Welcome to TTGO 1000

[mvl]

With the 1000 on store shelves as early as the end of next week, there's not going to be any time for significant changes. The infrastructure is already in place, the units are built, software has been finalized and being loaded as we speak. Home3 has finished EU testing and the servers are ready. IMHO, much of the info that's been posted in the past couple of days is probably dead-on. But 10 days from now isn't a long time to wait for confirmation on how the whole picture will look.

So MVL, you're correct in pointing out that we should wait before posting certain things as fact. It wouldn't be the first time that TT has popped a surprise.

I agree with you, but with much of this infrastructure server based, I'm sure the GO 1000's feature set will change over its lifetime. The GO920 is a lot more powerful animal now than it was at release.

 

[canderson]

API? That would require a full 180 by TomTom vs. their total lack of support post Navcore 6. While that reversal would be a pleasant surprise, there's no question that it would be a large one.

This quote from Darren Griffen (pocketgpsworld, 1 May 2010) isn't very encouraging...

"The GO 1000 PR material mentioned support for "the integration of third party applications". I quizzed
Peter Geelen, TomTom Co-founders and head of Technical development, on what this support entailed and he suggested that at most this meant the additional features such as a Wikipedia plug-in etc could be added at a later date."

 

[offthegrid]

That's odd given the fact that TomTom showed a couple of apps when they first announced this.

TomTom reveals plans for App Store in battle against smartphone navigation -- Engadget

 

[mvl]

The main quotes of Tomtom references to an API were from the Wall Street Journal (free story here), and from Pocket-lint (here).

 

[gatorguy]

One thing Tomtom can't ever be accused of is inattention to marketing. Multiple articles in the past couple of days refer to the 1000 as the super sat-nav Adding that media player back makes all the difference.

 

[mikealder]

Multiple articles in the past couple of days refer to the 1000 as the super sat-nav

I don't see the "SSN" listed Here yet - Mike

 

[offthegrid]

Yes but they showed actual pics of the facebook and Wikipedia apps on Engadget as I linked to.

TomTom reveals plans for App Store in battle against smartphone navigation -- Engadget

I suppose they could have fudged that but why in hell would they come out and say that plus show pics if they weren't going to do that?

Like I said they would not be reinventing the wheel here. Ability to use georss feeds would be user apps given the capability.

Who here had a Dash? Someone here must have had one.

The main quotes of Tomtom references to an API were from the Wall Street Journal (free story here), and from Pocket-lint (here).

 

[canderson]

That's odd given the fact that TomTom showed a couple of apps when they first announced this.

Applications != new server front ends (the browser is no doubt already there in the 1000) for existing web pages ... at least not in my book ... and that's what they appeared to be showing in those screen shots. Nothing I saw looked like an "application".

 

[offthegrid]

If it does not support georss and everything is dependent on TomTom allowing this or that - this product will suck.

One thing that whizzed right by my head (my apologies Mike Alder) was no bluetooth audio so I assume no Hid profile either for reading and sending texts which has become one of my favorite extras with the 740. The Garmin 1690 doesn't support HID either so I doubt the 1695 does but those allow custom poi's I believe - my Garmin knowledge is pretty lacking.

Engadget did describe those screenshots as apps though - whether that was what they were or just some photoshop fantasy - Well we'll see soon I guess. Seeing traffic cams as you approach an area would be the balls but in the US those cams usually come through arrangement with the local DOT so that may end with a puff of smoke instead of a blast.

"Tuesday's press event in Amsterdam, going so far as to show a few in-house developed prototype apps for Facebook, Wikipedia, and live street cams,"

Applications != new server front ends (the browser is no doubt already there in the 1000) for existing web pages ... at least not in my book ... and that's what they appeared to be showing in those screen shots. Nothing I saw looked like an "application".

 

[canderson]

"Tuesday's press event in Amsterdam, going so far as to show a few in-house developed prototype apps for Facebook, Wikipedia, and live street cams,"

I'm sticking to my story, right or wrong

Seriously -- a Wikipedia "application"? How about the idea that they've just created a front-end to the web and scrape Wikipedia entries? Hard to justify calling a "reformatter" an application, but whatever. Facebook - who the heck knows on that one. It appeared they were just working on a simple interface to what's already out there. As for the street cams, again, we're talking about some front-end code that goes after an existing data stream. A very cool idea (talk about LIVE traffic!), but I'm hard pressed to call these applications. GUIs perhaps? I'd certainly go that far. Yeah, I know that someone who has actually written a GUI would get all defensive about that, but to me, the GUI is what front-ends the actual application. What can I say, I draw lines where I like tonight. Had a bad day with Live traffic!

 

[mvl]

All Tomtom models for quite some time have had an html browser. The "Help me" files are in html, and people have loaded html ebooks there and used the Tomtom as an e-reader. It's altogether possible that those "apps" were just websites loaded into the existing browser.

But, don't forget, nearly every "application" google offers is just a website too. So the lines are blurring.

Tomtom's CEO said here that "I don't want to comment on a certain date, but it's one of our first priorities to get the infrastructure right". If the posts by the Europeans are any indication, they've got quite a bit of infrastructure to finish building, so any app store might be some time away.

 

[canderson]

But, don't forget, nearly every "application" google offers is just a website too. So the lines are blurring.

I'll grant you that. My tendency is to look at how code is constructed in the "old fashioned" way.

Tomtom's CEO said here that "I don't want to comment on a certain date, but it's one of our first priorities to get the infrastructure right". If the posts by the Europeans are any indication, they've got quite a bit of infrastructure to finish building, so any app store might be some time away.

TomTom seems to have some sort of vision for where they're headed with this thing, but seem to have felt the need to get the 1000 on the market while they're still working on the application and services that vision that are so critical for support of the 1000 and future units that are built on the same model.

From all appearances, the 1000 will depend far more heavily than ever upon the "infrastructure" for both managing the device and adding functionality. And for all of the annoying things that have happened to the firmware now and again, it's always been the "front end" (Home) that has been trying to catch up to the firmware at release, and the "back end" (the TT server system) that have been the most problem prone. The idea that the new design architecture might depend even more upon the faultless operation of those two weak links is really scary.

To put it all into some perspective ... the basic function of the TomTom units hasn't been all that bad. Go from A to B. For the most part, it can handle that. It's been the ancillary functions (Live services, map updates, Home backups, subscription services, etc.) that seem to blow up on a somewhat regular basis. TomTom has had trouble rolling out services into their service areas (how long did they peddle HD traffic before it became available even in the areas where it exists now?) Can you picture a new architecture for their system that depends on that infrastructure more than ever?

 

[mikealder]

You might want to point your browser at This link for official TomTom information on the new Go-1000 it will show you what the device is really capable of - Mike

 

[gatorguy]

In an interview with PC Magaqzine published today Tom Murray, Tomtom's Vice-Pres of Marketing, had this to say to the following question:

"One question that TomTom should seemingly answer easily is that of location. Numerous services, including Facebook and Foursquare, have begun focusing on hyperlocal services. As a navigation provider, shouldn't TomTom?
"It's a good question," Murray said. "We're working to get there. I think our focus to this point has been navigation."
But for right now, rumors of a full-fledged TomTom app store are overblown, Murray said. While TomTom hopes to provide connected services, it's unclear whether those will include mobile status updates posted to a Facebook account from the road.

So as I posted several months ago, TomTom's statements about an AppStore back in April were only testing the waters so to speak. They never had developed plans to offer an AppStore of their own, instead more commenting that the thought had crossed their minds.