3rd Party Application Availability?

I originally thought that when I purchased my 660 I would be able to add 3rd party applications to the software or even modify the existing software to add functionality. I saw a software developer's kit (SDK) on the Garmin website so I thought that the device was a little more open than it turned out to be. Apparently the SDK is only for POI functions and transfers. I'm with you, I'd love to be able to backup my device the way it is now and then experiment with rewriting the unit software or adding on applications (that either I wrote or someone much smarter than I wrote)for it.

You need to keep in mind that this is still a consumer product just like an iPod rather than a PC. Therefore, Garmin can't afford to support units that people 'hacked' their units and stopped functioning as advertised. This will also cause compatibility issues when upgrading Maps/Firmware.

Also consider the possibility of someone writing a virus software...then we'll have the same fun we now enjoy with our PCs.

...extensively.

Simply put, the gps itself operates on only UTC (aka GMT, Greenwich Mean Time), which it gets from the satellites - and the time the display on the unit itself is simply a user setting...it's pretty much like a watch. To have what is thought to be so simple as to know what time zone the unit is in and display time accordingly would require the unit to have more programming, require more storage in the unit for said programming, and take away processing power from displaying positions with minimal lag.

So, in a device that costs what it does, would you rather have a clock that knows what time zone you are in, or something that displays your position on a map very in near real-time? You are not going to get both.

Now, before you bring up the "my cell phone does it" argument...indeed they do, but - they are getting their time reference from the cell tower they are connected to at a given moment, and those are fixed, and are programmed to provide a location-based time service to the end user where a GPSr is not.

Here's a site for FREE 3rd party applications for TomToms:
www.webazar.org/tomtom/plugins.php?lang=uk

I currently have TRIPMASTER and OFFROAD NAVIGATOR installed on my TT One.

ML

And most of us didn't buy our GPSr so we know what time it is at your current location, which as Keith also mentioned that our phones do that just fine.

I actually found it more useful that I can set my own timezone to my 660. If I'm driving across timezone(s) and set it to the destination timezone, I always know that the ETA displayed is the time I arrive at my destination. So it's easy to inform the people I'm meeting what time they should expect me to arrive just by looking at it (as opposed to me trying to figure out which timezone I'm currently in and how many hours to add/subtract).

My 2cents

Absolutely! I would hate it if the unit changed the time on me when I crossed the time zone line.

If I was navigating on a route, how would I know how long it would take if the time kept changing?

Now you have me thinking. Have a nuvi 370 and when a route is calculated, arrival time is displayed in the lower left of the map display, same as other nuvi. I assumed (oh! oh!) that the nuvi is aware of time zones and that if I plot a destination that crosses a time zone, that the change would be reflected in the arrival time. But I just did an experiment, plotting a route just east of the Texas/New Mexico border and then did a route just west of that same border: the arrival time changed by only 5 minutes. So it appears that the nuvei 370, at least, is NOT aware of time zones and the arrival time is off by time zone changes. (That's too bad, since the gps in my car is.)
Do you agree, or am I missing something about the nuvi.

Joe

is that of the time zone you select when you first powered up your nuvi.

To change time zones, hit the wrench on the main screen; then 'locale'; then hit the time; then hit "ok", and select the desired time zone you want your unit to display.

As has been noted here, some find it desirable to change the time zone displayed to that of your destination when your destination is in another zone than your home.

All are good points - I'm certainly aware of the difference between cell phones and satellites. Thanks to all for the input - keep it coming. Wonder if Garmin ever sees these forums?

In any case, the time zone thing is a nusiance simply because I'm usually in a new time zone every other week and it's just a hassle as I'm driving down the road and trying to remember which time zone I last was in so that I have a better idea of my ETA, all the while going through the 10 steps or so to change the time and then get back to the map view.

You are all right about one thing, it's always a trade-off...

BTW, some research on the 7xx series seemed to show that the only difference it adds is the ability to store 10 routes (vs none in the 6xx) and a couple of oher minor items. So, not really revolutionary, rather perhaps slightly evolutionary.

Guess I was lucky, since my 370 came with the time correct. Near as I can tell, I cannot change the time, only the timezone. Am I correct in stating that some sort of hour and minute sync is supplied by the satellites?

I have as yet to plan a route that crosses time zones. Did use it in San Francisco, but did not notice the time. If I understand correctly, if I cross a time zone, the time displayed in the upper left hand corner of the menu screen will NOT change and will still reflect my "home" time.

The difference must be that on my car gps, I can set the time, not time zone, then when I cross time zone, the time will change.

Sorry to be spending so much time on this, but it seems like an inconvenience to not take into time zones. Seems like a trivial task for Garmin to do so. I'll try to make this my last comment.

Thanks,

Joe

Yes, that is correct. And the time the GPS satelites use is referenced/synchronized/etc. to the world's atomic clock system.

Unless you go through the menu and adjust the setting do display the time for the zone you happen to be in at the moment, that is correct.

What you see as trvial is anything but. The added programming, storage for said programming, and processing power required to run your clock and not take anything away from performing the other functions the unit was designed to perform would make them cost more than most of us would be willing to spend. The time your unit displays is a user setting, you can change whatever timezone you want your unit to display at will...

Hope I got this quoting o.k. Keith thanks for the information. You are probably right about the time issue. The time is also quite managable. And besides, the 370 is a gps unit not a watch.

Thanks again,
Joe

I don't want to start a "flame war" and I don't mean any dis-respect to anyone, but I think we are missing something here.

It really won't be a difficult thing to do. The added programming would be measured in kilobytes and even if it went to a megabyte it still wouldn't be a problem. The average free space on a Nuvi is about 500 megabytes. So I get 1 less MP3 on my unit, not a big problem.

As for processor hits, how many people have the red light camera file and it bings every 10 seconds in a big city downtown core? These are all hits on the processor, but I don't hear any complaints from anyone. Besides, you would only cross a time zone every couple of hours (1 hit), I don't think anyone will be playing catch with their GPSr over a time zone line to see how fast it will work.

There are only 24 times zones globally which more or less follow longitudinal lines. A POI type file couple be setup with a small program to either add or subract hours from the GMT reference signal.

I think it's a minus that a GPSr unit can't do this considering that it is designed to move anywhere on the planet, especially considering the price point of some of these units out there. I can live without having it, but it can be a pain at times.

My 2 cent rant.

just copy the longitudinal line.

www.worldtimezone.com/time-usa12.php

So I'm curious. What are you basing your statement on? Have you done this sort of thing?

As the name POI indicates, the mapping logic works on a "Point". Time zones are lines, which can equate to millions of points to represent a single line. This is what Keith is referring to.

It probably would be trivial if time zones were in fact longitudinal lines. But they're not. At least in the USA, they tend to be jagged lines that follow political boundaries and rivers in a haphazard way---keeping the data for where the boundaries are would be pretty substantial in real life.

the World Clock real helpful, I always know what time it is in Cairo, Sydney, Tokyo, or Moscow. That's real helpful information. Everyone needs that. ). How many 660's do you think are in Cairo? It's not as helpful as it would be showing me East Coast, Central (it does), Mountain and West Coast. USA time is what I want.

When I want to display the time in Rome or Paris, I don't want to have to guess whether that is Europe Central or Europe West. I think even England is listed as Europe West rather than Grenwich.

Selecting the time zone I am in is one thing. The clock should list major cities, not zones. Generally, people want to display the time in a particular city, not Central Europe.

You can select which four cities to display...just click on each city and select a different one.

There are no european cities listed in the world clock on the 2x0. I can't select London, Paris, or Rome. I have to guess at whether I want CET, EET, or WET.

For Jerusalem, I have to select Cairo, which is not even on the same continent.

If it makes anybody feel any better, my Blackberry doesn't automatically change time zones either. And it's a cellular device.

The time on my cellphone has been a bit on the freaky side this afternoon - advancing an hour, and then back again...but, there's a really good reason for it - they're testing EVDO mode on my provider's cell towers. Once they get that up - I may spring for an air-card for my laptop...and get dsl/cable modem speeds off the cellphone network.

I have been waiting for DSL or cable in my area for 5 years. I finally got tired of waiting and got a broadband AirCard for my computer. It's not super fast (1MB down, .5MB up), but it sure beats 28.8K!!!!