Displaying next cross street.
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 15 years
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I have a Garmin Nuvi 650, When I am using it as an illuminated map (i.e., not using it to lead me to a destination), across the top of my display, in large and easy to read letters, is the name of the next cross street. Very useful info.
A pal bought a newer model Garmin assuming that he would get the same thing. He did not. No matter how we set the Garmin (more detail, less detail, etc.) when he uses it as I described above, the only thing displayed in that bar at the top of the unit is the street on which he is traveling. Not terrible useful info.
More maddening still (I drove with him to check it out), when he is driving in the illuminated-map mode, oftentimes the name of the next cross street, even when it is a major intersection, is not displayed on the map itself. He frequently has no idea whether that is the intersection he is looking for or not.
How does one discover before purchasing a new unit what Garmin or Tom Tom or any other manufacturer chooses to display under different circumstances/in different modes?
There is a court case
There is a case about software patents that will be argued before the Supreme Court in the next few days. If the Justices rule that a process cannot be patented, a lot of the software patent infringement suits will go away. The lower courts have held for in order to a patent to be valid it must relate to a machine or make a physical change in the real world. If this is the case, then the suit against Garmin and others for violating "the process" of determining the name of the next cross street and how to display it will go away.
Naturally, there are a lot of people that say this will stop innovation in software, to which I join with many and say "Bunk!" Software can, and in my not-so-humble-opinion can and should be protected by copyright. There will be a lot of intellectual property lawyers looking for new lines of work if the Supreme Court invalidates process patents.
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Forum.
How does one discover before purchasing a new unit what Garmin or Tom Tom or any other manufacturer chooses to display under different circumstances/in different modes?
The best way to get the real scoop on PND features and foibles is to spend some time in this and other forums before you buy. There is no substitute for the insight you can gain from other users' experiences.
Alan - Android Auto, DriveLuxe 51LMT-S, DriveLuxe 50LMTHD, Nuvi 3597LMTHD, Oregon 550T, Nuvi 855, Nuvi 755T, Lowrance Endura Sierra, Bosch Nyon