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[ultrafxr]

Saw that Garmin just released City Navigator North America NT 2013.40 and I logged on to the Garmin site to do the update.  Garmin has a new program - Garmin Express - to manage the map updates and it told me I do not have enough internal memory on my RT Zumo 660 for the complete update.  Only options are to install update on micro SD card or install only some regions  Did not want to use the SD card because that is where I have music - and I had three SD cards full of music!  I determined that I could only fit some sections of the lower 49.  The entire lower 49 was till too big.

Using Windows Explorer I checked my Garmin device and determined that I had almost 1gb of internal storage available.  A call to Garmin confirmed that new map updates overwrite and update what is currently in the device.  And the new update was not much bigger that what was already in the device.  Logged on to the Zumo Forums website and found this link to download Garmins previous map update program.

http://download.garmin.com/lmu/GarminMapUpdater.exe

Ran the map update using this program and everything seems to be OK.  Got no indication of memory problem and after the update I still have almost 1gb of internal storage available.  This is Garmin at its best - which ain't worth a chit imo.  These folks seem not to have a clue about how their products are used.  Otherwise they might make their technology more user friendly.

[smkblwr]

Thanks for the heads up will be updating mine soon. but i still can't get it to update the harley store info update from last yr hahaha, gotta love the magic box.

[flhse]

That is good news, I just spent 45 min with Garmin support earlier, the only answer they could give me was send it back in for repair.  They don't have a clue.  I kept telling this guy it couldn't be that difficult, it works fine.

Got it downloading now. 

Thanks again.

Brad

[bissjim]

Had the same problem last week. Never did the update because I could not believe Garmin Support when they told me my 665 was bad and to send it in. You saved me some research on this problem.       Seams like evry time some one has some thing that works just fine they go ahead and break it.
 

jim@hdbomm.com

[FLSTFI Dave]

I have been having troubles on my MAC with the Garmin Express.  It will not down load the maps to my computer only the device.

You're post about finding a link to the previous map updater prompted me to look on Zumo forum as I could not find it on the Garmin site.

Sure enough I was able to find it in five minutes vice the hour with no luck on Garmin site.

Down loading it now, and will see it it works, it should map updater worked fine before express replaced it.

[porthole]

I have found Garmin's automatic update to not work very well, and sometimes very frustrating.

On many of the units there is the ability to do a manual update. You have to do some searching around to find it.
Then do the update in steps, e.g. update only your desktop, then your laptop if you also use that, then the GPS. Don't do them all at one time update.
And if you use a PC to do your routing you have to make sure the map version is exactly the same between PC and GPS

And the map updates have gotten so bloated the new problem is some GPS units cannot hold all the data and we are back to loading maps into "regions"

[ultrafxr]

I have been having troubles on my MAC with the Garmin Express.  It will not down load the maps to my computer only the device.
You're post about finding a link to the previous map updater prompted me to look on Zumo forum as I could not find it on the Garmin site.
Sure enough I was able to find it in five minutes vice the hour with no luck on Garmin site.
Down loading it now, and will see it it works, it should map updater worked fine before express replaced it.

Also learned in the Zumo Forums that Garmin in their infinite wisdom ( ) made a decision which they did not announce.  That is if using their new Garmin Express and your device has sufficient internal memory for the update - then the option to download to your computer is not available!  Almost unbelievable.  The explanation Garmin gave was that you can use Base Camp and don't need to have the maps on your computer.  Base Camp will retrieve the maps from the device.  Two BIG problems here.  1) In spite of Map Source's idiosyncrasies I really despise Base Camp.  2) Retrieving the maps from the device is extremely slow, and you'll have to do it every time you want to use Base Camp on your computer.

I'm beginning to think that Garmin and the moco share the same senior management and customer service philosophy.  

[9 1/2 Beers]

 Thank you Jerry

 I was going nuts, I will try this tonight  

 Marty

[ultrafxr]

Thank you Jerry

 I was going nuts, I will try this tonight  

 Marty

Sure Marty.  Just hope the 'old' way of updating continues to work.  If Garmin does something that makes us use their 'new and improved updating procedure via Garmin Express' I guess we are done for.  As cheap as memory/storage is these days it is ridiculous that Garmin's cannot insure that their current premier device can handle their maps.  I wish there were some good alternative but unfortunately I've not found one.

[ultrafxr]

Had the same problem last week. Never did the update because I could not believe Garmin Support when they told me my 665 was bad and to send it in. You saved me some research on this problem.       Seams like evry time some one has some thing that works just fine they go ahead and break it.
 

jim@hdbomm.com

True that.

[porthole]

If you look into the whole map updating scenario you will find very little in the way of actual map updates. In my granted, "non scientific analysis" I have found it takes about 10 years for actual streets to be added to the map database. Most of the updates has to do with POI's and extraneous info that is really not needed in this day with smart phones.

[FLSTFI Dave]

Also learned in the Zumo Forums that Garmin in their infinite wisdom ( ) made a decision which they did not announce.  That is if using their new Garmin Express and your device has sufficient internal memory for the update - then the option to download to your computer is not available!  Almost unbelievable.  The explanation Garmin gave was that you can use Base Camp and don't need to have the maps on your computer.  Base Camp will retrieve the maps from the device.  Two BIG problems here.  1) In spite of Map Source's idiosyncrasies I really despise Base Camp.  2) Retrieving the maps from the device is extremely slow, and you'll have to do it every time you want to use Base Camp on your computer.

I'm beginning to think that Garmin and the moco share the same senior management and customer service philosophy.  

I also really despise Base Camp, and now that is the only choice for MAC users that Garmin still supports.  And your correct it takes for ever to load maps from the device to base camp. 

I paid for life time maps, should be able to have them on both my computer and device.

[FLSTFI Dave]

If you look into the whole map updating scenario you will find very little in the way of actual map updates. In my granted, "non scientific analysis" I have found it takes about 10 years for actual streets to be added to the map database. Most of the updates has to do with POI's and extraneous info that is really not needed in this day with smart phones.

Took seven years from my first e-mail about it routing up up a private dead end to get to my house, 2 miles long before you get to the end, no place to turn a motor home around.  Now gps will take you to my home.  My street has been there 10 years before I sent the emails about the wrong directions, and not showing my street.  Sent it all the proper NavTec way.

[grc]

It's not all that different from many other electronics items these days, including the computers most of us use every day.  There was a time not all that long ago when coders worked to make their code efficient and some would even say "elegant".  Now we have bloated software for everything, since no one seems to think efficient and elegant code is necessary with all the relatively cheap memory and processing power available.  If you want examples, consider the bloatware Microsoft puts out these days, or compare the earlier versions of Adobe Reader to the POS they distribute now. 

It's a never ending process.  New bloated software is developed, so new hardware is then developed to use the new software, then the software is further bloated so new hardware has to be developed, ad infinitum.  It's how they keep people buying new stuff even though the old stuff really isn't old yet and works just fine.  Ever heard of planned obsolescence?  In the case of Garmin, the devices tend to last a long time so the best way to get you to buy new ones is to make it difficult or impossible to upgrade the old units.  Then you have Apple.  Buy an I-pod and they make sure you will have to buy another in a few years because the batteries are not user replaceable (not easily anyway).  And of course these days the big thing is the "new and improved" smart phones that come out every six months to keep those who must always have the latest and supposedly greatest constantly standing in lines to pay way too much for another soon to be outdated piece of hardware. 

Jerry

[ultrafxr]

Right you are Jerry.  Likewise the proliferation of things that are forced on us from various websites necessitate a never ending quest for faster and faster internet connections.  I have the fastest connection I've ever had yet sometimes various web pages take quite a while to load just because of all the graphics and of course the ads that are oh so conveniently placed. 

Jerry