Old and outdated maps...or are they?

[+Rockin Roddy]

After washing the bad taste from my mouth due to a recent posting, I thought I'd ask a simple question here and see what is what. Some say DeLorme's maps are just as my title says...old and outdated. Well, I remember an email from my friends at DeLorme saying they had new maps out. I can't find the email, I might have accidentally deleted it, but maybe other DeLorme owners received it and can answer this question.

 

Can those new maps be loaded onto the PNs and would they be a better choice over the newly released T8? (I seem to recall the email saying they would work on the PNs, but could be mistaken)

 

Please honest and informative posts here only? I'm asking a true question and don't need more "fair and balanced research" posted...

[+user13371]

This would probably be better to research on DeLorme's forums. You'll sample a wider number of DeLorme users input.

[Braff-n-MandaRue]

Maybe they are only partially outdated.

 

DeLorme is one of the very few maps that shows the road I live on. It's near a bigger rural airport, and the road has been here a while. At least 10 years, maybe longer.

 

Other maps, such as those used by Garmin, still do not have this road listed, even in the latest updates. So, my Nuvi can not truly drive me home, or use my home point to calculate from without some trouble.

 

So, DeLorme may be more outdated in other areas, but in mine they are actually more up to date than most everyone else.

[+Rockin Roddy]

Maybe they are only partially outdated.

 

DeLorme is one of the very few maps that shows the road I live on. It's near a bigger rural airport, and the road has been here a while. At least 10 years, maybe longer.

 

Other maps, such as those used by Garmin, still do not have this road listed, even in the latest updates. So, my Nuvi can not truly drive me home, or use my home point to calculate from without some trouble.

 

So, DeLorme may be more outdated in other areas, but in mine they are actually more up to date than most everyone else.

 

Good to know, THANKS! I suspect the area I'm in is fairly recently updated as well, I certainly don't see the problems Searching Utah has reported.

 

I still wonder though, if the new maps I received an email about are usable in the PNs. Anyone?

[robertlipe]

The problem with this "poll" is that it is hard to get a decent sample size. I'm sure that any given product will "win" in some area. Sitting in my house (so we can go ahead and start the argument that :you don't need a GPS in your front yard" now....) the detailed maps from Delorme T8 show they're clearly the free USGS Tiger data where the developer of my subdivision registered intention to build roads before '95 and not where the roads are actually built. They even contain a typo found in the Tiger data set. (Like much of the world, I quit caring about Tiger a long time ago, so I don't know if it's better in later data sets.)

 

Both City Navigator 2010 and Topo 8 (each released this year) contain a major road that was extended and opened about 3 years ago.

 

The difference in the POI database is huge. If I compare restaurants within six miles, it's 8 vs. 19. (Yes, all those places actually exist and really are places to eat.) Inside the cities I've checked, the difference is even more dramatic.

 

It's my experience in the places I've driven that the Navteq maps are simply more complete thatn Delorme's for a traveler. I totally get the economics of having the topo *and* driving maps included. I totally get the point of aerial imagery and the power of being able to upload quads is a huge advantage. So "better" depends on your need. If you're lost in the mountains and have only what came with your GPS I'd recommend a different product than if you're trying to find a cheeseburger on the way home.

 

I'm not buying that a map company inherently has better maps. Delorme is a private company, so we don't really know how big they are. Navteq, the data provider used by most of the GPS companies was sold to Nokia about two years ago for $8Bn. I know that size doesn't equate to cluefulness, either, but I think that for urban mapping they're just plain outgunned.

[+Team CowboyPapa]

 

The difference in the POI database is huge. If I compare restaurants within six miles, it's 8 vs. 19. (Yes, all those places actually exist and really are places to eat.) Inside the cities I've checked, the difference is even more dramatic.

 

Hey, this is really true.

The three closest KFCs to my house are gone.

The three closest Texacos are closed or Shells.

The Ramada in is now a Days Inn.

 

It's impossible to keep up.

 

My Jeep is now 3 years old and a new map/POI DVD would be a $100.

[+Rockin Roddy]

The problem with this "poll" is that it is hard to get a decent sample size. I'm sure that any given product will "win" in some area. Sitting in my house (so we can go ahead and start the argument that :you don't need a GPS in your front yard" now....) the detailed maps from Delorme T8 show they're clearly the free USGS Tiger data where the developer of my subdivision registered intention to build roads before '95 and not where the roads are actually built. They even contain a typo found in the Tiger data set. (Like much of the world, I quit caring about Tiger a long time ago, so I don't know if it's better in later data sets.)

 

Both City Navigator 2010 and Topo 8 (each released this year) contain a major road that was extended and opened about 3 years ago.

 

The difference in the POI database is huge. If I compare restaurants within six miles, it's 8 vs. 19. (Yes, all those places actually exist and really are places to eat.) Inside the cities I've checked, the difference is even more dramatic.

 

It's my experience in the places I've driven that the Navteq maps are simply more complete thatn Delorme's for a traveler. I totally get the economics of having the topo *and* driving maps included. I totally get the point of aerial imagery and the power of being able to upload quads is a huge advantage. So "better" depends on your need. If you're lost in the mountains and have only what came with your GPS I'd recommend a different product than if you're trying to find a cheeseburger on the way home.

 

I'm not buying that a map company inherently has better maps. Delorme is a private company, so we don't really know how big they are. Navteq, the data provider used by most of the GPS companies was sold to Nokia about two years ago for $8Bn. I know that size doesn't equate to cluefulness, either, but I think that for urban mapping they're just plain outgunned.

 

As usual, in the wrong business....

 

I'm not actually comparing maps or which company has better what, I'm more interested in how old the maps of DeLorme might be (which you kind of answered with your 3 year old road comment). Three years or less is what it would appear for your area. I've noticed about the same for my area...

 

I still haven't found the email or any info on the new maps, so maybe I'll ask this question again in the DeLorme forums.

[+user13371]

Ah... you're really asking a few different questions, and everyone seems to be commenting on the first one only.

 

1) Are the maps in DeLorme Topo 8 old and outdated? Yes, to a degree -- so are every company's maps. Whether DeLorme is any better or worse than NavTeq, TeleAtlas, etc is subject to debate.

 

2) What are DeLorme's "new maps?" Any better? Usable on the PN-40? You're probably referring to Street Atlas 2010, released within the past month. Product info page is here:

 

http://shop.delorme.com/OA_HTML/DELibeCCtp...p?section=10121

 

And the discussion forum is here:

 

http://forums.delorme.com/viewforum.php?f=144

 

It doesn't look like it can cut maps to load on to the GPS. It can be used on a laptop for tracking if you connect a GPS to the computer. Great for truckers & traveling salesmen, not so much for geocaching.

 

The actual map and POI data is likely drawn from the same data base, so any differences between Topo 8 v Street Atlas data will be slight. The big difference between these packages is target audience, how they're meant to be used.

 

Hope that gets you closer to the information you were looking for.

Edited September 24, 2009 by lee_rimar

[+Redwoods Mtn Biker]

I agree; I believe the new release is Street Atlas. I assume that new data from Street Atlas gets transferred over to new versions of Topo USA. Do they update Topo USA between major releases (v7, v8, etc.)?

 

This is purely anecdotal, but my impression is that NAVTEQ data is better than Tele Atlas in rural areas. But I wonder if DeLorme's is even better due to their commitment to their paper gazeteers. That would be a very difficult proposition to test though.

[snowfleurys]

... they're clearly the free USGS Tiger data ...

Impossible. There is no such animal. The Tiger files are a Census Bureau product, not USGS.

I agree DeLorme uses Tiger road/street data - in my local area a few versions back, their new version changed some correctly shown roads to incorrectly as shown in the then current Tiger files.

Census Bureau finished a multiyear realignment of the data last year, so the positions are much more accurate then previously, although I can find numerous small errors in what exists and where it is - plus the usual attribute coding errors.

[+user13371]

Do they update Topo USA between major releases (v7, v8, etc.)?

That's a very good question - and again, one that might be better to ask over on DeLorme's forums.

 

I guess it could be done through the "NetLink" system they use for delivering other map types and aerial images -- but I don't think they do that yet.

Edited September 24, 2009 by lee_rimar

[+user13371]

(deleted)

Edited September 24, 2009 by lee_rimar

[robertlipe]

He's right. I originally typed just 'Tiger" and then it occurred to me that some people may not know what that was, so I went back and added the department for clarification. I just added the wrong one.

[+snow_rules]

It doesn't look like it can cut maps to load on to the GPS. It can be used on a laptop for tracking if you connect a GPS to the computer. Great for truckers & traveling salesmen, not so much for geocaching.

 

I think if you have T8 or Xmap you can upload the new maps to the PN device. You would just need to tell Xmap or T8 to use the new SA data instead of the data.

[+Indotguy]

Forgive me for straying from the original thread, but how would it be possible for any map provider, digital or otherwise, to provide completely current and up to date maps for all locations? Maps are outdated and incorrect somewhere even before they are published.

[+Rockin Roddy]

It doesn't look like it can cut maps to load on to the GPS. It can be used on a laptop for tracking if you connect a GPS to the computer. Great for truckers & traveling salesmen, not so much for geocaching.

 

I think if you have T8 or Xmap you can upload the new maps to the PN device. You would just need to tell Xmap or T8 to use the new SA data instead of the data.

 

I thought this myself and even see where the info says you can use the product with the PN series. If this is correct, then the outdated map info some have complained about seems to be able to be updated unlike reported? In other words, I believe the new map software is the update to those base maps some omplain are innaccurate. I may be mistaken though...

 

Might just have to save my pennies and try to make the purchase to find out for certain. If it won't work as planed, I will still have use since I am looking into a laptop...