Why is Wayfinder maps outdated or not updated?
 

I know a lot of people think that Wayfinder is great and all, but why are the maps so old? I would buy this product, but I can't seem to get myself to dish out good money for something that doesn't even have my home or street! I could be wrong, but is the subscription maps different than the ones I downloaded from Wayfinder?

I live in Canada and it doesn't seem like it's a priority to update the geography here. To make matters worst, I've just bought a Nokia N82 cell phone and I must say, this thing is excellent. I never owned a Symbian phone before, but it seems to be able to do everything the N810 can do and more except for the 800x480 screen resolution. The Maps application on the N82 is far superior to Wayfinder. It uses Tele Atlas maps and I must say it is up to date (within a year). I thought someone mentioned that Wayfinder uses the same map source as well, but it does not seem to be the case.

Is there a way to use the Tele Atlas maps from the N82 on the N810?

Some inputs please?:confused:

Re: Why is Wayfinder maps outdated or not updated?
 

Subscription maps are the ones that come with the device. I contacted Wayfinder to find out about the map updates and their support had no knowledge if and when updates would be available.

I think everybody interested in the navigation feature should contact Wayfinder and express their interest in the program and complain about the lack of map updates. Not much use complaining about it amongst ourselves.

Re: Why is Wayfinder maps outdated or not updated?
 

The maps are still from 2006, when Navicore was first released for the Nokia 770. Wayfinder uses Teleatlas maps but apparently they're not interested in keeping the maps up to date. :(

Re: Why is Wayfinder maps outdated or not updated?
 

I visited Sweden (Västra Götaland region) for a couple of days in late January and I decided to give the Wayfinder Maps application a test run using the 7 day test registration while driving around in a rental car (N800 + external SiRF III GPS Bluetooth receiver).

To be honest I'm less than thrilled after this test:

• Routing quality is mediocre at best: Driving a car I would prefer to get routed via streets which are broad enough and somehow paved, forest tracks suitable for walkers only are just not acceptable.
• At some crossroads the announced directions are just misleading (right vs. left).
• Wayfinder insists on "Please turn immediately" on 4 lane roads with separation or tries to navigate via unsuitable paths when driver deviates from initial navigation.
• Preannouncements and announcements in roundabouts are quite late.

I could live with somehow outdated maps, but it is not acceptable if I have to do navigation myself as Wayfinder insists on routes I can't take.

I wrote a detailed description of my findings / problems and passed this on to Wayfinder. It took several attempts to receive at least a feedback from them and they stated only, that they will have a look at it...

I think Wayfinder Maps could be a very useful application if it would be on par (regarding price, actuality, reliability) with standalone navigation systems available. Currently one can get standalone navigation systems (hardware, current maps, decent application) for significantly less than what Wayfinder asks just for the application with above mentioned shortcomings.

Best regards, Arnd

Re: Why is Wayfinder maps outdated or not updated?
 

What standalone navigation system can you buy for less than Wayfinder? I have one of the cheapest Garmins but it doesn't do routing or carry maps and still costs more than WF.
Incidentally, I don't know what mapping system TomTom uses but it regularly directs me up tracks and over rivers where no bridge exists!

Re: Why is Wayfinder maps outdated or not updated?
 

AFAIK Wayfinder charges 99 EUR for a 36 month licence and I would have to provide the hardware (N810 / N800+GPS mouse+car mount). There are currently several complete navigation systems readily available for 90 to 95 EUR (mostly using Navteq maps and Navigon software) and even the Garmin Nüvi 200 is available for 110 EUR.

If Wayfinder would provide decent maps and be on par with these entry level navigation systems, I would consider 50 EUR appropriate. In its current state I don't know whether I would buy it at all.

I also think, that an Internet Tablet is used differently for navigation purposes compared to standalone navigation systems: I would use my N800 when using a rental car or visiting places abroad because my N800 is always with me. A standalone navigation system is usually used more or less permanently mounted in ones private car, where I wouldn't use my N800.

Arnd

Re: Why is Wayfinder maps outdated or not updated?
 

The cheapest standalone GPS I can find in London is the Nuvi you mention. This is €120 at present exchange rates, so isn't cheaper than Wayfinder in the UK. I agree that I have already bought the IT but the GPS is just a convenient addition. I wouldn't have bought a standalone GPS.

I use my N810 in my vehicle, rented or not. Certainly in the UK, you'd be a mug to leave a GPS in a car!

The Nuvi in the UK only has UK mapping. Wayfinder covers Europe and the world within the price. That will be expensive to do on the Nuvi.

Mapwise, Wayfinder is as good, if no better than others (2) I've tried in the UK.

I'm not an advocate of Wayfinder, I just find it does what I need with no problems and is not particularly expensive for what it offers.

Re: Why is Wayfinder maps outdated or not updated?
 

I've got to agree that the WF maps are pathetically out of date - my three year (four maybe) old copy of TomTom mobile has more up to date maps than WF does -- though to be fair, WF doesn't try and send me round the wrong way around a roundabout (traffic circle! yeuch!) near my house.

Has anyone driven down the A1, one of the major routes up & down the country. It was changed and completed about 6 years ago, yet WF still tells me I'm driving over fields!

Re: Why is Wayfinder maps outdated or not updated?
 

I agree with Lemmy, here in the UK I've found the maps to be pretty up to date. Certainly more up to date than the old tomtom 5 maps I also have, and which themselves are more than adequate. SatNav combined with (gasp) an old-fashioned paper map will get you most places

Re: Why is Wayfinder maps outdated or not updated?
 

I just wrote the german support asking how you can tell when updated maps are available and how old the existing european maps are...

Re: Why is Wayfinder maps outdated or not updated?
 

Agreed. It's got maps for the oldest roads on our new estate, but hasn't got our road. maps.google.co.uk has only just got it, so I'm used to being off the radar (or, as the Wayfinder trial put it, "move closer to the road")

Re: Why is Wayfinder maps outdated or not updated?
 

I keep spamming Wayfinder support asking for information about an update for my N800. I live in Hungary, and the maps for the Central European area is just useless. It is more or less detailed for large towns, but has no info about smaller cities or villages. Also it doesn't know which are the toll roads. And yes, the maps are far outdated and full with mistakes.

A friend of mine showed his mobile with Wayfinder installed, and it was so good! The maps were up to date, and full with useful infos. I asked Wayfinder about it and they answered:

Oh yeah.. Will be updated. When??

Re: Why is Wayfinder maps outdated or not updated?
 

The more I read on this wayfinder stuff, the happer I am that I don't have it :-).

Can serve as a data point for the value of freeware, I guess :-).

Re: Why is Wayfinder maps outdated or not updated?
 

wayfinder worked great for me while driving all around Provence in France for 8 days over christmas, and works pretty well for me here at home in London too, although It does tend to try and direct me on the most congested route into central London when I drive in.

I certainly don't regret buying it, also, wayfinder was my excuse to my wife to let me buy the N800 tablet in the first place and I use it every day for bookreading/browsing/scheduling too :)

Re: Why is Wayfinder maps outdated or not updated?
 

Google Earth / Google Maps doesn't have US 14 from Waseca to Janesville, MN right. I suspect they don't publish often. 9 months ago I had a nice set of waypoints which looks weird going through cornfields.

Re: Why is Wayfinder maps outdated or not updated?
 

I have used wayfinder on my N75 and the implementation on that device seems miles ahead of that on the N810. The maps are better, the navigation seems to operate quicker, just a better all round experience. I also have Tom Tom on my mobile and this is far better than wayfinder, I'm hoping a better Navigation solution pops out the woodwork sometime.

Re: Why is Wayfinder maps outdated or not updated?
 

Any news about the updated maps? I'm feeling I have wasted my money...

Re: Why is Wayfinder maps outdated or not updated?
 

Well, it's said that there'll be an updated version with Diablo; I haven't tried it at all, as Maemo Mapper suits my needs well, and there's a couple other projects (zmapper and roadmap) that are on my tinkering list way before I get to that stuff. So I'm not even paying attention to see when the new version shows up.

Re: Why is Wayfinder maps outdated or not updated?
 

"Dear Sir
Thank you for contacting Wayfinder

The information about the Wayfinder maps being updated about four times a month apply to the Wayfinder Navigator Online-program, unfortunately not to the Navicore Personal for Internet Tablet or Wayfinder Navigator™ for Nokia Internet Tablet. At the moment, there are no map updates, but when there are, there will be information on it on our web site.

If you have any more questions, please don't hesitate to contact us again."

Re: Why is Wayfinder maps outdated or not updated?
 

As those who've seen my posts in the OS2008 board have seen, I've had nothing but issues with this.

See my last post here http://www.internettablettalk.com/fo...t=20669&page=2 for a reply I had from Navicore Support.

Re: Why is Wayfinder maps outdated or not updated?
 

The maps are so outdated its laughable driving around brooklyn, I constantly get sent to incorrect addresses.

Re: Why is Wayfinder maps outdated or not updated?
 

Does anyone know if it possible to copy the updated wayfinder maps from the N95 and use them on the N800?

It also seems the maps changed from the N770 Navigator to wayfinder since when I used Navigator it found addresses that Wayfinder says don't exist. Has anyone switched back to the N770 for Navigation? I have both tablets, so might try it.

Re: Why is Wayfinder maps outdated or not updated?
 

no no no

i downloaded the Middle East map and wanted my country iran but i couldn't found it

why?????????? :mad:

can they add my country? :confused:

are guys of wayfinder here???????? :cool:

Re: Why is Wayfinder maps outdated or not updated?
 

Nice! Missing a street is one thing, but an entire country? That takes some doing...

Re: Why is Wayfinder maps outdated or not updated?
 

Even better, they missed half continent, where is latin america???:mad:
At least they could use the navteq maps from the nseries phones, my brother's n80 has all the important and not so important cities from México.:rolleyes: I wish i could use that maps on my n800.

Re: Why is Wayfinder maps outdated or not updated?
 

and they missed a state in the us- hawaii
per an email from wayfinder they have no 'immediate' plans to add hawaii or for that matter any of the caribbean

Re: Why is Wayfinder maps outdated or not updated?
 

Try refreshing now. I see Hawaii in the new set of 2008.1 maps.

Re: Why is Wayfinder maps outdated or not updated?
 

Now there's México and Brazil, at least. I will wait for Argentina... sat down.

Re: Why is Wayfinder maps outdated or not updated?
 

Well, here's my 2 cents for the Wayfinder experience in Montreal, Canada.

My primary interest was to use the N810 as a GPS/music player in my car, so I needed a reliable program with navigation. Unfortunately, maemo mapper has huge gaps in my area – as in actual gray zones with no details around where I live (my whole suburban city is missing) and where I work. Since this is intended for work use, I really didn't want to develop GPS data while I'm lost trying to meet a client.

After using the 7 day trial, I found everything to be fine, despite a few bugs I could live with. So I bought the program. After further use I've experienced some additional troubles. So here is a list of the bugs I've encountered in what is supposedly a finished product. :

1. Highway information missing. During turn-by-turn navigation the upper left hand corner displays the street name of the next turn. This is fine insofar as you aren't turning on a Highway. What end up being displayed are two blank white rectangles followed by the name of the direction you are going (usually a city name). If I am exiting a highway, it will display the exit number alongside a single blank rectangle or just the exit number.


2. Incorrect street names. Whenever I navigate in my area, I've found that the main boulevard near my house is incorrectly named "AA Desroches Rue". I know it's actually named "des Sources Boulevard". In the 2 months I've been using Wayfinder, I've found over a dozen streets named AA Desroches (rue), some of which actually intersect each other. My guess is that that is the default name for any street the program does not know – split boulevards (two roads that are unconnected but still retain the same name), service roads, alleys and so on.



3. POIs, or the lack thereof. Apparently, in downtown Montreal, the second largest city in Canada, there are no gas stations, no hotels and no theaters. There are billions of WiFi Canada hotspots though, so that's a relief. At least I can go online to find out where all the gas stations and hotels went.


4. Speaking of downtown. Don’t follow the navigation downtown. It's generally right, but for some odd reason it keeps telling me to turn left, then right, then left again back onto the street I started on. It is really bizarre and seem to do it most on Parc Ave. So word to the wise, don’t buy if you live on the Plateau.

5. Customer support. Right. My first email received an almost instant response, not a robotic one, an actual response. They asked for license key info and screenshots of the problems. I have since sent 6 emails asking for follow ups and gotten nothing. I have sent emails with screenshots and emails without screenshots asking if their servers perhaps rejected the emails with screenshots. I've re-entered their online support form. All, to this day, to no avail.

There are many great features to this program. I generally have a good idea of what's going on and where I'm going, as long as I don't need to know the names or numbers of the Highways I need to get there. And now that I know there are no streets named AA Desroches (Rue), I can pretty well guess what the dulcet tones of my South African GPS really mean.

Just turn left when she says so, you'll probably get there.