Garmin MapSource City Navigator, North America DVD-ROM for Garmin StreetPilot GPS Units
by Garmin
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List Price: Our Price: $74.99 You Save: $42.00 (36%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: GPS or Navigation System See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Garmin MapSource City Navigator, North America DVD-ROM for Garmin StreetPilot GPS Units
Customer Review: Tough installation
Summary: 2 Stars
Garmin's map products seem to have three problems:
1. They're overpriced.
2. Their installation program consistently fails, at least on my PC.
3. "Technical support" is available only M-F, 8-5, and they take several days to respond to email queries.
It would be nice if 3rd party mapping products, such as Delorme's Topo USA, worked on Garmin's GPS units. They don't and if one wants to have maps on the GPS unit, one is stuck with Garmin's software.
Three such products, including City Navigator, failed to install cleanly on my PC (running Win 2K SP 4). I hever could install to the C: drive on my machine, instead setting for an installation on f: The unsuccessful attempts at installation left behind a trail of files, folders, and registry entries that I had to clean out manually before getting that far.
I would not recommend this software for someone not adept at deepest, darkest Windows. But as noted, if you have a Garmin GPS unit, you're a captive customer.
Customer Review: Decent but way overpriced
Summary: 3 Stars
To begin with, I own several mapping software products including Microsoft Street and Trips, Delorme Street Atlas as well as a number of Garmin products. In typical Garmin fashion they are charging their customers 3 times more than these similar products which retail for about $39.95. However, since Garmin intentionally designed their GPS units to only work with proprietary software they are essentially holding their customers hostage. Their mapping is accurate but no more so than the other products. Also, Garmin is not very quick with updates. A major highway bypass near me was finished almost a year ago and is still not updated.
I'm the type of consumer that believes that if I'm forced to pay a premium price I should receive premium service. Unfortunately, no one taught Garmin that marketing lesson. As Garmin continues to see their market share erode due to the onset of competitors and the proliferation of GPS equipped cell phones, maybe they'll stop gouging their loyal customers.
Customer Review: City Navigator
Summary: 4 Stars
The CD arrived two day earlier than I was told to expect it. I was really glad when I got the GPS so that I could load it to try it out. I had real problems loading it. I finally called the help number and it took the young man who answered about two minutes to help me find the detail that I couldn't find. I had problems again when I tried to load the maps on a new 1 GB micro card that I bought. The first time I loaded them they went right on. I had left off part of Houston accidentally (the part where my brother lives) so I went to replace the maps and it wouldn't load on either the new 1 GB or the old 1 GB micro. After a long frustrating time, I went to the help section and found instructions for a mass storage method that worked. I printed it out for future reference. I hope it continues to work. I am pleased with the information on the CD and the ease with which you can set up routes and find addresses. Overall, I am happy with the information on the disk.Customer Review: Can be used on a Mac with GuestPC
Summary: 3 Stars
I have a Garmin GPSmap 96C and an iBook (G4). I was able to install MapSource without difficulty using GuestPC (version 1.9.7) running Windows98 SE. Further, it was easy to select maps and transfer to my GPS via the USB port, although I'm sure it took longer that it would on a PC. (Garmin-where is the Mac version that was promised by the end of 2006?)
The MapSource database is quite detailed with an incredible number of restaurants, hotels, hospitals, points of interest, etc. The route creation feature works flawlessly and offers practical options (fastest route, shortest route, etc.)
My dislikes are the cumbersome method of registration/authentication and value. The registration process requires an online connection and your GPS serial number and seems unnecessarily complicated. The cost seems rather high for a database that will require regular updating to remain current. These two factors prevent me from giving a higher rating.
Customer Review: What a crock!
Summary: 1 Stars
There are two problems here. One is that despite the reviews of others, I didn't get a 2008 map despite ordering and receiving it in the last 2 weeks. The copyright on the unlock coupon is 2007 but when you actually install and unlock the map, garmin tells you that this is actually the 2007 map produced in April 2006. In order to get the 2008 map you have BUY the update from Garmin for $75.
Second is that even on the 2006 map I can't get the map, neither on the handheld nor on the PC, to find addresses I want in NYC. I tried my own address (this building went up in 1927), but I can't even get the street. I tried a resturant on Union Turnpike in queens, there is no Union Turnpike listed.
I am underwhelmed by the handheld 60CSX as well but I could live with the onscreen keyboard if the maps worked.
I was thinking to go for the new Edge but after my experience with this map there is no way I'd ever deal with Garmin again.