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Dave Frequent Visitor
Joined: Sep 10, 2003 Posts: 6460 Location: UK
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Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2004 11:01 am Post subject: REVIEW COMMENTS:Navman iCN630 V2 Preview |
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We have completed a preview of the iCN630 V2.
This mini review is tailored more for existing Navman iCN630 owners, and people who have already tried the original iCN630 and would like to know what differences to expect in the latest release of the V2 software.
Navman have made a number of new changes in the latest release of the software, and due to the price of the iCN630 at around the £900-£1000 mark, have decided to release the complete upgrade free of charge to existing registered iCN630 customers.
As we reported back in January 2004, the new changes are based around the maps and software rather than the hardware. These include:-
- New 3D maps courtesy of TeleAtlas
- Postcode Lookup Support
- Complete Journey Detail and Route Summary
- Improved Zoom facilities
- latest up to date 2004 maps with TeleAtlas data
The review can be found here. |
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ICNman Occasional Visitor
Joined: Dec 10, 2003 Posts: 49 Location: London (south-east)
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Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2004 11:24 am Post subject: Address search system. |
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Thank God that somebody else has noticed just how messed up the Address search system is. It is a big let down and this sort of problem was never an issue with the brilliant Navtech maps. I have sent an e-mail to Navman Newzealand regarding this and another problem I'm having with the auto-simulation (which can be found on the link below), but I really don't think theres anything thay can do about that right now.
Below is the link to a message I had posted much earlier.
Feel free to take a look.
http://www.pocketgpsworld.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=4383&sid=ea1f6640fe0f85b50315677a30c4a314
iCNman |
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Dave Frequent Visitor
Joined: Sep 10, 2003 Posts: 6460 Location: UK
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Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2004 12:47 pm Post subject: |
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This has been my concern since Navman announced that they would be switching to TeleAtlas. TeleAtlas does give a great all round package for Navigation companies to manipulate the data with, and it's cheaper in most cases and I suspect that now Navman are looking to use multi-platforms in the SmartST Pro for Pocket PC and Palm, and also the iCN630 then licensing is probably better for them with TeleAtlas.
The address searching is a concern I have and have always had with TeleAtlas, but providing you know there are ways around this it's fine. If you take a look at the latest MapSource software for the Street Pilots, you can't find a road in a small town like Porthleven if you have the region set to England, but if you drill down and filter to the town name of Porthleven then you can find the road easily. It's really more to know the workarounds on finding addresses quickly, I just hope that the newer TeleAtlas maps don't have all of the existing problems that TomTom had in finding places. It might be an idea for us to check the TomTom page for unknown places and see if we can find them on the iCN630 V2. |
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ICNman Occasional Visitor
Joined: Dec 10, 2003 Posts: 49 Location: London (south-east)
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Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2004 4:18 pm Post subject: Tele Atlas maps. |
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Hi Dave, every body,
I just had a look at the Tom Tom pages and boy am I glad I didn't buy one of those, I mean what kind of name is Tom Tom.
I must say I'm now more worried that there will be a lot of places missing in the new Tele Atlas maps, besides, how updated can the new maps be compared to the older ones.
I'm now considering switching back to V1 as I have always been very fortunate with the Navtech maps, and have been all over the show and never had any problems what so ever, apart from the occasional roundabouts showing where there shouldn't be or vice versa.
Don't get me wrong, I have thanked Navman for the the free upgrade and I thank them again, but I now have doubts about the latest maps and I'm sure that it won't be too long before users start complaining.
Maybe Dave, you should start a new topic for map errors or something.
And finally a question: Do you think that If I buy maps from Tele Atlas separtely, just for the UK, will they be more accurate and more importantly, have a better search system?
Regards.
iCNman :| |
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StarKnight Occasional Visitor
Joined: Jan 08, 2004 Posts: 12 Location: Monza, Italy
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Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2004 6:15 pm Post subject: |
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I have registered to receive the free update and so far I have no news abut it... but reading about the worse quality of TeleAtlats maps I'm not sure I want it any more !
I live in Italy and here finding places simply knowing city and street name is essential ! So I'm really scared of this upgrade !
My question now is... if I upgrade my iCN630 and I'm not satisfied with the news maps can I revert back to the old firmware ? Did anyone tried to re-install the previous one ? Moreover if I want to keep using the old firmware how can I get up-to-date maps since Navman is not willing to support Navtech maps any more ? |
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ICNman Occasional Visitor
Joined: Dec 10, 2003 Posts: 49 Location: London (south-east)
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Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2004 7:02 pm Post subject: . |
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StarKnight wrote: | My question now is... if I upgrade my iCN630 and I'm not satisfied with the news maps can I revert back to the old firmware ? Did anyone tried to re-install the previous one ? Moreover if I want to keep using the old firmware how can I get up-to-date maps since Navman is not willing to support Navtech maps any more ? |
Hello StarKnight,
The answer to your question is, yes you can switch back to V1. All you have to do is remove the V2 software on your PC and then intall the V1 software. After that just connect your iCN to the PC and go through the whole installation procedure. I havn't tried this yet so I'm not sure if you first have to remove the V2 software from th iCN. If you have to then I think a factory reset might be necessary. But like I said I havn't tried this yet so I'm not sure if you have to. The V1 software just might overwrite the V2 software.
As for your second question I have no idea. I would like to know myself.
I would assume that as Navman are no longer in business with Navtech, the answer is probably no.
Now I have a question myself: Why did Navman switch to Tele Atlas maps apart from the fact that they are cheaper than Navtech? Wern't they aware of the problems?
Regards
iCNman |
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Dave Frequent Visitor
Joined: Sep 10, 2003 Posts: 6460 Location: UK
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Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2004 7:31 pm Post subject: Re: Tele Atlas maps. |
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ICNman wrote: | Do you think that If I buy maps from Tele Atlas separtely, just for the UK, will they be more accurate and more importantly, have a better search system? |
AFAIK you can't buy the maps direct from TeleAtlas or NavTech for that matter. The maps are highly customised by the GPS company (e.g. Navman/TomTom etc) so you can't buy maps direct from TeleAtlas or NavTech due to this. |
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StarKnight Occasional Visitor
Joined: Jan 08, 2004 Posts: 12 Location: Monza, Italy
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Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2004 7:46 pm Post subject: Re: Tele Atlas maps. |
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Dave wrote: | The maps are highly customised by the GPS company (e.g. Navman/TomTom etc) so you can't buy maps direct from TeleAtlas or NavTech due to this. |
This is what really makes my upset !
I don't want a navigator where I can only find places only if I know the CAP (it is simply ridiculous) or if I search a street with no associated city (in Italy there are thousands streets with the same name but belonging to different cities near and far) and I don't either want a navigator that in a couple of years will be useless due to old maps that can't be updated !
Hope Navman will find a solution to this ubelivable situation !
Is there anybody who is in contact with them and can expose this problem just to know what are they going to do ? |
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Dave Frequent Visitor
Joined: Sep 10, 2003 Posts: 6460 Location: UK
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Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2004 7:59 pm Post subject: |
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We will be talking to Navman about this. |
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kevmac YTY Regular Visitor
Joined: 21/04/2003 13:09:46 Posts: 119 Location: Ireland
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Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2004 12:20 am Post subject: |
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Well, as I feared, the Tele Atlas maps seem to be inferior to Navtech (although I still have not got my V2 upgrade).
But why did Navman switch in the first place?
Surely you can have the best piece of hardware in the world but if the software (in this case, the maps) is poor than the hardware is useless.
Or am I getting this all wrong, Dave?
Is it just the address finding feature that is poor on the V2 or are you saying that the maps are also poor.
Also I have not seen it categorically stated that the maps ARE more up to date than last year's Navtech ones for the V1 - can someone clarify this too please. |
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ICNman Occasional Visitor
Joined: Dec 10, 2003 Posts: 49 Location: London (south-east)
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Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2004 1:35 am Post subject: TeleAtlas maps. |
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kevmac YTY wrote: | Also I have not seen it categorically stated that the maps ARE more up to date than last year's Navtech ones for the V1 - can someone clarify this too please. |
Allright Kevmac,
Sorry for all the confusion, although I havn't been out far and wide, the maps seem to be up to date. Having said that, I live in south-east London, it could be that my part of the world is very well covered.
The problem that I'm having is what Dave mentioned in his mini review, the address search system. I'll give you an example:
There is a 'Station road' in Chingford, Essex. But that isn't what the search system displays, infact Chingford, a well known part of Essex, does not exist in the system. So what did I do? I then entered the postcode and within seconds, the correct station road out of hundreds, was displayed.
All good? well no. You see, now that I have selected the correct Station road, the full address should be: Station Road, Chingford, Essex.
But it is not so, instead I get: Station Road, Waltham, Essex.
So why Waltham? don't forget Chingford doesn't exist in the database.
When you click on 'SHOW' the road is displayed correctly on the map, and whats more, in CHINGFORD and not Waltham. Chingford is clearly visible on the map right next to Station road, just like it should be because our Station Road is in Chingford. So Chingford does exist on the map and not in the database.
If you use the postcode search, then you'll find your road and you'll get there, but the full address (the Town, is all I'm having problems with) will most likely be wrong.
As you gathered I'm sure, this is quite bad. I never imagined that this sort of problem would exist, specially Tele Atlas being a big name and all.
I simply love the Navtech database search system and I'm currently considering switching back. It's a tough one.
I hope this clarifies your question and make sure you let us know how you get on with yours.
All the best.
iCNman |
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ICNman Occasional Visitor
Joined: Dec 10, 2003 Posts: 49 Location: London (south-east)
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Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2004 1:50 am Post subject: Re: TeleAtlas maps. |
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Sorry guys,
About the message above, I meant to say Waltham Forest instead of just Waltham.
Ta
iCNman |
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kevmac YTY Regular Visitor
Joined: 21/04/2003 13:09:46 Posts: 119 Location: Ireland
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Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2004 10:44 am Post subject: |
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That pretty much clears up my confusion.
It's Monday morning and the postman has just been and gone - no CDs! Which is strange as I registered within three hours of the Upgrade blurb going up on the Navman site.
The postcode workaround could be potential problem in the Republic of Ireland though.
We don't have postcodes except in Dublin where a simple Dublin 1-Dublin 28 operates. |
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StarKnight Occasional Visitor
Joined: Jan 08, 2004 Posts: 12 Location: Monza, Italy
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Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2004 2:45 pm Post subject: |
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I haven't received the update CDs too (registered 10 days ago) :|
Does anybody received them ? |
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Alex34 Occasional Visitor
Joined: Jan 12, 2004 Posts: 7
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Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2004 10:53 pm Post subject: Cds arrived but... |
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I have just received my 4 CDs this morning. It's a very neat package with all the instructions included. I am glad to finally have them BUT after reading this test I wonder now if the V1, buggy, slow, but functional is not better than the V2, after all. How can you use a system, which is supposed to get you from a point A to a point B, if you CANT select the point B? It’s quite useless to me. |
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