Garmin Update Question

Keep watching for sales....

You should be able to get a lifetime Map Update (Not just One) for much less than $100..

I think I paid $69 or so...

oooo that sounds great. thanks alot

I thought when I was on the garmin site recently, it said one-time update was soemthing like $49 and lifetime was $89.

Like a previous caller said, you can get "lifetime" updates for around seventy bucks. I got my subscription from Amazon.com, a great company to do business with, in my opinion.

I finally broke down and updated the map in my 255W yesterday. Since it's two years old I thought it was time to update it. I went to the Garmin site and paid the $49 for a one-time update. The lifetime updates were listed at $89.

Oh, the 255W is still working like new by the way. No need to upgrade for me as it does exactly what I need it to do and it does it well.

There was a link on here about $59 lifetime updates. I did it and workd great. Not sure if the deal is still on. It was under Garmin lifetime map deals or close to that. Good luck.

Both Garmin and Amazon had lifetime updates for $59 but that was about 2 months ago. I purchased the $59 lifetime then. When prices like that go down, someone from this site will announce it for sure. That is why you should always come to this site. There is some valuable info that comes from great people on this site.

I have 2008 and 2010 map products and don't see a lot of difference between the two. Perhaps it would be different in a rapidly developing area. Also, I find poi's missing from the 2010 version that really should be there and rely on this web site when I can. I believe the lifetime update applies only to the unit you have. If it quits working, no more updates. I'll just get a new unit when I feel I would benefit from the update.

You're right unless it's a rapidly developing area they won't change much. If you are making a long trip you may just be going through some of those areas, if not wait.

That is definitely the case in my area. Very little changes except for some one-way streets that were changes from two-way.

However, where my youngest sister lives in Mississauga, ON, there has been huge amounts of home construction on the last tracks of open space. The map there is constantly evolving and the map updates are constantly showing new streets. I even reported one that was a major road that was missing. Took a year for Garmin to pick it up from NAVTEQ when it finally appeared in the August 2009 update.

Consider the updates as Built-in POI updates with the maps updates thrown in might be a better way to look at a one time or lifetime subscription. Even if your area isn't developing rapidly, local businesses are opening, moving or closing all of the time.

Before I started using the built in POIs regularly, I hadn't the need to update, but once I upgraded to a more feature packed unit I found keeping the unit up to date was something I wanted.

Your current needs are probably different.

Christmas time was a great time to buy the lifetime maps...so I would keep watching here and look at Amazon often to see what these are going for.

I updated my 780 at about 2 years...I have yet to find anything new in my maps.

I think the upgrade is worth it. First some roads even interstates change. I know of 2 major changes close to where I live and with old maps and not knowing the area you can be led down the wrong path. Second POI's change as businesses come and go. I've noticed rest areas and other business that either open or close. I don't like getting off an route only to find the poi I'm looking for not there. While the upgrades do not always mean everything perfect, it gives you a better chance of being right.

When you buy a new GPS from a local store or Amazom or where ever, the maps are already outdated when you get it as my zumo 660 was at Christmas.

Another thing to remember is that it is not the local POIs and roads you are familiar with and drive everyday, it is the unfamiliar areas and roads you may travel during a trip where the GPS will be of value to you.

I'm of the opinion that you just tell the device to shut up and save your money.

Unless you have run into a lot of 'it isn't in the database', you won't get lost not having the latest information - and the POI data is already out of date when you install a new map in any case.

Given that the latest crop of navigators is quite forgettable, unless there is an overriding need to perpetuate your hardware (for example you have a 760 and prefer the user interface and the reasonably Bluetooth performance that the Parrot chip set provides), If I was in your position I'd save my money and just let it ride.

I was in Costco yesterday and a brand new 265WT was about $15 more than the price of a lifetime map update - and it comes with a 2 year warranty and the latest mapping (which I believe is being updated today IIRC). That's another option you might want to consider.

I always thought about getting the updates but the prices of the technology is falling so fast why keep an old one when the price of the maps make it almost 1/2 the cost of a new one. I think I'll use mine ( less and less I noticed ) until it doesn't hold a charge then get a new one.

My 255W with the latest map update still works great, like new. Zero glitches since I've owned it (a little over two years). I thought about getting a newer unit but after doing some research on the various models, I see that some of them have bugs and issues that have not been addressed. I also don't need or want all of those extra bells and whistles either.

If it ain't broke and it does what you want it to do, why replace it? Save the money and ride that horse to the ground.

i just wanted to thank everyone for there great feedback