Delorme PN-40

[+COMC]

My son has a PN-40 and recently upgraded all his computers to MAC or Windows 7. The PN-40 will not connect to either upgrade. When he contacted Delorme about the problem he was told to upgrade to a PN-60 as they do not support the 40 anymore. He also added, can you believe this?, "or go to another company like Garmin". Well if that is their attitude, why would anyone buy a Delorme product? Sure, the PN-60 may work now, but what happens when newer operating systems come out and Delorme again say "tough Luck buddy". Beware before you make a purchase from them!

[+user13371]

I knew of the issue with Mac OS X 10.7 -- DeLorme has fixed it in firmware for the PN-60, and may or may not be able to do the same for older, discontinued PN-40.

 

But I haven't heard of any comparable issues with Windows 7. I wonder if I'm misreading COMC's remarkand the problem is really only with the Mac?

Edited November 20, 2011 by Portland Cyclist

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

Sure doesn't sound like the folks at Delorme that I have dealt with. Dunno what else to say.

[+Team CowboyPapa]

My laptop came with Windows 7 installed and has always connected with my PN-40. Possibly the problem is more of a result of the upgrade process. You might consider taking the PN-40 to a retailer such as Best Buy and asking them if you connect up to a Window 7 display model.

[+Indotguy]

There are two sides to every story and we only have one.

[DBV2]

So, does the Delorme PN-60 work with a Mac now or should I say work easily? Thanks!

 

I knew of the issue with Mac OS X 10.7 -- DeLorme has fixed it in firmware for the PN-60, and may or may not be able to do the same for older, discontinued PN-40.

 

But I haven't heard of any comparable issues with Windows 7. I wonder if I'm misreading COMC's remarkand the problem is really only with the Mac?

[+user13371]

DBV2, this answer involves some "buts"

 

"Easy" is a relative and subjective term.

 

But the more important part of the answer is yes, the PN-60 works with Mac OS X 10.7 (Lion) once you apply this firmware update to the GPS.

 

But going back to the OP's issue, a similar fix is not available for the PN-40.

 

But there was no word from DeLorme about it while they were working on the PN-60 fix, either. They're a taciturn bunch in Yarmouth.

 

Tune in later for the next installment.

Edited November 20, 2011 by Portland Cyclist

[+user13371]

...When he contacted Delorme about the problem he was told to upgrade to a PN-60 as they do not support the 40 anymore. He also added, can you believe this?, "or go to another company like Garmin"...

I don't work for DeLorme, but the more I think about it, the more that advice makes sense. Not sure if a company support rep could say it in a way to turn an unhappy customer into a happy one, but here's how I see it:

 

Consumer electronics advance so rapidly that lots of folks buy newer models and take it for granted. The PN-40 is a discontinued model, but can still get between $120-$150 in the used market. So upgrading to a PN-60 while passing the PN-40 along (either by resale or hand-me-down to a friend) may not be a bad idea.

 

As for the specific matter of Mac support, it's never been DeLorme's best selling point. Even the parts that do work, when they work, come nowhere near feature parity with their PC offerings -- because it's not DeLorme's product focus. I've often said the PN-series is good in a lot of ways -- but if seamless and continued Mac support is very important to you, you're better off with Garmin.

 

If DeLorme is now telling customers the same thing, I applaud them for their honesty.

 

...as an aside, I'm still curious if the OP's son really had a problem with both the Mac OOS X 10.7 and Windows 7 (as implied) or if this is strictly a Mac issue...

Edited November 21, 2011 by Portland Cyclist