How to compare old and new maps?

[afan]

I was planing to update my US & Caada map with new one, but how can I see the difference between old one and new one?
What if most of changes are made in Canada (I'm in Iowa) and/or in states I'm not going to visit in next few years? In that case the changes will not have any impact on me and I dont' see the reason to do that.

Or there is something I don't know

 

[Pedro2NR]

Hello, which map do you currently have?

 

[afan]

Hello, which map do you currently have?

US & CANADA that came with TomTom XL-S when purchased.
But, the question is "in general", not for particular map.

 

[mvl]

The latest Tomtom maps are used by the routes.tomtom.com website, and by maps.google.com.

You can compare your existing map to those websites to see if the new map has any desired changes for your area.

 

[afan]

You can compare your existing map to those websites to see if the new map has any desired changes for your area.

You mean to compare map on my TomTom and map on Google to see the difference? Page by page and square by square?
Tell me you're kidding

I'm almost positive there is a list of changes (after the change on a map is done). the problem is is it accessible?

 

[mvl]

Yes, I had meant page-by-page, but only for the areas you're interested in, not globally.

They can't feasibly itemize all the changes. For example, Teleatlas said the upcoming August maps will have over 500,000 changes.

 

[gatorguy]

499,000 poi updates and that new road in your neighborhood.

I understand the OP's concern, but their really is no easy way to see what changes there are from one update to the next. Anytime there's a new map release, dozens of users will start asking what changed, whether it's a Navteq or TeleAtlas release. To be honest, most casual users could probably update only every other year or so and not miss out on anything pertinenet to their navigation. There's only a couple of changes near me that made any routing differences over the past 18 months or so, and I use at least one pnd every day, sometimes two or three different ones at once.

 

[dhn]

You know, waaaaaaaaay back about 6000 posts ago, I listed a file I stumbled upon that, although not text, was capable of being open (sorta) to see what locations were altered by the latest mapshare changes -- at least what States were affected by the changes.

Once or twice, I've tried to find that post but, as you well know Gator, if I remember what I had for breakfast, then it's a good day )) let alone try to remember a post from almost 2 years ago ...

------------------------------------------
Well, I went hunting. I don't think this is the file I referred to but if you go here:
C:\Documents and Settings\yourname\Application Data\TomTom\HOME\Profiles\ojs18cup.default
\MapShareDownloadCache

you may find some .bin files that, if you look at them with a hex editor, you may try to figure out what streets, cities and states were affected in a mapshare download.

Frankly, it's probably not worth the bother.

 

[gatorguy]

Now that you mention it DHN, I think I recall that someone last year did list what States had changes and approximately how many miles of road. Maybe something Norman dug up. Then again my memory might be a bit faulty.