Internal poi's

 

One thing during my travels I have found the internal poi's have came in handy.I would be first to say that a custom poi file may be closer to having all the locations.Not sure based on my experience on this trip of them being more accurate.For example I have used the parking tab for the internal pois to get me to many of the casino parking areas.Not being familiar with the area.I like being able to being in the correct lane ahead of time.The traffic is heavy on the strip and no ones want to let you in if you get in the wrong lane.Plus missing the turn is a long trip down the road to turn around.So far they have been on mark.Same for hotels not in my custom poi file.The internal pois have been a benefit in several states especially when using the My Current Route or My Destination.Used several other tabs to locate a business and so far been a happy traveler.

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Charlie. Nuvi 265 WT and Nuvi 2597 LMT. MapFactor Navigator - Offline Maps & GPS.

Nice to know. I'm endlessly

Nice to know. I'm endlessly amazed as the "completeness" of Garmin's built-in database. I know, I know, many folks like to knock the accuracy, etc. .... but those folks have no knowledge of the inherent difficulties of database and relation database programming.

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Garmin 205, 260W, 1450LMT, 2460LMT, HEREwego for iPhone ... all still mapping strong.

thanks for the insult

cbwatts wrote:

...many folks like to knock the accuracy, etc. .... but those folks have no knowledge of the inherent difficulties of database and relation database programming.

I've done database programming and database design for years. I've managed development teams for very elaborate real time control systems dependent on database design. Yet I agree with those who say that the Garmin POIs are extremely poor. One example is that, while they have POIs for a major grocery chain in my area, it is so incomplete that two of the chain's stores that opened near me over 4 years ago are still not in the database, and I see this over and over again. And many locations are simply omitted by choice. If you run out of gas and trust the GPS to tell you where the nearest station is, you may walk miles out of your way, simply because they didn't include gas stations that wouldn't pay up to be listed.

I use both

I use both the custom POIs and built in ones to serve as a cross check comparison. Also, the Google Local search on the 1690 comes in handy as a triple redundant check.

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JRoz -- DriveSmart 55 & Traffic

6 million is nothing

Frovingslosh wrote:

... Yet I agree with those who say that the Garmin POIs are extremely poor. One example is that, while they have POIs for a major grocery chain in my area, it is so incomplete that two of the chain's stores that opened near me over 4 years ago are still not in the database, and I see this over and over again. And many locations are simply omitted by choice. If you run out of gas and trust the GPS to tell you where the nearest station is, you may walk miles out of your way, simply because they didn't include gas stations that wouldn't pay up to be listed.

Common sense would tell us that "6 million points of interest" is a tiny, tiny fraction of what's actually out there. All we're getting is a small sampling of the categories in each region. Companies like Google and Yahoo have terabytes of data. Our paltry 1 or 2 gigabytes of maps won't even come close. A way to positively look at that is that we at least have something in the reasonable vicinity, which is much more than we would have with a paper map. I really think my next upgrade will be a GPS with a data plan or a smart phone with a GPS app. I'm just waiting for the technology and market to sort that out a little more.

I don't think it's all on the GPS biz, either

I've also found the (Garmin) built-in data to be reasonably comprehensive & accurate.

I don't think those in the 'GPS business' are completely at fault when there are bad listings though, even if we do expect them to track everyone else's place of business. Witness me driving several miles out of the way in Memphis only to find the store I was looking for had been closed for 2 years .. based on the current phone book as well as the corporate web site. confused

Actually should have guessed that since my GPS didn't have it listed.

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It's about the Line- If a line can be drawn between the powers granted and the rights retained, it would seem to be the same thing, whether the latter be secured by declaring that they shall not be abridged, or that the former shall not be extended.

GIGO

Garbage in-garbage out....

I ranted a couple of weeks ago that the listing was inaccurate in the built in database for Cracker Barrel. That bleeping thing sent me to Toms River, NJ only to find out that it had John's Cracker Barrel listed as the Cracker Barrel old time store.... Not the same...

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Striving to make the NYC Metro area project the best.

Internal database vs. POI database

The POI database is far superior to the internal database on my Garmin. For example, there is a Shell gas station near my home that is either in the process of being torn down or rebuilt. Not sure which at this point; but as soon as I can determine if a closure is taking place here, I will inform the maintainer of the Shell POI and (I'll bet), within a couple of hours this database will no longer show a Shell station being at this location. Not so with the internal database. If this station is closed, it will be showing on the internal database for the next few years before it is removed.

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With God, all things are possible. ——State motto of the Great State of Ohio

Expectations

I am amazed that we seem to expect that a device we can purchase for a few hundred dollars will contain the exact location of any establishment we might want to visit anywhere in North America. I am guilty also - my unit did not contain the location of my local Subaru dealer and I was upset. but, should I have been? Did the advertising from Garmin promise that every possible point of interest would be on my unit? No, it didn’t. Should I expect that Garmin would have thousands of people out driving around the country looking for new stores being built or stores being shuttered? No, I don’t believe that is a reasonable expectation. Should every historical point of interest be in the internal POIs? Probably not, but which ones should? How many employees should an establishment have before being listed? Well, I guess that depends on what you want to be guided to? Doctor, Dentist, Vet?? Are car washes a necessity in the POI file? What about Laundromats? Once you begin to think about the parameters, maybe what we have is pretty good after all.

Ah...

jgermann wrote:

I am amazed that we seem to expect that a device we can purchase for a few hundred dollars will contain the exact location of any establishment we might want to visit anywhere in North America. I am guilty also - my unit did not contain the location of my local Subaru dealer and I was upset. but, should I have been? Did the advertising from Garmin promise that every possible point of interest would be on my unit? No, it didn’t. Should I expect that Garmin would have thousands of people out driving around the country looking for new stores being built or stores being shuttered? No, I don’t believe that is a reasonable expectation. Should every historical point of interest be in the internal POIs? Probably not, but which ones should? How many employees should an establishment have before being listed? Well, I guess that depends on what you want to be guided to? Doctor, Dentist, Vet?? Are car washes a necessity in the POI file? What about Laundromats? Once you begin to think about the parameters, maybe what we have is pretty good after all.

Good point - managing "expectations." I want it all and I want it now! wink

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Tampa, FL - Garmin nüvi 660 (Software Ver 4.90), 2021.20 CN NA NT maps | Magellan Meridian Gold

I agree...

jgermann wrote:

I am amazed that we seem to expect that a device we can purchase for a few hundred dollars will contain the exact location of any establishment we might want to visit anywhere in North America. I am guilty also - my unit did not contain the location of my local Subaru dealer and I was upset. but, should I have been? Did the advertising from Garmin promise that every possible point of interest would be on my unit? No, it didn’t. Should I expect that Garmin would have thousands of people out driving around the country looking for new stores being built or stores being shuttered? No, I don’t believe that is a reasonable expectation. Should every historical point of interest be in the internal POIs? Probably not, but which ones should? How many employees should an establishment have before being listed? Well, I guess that depends on what you want to be guided to? Doctor, Dentist, Vet?? Are car washes a necessity in the POI file? What about Laundromats? Once you begin to think about the parameters, maybe what we have is pretty good after all.

We just have to be thankful that Garmin gives us units we can customize to our liking (to some extent). Having the ability to add custom POIs is great, that way you can add what is important to yourself, but may not be for other people.

If these units were closed and we were tied to whatever Garmin decides to release exclusively then we wouldn't find them to be as much fun as they are.

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Garmin nuvi 1300LM with 4GB SD card Garmin nuvi 200W with 4GB SD card Garmin nuvi 260W with 4GB SD card r.i.p.

I agree

Thanos_of_MW wrote:

If these units were closed and we were tied to whatever Garmin decides to release exclusively then we wouldn't find them to be as much fun as they are.