PDA version now the poor relation?

[iancjc]

Looking at the product launches it looks like tomtom are moving away from the pda market - the oldest product they currently have is ttn3 and the it's also the last to receive an update.

It can't be a "common platform" issue as they were selling the initial pocket pc version bundled with ipaqs months ago and it isn't a map issue. The go's are effectively based on palm electronics so there is no good reason not to have at least launched the palm ttn5 upgrade.

I guess selling the hardware and software combined gives them more profit and less compatibility issues but as the pocketpc and laterly the palm platforms probably provide the majority of users I for one would like to see them get there finger out.

Hate to mention it but M6 toll has now been open for 18 months - we need this update now.

come on Tomtom - you are not the only GPS navigation supplier out there.

Ian
_________________
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TyTn II (WM6.1) / tomtom one v2
TTN6.03 tomtom 7.xx (one)

[icsys]

Forgive me if i am wrong but this page lists the PDA version of TTN5

Yes it does seem like the PDA platform is the last to receive an update (end of May 2005) but the update will be available.
_________________
Ian.
iPAQ 2210 | Navman 4100 BT Receiver
Navman iCN 635
TomTom GO
Anquet OS mapping

[RichXDA2]

I think thats a bit strong, at the end of the day yes the pda version is the last to receive the update but this could be a benefit as it will have given Tom Tom longer to test and iron out any problems. Surely this is better then just rushing it out!

With regard to map issues, yes this is a pain, but its not really Tom Tom's fault as the maps are supplied by a third party. People are never satisfied, if you don't like it then you have the choice to go somewhere else. I bet it won't be long before all the moaners start finding more map faults now that the M6 Toll has been added to TT5.

[spook51]

It's only a navigational aid for heaven's sake. The way some people write you'd think it had to be followed - reminds me of the story about the German couple whose BMW had to be fished out of a river 'cos their satnav hadn't told them to wait for the ferry....
We use paper maps knowing they're out of date as soon as we buy them, what's the difference??
Personally, I'd rather wait until any bugs had been ironed out.

[Darren]

It's not hard to see why any company would be tempted to drop PDA and go purely PND, the reduced support and simplified development paths being just two.

But TomTom appear committed to PDA development and I don't foresee them dropping the platform any time soon. In the case of V5, it's been last off the starting blocks because of the extended Beta testing required to ensure compatability across all the varying hardware types. It'll be worth the wait
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Darren Griffin

[geraint]

I for one am eagerly awaiting the new version. TTN3 is fantastic, and I'm expecting TTN5 to be even better. Yes, TTN3 has it's quirks, but I think its merits more than make up for its short comings. In-car navigation-related arguments (go on, admit it - we've all had them) are now a thing of the past.
_________________
Geraint

TomTom for iPhone v1.9
App version: 8.300 (777309)
Map: Western Europe v875.3668

[DavidW]

As Darren says, the Pocket PC version is much more difficult to test, as there's:

• at least three versions of the OS (2002, 2003, 2003SE). TomTom may have access to the Windows Mobile 2005 betas, and will also need to test with the Phone Edition versions
  
• two different screen sizes (240x320 QVGA, 480x640 VGA), and maybe 240x240 as used on the as yet unreleased but forthcoming iPAQ rw6500/6700 phones.
  
• four different ways of connecting the GPS (serial, Bluetooth, CompactFlash, expansion pack)
  
• several different Bluetooth stack versions
  
• several different memory card subsystems (there's a fairly standard way of adding CompactFlash to typical Pocket PC hardware - the same is not true of SD; historically TomTom Navigator has worked memory cards hard and is an application well known for showing up memory card problems)
  
• numerous GPS hardware vendors (not all of which are using SiRFstar II or III family chipsets)

to contend with. That's a much different proposition to Go where the only hardware that has to be tested are TomTom's own designs, and TomTom have absolute control over the operating system used, as they provide the Linux kernel used on Go. I don't know why you say that Go is based on Palm electronics, Ian - it doesn't run Palm OS. It's an embedded ARM system running Linux.

Saying that there was already a common platform version for the Pocket PC doesn't help much. That version was only sold bundled with a limited range of hardware outside North America. It has some compatibility problems (it doesn't play well with GpsGate, for example), also it's not as if there's been finished version 5 code sat around for months waiting for the port to be completed.

I suspect, too, that there's commercial pressures at play - TomTom couldn't release the new Go hardware without version 5 software. Many people will have decided to wait for the new Go hardware options once they were announced, so there'd be considerable pressure to ship the new Go range as quickly as possible.

Finally, not least for logistical reasons, I suspect that TomTom will release the version 5 products sequentially, rather than all at once. It could be that by the time Navigator 5 on the Pocket PC ships, the software is up to 5.01 or 5.02 because of bugs found and fixed in 5.00 on other platforms.


My belief is that it's better that what is released is as finished as possible even if we have to wait a few more weeks for the polish to be applied. Navigator 3 was available first in retail form - I believe all the upgrade packs contained 3.01, as 3.00 had quite a few problems. There were compatibility issues with some hardware until a further upgrade - I think in GPS - beyond 3.01.



David

[andy-c1]

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