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Are TomTom moving to a fully closed system?
Article by: Darren Griffin
Date: 16 Jun 2010
 The arrival of TomTom's START device saw the first unit that could not natively support third party POIs including our speed camera warnings.
Now it seems that TomTom have seen fit to roll out this dumbed down feature list to the XL-2 IQ, XL-2 IQ Live and Ease. Whilst there was a work-around that permitted users to install custom POIs, TomTom have now blocked this with a software update.
Is this a move to differentiate budget models from premium devices or are we seeing a move by TomTom to control their devices and restrict what users can install upon them?
As content providers it is only fair that we declare a vested interest in this issue but the move sets a worrying precedent. Are we going to see further moves to secure the content and prevent third parties from competing with them?
If we take speed camera data as an example, our subscribers have long known how poor TomTom's data is in comparison. If they lock down their units then you will no longer have the benefit of choice in choosing who provides the speed camera data or be able to install community provided POIs.
| Comments
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 Posted by BigPerk on Wed Jun 16, 2010 9:23 am |
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How ironic. After months of user badgering Navigon have finally just moved - in the opposite direction! 
I hope this restriction is widely publicised, so that people who need/wish to use 3rd-party POIs are able to decide whether they need to vote with their feet, rather than buying in ignorance and finding out too late.
David
(Navigon 70 Live, Nuvi 360) |
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| Posted by mikexgough on Wed Jun 16, 2010 9:25 am |
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I guess for many it will be bye bye Tom Tom.....  I have found their POI to be very poor..... Maps are not too bad.... Personally I feel that it a bad thing not only for End Users but also Tom Tom as end users will ditch the marque..... me for one...
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| Posted by shelmo on Wed Jun 16, 2010 9:35 am |
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I for one have never liked Tom Tom but that is just my preference.
Would closing the system not be against the EU and other countries laws in restricting competition.
I am thinking of the recent case with Microsoft Internet explorer where they were forced to offer you other browsers.
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| Posted by Matt865 on Wed Jun 16, 2010 10:33 am |
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I wonder if they'll move to some kind of Apple 'App Store' type system? You might be able to sell the speedcam data but will have to do it through them and pay them a fee.
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| Posted by Duddy on Wed Jun 16, 2010 12:31 pm |
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| BigPerk Wrote: | How ironic. After months of user badgering Navigon have finally just moved - in the opposite direction!
I hope this restriction is widely publicised, so that people who need/wish to use 3rd-party POIs are able to decide whether they need to vote with their feet, rather than buying in ignorance and finding out too late. |
I agree.
It also needs to be pointed out not only how poor TT POI's are but the great advantage on having up to date POI's and how useful they are.
I used to have a TT one v2 but now use CoPilot on a Legend phone but people have asked me what SatNav to buy who don't have a full featured phone and until now I have recommended TT but no more, I'll warn then off full time.
TT should take note of Epsom Printers business plan in trying to make everybody buy only their print cartridges by chipping them but like me many people (when their Epsom printer died) moved to another manufacturer and how Epsom sales have dropped (I think many people who buy Epsom don't relise what a none bargain they are letting themselves into) TT likewise.
HUAWEI P30 Pro (new edition) with Speedtrap Alert & alcatel1 for SatNav
CoPilot 10 with CamerAlert
RoadHawk in-car video
Reading glasses getting thicker as is my waist
Retired but want to go back to work for a rest. |
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| Posted by Wazza_G on Wed Jun 16, 2010 1:34 pm |
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Can someone recommend a decent alternative to TomTom?
Be alert.. This country needs more lerts. |
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| Posted by G1LIW on Wed Jun 16, 2010 1:59 pm |
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Wazza_G - I hate to say it, but they're the damn market leader for usability. Others are better at, say, lane Assist, TTS, and so on, but TT is still the leader when it comes (up until the above, that is) to 3rd party POI files (they pioneered the OV2 format, after all), and ease of use.
That said, CoPilot is getting good comments, as is navigon and iGo; I'm betting that the online providers (Google and Ovi) will also start thinking about user-defined 3rd party POI lists before long as well - it's too important an issue for them not to, I think.
I think it's safe to say that all have their "quirks"; it's finding a safe compromise that you can live with, that'll be the deciding issue.
Good luck, and don't forget to let us all know!
Roger, G1LIW
Google Pixel 3a XL Android Smartphone | SatNav Sygic for Android | Waze for Android | CamerAlert for Android | Blog http://rogersblant.blogspot.com/ |
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| Posted by Froggy on Wed Jun 16, 2010 2:57 pm |
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I ditched Navman partly because no new maps were forthcoming, but largely because they could only use a very limited number of POIs. If Tomtoms can use none in the future, they will also have lost me... 
GO 750 Live HD Traffic, Map Europe 930, Navcore 9.510 |
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| Posted by jkdwiz on Wed Jun 16, 2010 3:08 pm |
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It's sad to see TT seem to be closing 3rd party info.
I wonder if this could in some way be related to their recent patent issues with Microsoft. I haven't seen any of the new devices but I'm guessing that you can't mount them as a file system any longer, if that's the case TomTom can use any file system they like on the PND since they don't need to support Desktop file systems like fat32 any longer. TomTom's devices are Linux based so they can use an open source file system like ext2 and stop paying Microsoft for the rights to use their patents on fat32.
Just a thought. Of course TomTom could simple include a driver for TomTom Home which would allow 3rd party POI to be installed if they wanted to. I'll stick with my G0930 for now I think.
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| Posted by MaFt on Wed Jun 16, 2010 3:43 pm |
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the GO 1000 is using a WebKit-based operating system... guess will have to wait and see what (if any) 3rd party POI support will be available on their new flagship model...
MaFt
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| Posted by jkdwiz on Wed Jun 16, 2010 4:05 pm |
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| MaFt Wrote: | the GO 1000 is using a WebKit-based operating system... guess will have to wait and see what (if any) 3rd party POI support will be available on their new flagship model...
MaFt |
Just wanted to clarify a point. Webkit is a browser engine not an operating system. It's used in the Safari Web browser, Google Chrome web browser and a whole bunch of other things ( see this link for info http://trac.webkit.org/wiki/Applications%20using%20WebKit )
As a browser engine it's just the presentation layer and still needs an operating system to sit on top of. Up until now TomTom have used Linux, I can't see why that would change since it would involve a major rewrite I would think, dropping a Webkit front end in would be pretty simple though.
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