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Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2008 5:38 pm Post subject: Re: Satmap wishlist V1.16
chrissyboy2241 wrote:
What would you like to see in future firmware updates? And what niggles would you like fixing?
Wish List V1.16
1. Track Up feature is disabled to save power? I can see how this sucks CPU cycles to do it all the time in the background. However, could this button not changed to provide a manual map orientation sync option?
2. Also disabled buttons should be greyed out. Or as this icon is grey already, a line through it. I realise this was a last minute change.
3. My Routes are stored in Categories in Memory Map. Can these Categories not be brought into Satmap. There is support of POI Categories but no Route Categories?
4. Power Off button should be two presses, with “Are you sure?” dialogue, or hold for at least 500mS. Power on also should be hold for at least 500mS.
5. I have not tried this but it looks like you can delete the map files on the SD card with Satsync. This should not be allowed. Some kind of filename checking with lots of “Are you sure’s” needed.
6. How do you find out how much memory is left on the internal Satmap board?
7. POI names are not shown in the map view, even though it looks like they should be. Can they?
8. Distance range for Alarms for POI should be increased to at least 10KM for cycling.
9. There should be a separate backlight timeout to screen timeout. Similar time ranges OK. I would like screen on but backlight timeout. Pressing the backlight button once resets the time-out, and brings the backlight on. Pressing again bring up the backlight to full power.
10. NiMH built in charger to run off a Car 12V USB adaptor would be lovely. I can get 2900mAH NiMH AA cells now. May not be a more cost effective option for Satmap, but would be a cheaper, more flexible option for customers.
11. Estimate Battery life left in minutes would be great also, but tricky I know.
12. The included case is really quite nice. However some more secure place to store memory cards to be a great addition. Perhaps a Velcro flap over the net pocket?
13. Cursor key moves through screens but when it gets to the map it changes to move the cursor over the map. Feels odd. I would disable screen navigation with the cursor, and leave it for menus and maps.
Bugs V1.16
1. The screen and backlight turns on every minute, for a second or so, when the unit is in screensaver mode. Is this a poor unit on warning?
2. Powering off the unit while connected to a PC looks like it works but does not complete until the USB cable is removed.
3. What is the difference between a Track and a Route. The words seems to be used interchangeably, but confusingly. Stick to one word and be consistant.
Last edited by robertharvey on Sun Apr 20, 2008 2:40 pm; edited 6 times in total
Nice easy one that I'd like to have: a power off confirmation check.
I have to a agree this would be most welcome, it is too easy to turn the device off by accident - Mike
Personaly, I think they got the Backlight Boost and Power I/O button functions the wrong way around. The Power I/O is used (intentionally) very infrequently whereas the Backlight Boost can be frequently called upon. The little button is hard to use (and impossible with gloves on) whereas the large button is easy - a no-brainer, surely?
Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2008 11:33 pm Post subject: Re: Satmap wishlist V1.16
PloddinPedro wrote:
robertharvey wrote:
1. Track Up feature is disabled to save power. I can see how this sucks CPU cycles to do it all the time in the background.
Interesting - does this mean that it's consuming power even if you have it set to North Up?
robertharvey wrote:
However, could this button not changed to provide a manual map orientation sync option?
Don't understand this?
I have not used software ealier than 1.16. I assumed with previous versions this feature would spin the map automatically as the units was moved and the compass tracked. I can see that all this bit manipulation would suck power, so I assume this is why it is disabled in Advanced powersave. However I can't see how a simple manual sync with current compass setting would cause an issue as it is in manual control.
Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 8:06 am Post subject: Re: Satmap wishlist V1.16
robertharvey wrote:
... with previous versions this feature would spin the map automatically as the units was moved and the compass tracked. I can see that all this bit manipulation would suck power, so I assume this is why it is disabled in Advanced powersave.
Yes, that's correct as I understand it.
robertharvey wrote:
... However I can't see how a simple manual sync with current compass setting would cause an issue as it is in manual control.
OK, I get it now - yes I agree, a periodic resetting of the map, done only at the instigation of the user and therefore not continuously updating itself for every subtle twist and turn of the route would logically be much less power consuming. My guess is that with the unit/software being so new, refinements like these are some way down the track (no pun intended.) An alternative view might be that the more complexity you build into the programming, the more potential there will be for bugs and errors, but I'm not a software writer so I'm not qualified to understand which tweaks are easily do-able and which aren't.
I've built software and CE devices. However there's software and software, how good it is written is down to the team. With this being so new I would have thought there would have been not much time for the spagetti to creep in. Plus they must have 99% of the this feature already written as it does it automatically if you switch it on. All we need is the button re-assigning from going bleep to actually orientating the map correctly, lets say for 10S, then revert to North up. If you press the button again while in that mode it should also return to North Up.
Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 3:36 pm Post subject: Re: Satmap wishlist V1.16
PloddinPedro wrote:
robertharvey wrote:
1. The screen and backlight turns on every minute, for a second or so, when the unit is in screensaver mode
Can't this be disabled by turning off "Screen Alerts"? I agree the other points/observations too.
No the unit flashes the backlight, beeps twice and displays nothing every minute when the A10 is in screensave mode. Even if alerts are turned off.
Is this a feature, probably? If so it would be good to have somthing on the display. Like the windows screen saver, except say a Satmap logo + latest battery meter reading? Also no need to turn the backlight on, were in screen/power saver mode!
Joined: Jan 14, 2005 Posts: 19638 Location: Blackpool , Lancs
Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 5:18 pm Post subject:
I might be missing something here, but there is an option in settings to turn off the backlight and beeps every few minutes, it really drove me mad a while back when I put it on charge in a strange room and it kept this up all night!
The morning after I made sure to turn off this alert so it simply sits there nice and still, no flashing screen, no beeps - Mike
Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 6:32 pm Post subject: Re: Satmap wishlist V1.16
robertharvey wrote:
PloddinPedro wrote:
robertharvey wrote:
1. The screen and backlight turns on every minute, for a second or so, when the unit is in screensaver mode
Can't this be disabled by turning off "Screen Alerts"?
No the unit flashes the backlight, beeps twice and displays nothing every minute when the A10 is in screensave mode. Even if alerts are turned off.
Mine doesn't. As Mike Alder says, if I go to Settings/Power Control, the third field is labelled "Alert When Screen Off" - options are "Screen alerts every minute" or "Off". Page 12 of the Owners Manual refers.
I might be missing something here, but there is an option in settings to turn off the backlight and beeps every few minutes, it really drove me mad a while back when I put it on charge in a strange room and it kept this up all night!
The morning after I made sure to turn off this alert so it simply sits there nice and still, no flashing screen, no beeps - Mike
Doh! You are most correct, I missed that in the settings. This just didn't look like a feature, when I saw the blank screen and beeps. Turned it off now. Thanks.
Still think a screen/power saver logo would be better.
Joined: Jan 14, 2005 Posts: 19638 Location: Blackpool , Lancs
Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 6:44 pm Post subject:
Most "Features" get called bugs from time to time, the menu structure takes time to fully understand how to disable certain functionality - some options are very well buried and can take time to locate the relevant option to disable the problem.
I had a sleepless night due to this one, and was most annoyed in the morning when I found the option to turn it off - believe me the beeps and flashing screen with the device charging in the corner of a strange room were sufficient to wake me up every now and again. By 05:00 I had had enough and had to wait to see which device was causing the problem, once identified I turned it off and got 3 hours decent sleep. - Mike
I think after reviewing all of the features so far the biggest addition needed from my perspective is better PC managment of routes and POI's.
I need to be able to place POI's and Routes with a PC keyboard and screen and then sync these with the A10. Support for Memory Map's POI's and categories would be a great start. And then a PC version from Satmap that can used our already purchased Satmap maps would be the killer app.
Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2008 10:01 am Post subject: Cost of maps
Just to reiterate an earlier 'Marketing' one. I would like easier access to maps. ie To rent or loan from a/their library. £100 a time to visit an area on a one off basis is a bit pricey. Perhaps they could do a deal with Harveys Maps, if only for the popular areas that they support. This would negate the need to pay OS a licence fee.
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