They beat consensus street estimates, and raised guidance. While the auto market is declining, other markets are growing. Their profit margins stay strong (stronger than in the Windows PC market by a long shot, but not close to Apple's overall margins).
-- Nuvi 2460, 680, DATUM Tymserve 2100, Trimble Thunderbolt, Ham radio, Macintosh, Linux, Windows
Maybe they could plow some of the profits into improving their QA and Engineering. They should actually test the new products on the road, preferably using real people instead company engineers that only think they know what works.
They could randomly contact a hundred POI Factory members and say we'll give you a GPS for 3-6 months. Try it in real traffic, on real roads and tell us what's good and what's bad.
If they did that, the products might actually work better.
-- DriveSmart 65, NUVI2555LMT, (NUVI350 is Now Retired)
Most of the "bad press" from members here about Garmin units has to deal with the navigation or content on the maps themselves. Since Garmin does not actually produce the maps and or content therein it really boils down to how the hardware interfaces with the software.
Most laptop PCs today are excellent pieces of hardware, compared to even 5 years ago. It's the software where we see the most frustrating bugs and errors that cause us to go nuts. I would submit that it's the same with Garmin and it's software, i.e. navigation and maps...
What we need to have happen is for the "software" to get better. I, for one, am not interested in looking at pictures, listening to music, bluetooth, or any other "goodies" now being offered on a GPS. I WANT the main purpose of the unit (hardware and software) to work a LOT better than it does.
-- I never get lost, but I do explore new territory every now and then.
Most of the "bad press" from members here about Garmin units has to deal with the navigation or content on the maps themselves.
It's also the stupid things that Garmin does, like the Always Green Traffic Icon. The Icon was only supposed to turn Grey if there was no traffic signal.
When I complained to the VP Engineering at Garmin, it was relayed to me that they changed the Traffic Icon because they had too many calls from people who could not understand why it turned Grey. People who obviously didn't read the manual.
So now the Icon only turns Grey when it's unplugged from the power supply, instead of telling you that there's no traffic signal. However, the manual still tells you that the Icon will be Grey if there's no signal. I think there are other ways to let us know that the GPS is not plugged in, such as seeing the cord laying on the floor of the car.
Instead of a group of people who can't understand why it turned Grey, they now have a bunch of people that can't understand why it Always Stays Green.
-- DriveSmart 65, NUVI2555LMT, (NUVI350 is Now Retired)
Yes, I mostly agree with that. But if any company expects the population today to actually take time to read a manual, never mind a help file, they are mistaken.
Proof of this is self evident on any forum today. The questions being asked show that it is easier to post a question than to take time and find (i.e. read) the answer for themselves.
-- I never get lost, but I do explore new territory every now and then.
Not too bad--
They beat consensus street estimates, and raised guidance. While the auto market is declining, other markets are growing. Their profit margins stay strong (stronger than in the Windows PC market by a long shot, but not close to Apple's overall margins).
Nuvi 2460, 680, DATUM Tymserve 2100, Trimble Thunderbolt, Ham radio, Macintosh, Linux, Windows
Better QA Would Be Nice From Some of the Profit
Maybe they could plow some of the profits into improving their QA and Engineering. They should actually test the new products on the road, preferably using real people instead company engineers that only think they know what works.
They could randomly contact a hundred POI Factory members and say we'll give you a GPS for 3-6 months. Try it in real traffic, on real roads and tell us what's good and what's bad.
If they did that, the products might actually work better.
DriveSmart 65, NUVI2555LMT, (NUVI350 is Now Retired)
My 2 cents
Most of the "bad press" from members here about Garmin units has to deal with the navigation or content on the maps themselves. Since Garmin does not actually produce the maps and or content therein it really boils down to how the hardware interfaces with the software.
Most laptop PCs today are excellent pieces of hardware, compared to even 5 years ago. It's the software where we see the most frustrating bugs and errors that cause us to go nuts. I would submit that it's the same with Garmin and it's software, i.e. navigation and maps...
What we need to have happen is for the "software" to get better. I, for one, am not interested in looking at pictures, listening to music, bluetooth, or any other "goodies" now being offered on a GPS. I WANT the main purpose of the unit (hardware and software) to work a LOT better than it does.
I never get lost, but I do explore new territory every now and then.
There Are Other Software Issues
Most of the "bad press" from members here about Garmin units has to deal with the navigation or content on the maps themselves.
It's also the stupid things that Garmin does, like the Always Green Traffic Icon. The Icon was only supposed to turn Grey if there was no traffic signal.
When I complained to the VP Engineering at Garmin, it was relayed to me that they changed the Traffic Icon because they had too many calls from people who could not understand why it turned Grey. People who obviously didn't read the manual.
So now the Icon only turns Grey when it's unplugged from the power supply, instead of telling you that there's no traffic signal. However, the manual still tells you that the Icon will be Grey if there's no signal. I think there are other ways to let us know that the GPS is not plugged in, such as seeing the cord laying on the floor of the car.
Instead of a group of people who can't understand why it turned Grey, they now have a bunch of people that can't understand why it Always Stays Green.
DriveSmart 65, NUVI2555LMT, (NUVI350 is Now Retired)
Yes, I mostly agree with
Yes, I mostly agree with that. But if any company expects the population today to actually take time to read a manual, never mind a help file, they are mistaken.
Proof of this is self evident on any forum today. The questions being asked show that it is easier to post a question than to take time and find (i.e. read) the answer for themselves.
I never get lost, but I do explore new territory every now and then.