Install TomTom on a Garmin device?

Jack2011 · Occasional Visitor Joined: May 11, 2011 Posts: 5

Hello,

I have a Garmin Nuvi 255WT device.
Before this one I had TomTom on a PDA device. Right from the start I liked TomTom over Garmin. Now Garmin is bugging me with the outdated maps message every now and then, so in stead of updating the maps I would like to install the latest TomTom on it (rather than buying an whole new TomTom device).

Can this be done ?

I did it in the past on a Sony GPS device, but never tried it on a Garmin device, so I'm not sure where to start on this.

Darren · Posted: Thu May 12, 2011 7:48 am Post subject:

It can't be done.
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Darren Griffin

Jack2011 · Occasional Visitor Joined: May 11, 2011 Posts: 5

Hi,

Thanks for your reply.
Could you also give more info about why it can't be done?

What is the difference in installing tomtom on a sony gps device (which I did successfully) and installing it on a garmin device?

Is there maybe another GPS software (iGo etc) that could be installed on a garmin device ?

Thanks in advance!

Darren · Posted: Thu May 12, 2011 8:45 am Post subject:

The Garmin is a closed system. It is not a device running WindowsCE and there is no access to it in the same way. Even if you could access the operating system, there is no other software which would run on it.

It's a non-starter. It can and will only run the Garmin software.
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Darren Griffin

Jack2011 · Occasional Visitor Joined: May 11, 2011 Posts: 5

Ok thanks, didn't know that.
So another reason not to buy garmin in the future...

Darren · Posted: Thu May 12, 2011 8:57 am Post subject:

Not really, the same applies to TomTom.

If you want a TomTom,, much better to sell the Garmin and buy a TomTom.
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Darren Griffin

Jack2011 · Occasional Visitor Joined: May 11, 2011 Posts: 5

Yes, I know. I should have tested it more profoundly when I bought it back then. It would would have been easier/cheaper to just install tomtom on the device in stead of buying a whole new device.

I think I'll just go for an updated map for now, and will go back to a tomtom device in the future.

Darren · Posted: Thu May 12, 2011 10:05 am Post subject:

Garmin is a very popular platform but people tend to be split into pro TomTom and pro Garmin camps.

The difficulty of course is being able to evaluate a new system, few shops have a working demo and even where they do, it is no replacement for actually using one to navigate for a few days.

Of course, new map data is quite important to have, but being nagged about it all the time is a very bad decision by Garmin and would seriously annoy me too!
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Darren Griffin

Jack2011 · Occasional Visitor Joined: May 11, 2011 Posts: 5

Other things that are bugging me with Garmin is that I cannot skip specific roads, which TomTom could do already back in 2004.
Eg I know when I drive from A to B that there is heavy traffic on road X. In tomtom I could see the complete planned route and skip certain roads for which tomtom would find me an alternative route (only to drive around this specific road). In Garmin there is no such option (at least not in my model, nuvi 255wt).

When I complained about that with Garmins support, their answer was that I should mark highways to be avoided (my example road to skip was a highway). Yeah sure, so because I want to avoid 20km highway on a 120km trip (with like 100km highway), I should do the whole trip on sideroads....

Another thing that bugged me was that they advertised back then with their gps devices that included free TMC info to avoid traffic. Because back then other GPS devices required a paid subscription, I chose for Garmin.
Then when I tried it, it simply gave me a green traffic icon, even when I was stuck in heavy traffic for over 1h30. Again, complained about this with Garmin support, their answer was that the free TMC was indeed not that very good, but I could take a subscription on a paid TMC that was far better. So much for the free TMC (the main reason to choose for Garmin).

Maybe I'm used to TomTom too much, but in general I think TomTom is much more user friendly in using the different screens. They don't advertise with free TMC info afaik. And I can plan my road the way I want, without avoiding all highways, or having to find in between stops to drive around a certain road.

Maybe I chose the wrong garmin model, but then again, for the price I paid for this model I could have one from tomtom that does all that, so I don't see any reason in paying more for a garmin model that includes this functionality.

Firebird · Lifetime Member Joined: Nov 29, 2005 Posts: 181

Hello Jack,

I am also a "falling away fan" with Garmin.

I know just what you mean, about excluding a short section of road.
Any way, I have the newer 1690, and I would like to erase all the Garmin mapping, and run TomTom mapping.
I just feel more at ease with the TomTom.

If I also find it can't be done, as you have on your model, then I will simply sell the Garmin, and buy a TomTom device.

Firebird.

Darren · Posted: Sat May 21, 2011 3:47 pm Post subject:

DennisN · Posted: Sun May 22, 2011 9:18 am Post subject:

Darren · Posted: Sun May 22, 2011 9:43 am Post subject:

And in reality, if you are familiar enough with a route to want to exclude a section, in all likelyhood you don't need the nav to guide you for that section at least.

The core function is getting you to a destination that you would otherwise struggle to find unaided.

And, whilst I've long leaned towards TomTom as my preferred platform, recent Garmin products are so much better that I find myself choosing them over TomTom now.
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Darren Griffin

M8TJT · Posted: Sun May 22, 2011 10:02 am Post subject:

BigPerk · Posted: Sun May 22, 2011 2:21 pm Post subject:

It's also relevant with long-term roadworks, such as when the M25 junction near us at Enfield was closed for a year or so - never got updated onto the maps for navigation purposes, and never alerted through TMC, so some way of excluding such sections is always useful.
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David
(Navigon 70 Live, Nuvi 360)

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