Garmin Map Update 2009 for City Navigator North America NT
by Garmin USA
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Garmin Map Update 2009 for City Navigator North America NT
Customer Review: Information on Proper Garmin 2009 Map Update Loading
Summary: 5 Stars
I purchased the Garmin Map Update 2009 and installed it in my NUVI 680. The installation went fine and the updated map operation is outstanding.
However, the user installer must not rush through the installation procedure for skipping steps or entering wrong information most likely will not properly install the 2009 Map Update and possibly cause problems. My loading took a little over 2 hours due to the large amount of mapping data that must be transferred from the Map DVD to the GPS unit. For example, when the data is being loaded into the GPS unit, you see a "Percent of "Load" number on your screen. My load time was approximately one minute for each percent of update. Thus, it takes approximately 100 minutes to do a full 100% data load. This is not due to your computer but how the GPS unit stores the data and due to the large amount of data that must be loaded. This is not a problem
since the user just lets the mapping data load continue automatically. Your comuter screen will inform you when your Garmin Map Update 2009 is completed.
When you have loaded your Garmin DVD Map Update correctly, you should not
have lost any personal data, such as addresses to go to, that you previously input and used prior to this update.
When starting the setup with your computer and GPS Unit:
** Load the Garmin 2009 Map Update DVD into your computer DVD player
and follow the on-screen directions "closely."
** Have your Maping software Product Key available.
** Recommend you have the GPS unit powered by its external power
supply since the load takes over 2 hours and you would not want your
internal battery to run down during the load.
**Connect the Garmin GPS Unit to your computer with a USB A and B
data cable with the small B end plugged into your Garmin GPS unit and the
A end plugged into your computer's empty USB port.
Some installation points to consider:
* The Garmin 2009 Map Update can only be installed on one Garmin GPS unit for the required Internet interface checks the Garmin GPS's unique "Serial Number" against a unique product key key that comes with each 2009 Map Update. If you buy a used 2009 Update Map where the Mapping DVD software has previously been loaded onto a Garmin GPS Unit, you will not be able to load your GPS unit with the Map update software since someone has already used the product key that comes with your purchased used DVD with a GPS unit of a different serial number.
* If you don't ever get to the last part of your installation, where you see the "Percentage of Load," you may have either skipped a step or done something wrong and may have to start the 2009 Map update all over. This should not be a problem on the Internet since it will still match your unique product key against your Garmin GPS unit's serial number, which it "automatically" detects.
Customer Review: UPDATE DOES NOT WORK WITH SATELLITE CONNECTION
Summary: 1 Stars
This is probably the worst designed product I've ever purchased.
There are no warnings on the Amazon website that this product will NOT install if your internet connection is wireless or a satellite ISP, such as WildBlue.
Garmin says that it is not their fault because they have these warnings on the Garmin website.
The Garmin solution was to find somebody living in a city with a fast broadband connection and then download software onto someone else's computer and tie up their internet connection for hours while the update proceeds. So remind me again, why did I buy a DVD data disk with all the update maps, if it still requires hours of data communication with a Garmin server?
This is how this DEFECTIVE BY DESIGN update works:
1) put the disk in, hook up the GPS unit with the USB cable
2) run the update application
3) the update application apparently isn't good enough, so it downloads a 7 mb new update application
4) run the updated update application
5) put in your product key code
6) get a message that the Garmin server is experiencing 'Technical difficulties" and try the application again later
7) repeat procedure 50 times over the next few days, always with the message "try application again later"
8) call Garmin support and wait 20 minutes on hold
9) get transferred to some other division and wait on hold again
10) finally get connected to some snotty tech who says that it is your fault for buying the update software if you don't live in a city and have high speed DSL access, even though there were no warnings on the Amazon product description that said the update won't work with a satellite connection
11) stare at your $60 plastic coaster and think about the pain of navigating with 3 year old maps
I asked Garmin if I could send in my disk and my GPS and have them update the maps. Nope, they are not allowed to help customers. We must persuade some total stranger in a city to let us enter their home and load garmin software on their computer and tie up their internet connection for hours.
Garmin stated they have no plans to ever change this situation, so for all the people with wireless connections, satellite connections, or dial up connections, you are stuck with your old maps FOREVER.
Customer Review: Not very useful if you live in the north-east, but pretty accurate in the south
Summary: 3 Stars
I bought my CD last week and have been visiting popular as well as remote places to see if anything's changed. For anyone who has to deal with space constraints and such (me, for example), the mapping data is about 1.4GB. Installation does take some time, presumably due to the increase in mapping data and time required to build increasingly diverse index files.
Sadly, NT2009 does not seem to be as big an update from 2008 as the latter was from NT8. There are quite a few major/popular POIs (like banks and restaurants) that are still not present. In fact, there is a BoA branch that's suddenly changed location in the '09 database. Over the past couple of years, there have been a couple of exit changes on I-84 but none of them are reflected in here. There are a couple of streets near my gf's house that were renamed a few years ago but have still not found their way into the Garmin DB (haven't checked NAVTEQ though). At the risk of belaboring my point, I'll stop right here. :)
YMMV though as many friends, relatives and members on online discussion forums have found solace with NT2009 in places such as FL and AZ. I will be in GA/ATL all through May and shall update this review in a couple of weeks.
Overall, if you're eligible for a free update, go for it. However, if you live in the N.E. and have to shell out $55-odd, I think your money is better spent elsewhere, assuming you have NT2008 already.
P.S.: If you have an older system (like the c3xx), you can fit the entire mapping data on an SD card. If you have a 1GB or smaller card, select the areas you most want via MapSource. For example, removing PR and Hawaii easily saves 70-odd MBs.
Edited on 05/28/08:
After spending a few weeks traveling through GA and NC, I can't find any location that isn't mapped in the latest version. One or two gas stations in the ATL suburbs (Alpharetta to be more precise) show up on the opposite side of the street (maybe it's bad interpretation logic in Garmin's hardware and has nothing to do with cartographic data) but hey, at least they aren't completely absent! Overall, the south-eastern U.S. seems better covered as compared to the north-east.
Customer Review: Errors in maps are really annoying (updated)
Summary: 1 Stars
I live in a populated area of Fairfield County Connecticut and in my neighborhood, the maps are a mess. 8 years ago Google had mistakes but they are all fixed. Garmin is no help, they say it's not their responsibility. I will now try complaining to the map company directly. No feedback from Garmin support for postings of errors. I got the 2009 update for "free" with new purchase from Amazon, and it is still wrong. At least I didn't need to pay. I am going to have to find a way to fix the map myself. My free software "Amaze GPS" on my BlackBerry is more accurate than my $200 Nuvis. Go figure.
January 2011 update: In early 2010 I purchased "lifetime updates" for our two Nuvis on discount and got many map improvements including some corrections for my local streets. I just updated again. That's what you must do, update as often as possible. Here are four additional observations:
1) Garmin still makes errors by directing you to places that no longer exist, such as failed businesses. You should double-check any unfamiliar destination by other means before you travel.
2) The updating process is slow and error prone at least on a Mac. And Garmin's utilities are clunky and tempermental. If you launch your old updater, it won't bring down the new one. You must manually install the new updater, and then manually remove the old one.
3) If you have two Nuvis, you can't download the GB-sized update file once. When you enter the next product ID code, the massive download starts all over again.
4) You will find that taxis, limos, and delivery vehicles typically do not update their maps. So if like me you live in an area that has map errors, don't be surprised if an expensive airport limo service gets lost and picks you up late, or your furniture delivery fails, because the owner can't be bothered to keep his fleet maps up to date. And considering my experience in #2 and #3 above, it would be hard to keep a small company's resources up to date.
Customer Review: A Very Good Map, But So Was Last Years
Summary: 5 Stars
Garmin uses the maps from Navteq. They are very good, among the best digital maps available. This years map is better than last years map, but only marginally so. And the POIs (Points of Interest) have been updated, too, but don't be surprised when you try to find a Wendy's Restaurant listed and find it was closed 12 months ago. It happens, not frequently, but it happens.
New streets, even those that opened a year ago, may not have been added. That is the nature of the Map business. They can only work on certain areas of the map, and they may have not been able to get around to the road change in the area in which you are traveling. But many of the new streets have been added.
All in all, this is a better map than last years, which was a better map than the one the year before, which was a better map ... well, you get the idea.
If you need as accurate a map as possible for your Garmin, get this one. And if the map in your Garmin is more than couple of years old, get this one. But you may not need or want to upgrade from your 2008 map ... wait a year or two. Besides, you may decide to purchase a new GPS with better features 6 months from now.
I've rated this 5 stars because it is that good compared to other digital maps on other GPS systems. But it is not perfect, and you may not need it.
By the way, while the installation is not difficult, it takes an hour or two to actually install, so be prepared. Don't expect to start installation and be on the road with it 10 minutes after you start. It ain't gonna happen.