Map updates vs. buying new maps

[mikemike2]

I'm confused. One of the reasons I bought the TomTom over other GPSs is for the automatic map updates. There are some major highways under construction that I use to travel to work with, and their intersection locations are changing. I want the GPS to reflect this asap.

I thought automatic map udates would fix this, and that new POIs would be added as they become available (I find the TomTom POIs to be very inadequate compared to Garmin). Why then are people upgrading to a new map that may or may not be free? Isn't the TomTom map kept up to date for at least one year without further charges with automatic updates?

 

[golfer]

bATTERY

Is there a battery in the tomtomone and if so where is it at? My unit stays up for about a hr and then I have to recharge it. Is this normal for the battery to go dead this fast?

 

[bilybob]

I find the TomTom POIs to be very inadequate compared to Garmin

The full version maps of North America have all the poi's that we are used to with garmin units. For some reason (storage space, cost) tomtom in their inifinite wisdom have decided that we don't need poi's (Who needs poi's when you googled your coordinates before you left, oh you didn't know your girl friend was going to ask you about her favourite shopping place?) and guess what, you get nothing. Tomtom 910s and the older maps that you could buy for North America don't have this limitation. Only the USA and Canada maps that came with 510 etc due to 1GB sd card.

Seems like they have done it again with the 720 and have only added poi's for restaurants, hotels, and schools etc and have completely skipped over all the shopping category other than a few big stores like best buy and walmart etc.

I had another post about this issue here.
https://www.tomtomforums.com/showthread.php?t=4305

Don't even get me started about map share. I think it is more for you to send feed back to them than anything else, specially when you don't even know what the update is for. You might be getting an update for Hawaii or some other place and you think its all good.

Creating new roads etc was advertised in the beginning when the mapshare idea was first introduced, but like everything else tomtom you didn't really believe all that did you

 

[The Spook]

Why then are people upgrading to a new map that may or may not be free?

Because a newly bought device might not have the latest map. Hence the 'latest map guarantee' whereby you can get the latest map free within 30 days.

Isn't the TomTom map kept up to date for at least one year without further charges with automatic updates?

Kinda. Map share allows you (and others) to make certain corrections to your map; street names, driving direction and POI's (add, move, edit, delete) for one year. It can not add new geometry (i.e. roads) to the map.

Even though new roads cannot be added, your map will still be a lot more up to date than any other manufacturers, whose maps can't be changed at all. All maps have errors, it is the nature of maps. Only TT's maps allow some errors to be corrected.

Creating new roads etc was advertised in the beginning when the mapshare idea was first introduced...

No it wasn't! It was rumored by uninformed 3rd parties, but that is not exactly the same is it?