City Select Upgrade by Garmin

[Alphawolf]

I recently received the notice of a major upgrade to City Select (it needed it!) However, I'm confused. I originaly unlocked only the one area that came with it. They are offering a reduced rate to me to upgrade to the new version. They say I can only unlock the whole country if I originaly unlocked the whole country. I would like to upgrade **and** unlock the whole country. Will they not let me do this? Anyone else looked into this? If City Select will now have the rural detail that MetroGuide has, then I want it all unlocked. The big problem with City Select has been it's lack of detail in rural areas. If I get the jest of the upgrade to City Select, I am guessing it will make MetroGuide pretty much useless on my V.

 

[+Gimpy]

Do you mean to tell me, that after I shelled out the bucks for the City Select whole country unlock code a few months ago, they now want to charge me $100.00 to make it a decent mapping program??? Say it aint' so. City Select has been pretty much useless in rural areas. But $100.00 to upgrade it?

 

[+Gimpy]

Do you mean to tell me, that after I shelled out the bucks for the City Select whole country unlock code a few months ago, they now want to charge me $100.00 to make it a decent mapping program??? Say it aint' so. City Select has been pretty much useless in rural areas. But $100.00 to upgrade it?

 

[pdumas]

Metroguide is better than City Select I have both for my gps v & streetlpilot III & metroguide cover most areas. City Select leaves out data, I really out of a lot of cash for it.

[pdumas]

Metroguide is better than City Select I have both for my gps v & streetlpilot III & metroguide cover most areas. City Select leaves out data, I really out of a lot of cash for it.

[Alphawolf]

quote:

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Metroguide is better than City Select

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Well....It might be better right now, then only in rural areas, but I am thinking that after this upgrade it won't be. My understanding is that the "new" version of City Select will be even better than the Metroguide, as far as having lots of points of interest, even in the rural areas that it never touched before.

 

[+Renegade Knight]

In a nutshell the Citycelect unlock codes are a crock of ****. They ship you the entire country in your CD Pack, then make you pay extra to use it outside of your original area. That is annoying enough since I live near the edge of a zone. (Idaho/Utah). But NOOOOO they have to further complicate things by having updates and variations on how to best use your codes and updates or you will shoot yourself in the foot. Not only that but this update comes out within two months of when I got the software to begin with.

 

They make it sound like you pay for the update disk, then you pay to unlock your updated area with a special bonus if you unlock everything at the time of upgrade. But I'm not sure. I've hired a team of lawyers to look at all the ramifications of actually trying to buy the software for real world use. The KISS principal does not apply to CitySelect.

 

Sorry for the rant.

[+ROCKY]

This is my understanding of the City Select upgrade being offered by Garmin. There is a new City Select CD, which you can order right now for shipment to you at a later date. This CD is free of charge. If you bought your V after April 22nd you upgrade to what ever you have now free of charge. If like most of us you purchased before April 22nd it will be $50 per map area, including the one area you got with the purchase of the V, unless you already purchased the all unlock then it will be $100 for the same with the new CD. The coverage sounds much better, it will be interesting to see how it compares to Metroguide 4.01, which still may be a better way to go to get the whole country without additional fees.

[+Gimpy]

I've just e-mailed Garmin sales/support & informed them,quite abruptly,of what I think of them wanting to charge me an additional $100.00, (on top of the $100.00 I paid for the whole country unlock code)for this update. They had to know the stuff was inferior 2 1/2 months ago when I bought it, or they would not have been working on the update. In my opinion,the update will probably bring the software up to what it was originally marketed as. In the past year, I've purchased in excess of $2,000.00 worth of Garmin product, & they'll not get another dime from me.

 

"Gimpy"

[+Gimpy]

I've just e-mailed Garmin sales/support & informed them,quite abruptly,of what I think of them wanting to charge me an additional $100.00, (on top of the $100.00 I paid for the whole country unlock code)for this update. They had to know the stuff was inferior 2 1/2 months ago when I bought it, or they would not have been working on the update. In my opinion,the update will probably bring the software up to what it was originally marketed as. In the past year, I've purchased in excess of $2,000.00 worth of Garmin product, & they'll not get another dime from me.

 

"Gimpy"

[+TresOkies]

I have City Navigator because it came with my StreetPilot III and it also came with an unlock code. It was pretty useless outside major metro areas. IMHO, I would ditch CitySelect and get MetroGuide.

 

I upgraded my MetroGuide a few months ago and it was worth the cost. MetroGuide USA (aka MetroGuide 4.0) now includes routing information so you can use it with a Garmin V, StreetPilot III, as well as non-routing units like the eTrex and eMap. The level of detail for non-metropolitan roads is excellent. It shows old oil-field roads and single-track farm roads that aren't on some of my topos.

 

-E

 

--

N35°32.981 W98°34.631

[pdumas]

I agree with TresOkies 100%, I found metro works better on my streetpilot III & and gos V.

[+Plank]

No one can really argue what software is better at this point until the update cd is released and reviewed. Since my city, Monroe LA, is not presently covered by CitySelect and I assume it will on the new update, I will gladly pay my fifty bucks.

[hwhaler]

i agree with plank, it's best to wait and see. i was on the verge of buying metroguide until i found out about the new city select. here's my situation-- i have the older version of city select purchased prior to april, so i don't get the free upgrade. i also only have a single region unlock.

 

i have exchanged several emails with garmin, and here's the scoop. even with a single region unlock for the old version, you can upgrade to the new version for the whole country for $100. which is actually cheaper than metroguide at ~$119. so i'm waiting until the new version of city select ships (end of june) when they said they will update the online map viewer with the new version.

 

i have several rural areas that i will investigate under the new city select and see if it's as good as metroguide. then i'll make my decision.

 

city select still doesn't have alaska data, but i just went there in 2000, so i probably won't be back for a while.

[hwhaler]

i agree with plank, it's best to wait and see. i was on the verge of buying metroguide until i found out about the new city select. here's my situation-- i have the older version of city select purchased prior to april, so i don't get the free upgrade. i also only have a single region unlock.

 

i have exchanged several emails with garmin, and here's the scoop. even with a single region unlock for the old version, you can upgrade to the new version for the whole country for $100. which is actually cheaper than metroguide at ~$119. so i'm waiting until the new version of city select ships (end of june) when they said they will update the online map viewer with the new version.

 

i have several rural areas that i will investigate under the new city select and see if it's as good as metroguide. then i'll make my decision.

 

city select still doesn't have alaska data, but i just went there in 2000, so i probably won't be back for a while.

[GS GLR Pilot]

It is definitely a good idea to withhold judgment on this until the new CN/CS product is released. In the long run CN/CS will be the best street map product Garmin sells, but as we know the current version is nearly useless outside of the major metro areas it supports. However, the update is supposed to provide full detail for the entire continental US. Indeed, the most recent version of MG USA was supposedly brought out as a stop gap until the new CN/CS was ready, which implies that the updated CN/CS product will be superior to MG USA.

[+Gimpy]

quote:

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Originally posted by GS GLR Pilot:

It is definitely a good idea to withhold judgment on this until the new CN/CS product is released. In the long run CN/CS will be the best street map product Garmin sells, but as we know the current version is nearly useless outside of the major metro areas it supports. However, the update is supposed to provide full detail for the entire continental US. Indeed, the most recent version of MG USA was supposedly brought out as a stop gap until the new CN/CS was ready, which implies that the updated CN/CS product will be superior to MG USA.

---

 

But.

In your opinion, is there anything they can do to this mapping program to make it worth $200.00??

 

"Gimpy"

[+Gimpy]

quote:

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Originally posted by GS GLR Pilot:

It is definitely a good idea to withhold judgment on this until the new CN/CS product is released. In the long run CN/CS will be the best street map product Garmin sells, but as we know the current version is nearly useless outside of the major metro areas it supports. However, the update is supposed to provide full detail for the entire continental US. Indeed, the most recent version of MG USA was supposedly brought out as a stop gap until the new CN/CS was ready, which implies that the updated CN/CS product will be superior to MG USA.

---

 

But.

In your opinion, is there anything they can do to this mapping program to make it worth $200.00??

 

"Gimpy"

[eagleeye]

I bought my GPS V and realized that the City Select wasn't adequate outside the bigger cities so I just bought the Metroguide and now I find out they have a new City Select. I really feel I am being jerked around. The maps aren't cheap so I will stay with what I have and then maybe a couple of years when I get a new GPS I will get the proper maps then.

[NetDep]

I must agree with Gimpy and others on this one. After getting the "high speed, low drag" Garmin V with an interest in Geocaching - I found myself at a loss. Now with the "improved" CD on the way I paid for additional unlock codes that do not work!! I wrote Garmin a note that they could use for tinder...not at all happy. Willing to pay for quality - but not for some value DIMINISHED product - with upgrades. Similar to the Palm m505 I bought - then the IMPROVED m515 came out just after...when will I LEARN?!?! Thanks for letting me post - play nice and be safe...

[+sbukosky]

I think Garmin's upgrade policy is not good. I've put a lot of money into my eMap and an outdated Metroguide. I was ready to order a V today but won't until this new software deal is straightend out. I don't like buying something but then finding out that it isn't what you expect. Such is the Metroguide I paid my $120 plus for.

 

Steve Bukosky N9BGH

Waukesha Wisconsin

[+worldtraveler]

I've been a Garmin customer since 1999 and have purchased Worldmap, U.S. Roads & Rec, City Select (with the GPS V), and Metroguide USA 4.xx. I agree that the software is very expensive, but let's be fair. You can "test drive" all of their cartography products here before shelling out any money; so uninformed purchases are a matter of choice, not deception.

 

I also don't like the unlock codes, but I doubt Garmin would have gone to the expense of developing them if they hadn't seen sales of their unprotected software drop dramatically after CD burners became available to the public.

 

But the execs at Garmin should also be smart enough to realize their continued profitability depends in large part on the good will and continued loyalty of their current customer base. I certainly will not pre-order the new CS; and I'm considering writing a letter to them to let them know I will encourage boycotting the product until/unless they adjust their upgrade pricing structure. Personally, I'd like to see something along the lines of:

1. FREE upgrade for those who've registered within the past 2 (?) months

2. $10/$25 (single DCA/all DCAs) for those who registered 3-4 months ago

3. $20/$35 for those who registered >4 months ago.

 

After all, I've only owned the "old" CS for 7 months, and I paid well over $100 for it. I can easily get by with that and my MetroGuide USA (another $100+) for a few more years if the update cost remains exorbitant. If we could get the weight of geocaching.com thrown in, they may really take it seriously.

 

Jeremy?

 

Worldtraveler

[The Artful Dodger]

quote:

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Originally posted by worldtraveler:

After all, I've only owned the "old" CS for 7 months, and I paid well over $100 for it. I can easily get by with that and my MetroGuide USA (another $100+) for a few more years if the update cost remains exorbitant. If we could get the weight of geocaching.com thrown in, they may really take it seriously.

 

Jeremy?

 

Worldtraveler

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AS Jeremy once said in response to why Garmin don't advertise on Geocaching.com...Garmin have a captive market in us geocachers. There isn't much competition out there. IMHO , they won't cave into demands by the geocaching community...

 

[The Artful Dodger]

quote:

---

Originally posted by worldtraveler:

After all, I've only owned the "old" CS for 7 months, and I paid well over $100 for it. I can easily get by with that and my MetroGuide USA (another $100+) for a few more years if the update cost remains exorbitant. If we could get the weight of geocaching.com thrown in, they may really take it seriously.

 

Jeremy?

 

Worldtraveler

---

 

AS Jeremy once said in response to why Garmin don't advertise on Geocaching.com...Garmin have a captive market in us geocachers. There isn't much competition out there. IMHO , they won't cave into demands by the geocaching community...