Gah! Garmin have done it again

muckypup

muckypup

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<RANT>

I'm sure you all remember how Garmin screwed people over with the g-chart fiasco, well they have sort of done it again...

I have a Garmin iQue3600 which I have been using for road navigation for the last couple of years. The maps on it are out of date so I asked garmin when are they releasing v8 of City Select. Their response was "I'm sorry this product has been discontinied" (the upgrade would have been about $80) "You will have to buy our new City Navigator product which is compatible with your iQue" (and costs $350)

$350? Not likely, For about the same money I can get change from brand new TomTom unit...

It makes me really glad that recently I chose a Lowrance chartplotter over a garmin one because garmin do not deserve my business /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif/forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

</RANT>

I feel better for that!

Steve
 
My old integrated in-car navigation/database system was out of date so I bought a new AA Atlas for £1.99 at the garage. It works perfectly every time. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Yeah... but when the Satnav says "At the next roundabout, take the third exit" it is usually correct. When SWMBO is reading the AA map it's more like "In a bit go straight on, no right, sort of, no that exit we have just missed, if you are going to speak to me in that tone of voice you can do your own directions" /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

S.
 
[ QUOTE ]
why is my wife in your car?????? /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Dunno... I just thought it was another new strange noise in the car to go with the old one... the usual noise goes "blah blah blah debenhams blah blah"... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
True! I asked Garmin if they could reprogram her, but they also told me I would have to get a new model. It must be a standard answer for them. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
It's inevitable. Anything that has software in it, becomes redundant.

Any computer with windows 98 as an operating system is redundant and unsupported. Many keep using it, but no updates.

If you want to keep using anything with software installed on it, it has a life expectancy

Why expect otherwise?
 
Its easy to update Windows to a later version you don't have to bin the hardware. Garmin seem to think customers can bin expensive hardware every time they change their software. Will never buy Garmin kit again as their upgrade/ trade in offers are laughable......£50 for a £800 plotter after 2 years.
P@@s off !
 
In a way yes, but if Garmin had brought out new firmware for the iQue that offered better functionality, a better user interface and increased stability and had to bring out new map format to take advantage of these improvements, then I might be a little more (but not much) sympathetic, but the new product works exactly the same as the old one with a few map updates.

S.
 
Everything goes out of date very quickly...except your eyes...which you could use to read sign posts.

Microsoft Autoroute 2006 is very good BUT some detail is already 18 months old.

Keep it simple and basic every time and you'll end up saving a fortune.

Garmin have ceased production of the 128, a great piece of kit in my experience, but still want over £200 for it with a PC lead!! Back to my USB £35 gps unit and maptech charts for the sea and autoroute for land, all via my pocket PC or lap top. Has saved HUNDREDS of pounds.

Phil
 
Yes you do have to bin the hardware! I've got a very nice Compaq Armada P3 laptop with a few gigabytes of hard disk, just enough in fact to load XP if you don't want anything else on it!

I thought it would make a nice navigation tool to get salty and die without cost to me, unfortunately it's a now useless machine.
 
[ QUOTE ]
It's inevitable. Anything that has software in it, becomes redundant.

Any computer with windows 98 as an operating system is redundant and unsupported. Many keep using it, but no updates.

If you want to keep using anything with software installed on it, it has a life expectancy

Why expect otherwise?


[/ QUOTE ]It's when people describe this sort of thing as inevitable that Garmin can get away with it. It's not inevitable, it's part of their desire to have planned obsolescence for their hardware. They did it to me with the G-Chart and so I changed to Lowrance. New charts are still available for their models of 6 years ago. I don't have enough money to 'just accept' this sort of thing.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Yes you do have to bin the hardware! I've got a very nice Compaq Armada P3 laptop with a few gigabytes of hard disk

[/ QUOTE ]
My onboard lappie is an old 200 mhz machine that had a 2 gb hard disk. I got a 20 gb hard disk from ebay and a cd writer from there as well, and discovered that the machine would only use a max of 10 gb - so partitioned the hard drive. System works really well as a nav planner/ back up nav tool on windows ME
 
If you don't want it ... there is a skip right by my office you can put it in .... /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
"It's inevitable. Anything that has software in it, becomes redundant.
Any computer with windows 98 as an operating system is redundant and unsupported. Many keep using it, but no updates.
If you want to keep using anything with software installed on it, it has a life expectancy
Why expect otherwise? "

I bought a PCMIA card with USB for an oldish Toshiba laptop; couldn't instal it, no way. Plugged it into my Mac laptop and there it was (no installation necessary); took the Tosh to a computer shop: "can't instal the card 'cos machine's too old". "But it worked on my Mac." With smirk: "Must be a new one, then." "Seven years old". Smile wiped off face. In other words, redundancy is certainly part of a 'natural' process as developments are made, but it seems to me that some companies accelerate it deliberately (ie PC as compared to Mac in this case).
 
Tell her to adopt a Dalek like voice along the lines of ''Sat nav says proceed to next roundabout etc etc etc " defuses the tension and works for me every time!!
 
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