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Impressed with Garmin Express

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  • 04-03-2013 8:32pm
    #1
    eirman
    Registered Users Posts: 987 ✭✭✭


    I'm quite impressed with Garmin Express.

    > Easy updates of Maps, languages, firmware etc.
    > Useful backup of POIs & Favs .... or copy to other devices.
    > Easy addition/removal of European regions to an SD card. (DEVICE > REINSTALL > Change Coverage)


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    #2
    Alun
    Registered Users Posts: 21,421 ✭✭✭✭Alun


    eirman wrote: »
    I'm quite impressed with Garmin Express.

    > Easy updates of Maps, languages, firmware etc.
    > Useful backup/copying of POIs & Favs
    > Easy addition/removal of European regions to a SD card. (DEVICE > REINSTALL > Change Coverage)
    Hmmm, couldn't find that option when I was looking for it, but looking under "Reinstall" is hardly intuitive is it?


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    #3
    eirman
    Registered Users Posts: 987 ✭✭✭eirman


    Alun wrote: »
    Hmmm, couldn't find that option when I was looking for it, but looking under "Reinstall" is hardly intuitive is it?

    Less nesting of menus and something like RE-INSTALL MAPS would be more intuitive. I knew you had missed it when I saw your post in garmin update thread, which is why I gave > > directions.


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    #4
    CrowdedHouse
    Registered Users Posts: 6,806 ✭✭✭CrowdedHouse


    Seemed to guzzle about 10 gigs of space of my hard drive, the old one would remove the space used when finished

    Seven Worlds will Collide



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    #5
    Alun
    Registered Users Posts: 21,421 ✭✭✭✭Alun


    eirman wrote: »
    Less nesting of menus and something like RE-INSTALL MAPS would be more intuitive. I knew you had missed it when I saw your post in garmin update thread, which is why I gave > > directions.
    RE-INSTALL MAPS isn't intuitive either .. I don't want to RE-install anything, jut install them. Why not just give the option to customize the installation just like MapUpdater does.

    Anyway, I can't test at the moment as the wife has taken my nuvi with her, but I'll give it a go when she gets back. Something seems to have removed my BaseCamp installation in the process too.


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    #6
    PaulDalyRoI
    Registered Users Posts: 43 ✭PaulDalyRoI


    Hi folks,

    I stumbled onto this thread while trying to update my Garmin Nuvi using the new Garmin Express software. Hope it's OK to resurrect it!

    The old way of doing things using mapSource or MapInstall (don't remember the exact name) allowed you to select what map sections you wanted to install and then install them to either the device memory or the SD card memory. This allowed me to install all of the European maps on my device at the same time. Some to the internal memory and the rest to my SD card.

    This express is different. It immediately installed UK & Ireland on my device memory, wiping what was there. Then, when I go to the re-install (as pointed out in this thread - thanks!) I have the option to change that region - not add to it, change it.
    It also gives me the option to install to the SD card. It seems to be trying to install the full European map set because it's looking for a card with at least 3GB. Unfortunately my card is only 2GB and Garmin Express doesn't give an option to install a subset of the maps on the card. (the only reason I have a small 2 GB card is that previously Garmin advised that was the larges capacity the device supported)

    So, it seems that its one region and one region only on the device, or ALL regions on the SD card... which for me means only 1 region installed at any one time (and an re-install if I am travelling), and an empty SD card.

    Anyone found a work around for this shortcoming? I have mailed Garmin support but they haven't yet come back to me.

    cheers,

    Paul.


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    #7
    eirman
    Registered Users Posts: 987 ✭✭✭eirman


    PaulDalyRoI wrote: »
    It seems that its one region and one region only on the device, or ALL regions on the SD card... which for me means only 1 region installed at any one time (and an re-install if I am travelling), and an empty SD card.

    Anyone found a work around for this shortcoming?

    If you have updated the software/firmware for your garmin device, you may find that it now supports cards > 2gig.

    https://support.garmin.com/support/searchSupport/case.faces?caseId={a43e2650-1794-11e0-7efa-000000000000}

    EDIT: After a bit of reading, I would be confident that a 4 gig card will work even in an old nuvi device. I know that they work fine in my nuvi760.


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    #8
    PaulDalyRoI
    Registered Users Posts: 43 ✭PaulDalyRoI


    eirman wrote: »
    If you have updated the software/firmware for your garmin device, you may find that it now supports cards > 2gig.

    https://support.garmin.com/support/searchSupport/case.faces?caseId={a43e2650-1794-11e0-7efa-000000000000}

    EDIT: After a bit of reading, I would be confident that a 4 gig card will work even in an old nuvi device. I know that they work fine in my nuvi760.


    Thanks for the info. I figured it would support a larger card but didn't want to spend more cash when there was already plenty of space on the device and it just needed the 'old' install method to work.

    Anyway, I got a work around to get the full map working. I downloaded Map Updater from Garmin, and with my device attached to the pc I got it to download the available update to my pc only. Then I installed Garmin Map Installer and was able to select my regions and install to the device and card as I wanted. So I think I will keep this software on the pc for updates and get rid off Garmin Express.

    Although with Google maps now able to pre cache maps segments I may just stop using the old Garmin at all!

    thanks again!

    Paul


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    #9
    Alun
    Registered Users Posts: 21,421 ✭✭✭✭Alun


    My ancient nuvi 760 has been using an 8GB SD card for ages, several years in fact.

    As for Google Maps, as far as I'm aware, although you can cache maps now, you can't (for some inexplicable reason) use them for navigational purposes. You can zoom around the map, and locate yourself on it, but you can't get directions or search for addresses, POI's etc.


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    #10
    PaulDalyRoI
    Registered Users Posts: 43 ✭PaulDalyRoI


    I didnt know that about Google maps. I guess it's because the actual route calculation is, as far as I know, done on google servers rather than in the maps app itself. So you'd still need an online connection for it to work. But with no maps to download, the overhead on data (when roaming in particular) should be pretty low.

    Guess thats a different topic though!

    In summary - new Garmin Express is grand if you do exactly what it wants you to do. Anything else, it falls short (in my opinion!(


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