Are New Maps Worth it?

 

I have a c330 that I only use occasionally for long trips. It gets used maybe once a month. It's about 3 years old.

Is it worth it to get new maps for it? Are there alot of changes or is it mostly just POI's and stuff?

Or is it better

to just buy a newer unit and get upgraded features and a new map?

--
260, 295W, 1490T,2455LMT

new maps

It depends on where you live. I live in Texas and there are new roads and changes every year. if you in a older city that doesn't change much you won't notice the difference. since your unit is 3 years old i would recommend instead of paying for the map update spend a few bucks more and get a upgraded unit.

Garmin 255w refurb for $90

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001PLOTWS/ref=nosim/?tag=fatwallet...

Site to see changes?

Hi everyone

I'm wondering if there's a site like www.versiontracker.com which tracks the changes to Garmin's City Navigator files. Perhaps this will satisfy the OP's question.

Cheers
Danny

just say no

New maps cost the same no matter if you paid $99 for your Garmin nuvi (like I did) or five hundred or more. If you paid a small fortune for a Garmin, and comparable models still cost that much, then perhaps you could justify the cost of new maps. However, for an inexpensive GPS, the cost of new maps seems too high. Remember, if you buy a new unit you not only get new maps, but you also get a new battery, a new warranty, and you get to keep the old GPS. If you update the maps on an old GPS you have an old GPS with new maps, but an old battery, wear and tear, and if your out-of-warranty unit dies tomorrow you can't do anything with the new maps.

Also, don't expect new maps to have any new roads opened this year, they likely will not even have last year's roads yet. And if you watch these forums you will see that new maps have introduced additional problems for many users.

I would replace the C330 if it was really an issue, but I expect it still has some life left in it.

C330 Value

I have a C330 and the current eBay value ranges from about $31 to $60 with an average of $43. Not really worth buying a map upgrade, even a one time, IMHO.

--
I support the right to keep and arm bears.

Use and Value of Map Updates

I think it all comes down to an individual's perception of use and value.

I purchased the lifetime subscription for $90 CDN about a year ago and have updated the maps three for four times. During that period we have made four long trips down to the US and dozens of shorter trips to unfamiliar areas in Alberta and BC. I feel we got a good return on the $90 investment.

If you are only travelling in familiar areas, map updates may be unnecessary. Just add new POI files from the POI Factory so that you have the current locations of your favourite restaurants, stores and the like.

Not worth the update

I have two versions of City Navigator: 2008 on one gps and 2010.40 on another. I can easily compare the two in mapsource. I rarely notice a difference between the two. Perhaps there are more poi's in the 2010 version but I find that so many poi's are missing that I can't count on a correct poi being there anyway. I wouldn't worry about a map being a few years old.

My feelings also

DanielT wrote:

If you are only travelling in familiar areas, map updates may be unnecessary. Just add new POI files from the POI Factory so that you have the current locations of your favourite restaurants, stores and the like.

If you were planning a two week auto trip this fall to see the leaves in new England, then maybe a map update would be in order. Or, given the way prices are falling - Staples had a 265WT for about $170 - I might just spring for a new unit (with a new map) if I were traveling.

map formats are changing daily

I bought a 52Smile GPS new from Fry's electronics two years ago (basic WindowsCE system). I did the "cracking" to get the iGo8 GPS system on it. From GPSgeeks.com I was able to get maps from around the world to download. They have an altered style of the NAVI maps and can transform Google maps into that style in minutes. This means that ordinary people can look at the Google Earth, see that their area has new roads or changes, compose an updated map segment for that region, upload it to GPSgeeks where some of the "wizards" integrate it into the base map. Then anyone loading down the base map gets all the changes that people have integrated. Sadly, my son has misplaced the 52Smile system, so I had to get off eBay a Nuvi260 last week for $48. I want new maps and will do the search of the electronics boards to find out who has "cracked" the Garmin style maps so that I can take the GPSgeeks maps and transform them into Garmin style. This will probably take a month to do but when I find the method, I will report it back here.

The good thing about this board is the POI are not done by mappers regularly and they change constantly. Only humans who want to undertake searches in specific areas of interest can create a meaningful set. I salute everyone here for helping out in that knowledge process.

Not worthy it

For the price of a map update, Its much better to purchase a new unit with a numap update included with the GPS

--
Val - Nuvi 785t and Streetpilot C340

I'd look at a factory re-furbed unit

and just keep upgrading as time goes on. There have been so many improvements in these devices with every passing year. For example, displays are improving all the time. WTS, I noticed a re-furbed 265WT for $113 at tigerdirect.

There are tons of deals out there that would allow you to get the newest maps and a superior unit.

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(2) Nuvi 1450LMT + 3597LMTHD + 2557LMT + DS61LMT-S Boston MA

To me buying lifetime map is just like to take a chance 50/50

if for some reason that your unit broke after the warranty then you lose but if your unit can last for 3-5 yrs then you win. So to me is like taking a chance.

map upgrade

Depends on how much you paid for your GPS and how old it is. Map upgrades might not even affect the route you are taking. I would just wait and get a new unit because prices continually drop and sell my old unit on EBay.

My Device

I bought my 765T in March so I assume I will have it at least two years if not more since it has features the newer Garmin devices do not. That said, when the lifetime updates were on sale for $79.95 (now $74.95) I figured it was worth it to keep it up to date and support Garmin/NAVTEQ. It may very well be my last dedicated GPS device as the improvements being made in Smartphone GPS's is incredible.

--
I support the right to keep and arm bears.

.

The OP says he only uses his unit about once a month;

Are you finding that you need to go to places that aren;t on the installed map?

Do new maps have those places? (You can check that out at the Garmin web site)

If the answers are 'yes', then a map update may well be beneficial.

The vast majority of the mapping is unchanged - and the POIs will never be accurate. So unless you need it I'd just keep on using it the way it is.

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Currently have: SP3, GPSMAP 276c, Nuvi 760T, Nuvi 3790LMT, Zumo 660T

Are New Maps Worth It?

There is sort of a "compromise" on this issue that might be worthy of consideration for some people.

-Buy a new Garmin

-Order the DVD map update for $10

-Update the older C330 when the DVD arrives

That way you have a new GPS with pretty current maps AND the backup C330 with the newest maps. Just a thought. Plus with the DVD you can install maps on a personal computer to help with trip planning.

In the olden days...

In the days when maps used to be made of paper I had one that was 6 years old when I decided to invest $30 in replacement. Ah, the good ole pre-internet days wink

Although $30 back then was like $90 today

Maybe consider the Lifetime

Maybe consider the Lifetime update for $90.

Seeing that I got Lifetime

Seeing that I got Lifetime maps on sale about 2 years ago, over 2 years after we bought the 660... and have already upgraded about 6 times..... Yes, I think it was worth it! Your results may vary.....

--
A 2689LMT in both our cars that we love... And a 2011 Ford Escape with Nav System that is totally ignored!

Not really

For an old unit that you don't use very often, I'd say No. The main question for you to answer for yourself is how often do you find roads missing from your map set? If the answer is almost never, then you probably would be wasting your money with an upgrade. I used my 260 for two years for business purposes and occasionally found streets missing. Not enough to warrant buying updates, but often enough for me to compare my internal maps with those on Google Maps when I sent a new location to my unit. If I was familiar with the area, this wasn't too critical, but really helped finding where I needed to go when it was some place I had never been before.

For the price of an update, I agree with the many others on here that buying a newer, refurbed unit might be the best of both worlds. An increased feature set, the most current map and the older unit can become a backup or loaner.

A few months ago I upgraded to a new unit and started using the internal POIs more often. After reading a number of posts about Lifetime Maps, I decided having a new unit and my increased use of the internal database, regular map updates made more sense for me. If I hadn't upgraded my unit, I probably would not have spent the money for a map update.

--
Drivesmart 66, Nuvi 2595LMT (Died), Nuvi 1490T (Died), Nuvi 260 (Died), GPSMAP 195

C330

Jim1348 wrote:

There is sort of a "compromise" on this issue that might be worthy of consideration for some people.

-Buy a new Garmin

-Order the DVD map update for $10

-Update the older C330 when the DVD arrives

That way you have a new GPS with pretty current maps AND the backup C330 with the newest maps.

The downside here is the C330 is very old (I have one myself) and only has 1GB of memory. That update will only allow for a subset of North America to be installed to the device. OTOH, the DVD update should install MapSource and, with that, the full map can be installed to an SD card. Regardless, I would be hesitant to waste an upgrade on a four-year-old device.

At least with lifetime maps, you can also have your PC updated to the latest maps as well.

--
I support the right to keep and arm bears.

Personally I opted to buy a

Personally I opted to buy a refurbed garmin 255 from tigerdirect for $69. Comes with one update that should do me for the next few years then I will buy anohtre refurb unit when either this one breaks or I get tired of it.

Guys - the OP was quite clear . . .

He doesn't use his nav much. I suspect he doesn't use it with his PC at all.

I gather he doesn't have issues with how much map can be loaded or missing streets or POIs.

The concept of an upgrade for the sake of upgrading is just stupid. At the rate roads are built and then put into the database upgrading the mapping every few years is likely adequate for most, and is almost certainly overkill for the OP.

So the C330 is old. What does age have to do with it? I have a Streetpilot 3 that I still use from time to time when I need an extra loaner - I know people who ride with even older SP color and SP+ models, not to mention GPS-Vs. If it works and has maps that are useful and there is a need, then it has a purpose that it can (and does) serve. Besides, the older units are much more robust from the perspective of firmware.

The proper homily would be 'if it ain't broke, why fix it?' - unless he came here looking for validation because he has a few hundred dollars burning a hole in his pocket.

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Currently have: SP3, GPSMAP 276c, Nuvi 760T, Nuvi 3790LMT, Zumo 660T

Updates

I have taken US10 from FL to Biloxi and with the new bridge open, I didn't know my car could float. Showed my car next to the old bridge. Also a lot of the roads near Washington DC have changed. The poor girl in the GPS just keeps recalculating. Broke down and got her an update. (She never thanked me)

--
Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things!

go with a replacement GPS.

When you buy an update you just get an update, and it may still be two years or more out of date.

When you go with a (non-transferable) "lifetime" subscription, you pay for more updates, even though they will all be out of date when you get them. And the lifetime ends as soon as your old GPS dies, or you sell it, or even as soon as Garmin decides to no longer support it. And don't kid yourself that the updates are more valuable because they release them every quarter, by that logic you would think they were even more valuable if they made daily releases. In reality you should compare the subscription model to a realistic map update rate, perhaps once every year or two. You wouldn't have bought map updates more often than that, so quit kidding yourself that you get much when incremental updates are released more frequently.

When you buy a new GPS (sometimes for very slightly more than a map update if you shop carefully), you get a new GPS and a new map (perhaps even with a free update), a new fresh battery, new features, improved hardware, a new warranty, even a new suction cup and power adapter, and you get to keep the old GPS.

So It's Old?

bramfrank wrote:

So the C330 is old. What does age have to do with it? I have a Streetpilot 3 that I still use from time to time when I need an extra loaner - I know people who ride with even older SP color and SP+ models, not to mention GPS-Vs. If it works and has maps that are useful and there is a need, then it has a purpose that it can (and does) serve. Besides, the older units are much more robust from the perspective of firmware.

The OP was asking if it was worth upgrading a C330 with new maps and he has been presented with opinions from many different perspectives. What he chooses to do with that information is up to him but he cannot say, going forward, he was lacking any input.

The issue with the older devices is not functionality but, as with a PC, memory and CPU speed. As the maps get more detailed they grow to exceed the capacity of the older devices. If you never ever plan to upgrade a map or firmware then any old GPS will be fine. However, if you are looking at installing POI's, updating maps, upgrading firmware then you have to seriously consider what a newer device with more memory and faster CPU will do for you. The OP may decide to do nothing and keep using his C330 as-is which is fine. But if he wants to upgrade maps, then he is, up front, facing a 1GB barrier which will prevent him from installing the full North American map collection.

--
I support the right to keep and arm bears.

updates

My update is the 2011 edition. According to Garmin and the tech I spoke to, it was the latest updates they had at the time of shipping. It just added new roads and removed things that were out of date. (old bridges and roads that were changed) As I said in my last post, I only think it is worth buying a lifetime update if you klnow you will be keeping your GPS for a while.
Mine is a 350 and I don't know how long it will last or if I will decide to upgrade.

--
Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things!

Updates

I think the map updates are well worth the price of a LifeTime Subscription.

Or... you could buy a new unit every 2-3 years.

But "new" GPS model does not always mean "better" GPS model. Many people still have and use the old StreetPilots. ( I do )

We travel a fair amoutn and find that there is always something that is updated on the maps wherever we travel.

Great Advice From Many

I was thinking seriously about dropping $75 or so to buy the lifetime upgrades but the advice I see from most of the people posting to this thread seems to go along the line of getting a newer unit versus the upgrades.
My 265WT is only about a year old, I think I will use it as is for another year or so and then invest in the latest/greatest model. That really makes more sense to me.

--
John Feraud Sr. Elk Grove, California, USA

Agreed on the getting the

Agreed on the getting the new unit over buying maps.

your 265

jferaud wrote:

I was thinking seriously about dropping $75 or so to buy the lifetime upgrades but the advice I see from most of the people posting to this thread seems to go along the line of getting a newer unit versus the upgrades.
My 265WT is only about a year old, I think I will use it as is for another year or so and then invest in the latest/greatest model. That really makes more sense to me.

Your 265 has many features and options not available on newer units. It has enough capacity to handle the latest maps and their data with the added bonus of familiarity. If you had a bottom-of-the-line unit, i'd go for replacement but yours isn't one of those. You have a good, solid middle of the road unit that should last for several years. I'd go for the updates. At less than $80 for lifetime updates, it will extend the useful life for 3 to 5 years, even without a battery replacement.

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Illiterate? Write for free help.