
You don't have to have a destination set in Nav. to do this, just go to Nav. screen and set-up as above.
Find this is a lot better than trying to figure what direction I am traveling in by looking at that dumb arrow with the N next to it that still confusses me.
Does anyone else have any other favorite and usefull screens they usually keep on?

I waited almost one extra year in 2003/2004 for the Nav system to become available in the E60 and actually cancelled my original order in 2003 for one of the first 545i's to be built because Nav was not compatable at that time with other systems in the car.
The voice command system included as well as the Nav. is worth every penny of the cost. In my case,it was well worth waiting for.
YOU GOTTA LOVE THESE BMW's.

NETJAZZ

 

Probably making a generalisation here (and it's personal preference you're asking about) but I feel that knowing where North is seems to be a US syndrome where that has much more significance in cities laid out in grids.

In EU it's rather more organic so knowing the bend angles of the road seem to be more useful.

Typically I use perspective view with blank assistance window so street names can pop up there when turns are about to happen and have been known to use "map - direction of travel" with computer showing in small window.

In my case I don't need to know where north is.

ABC

 

I agree with abc that "direction of travel" is more useful that "facing north" -- especially when zoomed in a bit. I'll alternate between that and perspective, depending on my mood.

I do usually keep "current position" displayed on the small screen, even while actively navigating since I have the HUD to show me the "arrow display"...

 

I like the perspective mode with the trip (or is it information) window on the right to list ETA and such information. I use the HUD for the NAV arrow instructions.

 

Depending on "where" I am, I keep main window on Facing North map over long distances (i.e. if the next turn is a few miles away) or Direction of Travel if in town centres or relatively near a turn.

Assistance window is set to Arrow View when navigating, and mostly blank when not. Sometimes I set it to a Facing Direction of Travel map view to act as rally navigator...

What's really needed is the facility to bring on a non-split screen!

 

I usually have it set on Map Direction of Travel and Current Position.
cheers
vern

 

When not using the NAV,, the left screen shows MAP/North, and the right one my location.

When using NAV: Left screen: MAP/North. Right: Arrows, or Journey computer (use that all the time on longer roadtrips)

 

When NOT using NAV: map (perspective view) and current position.

When using NAV: map (perspective view in cities/small roads, direction of travel on larger roads/highways) and current position (automatically replaced by arrows when nav instructions required).

 

Big Screen - Map indicating directoion
Small Screen - Trip Computer - I love watching the average fuel consumption figure drop when I step on it

 

Big screen - sirius radio channel, artist and song
Small screen - perspective map

If I could display the channel, artist and song on the bottom line (scrolling?), then I'd probably use one of the combinations above.