Is it a good idea to purchase a cd copy of the Garmin 2009 maps for backup? It is $10.00

 

I purchased a Nuvi 650 three months ago. It is working great. I was wondering if I should purchase the 2009 map cd, which I upgraded form the web by the way, for backup. I called tech support and they want $10.00.

Thanks

I bought the CD and

I bought the CD and installed it. Haven't really needed it since.

Back -up

it is only 10 bucks why not!

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Everyday is a GREAT day :)

Make your own CD

I upgraded my map to 2009 version by internet. The download was a disk image of the new maps. I made my own CD from that download. Maybe you could do that and save the $10.00.

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Tuckahoe Mike - Nuvi 3490LMT, Nuvi 260W, iPhone X, Mazda MX-5 Nav

Cd from download

Can you tell me how you made the download from file to cd?
I originally downloaded the image (three months ago)of the new maps and have a burner.

Thanks
Lenny

Also bought the CD

installed it and haven't really needed it since. But for $10 bucks it's nice to know it's there smile

.

Also, be aware that it's likely a DVD and not a CD.

Too big for a CD--

Yup, it's DVD sized. I keep a copy of the image with my backups.

You do back up your computer, don't you?

Computer disks are like tires -- it isn't IF they're going to fail, it's WHEN...

Cheers--

--
Nuvi 2460, 680, DATUM Tymserve 2100, Trimble Thunderbolt, Ham radio, Macintosh, Linux, Windows

Just do it...

$10.00 for peace of mind is the way I look at it...

Burn your own

Seems like waste of $10 if you could just burn the files to your own CD for back up (assuming you have a cd burner in your computer). No sense in paying twice for the same data.

DVD

tomba wrote:

Seems like waste of $10 if you could just burn the files to your own CD for back up (assuming you have a cd burner in your computer). No sense in paying twice for the same data.

I agree, but note that you'll need a DVD burner and recordable DVD media for the backup. Theere's too much data to back up to a CD-R.

nuvi 200

I downloaded the upgrade but it was only the North America part of the USA only. It didn't include Canada. I would get the disk and then you have it and can reuse it if need be.

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John_nuvi_

Re: Make your own CD

Yes, sorry, it was a DVD.

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Tuckahoe Mike - Nuvi 3490LMT, Nuvi 260W, iPhone X, Mazda MX-5 Nav

Download the File

If you download the file you can burn it on a DVD for later access. Like it was mentioned earlier in this thread CD's/DVD's often do not work over time. It is best to keep a copy of this file on your hard drive.

Recently I got a free Map DVD from Garmin by signing onto my Garmin account, selecting myProducts, clicking on the hyperlink under my registered product, and then ordered the updated maps. Since I just purchased a Garmin product within the last few months, I was eligible for a free update.

To clear up

panama wrote:

If you download the file you can burn it on a DVD for later access. Like it was mentioned earlier in this thread CD's/DVD's often do not work over time. It is best to keep a copy of this file on your hard drive.

Recently I got a free Map DVD from Garmin by signing onto my Garmin account, selecting myProducts, clicking on the hyperlink under my registered product, and then ordered the updated maps. Since I just purchased a Garmin product within the last few months, I was eligible for a free update.

k6rtm wrote:

Yup, it's DVD sized. I keep a copy of the image with my backups.

You do back up your computer, don't you?

Computer disks are like tires -- it isn't IF they're going to fail, it's WHEN...

Cheers--

Panama, I'm thinking k6rtm was talking about Computer HARD DRIVES that fail afer long term use. The cd's and dvd's should last a very very long time if undamaged. Hard drives do fail eventually. Keeping a copy on your hard drive couldn't hurt in addition to having it backed up to dvd.

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You can walk a horse to water, but a pencil has to be led.

burn your own copy

Its cheaper to make your own copy

--
Val - Nuvi 785t and Streetpilot C340

Use hard drives for backup

Rayzers wrote:
panama wrote:

If you download the file you can burn it on a DVD for later access. Like it was mentioned earlier in this thread CD's/DVD's often do not work over time. It is best to keep a copy of this file on your hard drive.

Recently I got a free Map DVD from Garmin by signing onto my Garmin account, selecting myProducts, clicking on the hyperlink under my registered product, and then ordered the updated maps. Since I just purchased a Garmin product within the last few months, I was eligible for a free update.

k6rtm wrote:

Yup, it's DVD sized. I keep a copy of the image with my backups.

You do back up your computer, don't you?

Computer disks are like tires -- it isn't IF they're going to fail, it's WHEN...

Cheers--

Panama, I'm thinking k6rtm was talking about Computer HARD DRIVES that fail afer long term use. The cd's and dvd's should last a very very long time if undamaged. Hard drives do fail eventually. Keeping a copy on your hard drive couldn't hurt in addition to having it backed up to dvd.

I have never had a hard drive failure - yet smile - but the ods are it will now be tomorrow. CDs and DVDs however fail with great regularity so if CD or DVD is your only option make two or three copies - then one will probably still be OK if you need it.
Best option is to backup to your computer hard drive - THEN back that up to your second internal hard disk (one disk can crash, but seldom two at once) - THEN back that up to your external, off site backup. Sound extreme? What happens if you have a fire at home (and just your computer burns down - and the disks next to it)? Lost all your family digital photos, Garmin files, etc, etc, etc?

External (and internal) hard disks are SO inexpensive now that not having a working backup system on hard drive is ??? insane ???

Failure rates for storage media

pchinote wrote:
Rayzers wrote:
panama wrote:

If you download the file you can burn it on a DVD for later access. Like it was mentioned earlier in this thread CD's/DVD's often do not work over time. It is best to keep a copy of this file on your hard drive.

k6rtm wrote:

Computer disks are like tires -- it isn't IF they're going to fail, it's WHEN...

Panama, I'm thinking k6rtm was talking about Computer HARD DRIVES that fail afer long term use. The cd's and dvd's should last a very very long time if undamaged. Hard drives do fail eventually. Keeping a copy on your hard drive couldn't hurt in addition to having it backed up to dvd.

I have never had a hard drive failure - yet smile - but the ods are it will now be tomorrow. CDs and DVDs however fail with great regularity so if CD or DVD is your only option make two or three copies - then one will probably still be OK if you need it.
Best option is to backup to your computer hard drive - THEN back that up to your second internal hard disk (one disk can crash, but seldom two at once) - THEN back that up to your external, off site backup. Sound extreme? What happens if you have a fire at home (and just your computer burns down - and the disks next to it)? Lost all your family digital photos, Garmin files, etc, etc, etc?

External (and internal) hard disks are SO inexpensive now that not having a working backup system on hard drive is ??? insane ???

While the MTBF - or Mean Time Between Failure for computer drives has increased significantly in the past and now is measured as a few years, computer hard drives still fail quite often. The failure rate for CDs and DVDs is dependent on external factors more than a failure of the disc itself.

The biggest threat to a CD or DVD is the storage. If it is exposed to severe temperature changes, like leaving a library full of CDs in the car, then the disk will fail sometimes within months of purchase. If it is exposed to high levels of humidity or water it will fail quickly. If it is left out in the sun, it will fail quickly, but if it is in a climate regulated area, such as your home and kept in a case or sleeve, it should last for about 15 years before it starts to fail.

The shiny side is a metal mirror that has the data burned onto it by the laser. If the mirror is damaged, the data is damaged. The not so shiny side is actually a cover to protect the mirror, so if it is scratched or damaged, then the mirror is affected also. Sometimes the problem is not the disc itself, but the reader. If the laser is out of alignment with the original, then the disc will either be unreadable or have errors which is the problem with a lot of portable players.

Thumb drives or flash drives (and SD cards) will maintain a file for about 10 years before the charge dissipates enough to cause unrecoverable errors. But these drives also have a "cycle limit" as they can be safely written to some finite number of times. The number is a moving target with all the work that is being done, but is in the six digit range.

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ɐ‾nsǝɹ Just one click away from the end of the Internet

if $10 is available, buy it

if you have an extra $10, I agree it's worth having for peace of mind. But I also buy music CDs and import them into iTunes...

I love how much discussion goes into questions like this!

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non-native nutmegger

Re-Reading the Post

After re-reading his reply, I think he was talking about hard drives. From my experience I have had more CD's and DVD's fail than hard drives. CD's and DVD's should be safely stored if you are using them as an archive media. Fortunately I have a knowledge of computer forensics and am generally able to successfully recover data on failed drives. It is much harder to try to recover data from a CD or DVD.