When to buy a new map

It depends. On the cost of the maps and what you use the GPS for most of the time.

On the off chance that you use it for work and that work is some kind of delivery service, then you probably NEED it to be as current as posssible.

For all the rest of us, an update every OTHER year or so is probably plenty. I have gone on trips before guided by paper maps about 10 years old. When doing that, however, you do need to think a little bit !!

Great logic, thanks. Also, there is a major highway construction project in my area and my current maps route me around it. I think I will wait until the highway is done next year before I think about a new map.

take ANOTHER year or two AFTER completion before your new road will show up. I have a NEW freeway near my home -- its been completed for a year - still not on the latest map.

You'll probably have to wait longer than that. The maps are at lease two years behind, if not three.

I will wait, thank you. They closed down a 5 mile section and re-did the entrance ramps and exits, adding a new lane here and there. I guess the changes will also be behind.

With all the shop and stores going out of business I'm sure the maps and the POI database's will not be reliable for quite awhile.

Bob

Whenever I read about map updates, I always see disappointment that streets that opened two or three years ago are still not on the maps. I'd wait at least 3 years to get your money's worth from updates.

If you are not trying to find residential areas all the time or need it for work I would think that the mapset that came with the unit would be adequate. It is when you start finding major problems in the area you travel most you need to change. I have never updated my old c330, and for the most part don't see a need too. Poi's from this site are more current and accurate for what I want.

In my newer units there are minor refinements and corrections on roadways and highways that didn't have the curve or proper angle for a stretch. Also some of the interchanges have been reworked. But for the interstates you have the signage to follow as well. Remember that the GPSr is a tool to aid in your driving and these errors really shouldn't have kept you from getting to your destination.

Daniel

I kinda wondered about this thanks all...would it help to send a map update to Navteq they have a web site where you can give them updates don't they?

See

http://www.poi-factory.com/node/20125

for why I like to make my own files....

dk

The new maps also update the POI files. Even if you are not looking for a new housing development I sure want to have the latest data on restaurants or stores. Although with all the recent closings it will be hard to keep up.

I used my nüvi to travel around the country and was annoyed when a few restaurants we searched for were found to be out of business.

Roads may not show up for 2-3 years, but a new map will still be ahead of the older maps in showing updates.

Like mentioned above, POI's are also updated on the maps, and I show good improvement on POI's around here with the new maps.

It is certainly not crucial to have the latest updates, but if your livelihood depends on finding addresses you may want to get the latest maps.

There have been models of certain brands of GPS that have been around for years and no update has ever been available.

NAVTEQ supplies maps to Garmin that are two years old, 2009 Maps are actually NAVTEQ 2007 maps.

Hence the reason stuff doesn't show up as fast as you would like to see it happen. The logistics involved with producing things mapped today just takes that long before you see it ready for a Garmin GPS release.

So the problem is the instant society we live in today, we can thank Polaroid for that. This mapping technology stuff is still fairly new, and will only get better as time goes on.

However you now get what you get, and you will know when you need a update, I myself use the every other year analogy and that seems to work well.

Do you know this for a fact or is this a suspicion because the maps are at times inaccurate?

According to what Navteq wrote to me they sell the same map database to everyone and they are updating that database constantly. They do not sell 2 year old map databases to anyone.

The Garmin CN North America 2009 maps that Garmin released around April of 2008 were late 2007 map data and were actually map version 10.00.

The Garmin CN North America 2009.1 maps that Garmin released in January of 2009 were late 2008 map data and were actually map version 11.10.

I was wondering why webupdater updated my firmware but didn't tell me there was any update to the 2009 map. I only found out about it through this website and when I logged onto my Garmin account I created when I registered my 265wt. That page said there was the update. Seems like the webupdater should be able to identify my unit was within the timeframe to be eligible for the update.

Okay so they are two years old like I said,and about the people they sell their map data to,at the same price is probably right, but then there are those that don't have to buy it,because they are in a ownership bed, sometime you have to read between the lines.

Webupdater doesn't check for or update maps. It only updates hardware firmware and related text, voice and vehicle files.

The only Company that is "in a ownership bed" of Navteq's mapping database and map business is Nokia. Navteq is solely owned by Nokia and operates completely independent of Nokia. Navteq sold their navigation software business to Navigon but that only dealt with the creation of automotive navigation software and software development toolkits. That had nothing to do with the map part of the business.

They sell the same map database to The following GPS manufacturers and none of them have any ownership stake of any kind in Navteq's map business:
Garmin
Dell
Delphi
HP
JVC
Magellan
Navigon
Nextar

The following is from the Nokia press release on October 12 2007:

"Nokia announced that they had struck a deal with NAVTEQ to take over their company. The Finnish company will pay $78 per share, which means the total price for NAVTEQ will be $ 8.1 billion or € 5.7 billion. It’s expected the takeover will be complete in the first quarter of 2008. NAVTEQ will continue to be an independent company, but will become part of the Nokia concern. After completion of the transaction, NAVTEQ’s current map data business will continue to be operationally independent, but organizationally a Nokia Group company. Judson Green, NAVTEQ’s CEO, will report directly to Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, Nokia’s big boss."

Link to information on Navteq's Complete Company history:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navteq

I knew most mapping programs were behind by a couple of years. I hadn't realized that Garmin had a new release of maps. Thanks for the info.

WebUpdater only shows firmware and o/s updates. To check your maps, you need to go to the Garmin update page at: https://my.garmin.com/maps/nuMaps.htm

I know of a freeway in Austin, Texas that has been compleded for 3 years and is still not on the map. There is a magor section of Hwy 59 in Houston that has been completed for 4 years and is still not accurate.

So I agree with the every other year.

My GPS is two years old and I have not updated the maps. They are still extremely accurate for me.