Quote (Yes I can remember that. It was in the last millennium about 30 years ago. I can also remember the very first time i switched on an iPad, 7 years ago (with way more software and functionality than a 2017 Garmin / BMW Nav by the way) and thinking to myself, 'Great. I get it. It just does what I expect and delights me with its simplicity and ease of use'. And passing it to my 88 year old father who has never sat at a computer in his life. He got it too.
I also refer you, predictably, to the iPhone, a device with much more software and way more functionality than a BMW Nav. Sold worldwide to people who have never used one before. It was designed in such an intuitive way that it doesn't need a set of instructions. And like google maps, a new user can 'learn it' in minutes (sat on the bog if required). In comparison the Nav 6 and it's second cousin, Basecramp have a whole heap of hidden tripwires caused by appalling User Experience (UX) design.
The tech world has moved on LeeDude, and many users no longer expect to have to struggle in this way.
Aptitude to learning is not the issue for users who are experiencing these difficulties. The issues are shit education from Garmin, shit UX design and shit Customer Experience. I still offer the challenge to anyone to point me towards properly structured and easy to use source of learning materials and information for this product.)
If we are not going to compare like with like then we must take into account the size of this veritable giant called apple you refer to or maybe microsoft as well who are indeed massive multi billion dollar companies who also have multi billion dollar budgets to have the best engineers, and also who have been working on computer based products for as long as you say 30 odd years maybe more i thought the pc was a little earlier but i digress, where as garmin/tomtom insert whoever you wish who makes these, have probably been making sat navs for what 10 to 15 years i am not sure, and with miniscule budgets compared to the giants you mention, So yes maybe they are not up to producing something to the same standard as the people you mention, and indeed the tech world has moved on, also led by the giants mentioned, which begs the question if you can use what you already had at hand made by these said giants and deem it to be a far superior product why on earth do you not use that, instead of wasting money on an inferior product. and with reference to the question of help for garmin i believed i already answered that to the best of my knowledge.
Your statement Aptitude to learning is not the issue for users who are experiencing these difficulties, The issues are shit education from Garmin, shit UX design and shit Customer Experience, also applies to the giant corporations like the ones mentioned above, there are more people who bemoan microsoft and apple than you can shake a stick at but low and behold you and your 88 year old father have no such issues, so who is to blame, you clearly think its garmin, me i dont care i get along just fine using what software i choose to and what sat nav i use. as i have said many times, use what you wish to use, and learn to use it, that way when something goes wrong you will be better able to sort it or get around it.