Garmin lifetime map updates worth

The traffic ads are very small and not a problem. What map do you have now? If you're in North American and it isn't I have the latest map According to Garmin a new map will be available very soon as this version dates back to February. I've had the new LMT for about a month now, at first the ads were very annoying, to the point I asked Garmin how to get rid of them. They are part of the free traffic update program so the only way to get rid of them is to turn off the traffic feature.

The only plus side is they only appear when stopped. Not sure I'd opt for the free traffic next time I upgrade as it doesn't seem reliable enough. Larry loadingzone,I love my t and got it lifetime map updates sometime ago. The lifetime map I purchased, after a few months of availability I paid ninety something dollars for it. But if even if it seems much it paid itself off. There was a time not long ago when a map update would cost you seventy nine dollars for a DVD and that was a once a year update.

The routing seems to be more of your taste. I have the original Garmin nuvi. It works great except you have to pay for new maps and navigation. It would be rather annoying to buy a new device now only to have it start malfunctioning in a few months. Newer GPS devices will probably need better filtering and older devices are not going to be upgraded.

I have found it only a little more expensive to buy new with the Black Friday and Christmas deals. It is best to figure out what whistles and bells you can't live without then use that list for comparative shopping.

I have a new LMT and love it. It seems that people don't like the traffic ads, but they don't bother me. Never show up when I am navigating and don't block my use of the GPS. I've had my W for about 2yrs now. I just updated the map about a month ago and made sure I have the latest software update. I've had the itch to buy a newer unit but after reading reviews on various sites, I'm going to stick with my W. It does what I need and want it to do.

It has given me zero problems and works like new. I really can't justify buying a newer unit right now. If my W is still working 2yrs from now, I'll just update the map again I feel the same about mine. In fact, my original works just fine At first I thought I would hate them, but now barely notice them. Plus they only appear when stopped. Over the years people have upgraded there garmin gps units knowing what to expect with the traffic ads. Those that complain about the ads are new to the free traffic world and usually are the first ones to cry without actually doing a fare test run with there gps.

The ads were never annoying to the point you had to give up your gps unit and the ads never blocked any important information that was useful when they do show up.

I am new to the traffic thing altogether, the ads are annoying but I have gotten used to them, and they only appear when stopped, however on the the ad does pretty much covers the whole map, so if you're stopped at a red light and want to see what's ahead you need to click on the ad then close it to get back to the map.

I still like the , it's eons ahead of the old Street Pilot c and has more features then my Zumo, so I wouldn't give it up because of the ads. That said the traffic info itself is worthless. I was always a Garmin fan. I still think the TT graphics are bad compared to the Garmin graphics The TT, however, shines brightly on the routing which is typically the way I would go I am done with garmin after many years. Garmin continues to disappoint me with their software release glitches and the entirely weird routing at least locally.

The navigation features on my Droid for free, might I add are making my Garmin unit more dated every day. All it's really missing is the speed limit item that I love. I agree, my Droid is updated constantly and it's not free, but it is included in the package that you have no choice in buying. I think the phones are sadly overpriced but now that we have them it's practically impossible to imagine life without them.

My works better with firmware updates, much better than when I bought it 2 years back. Do I love it? Certainly now. Does it work? Sure, it does, takes me from point A to the next one. POI Factory even makes it a sweet deal for me with all the community involvement and files. Will I buy any "new" version of a GPSr at this point? I do not think so.

I have lifetime maps on the and I can always supplement that with the many, and admittedly, weaker GPS offerings on my cell phone.

It appears that newer versions of GPSrs are worse than prior versions. I can spare myself the headache and the drain on my wallet. Garmin is still worth it but I do not know by how much. Might be worth it to get a new Garmin, but I don't really like my TomTom units.

The batteries in them die even when the unit is off. Garmin batteries are far superior and last far longer. Actually you're right they don't cover the whole screen, but they do cover half of a map area of the screen. I have my unit set up so I am always traveling toward the top of the screen. The ad covers everything of the map, not the stats except my "vehicle" and a small portion of where I've already been. It's funny.

After 3 months of use of my LMT, I haven't seen a single traffic ad yet. I've always turned on traffic, despite the fact those traffic data are quite unreliable. As for Garmin Maps, the most critical drawback I see is that there's no option to avoid particular roads in the suggested route.

I've heard that this feature is there in nuvi series, but none of the others allow it. Added a LMT to supplant my old battery issues and so far no problems. Again, the ads only appear when you're stopped so not a huge problem AND since the traffic feature really isn't that good the ads go away altogether when you turn the traffic feature off it's not worth sending back as it is a good GPS, so far. The Nuvi does allow for avoidances that you can specify. Here's a day and night shot of one of the ADs.

Like I said I have the unit set up so my vehicle is always traveling toward the top of the screen. My very uneducated guess is that it won't be long before all your electronic gadgets come with a GPS chip making a separate unit for the car unnecessary. I have a and a Both are working fine, though the battery no longer holds charge. It's quick, easy, and cheap to put a new battery into the My old had a battery problem but I bought a battery online and installed it myself with very little time and effort involved.

There's a simple video on youtube that I followed. I don't have great vision or very good dexterity and I was able t make the swap easily.

I just realized why Garmin's map updates are so absurdly overpriced: They would rather sell new hardware than software. That's what most people do when faced with the absurdity of map update prices. They simply purchase a new unit, many times with lifetime maps included. You are assuming Garmin owns the data and does the maps. Step 4: Disconnect your device.

A product will be deemed to be out of service and its useful life to be ended if no updates have been downloaded for such product for a period of 24 months or more. These prices are for North America maps. Mar 18, Plus, there can be an extra charge for installation. For that much money, you could buy a very nice portable GPS unit with lifetime map and traffic updates. When new software is available, the Garmin Connect Mobile app automatically sends the update to your device.

When purchasing a nuMaps Lifetime subscription through Garmin Express, the subscription will automatically be activated to the device. The updated maps can be installed immediately on Garmin Express after the purchase process.

Devices that are preloaded with Lifetime maps do not need to be activated. Garmin offers a free software update that allows you to update maps for your Nuvi right from your computer. Garmin Express also includes handy tools to make life easier with your device.

This allows you to keep your device up to date without connecting it to a computer. Garmin Express connects to the Internet to download software, map updates, and downloadable content for Garmin devices. Internet connectivity and network connection issues can prevent Garmin Express from downloading this content.

Re: Are the Garmin map updates worth it? Yep, the lifetime update package is worth the price.