The Mapping Issue

Juey · Occasional Visitor Joined: Sep 09, 2004 Posts: 46

question:
if you know someone with 3.90 on their disc can it(albeit illegally) be downloaded onto someone elses go?

Not that I'd dream of doing such a thing of course Supreme Angel

Broadband anyone? Out of here

Tim Buxton · Posted: Fri Nov 19, 2004 6:04 pm Post subject:

If you're not thinking of doing it, there's no need to ask. If you are, ask somewhere else, please. Evil or Very Mad

_________________
Tim

Juey · Occasional Visitor Joined: Sep 09, 2004 Posts: 46

Just thinking 'outside the box'

as it wasn't in MY box. :D

Dave · Posted: Sun Nov 21, 2004 6:34 pm Post subject:

No, it is illegal to do this and that's direct from TomTom.

Juey · Occasional Visitor Joined: Sep 09, 2004 Posts: 46

Mmmm....

also direct from Tomtom, it's the all new TomtomGo game 'Mapping Lucky Dip'.

It's a really simple game to play.

1. Shell out £400+ for a shiny new gps unit
2. Look on the box for mapping info-none to be found
3. Open box and software to install maps
4. Goto page 5 of change preferences, tap 'about ttg'
5. Find out if you've got 3.14 or 3.90 maps
6. If you've got 3.14 Tough, because as you've opened your software you can't return it.
7. Wait till next year to BUY the map upgrade you would've quite reasonably expected in the first place.

The above hasn't happened by accident. The answers given by Tomtom are as per a 'Management Directive' ie it has been a concious decision to keep purchasers and prospective purchasers in the dark until it's too late.

Rules of the game only available after purchase.
The value of up to date mapping info can fall as well as rise.
Your sanity is at risk should you decide to challenge the above with Tomtom. Stop it!

Sarcasm is the highest form of wit.
Process and procedure is the last hiding place for people without the wit and wisdom to do their jobs properly.
Direct from me: the above may not be illegal, but immoral- Oh Yes.

Anyone feel like they've just bought a Beta Max video recorder? Grrrr

As previously posted. Spoiling a very good product. Crying

jdatkinson · Regular Visitor Joined: Oct 29, 2004 Posts: 63

Above comments re my posting of a week ago noted in entirely good humour. Obviously this (not disclosing differences between map versions etc. etc. for commercial / licensing issues) is what passes for the norm. I still cannot help feeling somewhat disappointed about the whole affair though, and it is a real shame if pressure to cram e.g. the UK map onto 128MB SD card compromises the mapping data significantly. I realise that the GO is very much at the budget end of a spectrum of GPS products that can go up to the ridiculously expensive, but I just see an awful lot of potential being wasted. Then again, armed with the safety camera database and other POIs, there's an awful lot of potential being exploited, so i'll just get on with it and stop bellyaching....... Laughing

mayor · Occasional Visitor Joined: Oct 30, 2004 Posts: 24

YOu may want to look atthis forum for the version number:

http://www.expansys.com/forumthread.asp?code=TOMTOMGO&thread=288

You will see that by looking inside the GB map folder on the install disk PROVIDED and look for a file called

Great_Britain.INI

it should give you the following details: ( hope the the 390 is in there!) ...MINE CAME LOADED with V 3.14 !!!!! BUT i had 390 on MY PROVIDED CD !!!

[CEAppManager]
Version = 1.0
Component = Map
; toolchain version 390
[Map]
Description=Great_Britain-Map
CabFiles =Great_Britain.cab
[FileNames]
File000=setup.dat
File001=Great_Britain.pna
File002=cname.dat
File003=cnode.dat
File004=faces.dat
File005=mapinfo.dat
File006=cline.dat
File007=Great_Britain.mid
File008=tmccodes.dat
File009=traffic.dat
File010=poi.dat

jdatkinson · Regular Visitor Joined: Oct 29, 2004 Posts: 63

I tried that a couple of weeks back unfortunately, and I have the v314 on the CD too....... Sad

manicguitarist · Occasional Visitor Joined: Oct 29, 2004 Posts: 15

OZ · Regular Visitor Joined: Mar 17, 2004 Posts: 165

It is about time everybody told TomTom to stick it and go and buy another system. OK the monetary side of this would be enormous to us all, but how much would it cost for any hypothetical update?.
We talk about this being a budget system, which it is however did TomTom ever market it as such?. I remember it being marketed as a straight out of the box navigation solution, which it clearly is not.
The more we delve into this abortion that they have created, the more we see that it really isn't the full ticket. Fair enough then lets all work together to make it right!!. Now the problem starts, i have never seen or heard of such an ignorant and arrogant bunch of people as those who call themselves TomTom, masquarading as a company selling a total solution to the public. The GO is a lottery, the accessories are out of stock, the cases are non-existent albeit they are starting to filter through. The fascias the same. I feel we have all been over accomodating with this totally incompetent lot and they need to be made accountable for THEIR product.
If i sold you a bike and the wheel was buckled, could i turn round and say, tough, i only put it together i dont make the wheels. So with the maps, the routings, the constant inability of this unit to redirect you other than "turn Around" the whole package is found seriously wanting.
The time has come where i am seriously considering going back to an Ipaq.
I mentioned in a previous post about a contact i have on the Watchdog team, i have been in touch with him and gave a full account of all that has gone on with this, so now it is in their hands if they want to take it up. For those interested his name is Patrick John. Please dont all bombard him with heaps of emails or calls but if you feel the need to talk to him about this issue then he may be forthcoming.

DavidW · Posted: Tue Nov 23, 2004 1:19 pm Post subject:

I return to my earlier post - all these systems have errors. Further, you have not purchased a subscription to map updates and there is no promise that map errors will be fixed. You get the map data supplied with your unit - that's the industry standard in this market.

In time, I expect TomTom will make updated maps available for purchase for Go - but they haven't revealed any plans as yet. For all that's been written by people feeling aggrieved that they don't have the latest map build, I've yet to see evidence that anyone has been supplied with a significantly updated map, though there are clearly a few changes between the two known versions.

My suspicion, though without any evidence (or any information from TomTom, lest anyone feels that I am their sock puppet over this) is that TomTom rebuilt the maps with the main aim of compressing things differently and incorporated a minor patch to the map data in so doing. Building a map from completely different data would probably require a lot of validation and would be sufficient work that I would expect it to be made available as a chargeable upgrade. TomTom's previous history is that upgrades are very reasonably priced - particularly compared to their competitors.

Those of us using Navigator 3 on the Pocket PC have older maps than any of the Go maps - none of our maps have M6 Toll, for example. I'm about to buy another copy of Navigator 3 in full knowledge that it won't contain M6 Toll. It's a case of making the best of it; the overall benefits of the system are tremendous to me, despite its limitations.

Dave has already explained why TomTom can't go sending out new maps without most likely incurring significant licensing charges.

If you like, I'll create the Pocket GPS World "I hate my navigation system" bin - anyone that is so upset with their maps that they want to throw away their system can send it to me. I'll take a picture of the bin's contents in January, then sell everything in the bin that's saleable in aid of charity and throw the rest away. I don't seriously think anyone will do this!

All digital mapping contains errors, as I've already explained. Some are frustrating, especially if they're near to home or places we travel to frequently. There's a B road near me (the one through the Woburn Abbey grounds) that's erroneously marked as "not for navigation" in both the Navigator 2 and Navigator 3 maps - so that one still has to be worked round.

Working round map error is a part of life when using any navigation system. Unlike paper maps, errors in digital mapping tend to be more obvious because of the way the system tends to draw attention to them.

You have two choices - make use of the system you have and learn to work round its limitations (as well as reporting the errors so they can be fixed for a future release), or choose to get upset about every limitation and probably lose any benefit of having a navigation system because you're always so upset at it.

You do have to be realistic in your expectations of these systems. They contain errors. I can't see what BBC Watchdog can do. TomTom have, in my opinion, supplied a system that is fit for purpose within the limitations placed on them by map licensing and the speed with which with the digital mapping companies can realistically fix errors in their products.

You can go to the bookshop and buy the most beautifully bound and expensive road atlas in the shop - and it will certainly be out of date.

Earlier in the thread, Dave mentioned the "open letter" I wrote to TomTom about problems with address lookup in Navigator 3 on the Pocket PC.

TomTom eventually implemented my proposed fix (if you read the thread here you will see the result), but, as I expected, didn't issue new maps, even though there's quite a few places missing from the database. Navigator 3 3.03 and upwards incorporate both the new address lookup code and the partial fix to the missing places (where they were recognised as 'cities' for the purposes of address searching, but streets still did not show as being in those places).

David

manicguitarist · Occasional Visitor Joined: Oct 29, 2004 Posts: 15

The problem isn't really that the map is out of date, it is the fact that they are randomly out of date, with some people getting a more upto date version than others - and there is no way to find out which version you have without opening the package.
I am sure that there will still be stocks of the 314 mapped system as I have only had mine a few weeks and it was 314 on both the SD and the CD

If everyone had 314 then it wouldn't matter so much - it would be consistent - it would be poor, but consistent- what is galling is that TT did an update of the map at an early stage and still carried on selling the old map thus making it a lottery as to what map you have.
M

OZ · Regular Visitor Joined: Mar 17, 2004 Posts: 165

manicguitarist save your breath it's the same old dribble pushed out by the same people.
Read the post by Dave w, no significant update to the maps, well then Dave perhaps you can explain why some Go maps have the M6 toll and some dont, ah just luck i suppose.
The truth is TomTom navigator with it's older maps is a far better navigation system than Go, PERIOD.

Zuke · Posted: Tue Nov 23, 2004 2:59 pm Post subject:

OZ · Regular Visitor Joined: Mar 17, 2004 Posts: 165

Davidw, i couldn't care what maps they are, i dont need the "latest" ones, all i need is maps that work as they did in Navigator 3 on my Ipaq which was very well incidentally.
Why then with Go do you get crazy routings, instructions sending you where you shouldn't be going and all sorts of problems listed by owners, well many people im sure have an idea why it happens and it is nothing to do with the latest maps but more to do with piece of equipment that was rushed out and built to a budget and not a quality.
If we all knew or were told of it's true limitations before we purchased then i would say fine- i made that choice to purchase an item that i knew had these limitations. The main thing for me is Go's inability to recalculate your route like Navigator3.
The other day i came off the M25 at Potters Bar to go down Stag Hill and then onwards to Morton Way to eventually end up in New Southgate, until i got past the old Saracens rugby ground Go was telling me to turn back to the M25, sorry mate but that is not good, even for a £400+ cheap solution.

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