Maps are now device specific!!!!!!

[Majarvis]

Yup this new feature has absolutely nothing to do with whether you can fit and use the NA map on your SD card or not.

If Home sees a device connected other than the unit the map you are trying to download is meant for, your SOL.

You could have a 1000000000TB card installed in your One. And you won't be able to download it.

I don't know if this would work or not but you could try borrowing someone's unit that the NA map is intended for, connect to home, try and download the map and see what happens. If you can download it, then reconnect your one and see if you can install. I doubt it would work but worth a shot.

Yeah, I thought of doing that, but then I read someone on here pointing out that the maps are tied to your device code when you purchase them, so that wouldn't work.

Anyway, I called TomTom and the rep said TomTom made changes recently to prevent users from doing what we're trying to do. He said that I will be issued a full refund, however, so that's good. I think it's completely stupid that, if a customer is paying for a map, they're prevented from putting it on a certain device. But this is just another money grab to force people to buy the more expensive units so they can have the better maps.

 

[PiratePast40]

I agree that this is a nasty thing for TomTom to do and don't understand why they would do such a thing. Like SShadow mentioned, it now makes you wonder about the usefulness of the SD card capability. It just doesn't make sense that they don't want you to purchase upgraded products. If the maps were a backdoor to enabling advanced features then I could understand that they woulnd't want to give you the capability but I don't see how that could be the case. Strange indeed!

 

[SouthPaw]

Well since I bought a One XL-S specificly to do this after new update I expect TomTom to offer a trade up to a 720 for $150.

 

[SShadow]

Well since I bought a One XL-S specificly to do this after new update I expect TomTom to offer a trade up to a 720 for $150.

Let me know how that works out for you...

 

[Lobo777]

Quote:
Originally Posted by racefan
LOBO777 How did you get it to download?

I went to the UK site thru TT home and selected updated my device and there it was, the file....had to delete some files from the already loaded 2gig card (have complete backup)...cleared some room on the card and it's downloading but it's S L O W...so far things seem ok. BTW, I never made contact with TT customer service busy busy busy so I went searching myself and finally got the thing to start downloading. Will update when done, most likely tomorrow.

This is what I did to get mine to download, have to go to the UK site, log in with the fake account, change your unit to a 720 or 920 and then the file should show up to download...

 

[SShadow]

Quote:
Originally Posted by racefan
LOBO777 How did you get it to download?

I went to the UK site thru TT home and selected updated my device and there it was, the file....had to delete some files from the already loaded 2gig card (have complete backup)...cleared some room on the card and it's downloading but it's S L O W...so far things seem ok. BTW, I never made contact with TT customer service busy busy busy so I went searching myself and finally got the thing to start downloading. Will update when done, most likely tomorrow.

This is what I did to get mine to download, have to go to the UK site, log in with the fake account, change your unit to a 720 or 920 and then the file should show up to download...

I think they know that (don't they?)... What I think they're saying is they've made the purchase, it's appeared in TTHome, but it is not allowing them to download it to their unit.

 

[subyroo]

I can see TT forcing people over to other GPS companies ie Garmin etc and losing market share if this is their attitude for the future of TT.

Maybe the option of having SD Card access is being removed from future TT units, if so, where does that leave current owners with this facility on the units?

 

[Snaketamer]

Is there not anyone else selling the NA maps???..or is the TomTom website the only place you can get them from?

 

[ajsasr]

This is terrible. One for those thinking moving to a 720 fixes this well you're dead wrong. If you want the most detailed NA maps you'll need to get the 920. I was able to play around with both sets of maps. TT allows you to change devices on an account once every 6 months. I had a 910 before I got the 720. I activated the 720 under a new account since I couldn't use my old account (only one unit per account). I tried and tried to get the most detailed NA maps (710.1609, the one with the 300 MB poi file), but couldn't. Then it hit me. Go to my old account which I'd gotten 710.1609 maps for. Change my device via the website, and then download the maps. Well that worked, but it doesn't look like I'll be able to do that ever again.

The only difference between the 720 and 920 NA maps is the amount of POIs. That's it. As far as the maps go they are the same. But the level of difference in the POIs is massive. For example. 720 NA maps shops POI is only 1 MB. NA maps for the 920 shops is a little over 100MBs. No doubt this was done to be able to fit the NA maps on the internal memory of the 720.

Maybe in the future TT will get better at their compression. If not, and I'm not able to buy and use the best NA maps....well Garmin here I come.

 

[SShadow]

It's 75mb or so for the POI file for the USA & Canada (and from what I've read, it's the about the same size for the 720 NA maps) and 280mb (approx) for the 920 POIs.

 

[dhn]

It's 75mb or so for the POI file for the USA & Canada (and from what I've read, it's the about the same size for the 720 NA maps) and 280mb (approx) for the 920 POIs.

I have the larger poi.dat file with my NA 710 map when TT sent me by mistake the 1609 build for my unit when it really is supposed to be for the 920unit.

Anyway, because of the apparent stupidity and narrow mindedness of TT, I am 'half' tempted to make the larger poi.dat file available for anyone who wants it. The other 'half' reminds me that doing that is illegal since their maps are copyrighted and the poi.dat file is part of that map.

Perhaps, what is needed, is a rebellion of all the TT users in this and other tomtom forums in North America and elsewhere. Maybe, is we start sharing files like this for other users who otherwise are screwed, TT will see the error of their ways and relent in the way they restrict map availability.

After all, nobody is talking about stealing maps, just improving the functionality of maps they could use on their units and are prepared to purchase properly.

Just a thought ....................

 

[SShadow]

Honestly, for the bloody cost of the maps - they should be the best, most accurate maps that they could possibly provide.

I am REALLY curious as to the actual manufacturing cost of the unit itself. I'd like to know if they're losing money on the units and trying to make it up on selling the maps - or if they're profiting from both.
If they're profiting from both, I would be quite disheartened to think that they're trying even harder to get even more profit from their loyal customers. We've already bought into their product, you'd think they'd at least attempt to keep us.
When you look at the regular cost of the NA map, which is nearly $150US, that's 1/2 the price of a brand new mid-range GPS. If you piss off your customers, chances are they're more likely to A) Not upgrade at all, and bad mouth the company or B) take that $150 they would have normally spent on your map and buy a GPS from your competetor (and still bad mouth you.)
I can be a very loyal and tenacious customer. If you treat me right, I will stick with your company through thick and thin. But if you use and abuse me, I'm gone faster than the speed of light (ask my first 4 mechanics and several computer suppliers).

 

[Rick F.]

I will have to verify, but I'm pretty sure that on mine, when in 3d view, the 4 lane divided highway only shows as a single line (when you browse the map, though, it comes up as two lines - which is 2d view). I really noticed it when I was with my buddy who has a 720 with 710.1584... *shrug*
But the point remains, the maps are different.

Yes, I'm sure the maps are different, but I also know that the 4-lane road near my neighborhood shows correctly (4 lane-divided Hwy) because it goes from 2 lane to 4-lane divided hwy at First Rd near my house. I was able to get a 'screen shot' of this... but since I'm at home, I had to do this by 'browsing map'... which forces me to 2d view. As I drive that road, I can assure you that the 3d view changes to show divided hwy. Maybe I'll try to get a capture the next time I'm out on the road.

Here's an image of the 'screen capture' I took:

 

[SShadow]

I stand (well sit, actually) corrected. I just viewed a demo of an itinerary and it does, indeed, show that the section of highway I was talking about as a divided highway. That leads me to think that I must have been thinking of another highway - and if that is the case, then perhaps the USA & Can map didn't know it was a divided highway.
I do wonder, why I thought his map looked better... Maybe he's using a different color scheme... *shrug*
But, no sense in arguing. The NA maps are better, no doubt about it, even putting road differences aside. Actually seeing lakes and building shading makes it "look" more accurate and professional. (In my opinion)

 

[shed]

???? Hoax.
Running WE & CE Europe v7.10 map (size 2.1GB) mentioned for tt920 on my TT1 v2 with 4GB SD-card without any problems, except text to speech. TT1 does not manage that.

well actually you can i had tts on my one before i got the 720

 

[Gilbert]

Honestly, for the bloody cost of the maps - they should be the best, most accurate maps that they could possibly provide.

I am REALLY curious as to the actual manufacturing cost of the unit itself. I'd like to know if they're losing money on the units and trying to make it up on selling the maps - or if they're profiting from both.
If they're profiting from both, I would be quite disheartened to think that they're trying even harder to get even more profit from their loyal customers. We've already bought into their product, you'd think they'd at least attempt to keep us.
When you look at the regular cost of the NA map, which is nearly $150US, that's 1/2 the price of a brand new mid-range GPS. If you piss off your customers, chances are they're more likely to A) Not upgrade at all, and bad mouth the company or B) take that $150 they would have normally spent on your map and buy a GPS from your competetor (and still bad mouth you.)
I can be a very loyal and tenacious customer. If you treat me right, I will stick with your company through thick and thin. But if you use and abuse me, I'm gone faster than the speed of light (ask my first 4 mechanics and several computer suppliers).

Tomtom is worth billions which makes me think they make a profit on everything they sell. Many companies are now trying to get on the GPS bandwagon to profit from what must be a profitable market.

As for the maps. I'm rather disappointed as to the local aspect of it. From the short experience, two missing entrance ramps to the hyghway closest to my home that have been there since it was built close to 50 years ago in a major city. Umknown address to the 1st restaurant I need to find (the map shows the street corner where it is located but the address on the map 839 does not correspond to reality which is 2000). When going to the Tele-Atlas web site for reporting errors, one finds corrections can take a while to find their way to the map and that the distributor (Tomtom) will also take a while to get the map updated. I have a hard time with the aspect that you submit corrections for your local area, pay a hefty price for the updated map only to discover your corrections did not yet make it! I'm also pretty sure that when the new map comes out, there is no way to know wether or not your corrections have been implemented unless you or another user confirms the update after buying the map. I believe map updates should be available at a reduced cost for a year after you buy the system such as 25$. After all it is only a download and if you help them make better maps and there should be an incentive to do so.

On the positive side, I've had a look at the latest North America map (7.10 1609) and looked for some very remote area roads such as Rang Dub? in St-Alexis-de-Matapedia (Gaspesia, QC) and found it. I also looked for Panache road in Whitefish, ON (Sudbury area) and found it.

 

[MiniTransAm]

I wonder how many people were actually trying to do this so TomTom "locked down" the maps?? I'd like to know the reasoning behind it. I'm not sure I understand why exactly they felt the need to do this.

If anything they could put a little disclaimer when you go to download/install the map. Something like "This map was not designed for use with your device and as such we will not guarantee nor provide support should you try to install this map. All sales are final"

That way, tomtom is off the hook, and us tweakers still get to play around.

 

[y0bailey]

Wow...I'm glad someone finally cracked the 7.10 series, because this is just frustrating.

 

[Snaketamer]

I'm pissed. ..I went out last week and picked up a 2gig card to upgrade to the NA maps....

 

[Birdman]

Honestly, for the bloody cost of the maps - they should be the best, most accurate maps that they could possibly provide.

AMEN to that!