Navigator 5 to Navigator 6 upgrade on Palm Tungsten E2

[jimjim]

Is anyone else out there using TT Navigator 5 on their PalmOS PDA, and feeling cheated that there is no way to upgrade maps? TomTom Navigator 6 is not supported on most of the devices that TTN5 ran on. I've seen some evidence that TTN6 can run on a LifeDrive, even though it isn't officially supported. Has anyone tried running TTN6 on a Tungsten E2?

Several discussions with TT support have proven fruitless. I'm trying to get them to provide some type of upgrade path -- either in the form of updated maps compatible with TTN5, or by discounting a new TomTom device in exchange for my TTN5 trade-in. So far, no luck...

Anyone else in the same boat?

 

[pdterp]

I'm in same boat

I am in the same boat being left out in the cold with Palm PDA that TomTom doesn't support any longer.

I hope a lot of people see this post and reply. Maybe TomTom will wake up if there is a huge response - but I doubt it.

 

[granjon]

In the Same Boat

I've been trying to get an explanation on why they dropped the Tungsten E2, but no luck.

 

[Internetpilot]

I wouldn't look for TomTom to support your older Palm devices any time soon:

http://www.tomtom.com/support/index.php?Language=4&query=hardware+requirements&FID=5749

Question
Why is my device not compatible with NAVIGATOR 6, even though it was compatible with NAVIGATOR 5?

Answer
TomTom NAVIGATOR 6 includes a number of new features that greatly improve the product. Unfortunately, these features require more memory and processing power when compared to NAVIGATOR 5.

In addition, TomTom now offers many new maps, which are larger and more detailed than the older maps. These maps also require more memory and processing power in the device.

Have you asked TomTom directly if the maps can be updated? For example, can you download updates through their online map update store?

You know, for the longest time the Palm Tungsten|C (the most powerful Palm device ever with twice the heap memory of most modern Palm models) wasn't supported for Nav5. I noticed it's not listed as supported for Nav6 either, yet the slow-a$$ Palm Treos are? The T|X is supported with it's lousey management of DB memory (you always get out of memory errors and have to reboot when using a big database app like TomTom). I suspect this isn't so much a matter of what Nav6 will run on as much as what devices they want to support Nav6 on.

 

[jimjim]

Supposedly, it's because TTN6 has "enhanced" features that require extra memory and CPU. Here's the text of the response I got from TT Support:

I?m afraid that TomTom NAVIGATOR 6 includes a number of new features that greatly improve the product. Unfortunately, these features require more memory and processing power when compared to NAVIGATOR 5. In addition, TomTom now offers many new maps, which are larger and more detailed than the older maps. These maps also require more memory and processing power in the device.

 

[jimjim]

TomTom says... TTN6 maps NOT compatible with TTN5

Chris -
Yes, I did ask TomTom Support if the TTN6 maps were compatible with TTN5. They said no... I have submitted a written request to TomTom for one of the following resolutions to this "lack of upgrade" issue:

1. Supply current maps compatible with TTN5 at a reasonable upgrade cost.
2. Refund the USD$250 I spent on my TTN5/Bluetooth GPS.
3. Accept my TTN5/Bluetooth GPS receiver in trade for a USD$150 discount on a new TomTom GPS unit.

I think this is a fair request. They acknowledged receipt of my letter 6 days ago but so far, no response... I'll post their reply if/when I get one.

 

[jimjim]

TomTom did respond with an offer to sell me a new all-in-one GPS device at a discounted price:
ONE - $249.95
GO 510- $299.95
GO 910 - $399.95
I don't plan on taking them up on this offer. My last email to TomTom Support, sent 5/29, appears below:
---
I appreciate the gesture, but $250 for a TomTom ONE is not much of a discount. Several on-line retailers are offering the ONE at this price, which represents only a $50 discount off the retail price. I'm looking for a trade-in credit of at least a 50% of the $250+ I paid for my current TomTom GPS Navigator. If you can bring the cost of a TomTom ONE to the $150.00 - $175.00 range with a TTN5 "trade-in", then you can consider me a satisfied customer. I would appreciate you letting me know one way or the other.

I'd like to make one more appeal for fairness here...
I certainly understand why my Tungsten E2 is not supported by TTN6 -- a more sophisticated application requires more processing power and memory. Furthermore, I understand that it is standard to charge customers for application and map upgrades, because they are getting more capability in return. However, I'm not asking TomTom for a more sophisticated application -- you are telling me that if I want current map data, the only way to get it is to buy the application upgrade. Which, again, I'm willing to do, but it won't run on my device. TomTom's reason for not providing a map update for TTN5 users is not a technical one -- being a software development professional myself, I know that TomTom CAN create current map files that are compatible with TTN5. Sure, it would require development effort, and this costs money. TomTom made a financial decision to abandon customers stuck on TTN5 (because of hardware constraints) in lieu of investing the development resources to create compatible maps.

I'm not asking for a hand-out. I'm willing to pay for updated maps that run on TTN5, but TomTom doesn't offer them. I'm willing to pay for a TTN6 upgrade to get the new maps, but TomTom had dropped support for my device. TomTom has led me to a dead-end, and I would expect TomTom to provide an alternate route in the way of a substantial trade-in allowance on a new device.
---
This was sent to TomTom Support on 5/29. So far, no response...

 

[jimjim]

Goodbye, TomTom...

Well, no thanks to TomTom support, but this story has a happy ending...

I sold my TTN5 software, GPS receiver, and Tungsten E2 on eBay for $260USD. Used the money to buy a Magellan Maestro 3100 for my wife ($200 on sale at BestBuy) and a Garmin StreetPilot i3 with v8 maps for myself ($120 for a refurb on eBay). With a navigable base map (which TTN5 didn't have) and up to date detailed maps, this little Garmin is a HUGE improvement over TTN5.

Goodbye, TomTom, and good riddance.

 

[Internetpilot]

...Used the money to buy a Magellan Maestro 3100 for my wife ($200 on sale at BestBuy) and a Garmin StreetPilot i3 with v8 maps for myself ($120 for a refurb on eBay)...Goodbye, TomTom, and good riddance.

Well, that's a bummer that TomTom wasn't able to do the right thing for you. Unfortunately, it's not entirely TomTom's fault, as Palm does share the blame a little since they just keep releasing new PDA's that actually have slower processors and less database cache than previous models (like the Tungsten T|3 and Tungsten|C) so it's becoming more and more difficult for 3rd-party developers to write apps that support this unusual "upgrade to downgrade" strategy. Now Palm is only interested in producing smartphone/convergence devices, so most 3rd-party developers are only targeting the Treo line (which are extremely crippled PDAs) for their applications.

After dinking around with a GO700 on display in a store, I quickly saw that I was using the wrong portable device for a nav system. Even though my Tungsten|C worked with TTN5 very well and is capable of running TTN6, it still felt forced and the GO models just do the job so much better.

You made a great choice with the Garmin -- I've looked long and hard at Garmin GPS/PDAs over the years, but they were always just a tad too expensive for me to justify. With portable nav prices dropping through the floor, I'm sure it's a nicely priced option to TomTom GO lineup, as well as even the Garmin Nuvi's.

Good luck with your GPS choices!