Garmin StreetPilot i3

MaFt · Posted: Mon Oct 10, 2005 6:09 pm Post subject:

"Dear Matthew

Thank you for contacting Garmin Europe.

Mapping updates for every automotive unit Garmin produce are released every
12 months. Mapping updates sadly are not free. If you had onwed your unit
for 8 months or 2 months before the update is released you would still have
to purchase the update if you wished to update your maps.

We are sincerely sorry that you are not happy with our update policy.
Please understand, Garmin pays royalties on this data and only licenses it,
we do not own it. Further, getting data for use with the intent of loading
it directly to GPS units incredibly inflates the price we have to pay to
license the data (and some of that has to be passed along, unfortunately).
The routable data we use in this product is from NAVTEQ, a respected map
data vendor, often regarded as the overall best in the business. NAVTEQ
updates and improves their maps all the time.

It is a very different market, when you get into the realm of licensing the
detail for loading the maps to a GPS (this plays to the cost). I understand
it may seem in some ways a map is a map, but the intended use and nature of
the data (GPS loadable or PC based, vector vs. raster, unit routable with
units that support such vs. not, etc.) all make a huge difference in the
equation. For instance, companies that make PC based mapping products are
in a completely different market from Garmin... they do not have to pay as
high a price as Garmin does, even for sometimes the same basic core map
detail, because of our final intended use of the data (for direct transfer
to Garmin's compatible GPS units).

Garmin's policy is very comparable to that of an in-car navigation system,
where Garmin update prices are actually the lowest ones available.

Updating is not mandatory: if the current update doesn't suit you, you can
surely skip this update and do it next year or even wait until year 2007.
We continuously update our mapping products, changes occur all the times and
therefore by the time we publish a product one can surely find discrepancies
with the current street situation. Real-time mapping is a technology not
yet available for the consumer market and when such feature will be
possible, Garmin hopes to be the first on the market to offer it. Garmin
strives to update the Western European mapping products at least"

basically, we will need to buy updates. ah well - probably wait a couple of years and get a 'big' update. when i start hitting loads of closed roads and it causes me problems i'll probably update. but, like they say, roads are changing all the time and any update will be out of date pretty quick.

MaFt

jaypee · Occasional Visitor Joined: Oct 05, 2005 Posts: 16

I really don't think this is right

When you buy an atlas in a book shop it has a date on and depending on that date you have a good idea when an update is due and thus make an informed decision about buying it.

When buying a gps unit, there is no such date. I think it is reasonable to expect the map data to be as current as possible for a reasonable period of time - at least 6 months feels reasonable to me!!

If I wanted to pay more for a gps I would have bought a tomtom!

I would imagine this would be a pr nightmare if watchdog got hold of it

Anyone fancy a go?

Sun4u · Occasional Visitor Joined: Sep 18, 2005 Posts: 20

Mine too !!

Cuppa · Posted: Mon Oct 10, 2005 8:57 pm Post subject:

ps73uk · Regular Visitor Joined: Jun 15, 2005 Posts: 116

Mattxxxx · Occasional Visitor Joined: Oct 10, 2005 Posts: 4

Hi all

Just bought a streetpilot i3 from Maplins today and have opened it and started using, was very pleased until I read this thread and found out about the map upgrades. I am now disgusted, this is utterly ridiculous - do they want every one to just sit on their hands until Nov, or buy an instantly obsolete peice of kit?

I want to take mine back - but will Maplins take it after its been used?

cheers

zogman · Posted: Mon Oct 10, 2005 10:27 pm Post subject:

for those of you that can return your i3's, do it...unfortunetly i cant as i brought mine in early september and the return period is well over due.....maybe garmin (who monitor these forums) might take a responsible view and do an exchange where you send them your v7 card and they send you a v8 update......now wouldnt that be a good customer relations exercise..
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Skippy · Posted: Mon Oct 10, 2005 10:39 pm Post subject:

Willie_Ekaslike · Posted: Mon Oct 10, 2005 11:14 pm Post subject:

I havn't even got my i3 yet (DHL tried to deliver today but nobody home Sad

I won't be picking it up til Wednesday) and here are people already telling me it's maps are already out of date. Never mind, the maps in my AtoZ are nearly 10 years out of date but I can still find my way rounds with them :D
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Willie ~0^0~

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coinshooters · Occasional Visitor Joined: Sep 07, 2005 Posts: 15

What a moany lot !!!!, brilliant value for money, and great little unit,
OK is anything perfect in this world ? ,
Just use a bit of common sense whe you use it,

as roads are changing all the time, so it would need some updating. to keep up.

Bob_M · Posted: Mon Oct 10, 2005 11:28 pm Post subject:

I bought my I3 just over three weeks ago, I've updated the software to 2.40 and then 2.50. I've also downloaded the "Safety Camera" POIs and I've not had a single problem with the unit.

I too am disappointed about the release so soon of the new Ver 8 Mapping but it could be months away. Let's get some perspective here. If you buy a new paper map it would be out of date long before it even goes to be printed. The same will be true for Ver 8.

Today I had to visit a "new" address which the I3 did not know, a quick phone call to the customer got me a street name nearby that the I3 recognised and it guided me there without error.

Bob_M

Newbie1234 · Occasional Visitor Joined: Sep 21, 2005 Posts: 14

Are the current maps installed in the I3 that "OUT OF DATE"? I live in London and commute regularly in and around the South East, i havnt noticed a large ammount of roads being built since i bought it? Is the update really going to be that different? I have been using mine daily since i bought it in September and not once has it taken me down a road that "is not there" or have i been missing any shortcuts due to roads not being in the I3. As for as i am concerned it represents fantastic value for £199, remebr you DO get what you pay for!

GaryBlanchard · Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2005 3:33 pm Post subject:

Thanks to Zogman for the 'getoutguide' link for more POIs...

MaFt · Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2005 4:39 pm Post subject:

blackrat62 · Occasional Visitor Joined: Sep 08, 2005 Posts: 47

Tried the detour mode today - don't bother.

Travelling on M3 towards M25 (next junction), pressed 'detour' - routed me onto M25 to next exit, back again to rejoin M3 at the same point I exited.

Applying logic here - I have asked to detour - if the jam is before the next exit then I can't detour (too late) - it seems sensible to asume jam is after next exit, or detour is useless - so why get you to exit then rejoin at the same junction?

I think the i3 should assume the jam is after the next exit and calculate accordingly - if its before the next exit its too late!

There were several options it could have used so it isn't that it had no choice.

That said - fantastic value for money - absolutely delighted, if a little 'picky'.

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