TomTom v675 Map Now Available

[DennisN]

This situation is just as grump as were the "new" maps last November, isn't it?
Personally, I reckon TT should allow one free map upgrade within 3 months of purchase of the device, same as last year when I got a voucher in my GO700 box (which couldn't be redeemed so was extended). It may not be reasonable to demand longer - if they were to move to updates every six months they'd be losing money. In fact, if they were to sell devices with a firm commitment to selling updated maps every x months, I'd be happy to pay each time, providing they'd also guarantee a certain percentage of map upgraded (no use just saying "more", must make a proper job of it and not including their useless POIs!). I'd love the idea of £50 or so a year map subscription service - my GO700 map v675.1409 cost £63.49 and the GO710 map v675.1409 cost £57.71 (and it's not as much cover as the 700, even though I always thought the 710 and 700 covered the same area).
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Dennis

If it tastes good - it's fattening.

Two of them are obesiting!!

[Fellwalker]

If the maps were accurate in the first place, I would have less of a gripe with TomTom than I do. I too bought TomTom Navigator 6 only months ago, as a NEW product. That was not long after I had bought TTN5 as a NEW product. The maps on it are wrong in places, and miss roads that are not all that recent. The speed limits are not all right. Yes I can give feedback (and I do), but that does not have any immediate reaction. Unless I pay for the update (and who knows which one will have my feedback incorprated?), I'll see no benefit.

Comments have been made above that TT has to compile and compress the data. If it made the data modular, it could do smaller downloads, and update htem cyclically. Major cities more frequently? I hate to think how many drivers try one way streets, or suddenly come into areas where roads have been blocked off, or re-routed.

If only there was a great aternative to TT, I could vote with my wallet. Its certainly not Copilot 6 - I ditched that a year ago.

If I buy an Ordnance Survey map, it tells me the date of the last update. I know that roads to that date will be shown. It will also have on it planned roads, with an expected completion date. TomTom does not tell any of that that. It merely gives an issue date. That is the most untransparent way of selling us data.

[Mullet]

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[theripper]

I am seriously p****d off, having just downloaded the new UK maps to find that roads that were on WE map ver 652 are missing from the new version so just what have TT done to warrant the cost? (although I suppose it must take a lot of time and planning to remove 2 roundabouts and a 2 mile stretch of dual carriageway)
theripper

[DennisN]

[Mullet]

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[DennisN]

[Mullet]

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[unwanted]

I suspect TomTom knew that there was an updated map on the way as did retailers, over easter the TomTom One was being heavily discounted, possibly to get rid of the stock with the older maps...

and yes, I bought the NEW Dec'06 maps too... lets just say I'll not be paying or downloading NEW maps from TomTom in a hurry... how comes it normally takes the 2 years (customer services figures) to program the map data? but this time they did it in 4 months!

also when someone is at the show could they ask TomTom... why call them NEW maps when CURRENT maps is a more accurate and less mis-leading term in their advertising... also how about letting people know when the Maps where created from your supplier, and not the date TomTom release it?

gripe over, just my reccomendation DONT BUY TomTom's NEW MAPS!!! unless you want to be disappointed! I personally prefer to have old maps and know there old, than waste money for OLD NEW maps...

[fartpastry]

The fact is to most people the terms "data" and "software" are interchangeable. Rightly or wrongly, the general public will view any distinction as symantics.

There are in fact two seperate issues being raised in this thread viz:

1. When you buy a new unit, you rightly expect it to be equipped with the most up to date maps. my GO500 came with a voucher for a free upgrade so I new that I at least had access to the most up to date map, even if it didn't come in the box. I certainly don't think it is in any way unreasonable for a purchaser to expect to be able to upgrade to a more up to date map if one is available at the time of purchase. Updates issued after (even if shortly after) purchase are a little more tricky, and I can accept that there are arguements either way. What is needed is a clear and consistent policy, so that purchasers know exactly what they can expect and can then make an informed decision on whether or not they want to buy. The fact that in the past update vouchers have been given away wiht units that have CURRENT maps installed, muddies the water here and perhaps sets unreasonable expectations.

2. Updates to existing maps. I accept entirely that there are practical difficulties in trying to "warn" purchasers that there is a forthcoming update. I can also accept that TT incur a licence fee themselves, so cannot provide "free" upgrades to existing users (this is quite distinct from new purchases). However, one must also accept that TT don't simply knock out updates at cost; they turn a profit on them. I suspect it is not an insignificant profit either. I am not suggesting that they are deliberately marketing products that they know will be out of date almost immediately, but can well understand when some recent purchasers are a bit miffed. The better solution is the idea of an annual subscription, which I would certainly be interested in.

[st1967]

I'm always one for the latest and greatest but I think I'll leave the update for now. I updated to TT6 in November and the map data is fine to me, ok you get a little wobble around M62/A1 junction but it's "almost" right.

I've been a TomTom user since TT3 and always updated as soon as they came out. I swap my car in the autumn and thinking of going to new Honda with Navigation built in !! So my thinking is if I don't update the TomTom it will be like the car manufacturers as their sat navs are horribly out of date, as far as I've read !!

Plus £50 for an update is cheap however many times you update a year !! Honda release their DVD update once a year and charge £200 for it !! Even then it's not as update as the TomTom data. Apparently their 2006 update still does not have the M6 toll road !!

Still will always have the TT6 as a backup
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Samsung S22 Android, Google Maps & Camera Alert

[Pritch]

I got a reply from CS when I first bought my 710 in November with v665 maps saying that their intention was to update the maps twice per year.

The problem is that if maps are generally going to be updated, say, every six months, this is not happening because a large quantity of new roads are being constructed and opened that often (although over the whole of Europe, there will be quite a few), but because errors are being corrected, or missing information added.

Being charged for software/data that is incomplete or plain wrong is always going to upset people. (All the marketing does only ever state 99% coverage, so there's a legal get-out there with room for improvement...) Commercially, though, if the consumer is willing to pay to always have the newest and latest version, then the company will happily take your money.

I, personally, will buy the map update now as this will then give me all of Europe as I want it, then I will skip a few updates before I spend any money again.

Remember back in the old days when people used road atlases for navigation, made from something called 'paper', I think - these were also published annually, but most people only bought a new one when the old one fell apart - but definitely not annually...

[bedbug]

I'm not especially impressed with the pricing of an update so soon after the last (though I concede I'd be complaining if there WASN'T an update!).

When I purchased Nav 5, I purchased a map of GB. When I went for the update in December, I had to buy UK & Major Roads of Western Europe. I've just checked and now the only option is to either purchase Western Europe, or UK & NI. There's consistency for you!

While I accept we have absolute choice in all this, we have invested in a system which works best (some might argue ONLY works) when as up-to-date as possible; it's about time there was some rhyme or reason for release schedules, and perhaps, who knows, with a predictable pattern, a subscription service (much like PGPSW). GPS without mapping data is pointless, so it really is time that GPS providers rationalised their update programmes.

Certainly TT need to determine how best to advise loyal customers WHAT is different in the mapping data (yes, it's tricky, but it's not unreasonable for a customer to want to know what they're buying!). It wouldn't be impossible to provide an online version of the map, and then the interested could check to see if their bug-bear has been corrected or not.

None of this helps the fact I have to spend money (grumble!). :D
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iPhone 4/4S (iOS 5.1.1); TomTom Western Europe (1.10)/USA & Canada (1.10); CoPilot for iPhone (8), UK mapping, Mac OS 10.8/XP Pro/Win7; Tongue firmly in cheek!

[mikealder]

Having just driven 250 miles with the new map installed on one device and the older (652) map on the other device there is quite a noticable increase in the coverage of roundabouts on the newer map. A lot of mini-roundabouts are now present on the map where they are missing on the 652 version. that was a simple but easily noticed difference today - Mike

[philpugh]

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