Official: Cannot Search By Exits

A call into TomTom support has confirmed that you cannot search by exits. This is unbelievable. Many restaurants, gas stations, and truck stops list their addresses by interstate and exit number only. Even the oldest GPS's (with Naveteq maps) let you easily search for an intersection of a highway and an exit.

The good news is I can still return to the unit to Best Buy.

TomTom is good at everything but the actual navigation itself.

 

Thats not good news.

Did support say that would be corrected in the future?

 

They told me always to be up to date on TT news or any future changes that may occur.

 

What I have learned is that the POI database is being updated with no release date projected. This is no surprise. All the companies will be regularly updating their POI database. She did not say they would change the exit search info though.

The reason, I suspect, is an inherent flaw in Tele-Atlas database structure. My seven year old Carin GPS with Navteq maps can search for an exit. In order to get this info, I would imagine Tele-Atlas has to restructure their database to include that as searchable info.

Tomtom would do best to abandon Tele-Atlas, as those maps I'm sure have cost them millions of dollars. It's a consistent criticism in every review, and now, with the brand new maps, I am still seeing major errors and flaws.

This exit issue is very serious. I'm not sure how a TomTom could be useful to any trucker or RV'er who regularly navigates to exits.

 

Hmmm, well, to be completely fair, Navteq has it's own share of faults (been a Nuvi navigator myself)... it depends a lot on the needs for each customer, and picking the best system... If one wants a flawless gps sight, might as well become an NASA officer...

 

So how does knowing the exit help with the GPS? I would think if you know the exit number you don't need the GPS.

hermdog

 

well i guess if you are used to searching by exits and don't want to try something new then it's not going to be something that is liked. Change isn't always great for some. personally if i was looking for something and it was listed another way, and the PND got me there... it's a moot point.

 

My point exactly.

 

I mention on the other thread that a POI for dump sites should help out

 

ANY POI you make would help P!

 

Well I didn't make the RV Dumps POI found here
We could all thank lec510 for making it.

 

I should say any POI made (especially from TTF) is helpful!

 

Is it's always helpful.
This is why I like the feature to customize one's GPS preferences.

 

I don't think you folks follow. Let me give you an example:

You are in some commercial area of a city you are traveling through. You see a billboard which says "Camper's Village: I-45, Exit 241". You are 8 miles from I-45; how do you get there if you don't know the street system? Which direction do you take on the freeway when you get there, east or west?

Now, if you're on the freeway, it's a no-brainer. Simply read the signs. But if you're not, you're hooped with the TomTom.

Does this make sense? If you're a trucker or RV'er, a big part of your travels will consist in getting to exits. And even if you know you're on the right highway to get there, what if you want to punch in the exit number to calculate how far away you are etc? You can do it on any GPS except the TomTom.

I really appreciate TomTom's customizable features. I'm hoping this thread might generate a way to import exit info. I still have two weeks to decide before my return window to the store closes.

No GPS is perfect. But searching for exits is as basic as it gets.

 

What if you don't have sat-nav, how do you find it then?

With sat-nav you can at least get to the I-45 (and you know you are 8 miles from it).

Seriously, how do people make use of signs like this? Most people don't have sat-nav. What do they do?

It seems to me that 'Campers Village' only wants local customers (in which case they probably don't need a sign at all!). Any business that actually wants customers should give usable directions.

 

I would simply nav to POI near me, slect "any category" from the options and begin to type "Camper's Village" 8 times out of 10 the TomTom will find it and Navigate you there.

 

Well, yes. Or I could just pull our tour bus over, get out, and go and ask directions with a pen and paper in hand. But that's easier said and done when your a trucker or RV'er cruising down the freeway or interstate. Pulling over is a bit of a deal, if you know what I mean.

Because we use exits regularly, often punching them in as the next destination coming sometimes from several hundred miles away, I miss this function. And yes, one can find the phone number and call for a physical address. But at that point, I have already looked them up on the internet or called 411 etc. and the purpose of the GPS has been defeated.

The real question is, why has Tele-Atlas not indexed exits, which for all intents and purposes, are real, physical, address markers, with signs and all? It is included in Navteq maps, and for good reason: people search for exits.

 

Yes the million dollar question. I think that for most of us we've never used the TomTom in that manner. I have another question which maybe only TomTom can answer. Is the info you listed above included in our maps, and simply the TomTom software doesn't use it? In which case a firmware update could be made to include it. Or it's just not in the map database?

Also if you are not happy with the products maps are you willing to scream loudly and continuously at TomTom till they here you? Or do you simply go back to a Navteq based product?

Then again maybe there's a database of exits that can be used to create POI's.

hermdog

 

Ya Hermdog... those are all good questions and points.

What I have discovered in this past week just on this forum has led me to really appreciate the TomTom... its customizing, the POI flexibility etc. (such things also as customing icons is a nice touch). The RV dump POI's, the Flying J's etc. etc. are invaluable (thanks to Pedro and lec510 for rounding up the info). From that standpoint, the TomTom is a great tool.

So yes, I am writing both Tele-Atlas and TomTom to see what the viability is of getting this info. It is not a POI issue, but a mapping issue, I believe.

To answer your question regarding availability of the info... it seems to me that the TomTom does show exit info on the map as you drive by it, but that it's not searchable. I have to test that though, but I have seen exits go by on the map, so it does see them. Maybe all it will take is a firmware update.