Tom Tom 5 and a Keyboard

MikeB · Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2005 2:55 pm Post subject:

It is a far bigger problem if you have a 3rd party Keyboard driver installed. I have the Stowaway BT Keyboard.

If you dont have the keyboard switched on and actrive you cannot do anything in TomTom. Just having the driver loaded is enough to prevent the onscreen keyboard displaying. We reported this quite early on in the beta test program.
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Mike Barrett

EddieS · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jun 06, 2005 Posts: 8

Thanks Pete.

Nice to know that TomTom are now acknowledging that there are problems with the upgrade and are looking to fix them rather than the blanket 'No comment' response we seem to have been getting so far.

Ed

rikmartin · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jun 11, 2005 Posts: 4

After about 4 back and forth questions to them, they finally respond with the following

"Our development team is working to improve the functionality of Navigator 5 on PDAs with external keyboards.

While we are working on it, I'm afraid I can't give you a definite date for when this functionality will be improved.

With best regards,

The TomTom Customer Support Team"

They were did prior to this response provide me with similar advice regarding the FN key and that the numbers can be entered via the postcode lookup, and not the address lookup

ThGrim · Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2005 11:07 am Post subject:

I to have received a reply to this query:

"On PDAs with external keyboards Navigator 5 does not display the onscreen keyboard. This is something we are working on and hope to release a free downloadable update that will fix this issue for users who prefer to have the onscreen keyboard available. We can unfortunately not offer a definite timeline for the release of this update.

With best regards,

The TomTom Customer Support Team"

At least they are working on a fix, i suppose if enough people shout about this they may release this fix quicker.

Matt

smokinloads · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jun 21, 2005 Posts: 5

Just got off the phone with TomTom support. (it took me over an hour to get through to someone).
They told me that they are planning to release an update next month...

If their time estimates are anything like as accurate as usual, multiply the response time by at least 2, so expect a fix by August.....

Frankly, I'm very un-impressed with this latest update. They have fallen for the oldest trick in the book - Releasing an unfinished/poorly tested product to meet marketing deadlines.

Is there anywhere that a big 'Do not buy this product if you own a Qtec 2020/XDA IIs/M2000 etc' can be posted in big flashing letters?

Maybe if this started damaging TomTom's sales, they'd devote a bit more time to fixing it...

Maxi · Regular Visitor Joined: Jan 06, 2005 Posts: 147

gpssparky · Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2005 5:27 pm Post subject:

Funny thing is if you add a favourite the on screen keyboard appears when you give it a name.
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Everywhere and nowhere

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Tomtom Go 540 Live - That's it.

ichilton · Regular Visitor Joined: Apr 09, 2004 Posts: 142

Hi,

I obviously have the same problem on my Orange M2000 (Blue Angel). Was releaved to find that the Fn key works on postcodes though and didn't give a funny character like the address entry.

There is also a thread on xda-developers about it:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/viewtopic.php?t=22510&highlight=tomtom+keyboard

Hope they do release an update for it soon though.

Ian

wth · Occasional Visitor Joined: Mar 17, 2005 Posts: 3

Not really a solution but I thought I'd pass this tip on.

You can use a remote display program such as

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/wce/downloads/ppctoys.mspx#EGAA

to enter text from a PC keyoard in TT5. Can be useful if you are working at your desk and need to go off somewhere, you set up the route before you leave your desk.

Also I have set up temporary contacts simply as a way to enter an address again a bit drastic but seems to work.

Please if anyone from Tomtom reads this board sort this out, its a prety big bug in my book.

And I am really disapointed with the map upgrade, might be I'm just unlucky but for me:
Work - still has an old entrance and not the new road built 3 years ago
Home - Not thereand the house is 2 years old now, has the post code just points to the wrong road not far from us
Mum - has post code and house but is about 300m out
Dad - has post code but in the street there is only houses 1-4, he lives at 15 and has done for 50 years
Brother - Postcode completely wrong 3 miles out, has it as the other side of town
They were the first 6 places I tried to enter as favourites, so I'm not left with a great deal of confidence

Wayne

ichilton · Regular Visitor Joined: Apr 09, 2004 Posts: 142

Hi,

I doubt it will do any good, but it might be worth contacting TomTom support with the details (postcodes, addresses etc) of all of those map problems. If they know that enough people are having problems with the maps, they may be able to do something about it, like get hold of a later version from Teleatlas or at least get them fixed for the next version.

I too am dissapointed with the map upgrades - none of the missing roads/problems in TT3 have been fixed which was one of the main reasons for upgrading..

Ian

SideShowJon · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jun 23, 2005 Posts: 2

I have allways had on screen keyboard for door number, but not for address and postcode. The bigest problem was that I couldn't change the pull-down keyboard between letter and digit mode (the function key outputs an acented N). I tried the registry hack a few weeks ago, no good.

Onec I applied the full postcode fix (on this site) I can now use the keyboard as designed for entering postcodes :D (still no on screen key board, execpt door number), but it has made a world of difference to usability.

All you need to do is add an empty directory named "TomTom" AT THE SAME LEVEL as the "Zip" folder containing the postcodes, the SD card is fine, no need to put the Zip folder on the main memory.

/Storage Card/Zip/Great_Britain.postal
/Storage Card/TomTom/

PS
First post, great site, thanks for the safty cam db and all the excelent info :D :D :D

smokinloads · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jun 21, 2005 Posts: 5

[quote="Maxi]

Thats a little bit harsh! This is just another bug like all the other bugs. Show me a technolgy company thats never done this before!

Needless to say I've got an XDAiis and my TTN5 is due any day now! Laughing

[/quote]

Actually, no - I don't think it's harsh at all - I work for a technology company, and YES, we have done this in the past - It was only customer pressure and lost sales that taught us a valuable lesson.
Also, I don't think this is just another bug either - By all accounts, a lot of the keyboard problems were by design. So a little lack of forethought in my opinion.

On the Maps issue, I too have seen quite a few errors - One of my main reasons for upgrading was for updated maps.....
Bypass near my house, been there for 3 years, not on new map.
My postcode (and the 4 before it) been there at least 6 months, not listed. (post office release updates to poscode database every 3 months)
A roundabout in a city centre was removed several years ago - The map still shows it.

Route calculation seems slower than TTN3 - This may just be a perception thing though.

One strange outcome - I used it to get to Croydon from Leeds yesterday, and it wanted to take me through central London (in rush hour).....
It was on fastest not shortest route.
Needless to say, I ignored and went round M25 - Anyone got any comments on this? I've not driven thru central London for a while, so maybe it would have been quicker??

On the plus side, I do like the option to calculate cycle routes (i'm a keen cyclist)

Nick

smokinloads · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jun 21, 2005 Posts: 5

I'm beginning to lose the will to live on this one - I've just had a further reply from TomTom, refuting what their previous support person told me, and stating that there are no plans for a patch.

Below is an extract from the email they sent me:-
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You should be able to use the Fn button to type numbers, if you keep it pressed down, there should be numbers instead of letters.

I know that the development team are looking in to the possibility to have the software-keyboard there as an alternetive to the hardware one. But no schedule has been proposed and in fact, no patch or solution has been promised either, it is not always technically possible to do it.

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I cannot believe that firstly this idiot is not acknowledging the Fn key problem, and secondly, over such a widespread problem, they have not got all their support personnel singing the same tune....

I suggest that everyone with a problem make a complaint...

http://62.250.17.58/cgi-bin/uk.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=3127&p_created=1113579534

Cheers
Nick

daern · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jun 25, 2005 Posts: 18

I can confirm that the soft-keyboard issue on devices with built-in hardware keyboards *has* now been resolved by TomTom. There is now a button on lookup screens (e.g. address, or postcode) that displays a pop-up soft keyboard. Works a treat :-)

Unfortunately, I can't post this fix here, but I thought it worth letting people know that TomTom *do* care and they are fixing these issues...

Daern

gpssparky · Posted: Sat Jun 25, 2005 3:15 pm Post subject:

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