Customer Reviews

Garmin nüMaps Onetime City Navigator North America NT Map Update

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(13)

 

 

The Garmin map updates get larger with each release. I assume that this is because of more map details and more Points of Interest (POIs). These are good things. However, they do create challenges for older Garmin GPS units with lower amounts of built-in memory. Unfortunately, Garmin isn't too forthcoming with either the amount of built-in memory in various units, or the amount of that memory that is required to hold either a full map update or any of the pre-defined selectable partial map update options. This is true even after you have bought the map update; the only information the map update utility provides for each pre-defined selectable portion of the full maps is whether it will fit or won't fit in your GPS units built-in memory. Not providing this basic information is a major disservice to Garmin's customers.

I have read that since my Garmin c330 has an SD card slot, I can buy an SD card and load the new maps onto it. However, I have not found any definitive information on how big the card must be to hold the current (2010) full North America maps. One source (not Garmin) indicated that a 2 GB card would suffice.

My unit originally came preloaded with North America (US and Canada) maps when I bought it. When I bought my first map update, I had to choose between full maps of the US, or full maps of Canada (with a "base map" of the other). Since I live in Maryland, USA, I chose full maps of the US. On a subsequent trip to British Columbia, Canada, I discovered that the Canadian base maps weren't very useful. US 95 up through Idaho into British Columbia doesn't even make it all the way to Cranbrook before my GPS showed me off the map driving through empty space.

The 2010 map update is even larger than the previous map update. Not even the US lower 48 will fit in the c330's built-in memory. There are several pre-defined map sets that I can pick.

2010 Map Update selections that won't fit in my c330 built-in memory:

Full Coverage of North America: All US states and Canadian provinces
Lower 49 States + PR: the traditional "lower 48" US states as well as Hawaii and Puerto Rico

2010 Map Update selections that will fit in my c330 built-in memory:

Canada + Border States: All of Canada, Alaska, and the US states along the border with Canada (and a few more East Coast US states)
East: US states from the East Coast all the way to Texas, OK, KS, NE, SD, ND, and all Eastern Canada up to the provinces of Saskatchewan and Nunavut
West: US States from the West Coast all the way to LA, AR, MO, IL, IN, OH, PA, NY, VT, NH, ME, and just about all of Canada except for the parts way above the Arctic Circle
Lower 49 States + PR NE: Only the US states from the East Coast over to LA, OK, AR, NE, SD, and SD (sorry Texas!), and Puerto Rico
Lower 49 States + PR NW: Only the US states from the West Coast (and Hawaii) over to AL, TN, KY, WV, and PA, and Puerto Rico
Lower 49 States + PR SE: Only the US states from the East Coast over to NM, CO, NE, and from the Gulf of Mexico north to IA, IL, IN, OH, PA, metro NY?, CT, and MA, and Puerto Rico
Lower 49 States + PR SW: Only the US states from the West Coast over to FL, GA, TN, KY, IN, WI, and MN (all the way from the Mexican border/Gulf of Mexico to the Canadian border) and Hawaii (*not* Puerto Rico)

Other important notes about the 2010 Garmin Map Update DVD:
You will need Internet access when you update the maps on your GPS unit even though you have a DVD; the DVD holds the map data so that you don't have to wait while its downloaded from Garmin, but the software must still register with the mother ship
I'm pretty sure the updater records your GPS unit's Unit ID so that the DVD can only be used with one unit

Although it is fantastic that Garmin has accommodated the more limited built-in memory of older GPS units like my c330, the pre-selected map areas probably won't meet everyone's needs... For example, I'm much more likely to need my GPS on both the US East Coast and West Coast, but not in the interior states, and I need it in Western Canada but not Eastern Canada. A "build a set" state-by-state selection showing how much memory was required for each state, along with how much free memory was left on the GPS unit, would allow each customer to best meet their own custom needs.

Thankfully Garmin had the foresight to provide the SD slot for memory expansion (at least in my c330). I'll probably solve my problem by buying a blank SD card for my c330 and loading the maps onto it. Now I know why the 2010 Map Update was available on an SD card in the first place!

Note: For those considering just buying the SD card version of the 2010 Map Update, and not the DVD version, be aware that the SD/Micro SD cards maps can't be downloaded off the card on to your PC. If you want to be able to view the maps on your PC and use the PC to map routes, edit waypoints etc. buy the DVD not the SD/Micro SD.

I was disappointed in the Garmin nuMaps 2010 America One-Time Update. We moved to a new city and were using our GPS to locate stores for shopping. The old maps led us to a fabric store (and many others) that were no longer there. We were told by neighboring stores that a particular store had not been there for 10 years. We thought the upgrade would solve the problem. The first thing we did when we got the upgrade was look to see that this "missing" store had been eliminated. It is still listed on the upgrade, as are several other stores that have been closed for 3 years or more. I don't really see any difference in the upgrade and I consider it wasted money.

Installation works well but keep in mind that, unlike the 2009 map that it replaces, the 2010 map cannot all fit in the internal built in memory (of my 260W). You will need to decide what to install (eg, 49 lower states, or eastern North America, etc - you have about 5 options). The only way around this is to put the rest of the map on an SD card.

I updated my Nuvi 200 from 2008 maps, but I regret the update as follows: when loading maps, there's a CHOICE of the western US or the eastern US. I should have stopped there, as I loaded the eastern US and LOST the device is now useless in western US. There is no going back without buying another package.

Also, I'm finding that some very old and travelled roads in New England are missing from this edition. The maps have let me down more than once, with the device showing me that I'm travelling across an empty field --but I'm on a state road with moderate traffic.

I've been very happy w/ my Nuvi 760 over the past 2.5 years. I decided to update the maps as it had been a while. St. Louis has had major construction on the main thoroughfare through the city (I-64), but it has been totally complete for about 9 months. None of the new/changed exits are correct (even though stretches of the highway have been open for significantly longer than a year) and I also tried to find a gas station and the place it was supposed to be (near the Galleria) was an empty grass lot, so it had been closed/gone for a LONG time. I contacted the company and here's what they said (after going back and forth a couple times about the version of the maps I had loaded):
"If you do find any errors, omissions or discrepancies in our mapping programs, we urge you to fill out an Error Report Form. The form is evaluated, then if necessary, sent to the appropriate data vendor to investigate and correct for the next mapping update."

I then asked for a refund as I saw 0 value in the upgrade & I shouldn't have to pay for maps that I update myself through their system, then have to pay AGAIN for the update.

Their response was:
"I will be happy to assist you with your request regarding your maps. Unfortunately we are not able to issue a refund for used software and because the maps are tied to your unit we can not refund back the purchase cost."

Basically, thanks for the $75, now go away.

With the prices of GPS units dropping, it is tempting to just replace the whole unit as the maps age and need updating. At full list price for an update, that is exactly what I would have done. But at a reasonable discounted price (~$50 rather than $70) I chose to do the update. It was easy and went smoothly. My 3 year old Garmin GPS is now as current maps-wise as new, out-of-the-box unit. My only wish (and what would have made this upgrade 5 stars) is that the software would also update the operating system of the Nuvi and not just the map data. The newer operating systems lock on to satellites much faster than the older ones and the map displays have been somewhat improved as well.

The map update is listed as compatible with the nüvi 200 series, but it turns out that the update files are too big for the 200's internal memory. It is possible to do the update, but only by adding an SD card in the 200's slot and loading the bulk of the update onto that instead of the internal memory. There is no documentation or web resource at Garmin that I could find to explain this, and the process for doing it is not entirely self-evident.

Don't waste your time reading my whole review. I can boil it all down to a frustrating lesson I learned using Garmin nuMaps. Do not waste your time and money on Garmin nuMaps. They just can't update 6,000,000 POIs, plus add new ones fast enough. The disk they come on can only be used one time before it's thrown in the trash. If you think your GPS needs new maps, you would be much better off to buy a new GPS that comes with new maps, new technology, and at prices that keep dropping.

Act in haste, repent in leisure. I depended on misplaced trust rather than reading up on the GPS maps I thought I needed to purchase. I was in a hurry to prepare for a trip. I have purchased 5 Garmin GPS units in about four years time. I was happy with the first, upgraded to a c340, and then bought more c340 units for my son and daughter as prices fell. The battery in mine suddenly died and needed a battery replacement. That meant shipping the unit back to Garmin for repair work to replace what I understand is a battery worth $20. No problem, just plug it in the car outlet, and you never need a battery anyway. Still, I relegated it to a car I rarely use, and bought my 4th identical unit. I knew how it worked and the price kept dropping. They actually improved sound and brightness in the last unit. I found I could use the disk that came with the latest unit to update the others. After a while, my children complained that the Garmins got them lost more and more often, so they tossed them in the back seat or console and used internet maps. Never mind that my mother-in-law's cheap $120 Tom Tom found satellites in seconds while the c340s often took minutes. Also, the Garmins would announce a turn just as you passed it. I think the units' favorite phrase is "make a u-turn". The c340 was noted for tardy directions when compared to other brands. Still, it could say the names of streets in several downloadable voices. The cheap Tom Tom can't, it just gets you where you want to go. Finally though, the warning screen on the Garmin that my maps were outdated began to gnaw at my nerves. I decided that since we had four identical units, the cost of a map update would be split over the four units. My daughter said that the Garmin was really ugly and dated looking, and she probably would not use it anyway, but she would keep it in her car for an emergency if she could trust it again. I bought the disk. I waited about three or more hours for it to download more data from Garmin. I have broadband, but I guess Garmin is still working at dial up speed. The worst was that I misunderstood the two types of maps offered. There was nuMaps Onetime, and there was nuMaps Lifetime. Onetime means literally, use it once and then throw it in the trash. It will not feed other units. I have no idea what lifetime means, I don't care. I found on my 2000 mile round trip, that it appeared the new maps had not loaded. The old errors were still there. Well, another look at the edition number on the screen showed they were installed, but they are so bad that our other three units are for all practical purposes, just as up to date, or just as out of date as the nuMaps unit.

Moral of the story: If your Garmin or any portable GPS says you need new maps, just toss out the old GPS, and buy a nicer, lighter, larger screened, cheaper, faster, and more user friendly GPS that will come filled with newer maps. Garmin's six million POIs are just too many for them to keep up with let alone add to. A real waste of money.

This product updated my nuvi 650 with no glitches whatsoever. The DVD installs to the computer first,and then installs the updates to the GPS. The entire process took about 2 1/2 hours. All i had to do was enter the KEY number on the inside of the dvd sleeve. I didnt have to go to the garmin site as i have seen others say they did. There is now streets showing that didnt show on my 2008 version.

I don't know how many streets changed in the two years since I owned my Nuvi 350, but not enough to warrant a new set of maps costing $60 to $70 for a product costing $199. But what really is upsetting is that I have two Nuvi 350's (one for my brother) and they won't let me update both Nuvi's with one DVD.

This reminds me of the days when software publishers overpriced software and got rigid with copy protection schemes. They stopped more legal sales than they stopped piracy. Eventually software publishers got more friendly about both prices and second installations, with lots more happy customers for their efforts.

Garmin should have allowed me to use my $60 map update on both Nuvi's (or made it cheap enough I wouldn't feel so ripped off). Now I am just ticked off. Next time, I'll try Tom-Tom. (Or wait for a decent Iphone app.)