Vista Jumpmaster Accessory

[+BusBoy]

Garmin seems to be spending a ton of time adding this Jumpmaster accessory to the eTrex Vista. What's your opinion?

 

If you have no interest in it, please note what you would like to see.

[Cache Canucks]

I'm assuming (or at least would like to believe) that Garmin allocates its R&D resources IAW market studies and customer feedback. Based on that supposition, it would appear that there must be a demand (or a demonstrated potential demand) for this update. As for why Garmin doesn't address fixing/improving the Vista features that the vast majority of us use on a regular basis before delving into what is, at best, a functionality niche catering to a small minority of users (ie: 'Jumpmaster') is anyone's guess. Personally, I think Garmin may simply be trying to set themselves apart from the competition by offering something that nobody else has yet to ...that, and perhaps 'Jumpmaster' is a relatively easy 'Do' for them when compared to the more nitty gritty issues (like a *real* altimeter and waypoint averaging to name but two...).

 

"Don't die with your music still inside you..."

[+SecretSpy]

what's wrong with the altimeter?

 

LowlyWorm Says Gig 'em Aggies

[Cache Canucks]

quote:

---

Originally posted by SecretSpy & LowlyWorm:

"...what's wrong with the altimeter?..."

---

 

To borrow a quote from Anders in another thread:

 

"...The new GPS 76S, which is also equipped with a pressure sensor, has a more developed software for handling the information from this sensor. There you can tell it that you are actually on the same elevation (i.e. at standstill, or on the sea), so that it will know that every pressure change is due to the weather. Or you can let it assume that the pressure is the same, it's the elevation that changes. Actually, the Barometer pressure, which the Vista can report, is only correct directly after a calibration. As soon as the pressure changes, be it for any reason, the unit can't report the correct Barometer pressure until re-calibrated..."

 

"Don't die with your music still inside you..."

[+Alan2]

That's right. Blame Anders. Hey Anders. The Canadians are saying you Swedes don't think much of the Vista altimeter. Is that true?

 

 

Alan

[Cache Canucks]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Alan2:

"...That's right. Blame Anders. Hey Anders. The Canadians are saying you Swedes don't think much of the Vista altimeter. Is that true?..."

---

 

Heyyyyy, don't try to start somethin' here ...we northern countries stick together y'know!

 

"Don't die with your music still inside you..."

 

[This message was edited by Cache Canucks on September 25, 2002 at 07:10 PM.]

[Cache Canucks]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Alan2:

"...That's right. Blame Anders. Hey Anders. The Canadians are saying you Swedes don't think much of the Vista altimeter. Is that true?..."

---

 

Heyyyyy, don't try to start somethin' here ...we northern countries stick together y'know!

 

"Don't die with your music still inside you..."

 

[This message was edited by Cache Canucks on September 25, 2002 at 07:10 PM.]

[+apersson850]

Well, we Swedes don't think much of those living south of N 49º...

 

I just pointed out, in the text quoted by someone north of 49º that at Garmin, they obviously know how to make it better than it is in the Vista, or they would never have it working as it does in the 76S.

 

Assuming the different programmers (if they not even are the same, for the different units) do talk to each other, at least at coffee breaks, they ought to be able to spread words and ideas around.

 

But I assume it's these marketing guys, that want things they can show off (like Jumping Masters) but don't care too much about if the current users has found bugs that causes the time to go awry (What the heck, they've already bought their units?). Then you can figure out yourself what has priority.

 

I work in the same kind of environment myself, although we don't make GPS units, and have seen that the best programming work (i.e. most useful for the user) is usually done after a chat between field engineer (who actually has been working together with the customer) and programmer.

 

Unfortunately, in this case there are no engineers from Garmin sitting beside us users, to hear us muttering and swearing over their idiosyncrasies, so the marketing filter is bound to be in the way all the time.

 

The only thing we can do is to keep sending our wishes and comments to their mailboxes, and buy from the competitors (which probably are just as good) when we get a new unit.

 

Anders

[+apersson850]

Well, we Swedes don't think much of those living south of N 49º...

 

I just pointed out, in the text quoted by someone north of 49º that at Garmin, they obviously know how to make it better than it is in the Vista, or they would never have it working as it does in the 76S.

 

Assuming the different programmers (if they not even are the same, for the different units) do talk to each other, at least at coffee breaks, they ought to be able to spread words and ideas around.

 

But I assume it's these marketing guys, that want things they can show off (like Jumping Masters) but don't care too much about if the current users has found bugs that causes the time to go awry (What the heck, they've already bought their units?). Then you can figure out yourself what has priority.

 

I work in the same kind of environment myself, although we don't make GPS units, and have seen that the best programming work (i.e. most useful for the user) is usually done after a chat between field engineer (who actually has been working together with the customer) and programmer.

 

Unfortunately, in this case there are no engineers from Garmin sitting beside us users, to hear us muttering and swearing over their idiosyncrasies, so the marketing filter is bound to be in the way all the time.

 

The only thing we can do is to keep sending our wishes and comments to their mailboxes, and buy from the competitors (which probably are just as good) when we get a new unit.

 

Anders

[+SecretSpy]

Oh I see

 

LowlyWorm Says Gig 'em Aggies

[+raouljan]

Hey! Don't it SNOW that far north?

 

About Garmin engineers and Groundspeak...

I gotta believe that they know of and watch these boards... If they do not... someone should drop the hint

 

>Personally Responsible for the Recovery of .00217% of the Benchmark Database!<--watch this number!

[Cache Canucks]

Originally posted by Raouljan:

"...Hey! Don't it SNOW that far north?..."

 

Y'ep, there's nothin' quite like spending a nice July evening sitting in snowbank and sipping on a warm mug of seal oil with your trusty polar bear curled up at your feet...

[Cache Canucks]

Originally posted by Raouljan:

"...Hey! Don't it SNOW that far north?..."

 

Y'ep, there's nothin' quite like spending a nice July evening sitting in snowbank and sipping on a warm mug of seal oil with your trusty polar bear curled up at your feet...

[+Alan2]

I think you need to get out in the sun a little...

 

Alan

[+Alan2]

I think you need to get out in the sun a little...

 

Alan

[Kerry.]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Cache Canucks:

.... when compared to the more nitty gritty issues (like a *real* altimeter and waypoint averaging to name but two...).

---

 

waypoint averaging is a "nitty gritty issue"

 

Cheers, Kerry.

 

I never get lost everybody keeps telling me where to go

[Kerry.]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Cache Canucks:

.... when compared to the more nitty gritty issues (like a *real* altimeter and waypoint averaging to name but two...).

---

 

waypoint averaging is a "nitty gritty issue"

 

Cheers, Kerry.

 

I never get lost everybody keeps telling me where to go

[+apersson850]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Raouljan:

Hey! Don't it SNOW that far north?

---

 

Well, cars parked outside in the open did have ice on their windscreens this morning. But I've had that on the windscreen at this time of the year in Flagstaff, Arizona, too.

 

By the way, beware of the polar bear... I mean of Kerry, now he's gonna give you that mathematical mumbo-jumbo again, to proove that averaging on the average (!) is worse than the samples themselves...

 

Oops, were you listening, Kerry?

 

Anders

[+apersson850]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Raouljan:

Hey! Don't it SNOW that far north?

---

 

Well, cars parked outside in the open did have ice on their windscreens this morning. But I've had that on the windscreen at this time of the year in Flagstaff, Arizona, too.

 

By the way, beware of the polar bear... I mean of Kerry, now he's gonna give you that mathematical mumbo-jumbo again, to proove that averaging on the average (!) is worse than the samples themselves...

 

Oops, were you listening, Kerry?

 

Anders

[Kerry.]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Anders:

Oops, were you listening, Kerry?

 

Anders

---

 

NO only listen to every second word (on average)

 

Snow what's snow now if it snows here then we've got a problem

 

Cheers, Kerry.

 

I never get lost everybody keeps telling me where to go

[Kerry.]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Anders:

Oops, were you listening, Kerry?

 

Anders

---

 

NO only listen to every second word (on average)

 

Snow what's snow now if it snows here then we've got a problem

 

Cheers, Kerry.

 

I never get lost everybody keeps telling me where to go