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OSI Trailmasterq

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  • 02-01-2008 5:39pm
    #1
    PDD
    Registered Users Posts: 1,019 ✭✭✭


    Hi Folks,

    I was just wondering if anyone here has bought and used Trail Master from OSI? If they have how do they find it?

    The website is a bit unclear about its abilities and I was hoping to use it for a detailed street map of my local area.

    Dave


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    #2
    Alun
    Registered Users Posts: 21,436 ✭✭✭✭Alun


    PDD wrote: »
    I was just wondering if anyone here has bought and used Trail Master from OSI? If they have how do they find it?
    I have it and found it a bit kludgey to use personally.
    The website is a bit unclear about its abilities and I was hoping to use it for a detailed street map of my local area.
    It's only the same mapping as used on the OSi 1:50k maps, so wouldn't be much use for that to be honest .. it's more meant as a tool for outdoor people, hikers etc.


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    #3
    fenris
    Registered Users Posts: 3,078 ✭✭✭fenris


    It is a pain to install due to the copy protection and the need to contact OSI for new licencing if you change any part of your PC. After nearly a month of emails following a PC upgrade I just gave up.

    The software is just not really worth the effort, it is a shame as there are so many other countries that have managed to do this right, but we probably paid a fortune for a system that you would fail a first year student for producing!

    Google maps will probably do as well or one of the Garmin or Tom Tom packages for the same price as the OSI trailmaster


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    #4
    Alun
    Registered Users Posts: 21,436 ✭✭✭✭Alun


    fenris wrote: »
    It is a pain to install due to the copy protection and the need to contact OSI for new licencing if you change any part of your PC. After nearly a month of emails following a PC upgrade I just gave up.

    The software is just not really worth the effort, it is a shame as there are so many other countries that have managed to do this right, but we probably paid a fortune for a system that you would fail a first year student for producing!
    I didn't have any problems with the copy-protection, although the description of how to install it was just rubbish and it took several attempts to get it right. I re-installed my PC a while back (for an unconnected reason) and just didn't bother re-installing it. My main gripes are usability ones .. the thing just doesn't 'feel' right to me.

    They'd have been better off releasing the maps in a format suitable for use in one of the existing commercial mapping packages such as MemoryMap or Anquet and not try to reinvent the wheel. The software is written by a fairly reputable Belgian company who have lots of expertise in commercial GIS systems, but clearly no experience of writing software for this kind of application, and certainly not as a consumer oriented product. It's a shame really.


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    #5
    cavedave
    Registered Users Posts: 2,164 ✭✭✭cavedave


    From Wikipedia
    OSi is now an autonomous agency, with a remit to cover its costs of operation from its sales of data and derived products, which has, as with the Ordnance Survey in the UK, sometimes raised concerns about the mixing of public responsibilities with commercial imperatives.

    So who pays for the surveying? And what does the tax payer get out of it if they contribute? It is pretty sad if we pay for it then have to rely on google maps because the OSI maps are DRMed out of all usefullness.


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    #6
    Krusty_Clown
    Registered Users Posts: 19,502 ✭✭✭✭Krusty_Clown


    cavedave wrote: »
    So who pays for the surveying? And what does the tax payer get out of it if they contribute? It is pretty sad if we pay for it then have to rely on google maps because the OSI maps are DRMed out of all usefullness.
    Yep, it's an age-old cry.. It's akin to funding an agency like the Citizens Information Board, and then having to pay to get any advice from them.

    I can understand why commercial use of the data should exact a premium, but not individual public usage of the data. Also, wouldn't they realize a greater return from the Trailmaster product if they sold it cheaper (greater volume of sales)? The license fees from that Belgian company must be pretty extortionate.


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