Poor or no reliability of TT3

[RogerP]

If like me you have experienced great problems running TT3 with a wired TT GPS mouse, try using the earlier 2.07 or 2.09 GPS drivers.

I could not get TT3 (upgraded from TT2) to run for more than a minute or two without locking up, resetting the Ipaq (3830) or just freezing the TT3 display. I even expereinced voice instructions for at least a mile, with no update to the map display. Using TT away from the car for planning a route even caused lock ups. I began to suspect my Ipaq or the SD card.

TT support helpfully suggested I install the 3.01/3.02 program/GPS patches, but to no avail. This I had done on my first upgrade, and after a HARD reset. I found the older driver suggestion elsewhere in this forum. So far - touch wood - the system has remained working, even with CheckPoint running.

TT really should test these driver releases better, or at least advise people if they really need to upgrade them. It appears the later drivers are more suited to the Bluetooth devices. I have spent several hours over the past week just trying to get TT3 working, TT BETA tester I guess!

[PW]

In defence of Tomtom.... well a bit, they have the classic problem.
They are trying to support many different PPC devices which get upgraded constantly, with varying ROMs, different OSs (PPC 2002/2003), with hard-wired or bluetooth GPS (with different drivers). TT Nav/ROM/BT could all have been installed in different ways. It is virtually impossible to test every combination. Just look at the problem PC users have when compared to MAC users (i.e. infinite combinations versus very few).
I have had similar problems which were very difficult to track down simply due to the shear number of potential problems.
At this moment in time I believe there is a problem with the TomtomBT GPS when it is connected to power but my reliability has increased immensly by putting the latest ROM on my hardware (iPaq 2210).

In non-defence of TomTom, its pretty poor if your older software worked
(on specific hardware/software ) but your new software doesn't (as you say). As I see it, it means you've added some changes which are broken.

I suggest posting your full setup, 3830 with ROM ?, etc...
From my (limited) experience, someone will be running a reliable combination using your setup.

Pete

[RogerP]

You are of course, quite correct in your defence of TT. I believe, and often tell others of my appreciation of what is a truly remarkable combination of software and hardware whcih does a wonderful job of guiding me through unknown cities with ease and allows me to concentrate on driving rather than navigating.

However, as you also state, when one has a working system, then pays a fair sum of money for what should be an upgrade - improvement? - it is wrong to then have to sort out problems that have been created by that upgrade. My hardware did not change one bit, the only difference was the TT software.

I have no experience of Macs - but agree that a whole industry is grown on the back of software suppliers such as Microsoft. Companies wouldn't need huge IT support departments if software upgrades were simply 'install and run'. Life is never that simple.

For your information, and for others, my system is:
Ipaq 3830, 32Mb Rom 32Mb RAM, with PPC 3.0.11171 Build 11178, and ARM SA1110 processor.

ROM 1.15.04 ENG dated 11/01/01.

TT 3.01, GPS 2.07, TT wired GPS mount, CheckPOInt 3.2.0.0

[DavidW]

There's a 1.20 ROM for the 3830, together with the End User Update 3 that you'll want to apply after upgrading if you do upgrade here. There is, of course, the argument that you can, if you're not careful, fix something until it is completely broken.

With only 32MB of RAM, you may be a little tight, especially with CheckPOInt loaded. A further thing that will make your system potentially flakier than most is the relatively slowness of the SD slot in the 3800 series (assuming your maps are on an SD card).


However, it's frustrating when later versions of the GPS drivers break otherwise working systems. It's impossible for TomTom to test the myriad of particularly older machines out there, but maybe they could pay more attention, particularly when considering precisely what their invasive driver (from 2.08 onwards) is going to do, to the needs of users using older machines.



David

[RogerP]

Thanks for that information. Is the ROM upgrade worth doing as the system appears stable at present, or is your don't fix what ain't broke rule the best course of action? What would the upgrade help with, if anything?

I had read of the slow SD cart port recently, but to be honest, this hasn't posed a problem to me personally. Admittedly I have had nothing to compare my system to, but the idea of replacing my Ipaq is now on my mind. I'll want to stay with the wired TT GPS receiver, so any recommendations would be appreciated.

I do use the card for maps - not much alternative really - but the Ipaq isn't used for much else, navigation is the major task. A trip to the Netherlands is planned for August, so the Major Roads Of Europe will be installed soon.

[Darren]

Personally speaking, unless there have been any issues reported with a ROM upgrade I would install them.
_________________
Darren Griffin

[DavidW]

I'd concur with Darren - usually installing ROM upgrades is a good idea, but beware - you will almost certainly have to hard reset, which will leave you with a blank iPAQ afterwards (there again, you could treat it as an opportunity for a good tidy up!). If you install the later ROM, do install End User Update 3 afterwards.

So far as an upgrade recommendation goes, if you want to upgrade now, look at the 2210 or 4150 (the 1940 is unsuitable for you, as you want to use a wired GPS). However, it looks as if the next six months will bring a whole new generation of iPAQs, so this may be the time to hold on a little longer.



David

[RogerP]

Yes, I appreciate the fact I'll have to reinstall - or restore from backup - but I've recently hard reset anyway, in a vain attempt to get 3.01/3.02 to work.
Where is the End Use Update 3 please, I saw the ROM upgrade at the link you provided previously, but haven't downloaded it yet.
I will wait a while to replace the Ipaq - it does all I need of it at present anyway.
Many thanks to all for their comments.

[DavidW]

It's on the page I gave you already - down near the bottom (last but one item). Think of it as a Pocket PC 2002 service pack - you install the ROM first.



David

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