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Joined: 17/05/2003 02:26:21 Posts: 3747 Location: Bedfordshire, UK
Posted: Fri Dec 17, 2004 2:17 pm Post subject:
Previous history is of public availability of a new version for European countries in late April or early May, with the announcement coming rather sooner than that.
Of course, we can only assume at this stage that TomTom will follow what they did with the Navigator 1 -> 2 and Navigator 2 -> 3 upgrades.
Joined: Mar 18, 2004 Posts: 753 Location: Biggleswade, BEDS
Posted: Fri Dec 17, 2004 10:30 pm Post subject:
I must admit I'm expecting a big surprise with V4, the V3 update was a very poor upgrade and I don't thing they will be able to get away with new icon's and out of date map updates if they want to retain customers.
Joined: 17/05/2003 02:26:21 Posts: 3747 Location: Bedfordshire, UK
Posted: Sat Dec 18, 2004 3:06 pm Post subject:
I'm hoping that version 4 (or whatever the next release is called) isn't lacking in features over version 3!
It seems near certain that TomTom will use their "common platform" code for the next release of TomTom Navigator in Europe. This code has already appeared in the HP Navigator Pack in the UK (and possibly other European countries) and, more recently, in Navigator 2004, the new US/Canada release.
As you may have seen in the forums, the "common platform" versions of Navigator don't work with the Navigator SDK (so programs like GPSAssist, CheckPOInt and UK Postcode don't work).
I have no direct experience of the "common platform", but my understanding is that the "common platform" lacks a fair amount of the configurability of Navigator 3 - no configurable speeds, Strict / Normal / Fast, no Avoid areas - which I'd really miss as they're so useful with map errors, and less comprehensive Alternative Route options in the Navigator Menu.
At the moment, I don't believe any Pocket PC release of the "common platform" supports Traffic - though other "common platform" releases do, such as the SmartPhone version. Go doesn't support London Congestion Charge avoidance - I'm not sure whether any other "common platform" versions do or whether that's another feature missing from the "common platform" code.
Of these points, I'm near certain that TomTom will sort out Traffic support by the time a new European Pocket PC version of Navigator is released - but I wish I could be more confident on the others.
TomTom Navigator 3 on the Pocket PC is the only TomTom product not now using this "common platform" code. TomTom have stated publicly at CeBIT that they are going to move everything to the "common platform" - it's the only logical way ahead for them. You can't maintain a totally different codebase for one product only.
My hope is that, by release, we get back some of the power of Navigator 3 that's reportedly missing in current releases of the "common platform" on the Pocket PC.
Before everyone starts to panic, there's a long time between now and March or so when TomTom are likely to firm up the next European Pocket PC release. I'm sure that they're listening to feedback from USA users, who are reporting missing functionality from their previous version of Navigator - which was Navigator 2 based.
I have no inside information as to the plans - all I'm reporting is the situation as it stands today.
Personally speaking, I disagree that version 3 was a poor update. I think part of the problem was that Navigator 2 was so good. The main new feature was Itineraries, and plenty of 'under the hood' changes for Traffic, though Traffic wasn't available for a while.
TomTom's upgrade price for version 2 to version 3 was extremely good compared to the industry norm - even if you wish to treat it as just new maps. Dave has said recently that TeleAtlas has gone to just two map releases per year (I believe they used to issue new data quarterly), so unfortunately TeleAtlas customers can't update as frequently as they could in the past. That said, recent TeleAtlas data, as seen, for example, on multimap.com at some zoom levels, is looking pretty good - especially in terms of major roads that people are missing in current TomTom maps like M6 Toll and the A43 Silverstone Bypass.
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