When will Tomtom realize their mistake using Teleatlas as the map source??

[StringFellow]

I have had a Tomtom for about a year now and I even bought the newest maps a month ago direct from TT and I have to say that the maps are still extremely inaccurate.

If you live in a highly poplulated city or urban area, the maps are fairly accurate. Once you start driving more suburban roads, the maps are horrible. And for rural roads, well, then it requires directions from Google or a road atlas. Examples...Roads that have not existed for 30+ years are still there, some roads are marked as unpaved, yet the road is a nicely paved 2 lane road (and has been that way for many, many years). Then you have the tons of roads that are incorrectly nameed (typos). I could go on, but you get my point.

I love the interface for the Tomtom, but the maps are killing me. I have to say that my next GPS will have a different map source (wife complains about driving down roads that dead end, roads that don't exist, named wrong..all in my local area!). I know not all maps are accurate, but based on others, Teleatlas is horrible. I have gone on Google (other map source) and the maps are so much better. True, there are issues, but at a much smaller percentage.

The map share is a great idea, but doesn't go far enough. I wish Tomtom would slow down on new products and features and work with Teleatlas and get the maps corrected. It also seems like the North American market doesn't get the attention it should (US website always down, had to buy maps for UK site, etc.). I have even submitted map updates directly through Teleatlas a year ago and have never seen the updates or received any type of feedback.

I have a feeling that in a few years Tomtom will be hurting when consumers realize the map issues and start buying other brand units (with different maps sources).

:End Rant

-S

 

[ezerhoden]

I find the TeleAtlas maps to be fairly accurate in my area. In your area a gps unit using navteq may better serve you. It sure would be nice to be able to pick a gps unit and your choice of map source. But until then, a garmin or magellan may be in your future.

 

[cleblanc92]

I am happy with the map on my unit and have not had a quirk yet - of course nothing is perfect. Best thing we call do is submit our corrections to that hopefully future map updates give everyone something a little better.

With the personal GPS unit customer base really expanding over the past 2-years they are going to keep pushing out newer and better units to keep they income stream rolling....that's just the way the market is. I am looking forward to what $200-300 will by me for an upgrade in a few years.

 

[Smokiewolf]

Maybe it will improve after the buyout is finalized
http://www.teleatlas.com/WhyTeleAtlas/Pressroom/PressReleases/TA_CT017174

 

[feejo]

If you have a garmin, in some places the Teleatlas map are better, sometime it is the opposite. The best choice is Teleatlas with a TT, cause you can do your corrections: change street names, block streets. I correct some few errors on my own city and now it work well. Did you know that TT buy teleatlas. Also you can report errors to teleatlas directly look on sticky on that website.

 

[cgigate]

TomTom new maps are very accurate ....

 

[Emily]

I have the maps from about a year ago, and I find them to be incredibly accurate. I've only had them been wrong (about things like a highway overpass that the GPS thought connected, but didn't) twice. And I've driven not only in the city, but on road trips to very remote areas... including Native American reservations, national parks, etc.

 

[bootprint]

It takes time for Tele Atlas to map roads, can you blame them if they miss a little town like St Andrews, New Brunswick. I mean, it's only been 200+ years since the town was founded.

 

[bobaloolie]

I have had a Tomtom for about a year now and I even bought the newest maps a month ago direct from TT and I have to say that the maps are still extremely inaccurate.

I have found that in Canada, the major highways are not up to date (I'm talking the TransCanada here!)

What is most troubling are the POI's. Now, since using the latest map, I have not found as many errors, and I've put on several thousand kilometers across Canada and the U.S. Still, the POI's are simply not up to date. Rest areas throughout North America just aren't there for the most part (but are on Navtec). And remarkably, one still can't make an exit a destination ("Flying J at Exit 289", for example) because most exits are not in the database, depending on the State/Province (but they are on Navtec). I have written here before that that's just crazy as the exit is sometimes the only info available for a business.

Also, info on which side of the street the POI is on would be extremely valuable---something Navtec GPS's have.

Why I keep coming back to TomTom (and I've bought and tried nearly every major competitor) is the ways one can search for a POI, plus the fact that TT remembers the last data entries. Finding a POI "Along Route" (in the direction of travel) is a brilliant stroke---and as far as I know, they are the only one's who offer this feature. With custom POI's (if they're available), I've managed to overcome the POI deficit for the most part. But while I've had to pay for a couple of those POI's, Navtec, again, has them for free.

I do agree that getting these maps accurate is the top priority for a GPS company. Seems obvious, but for some reason, all these companies are interested more so in MP3 players and movie viewers than navigation!

 

[Gilbert]

I have found that in Canada, the major highways are not up to date (I'm talking the TransCanada here!)
...deletion for brevity...

With custom POI's (if they're available), I've managed to overcome the POI deficit for the most part. But while I've had to pay for a couple of those POI's, Navtec, again, has them for free.

I do agree that getting these maps accurate is the top priority for a GPS company. Seems obvious, but for some reason, all these companies are interested more so in MP3 players and movie viewers than navigation!

Most annoying about the TransCanada and missing entrance ramps in Montreal even on the latest map....

I was curious about your paid POIs, which POIs are you writing about?

 

[Michael Quinlan]

...Why I keep coming back to TomTom (and I've bought and tried nearly every major competitor) is the ways one can search for a POI, plus the fact that TT remembers the last data entries. Finding a POI "Along Route" (in the direction of travel) is a brilliant stroke---and as far as I know, they are the only one's who offer this feature. With custom POI's (if they're available), I've managed to overcome the POI deficit for the most part. But while I've had to pay for a couple of those POI's, Navtec, again, has them for free...

I do agree that getting these maps accurate is the top priority for a GPS company. Seems obvious, but for some reason, all these companies are interested more so in MP3 players and movie viewers than navigation!

The Garmin StreetPilot c550 offers the ability to search along your current route. I imagine some of their other models do too.

And yes, manufacturers are spending too much effort on bells and whistles and not enough on navigation. Unfortunately the masses are attracted to bells and whistles, not core competency. At this time, I don't think there are any manufacturers with an outstanding navigation device. Thus it is the bells and whistles that differentiate one product from another.

 

[Gilbert]

The bells and whistles that would be useful to me are missing. I could use a sophisticated contact list similar to what one can find in MS Office. A contact list you could search with names and category that could show whatever fields you wish to use. On my contact list, I not only have the names, address and main phone number but also cell phone, girlfriend's and/or parents' name and phone, name of spouse and children etc. If the maps' POI could also be in a searchable database, it could even be more useful. After all, the base operating system is a Linux variant and there must be some sw that could fill this purpose.

I could also use a ?where is my car parked? in some situations. If I go in a foreign city to a library or hospital and happen to get out from a different entrance than the one I came in and don't have the sun to orient me, it can be a challenge to get back to my car.

I travel long distances occasionally and found radio stations worked only for half an hour or so before losing the signal. I ended up with a cheap portable DVD player and bought an fm transmitter. With a few DVDs full of MP3s I can listen to my selected music for a few days wihout interruption... I never watch movies on it as I normally am the driver and, when my spouse is driving, am usually involved reading on sites to visit in the areas we will be going thru.

 

[bobaloolie]

Most annoying about the TransCanada and missing entrance ramps in Montreal even on the latest map....

I was curious about your paid POIs, which POIs are you writing about?

I think I paid for WalMart and maybe Flying J... but I bet most of those are free now from al the compiling going on out there.

 

[Gilbert]

I think I paid for WalMart and maybe Flying J... but I bet most of those are free now from al the compiling going on out there.

Thanks for replying! Yes those are available from a number of sources and free. There are even subsets such as mega WallMarts or gaz providing CostCo and so on. There's also the important radar locations also available for free which, I've been told, are better than the TT's paid subscription radar locations.

 

[bobaloolie]

Good! Thank you!

 

[Gilbert]

I completely forgot to mention that, in TT Home, there is the option to add free POIs and the list is quite large. Can't remember the number of pages off hand but it has grown quite a lot since January. I picked a few, about a month ago, that I had not seen elsewhere.

 

[feejo]

That is why mapshare exist, so normal people work with no salary will correct their TeleAtlas errors. They like so much TeleAtlas that they buy the compagny rescently.

 

[Gilbert]

I don't expect to be paid for my MapShare contributions but I resent doing them and having to pay for them. That is why I feel we should have updates for one year without having to pay full price for them. Particularly since our contributions to design flaws, in the sense of those that can't be corrected with MapShare updates, take at least six months before being implemented when not more. After all, MapShare is more beneficial to TeleAtlas/Tomtom than it is beneficial to us their users. It reminds me of us being beta testers for software and having to pay full retail price on the sw update... Particularly since the Canadian maps are subpar to the competition and we need to do with them for quite some time until it gets to a comparable level.

Very few recent buyers, if any, are willing to pay 100$ four times a year for updated maps. If the maps are subpar for their local area, it simply means they are likely to move to the competition when the time for a new pnd comes around. The average a user's confidence level will be low when his local highways' entrance ramps/exits are missing on his TT system when they have been in existence for decades and sees that the Google/NavTeq maps are exactly right and route him accurately. I doubt he will be willing to part with his money with map updates at 100$ a shot to find his updates have yet to be implemented. There is no way he will stick to TT under such conditions.

 

[Emily]

I could also use a ?where is my car parked? in some situations. If I go in a foreign city to a library or hospital and happen to get out from a different entrance than the one I came in and don't have the sun to orient me, it can be a challenge to get back to my car.

The TomTom does have this feature. Under Navigate, choose "Last Docked," and it will take you to the last place you undocked your device from the car.

 

[dhn]

The TomTom does have this feature. Under Navigate, choose "Last Docked," and it will take you to the last place you undocked your device from the car.

On my 720, the icon is labelled 'position of last stop' but your point is well taken.