Garmin now says lifetime updates are quarterly

http://forums.gpsreview.net/viewtopic.php?t=10472#67446

Exactly the reason why I posted the link above for a direct screenshot comparison.

I read this advice often in the forums and I agree that we need to let Garmin know what we want in their products. Is there a special address at Garmin to send customer feedback? Any way we know that our comments will go to product design and management instead of the trash bin? I don't have any confidence that if you send product suggestions to the customer support address that they will ever get passed up to the right people.

I don't know if they listen at all...case in point:

http://forums.gpsreview.net/viewtopic.php?p=102007

Note the follow up post by the OP (jimbo68) and what Garmin told him. Garmin states they removed cities from the map display "Based on feedback that was received from customers." That statement is utter nonsense. I have never heard one complaint that the map was being cluttered by showing useless cities on it. Ridiculous.

Still, it won't hurt one bit to voice your opinion. You could email Garmin Tech support directly (bypassing the online support request form) at techsupp@garmin.com

Just to let you all know, I did write Garmin to let them know of my general frustration with the 7200 in routing and in the level of street detail. What I wrote was:

"I recently purchased the StreetPilot 7200 after owning a Garmin Quest for many years. The 7200 has the latest mapping software, City Navigator North America NT 2010.20 and the latest firmware (5.30). It has given me bad directions on several occasions, taking me down streets that are not "through" streets and has tried to take me to the Miami airport across the city, which made no sense. The Quest has never performed like this, plus it provides much more street detail on its screen than the 7200 does. The Quest has mapping software City Select North America V6. Can I use this software on the 7200...would that help? I am so disappointed with the 7200 I am considering returning it, but wanted to solicit any advice you might offer first. I also enabled WAAS hoping that would help, but it didn't. Please let me know if something is wrong if this is about as good as the 7200 gets. Thank you."

What I got back was:
"Thank you for contacting Garmin International.
I will be happy to help you. I would check the avoidances you have set. That would be the only reason, if it has the up-to-date software and map versions, that it would take you through the city instead of the quickest route possible. Let me know, thanks. Have a good day."

They never even responded to the lack of map detail that I pointed out, although admittedly I didn't really highlight that complaint very much.

What really baffles me is that the screen size on the Quest is tiny at 2.2 by 1.5 inches. The 7200 has a 7-inch screen, yet no street names! (picture me scratching my head here) Anyway, maybe they will eventually listen to their customers.

One positive I should mention is that the 7200 does show the cross streets as you are approaching them when you are just viewing the map while driving. I understand that on some models now you see nothing on the screen except what street you are traveling on.

That seems to be a common response from Garmin.

They automatically assume that you don't know how to use your GPS and have setting improperly adjusted.

You may want to respond to their response and let them know you have it all set to display the "most" or Highest details setting s and it still doesn't display the details you want to see.

DorkusNimrod = a man with a plan!

Thanks pratzert....actually I did just that...they then suggested I return it back to where I purchased it and try another one. I guess I really can't expect them to own up to the shortcomings of the unit's capabilities. It is what it is, I suppose.

I was really sitting on the fence on whether to keep it or return it. Since I like the fact that it has a large screen,it pipes out XM radio (with the very expensive add-on antenna, I might add) and it has MP3 and it offers some degree of traffic alert, plus of course the loading of POIs feature, I've decided to hang onto it.

Kind of sad when you purchase a GPS and the LEAST reason you decide to stick with your purchase is its mapping and directional capabilities.

Sounds like Garmin has found a way to save money in software complexity. It's sad but true that when I look at the new offerings, my Nuvi 350 is looking even better.

My friend just bought a 775T since he uses it in Europe. On a recent trip we found the detail problem & a few others involving the set speed on roads that were peculiar. We did this while taking a ride & the passenger operated both the 775T & 350 in comparing what was seen on screen.

Fred

I absolutely agree with whoever. I really don't understand all the questioning of the lifetime "up to four times a year" updates. Geeeees what do you want garmin to do? The SD card is the right idea also you can keep a LOT of data without putting it on the main unit.

Not sure what putting the data on the SD card without putting it on the main unit has to do with the Lifetime Map Updates.

thanks for the info

I agree with MM!
Please explain.

The last great nuvi IMO was the 7x0 series. It's been downhill from there including my 765 which is not too bad. Anything after that including the new 1xxx series only seems like a pointless downgrade including the new 1690. And Garmin continues with this nonsense...

After reading so many posts here complaining about these types of issues with some of the newer models, its no wonder I have stayed with my 660. Its also why I sprung for the lifetime maps. I plan on keeping my 660 until it won't work any more. I have no desire to be on the bleeding edge of technology by getting the latest untested widget.

I love my 660.

I will go head and stick with my 7200 for a while (probably several years) even though I am not all that thrilled with it...since I just bought it and I have invested in the XM antenna. I just don't feel like going through the hassle of eBaying the antenna, returning the unit, etc. However, unless things change with Garmin, which I will keep abreast of via this web site, I will in all likelihood give Tom Tom a try the next time around.

pratzert said it correctly, And most of you have no clue.
The detail should be left to us, then we would be able to also see poi's roll on by with out zooming in to a ridicules level of discomfort.

Pratzert was very nice in saying we, in actuallity the proper word should have been most. What it boils down to is the poor resolution of the displays Garmin uses and nothing more..

Another unit I use has Superior graphics and lets you select the detail level, and on all levels leaves the POI's on the screen. NAVTEQ definitely supplies the detail to Garmin and Garmin manipulates it to fit the crappy displays.

It's bad enough that most of your posts denigrate Garmin, but now you are insulting most (your word) of the people here. [Or at least most (your word) of the people posting in this thread.]

That is so uncalled for, and I really, really wish you would stop doing it here.

Disagreeing with something is fine, but posting insults is not a polite way to do it.

While my old IqueM5 used Mapsource it's detail was far supeior to any the units I see today. My 360 and 550 have much more detail than my new 765T. While I like the bigger screen, juction view and lane assist on out of town trip to big cities the detail of the maps/units seems to get worse every year and the 765T is off by 60-100 feet while the older models are 99.9 right on every time.
Is it WAAS or crappy receivers? I don't know but with parts getting cheaper we whould see more/better features not a degrading of features.
I too may jump ship from Garmin if they don't get their act together.
If I could only squish my 550 into the size of the my 765T (without breaking it) I'd probably go back to it except when on an out of town trip.

I'm sure one of the brains on here could take a guess as to the difference in file size if Garmin went with the detail it used to in the maps.
Are they trying to save/lessen memory space requirements, processor speed or screen resolution?
If navteq is giving them the info and they are taking the time to remove it prior to using it they
must a reason and my guess is to save money.

The detail is there, it's just that Garmin chooses not to display it when zoom levels are beyond 500 meters (about a third of a mile), which, in many peoples' opinion is simply not enough.

That the unit is able to display it is cxlearly demonstrated by zooming out from 500 to 800 meters. The unit happily displays street detail for a second or two and then erases it.

Now, my Nuvi 760 displays it just fine - in fact several more presses of the negative key and it still shows all the street detail, thanks. Then again the 760 has 5 detail levels and the Zumo 660 has 3.

Then there's the change that removed the names of upcoming cross streets from the basnner box when you aren't navigating. Supposedly that is compensated for by having the unit display upcoming streets on the moving map display.

But doing it that way forces you to zoom in tight and doesn't let you know for certain whether you are coming up on or have just passed the street in question; And in two recent 'I was looking for the street to turn on' situations while I was riding, the names of the streets I was looking for just didn't show up at all.

And the names cover up the maps, so it is hard to tell if a street goes through, because it is 'broken' by the overlaid street name.

Garmin is just not what it used to be.

They've abandoned good, competent navigation for flashy toys and the products have suffered IMO.

You're right. Zoomed in and the detail is on par with the old units. Seems a simplemfix by allowing consumers to adjust to what they want, not what Garmin thinks we want. It is true that those who haven't had some of the older units don't know how it has changed.
And it still doesn't make sense how older units 2-3 years old have better accuracy that new models. We're supposed to be Upgrading not Downgrading.

I complained to Garmin tech support that my 760 was very slow in finding points of interest. I live on Long Island and had it look for Walt Disney World. I gave up after 5 minutes of searching because it couldn't find it. I kept looking for major points of interest closer and closer with not much luck. They told me to change my city to Orlando and that would do the trick.

I took out my old Garmin 2610 and tried looking for attractions in Beverly Hills. It worked like auto complete. As soon as may typing got close it suggested Beverly Hills Bakery etc. and immediately found it.

It is sad that my 6 year old 2610 is so much faster and much more customizable than my "new" 760.

Yes, the map detail has been there all along. Garmin themselves limit what is displayed according to what they feel users should be seeing with no regard to what the user feels they themselves should see. And it's getting worse with each new series they release.

How can having less map detail on the screen with no means for the user to adjust it to their own liking be considered an upgrade? For that reason, I am sticking with my 760/765 units...they seem to be the last of a dying breed.

If you have not yet seen my topic with comparison screenshots, have a look here:

http://forums.gpsreview.net/viewtopic.php?t=10472#67446

Thanks for the post - I couldn't agree with you more. I too am not liking the newer models from Garmin. I am also sticking with my 760 for now too.

Interesting. As the OP of this thread, It's fun to watch how it's been morphed to something I never imagined.

My nuvi 750 was my first and currently is my only on-the-road GPS, so I'm happy to have bought at "the peak" of desirability. All this discussion further reinforces the usefullness of my past lifetime purchases of maps and traffic--I see the 750 as being my automobile GPS for a long time to come (although the newer GPS's Lane Info would be nice to have on occasion...) It's also interesting to se that in Arizona, at least, substantial upgrades have appeared in each of the past three "quarterly" updates.

Thanks.

Since when did street names get changed 4 times a year? Not even 4 times in a decade.

Yes, indeed it has.

Actually there's humour in your statement that only people from Winnipeg Manitoba could appreciate.

Salter Street becomes Isabel Street, then becomes Balmoral Street, then Colony Street, then Osborne Street, then Dunkirk Promenade and finally Dakota Drive. The road bends a little bit and goes over three bridges, but you never leave the route, It's a case of the street name changing six times in 18 kilometers.

Good way to show the points made here DorkusNimrod, thanks