Garmin Announces Eastern European Mapping Data

[PanEuropean]

From a recent Garmin Press Release...

March 8, 2006

Garmin® Enhances Eastern European Mapping Data

HANNOVER, Germany/March 8, 2006/PR Newswire — Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (Nasdaq: GRMN), today announced expanded map coverage for Eastern Europe. The enhancements were formally unveiled at CeBIT, Europe’s premier electronics trade show in Hannover, Germany, from March 9-15, 2006.

New coverage will include detailed maps of select portions of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, and Croatia. Map data is provided by NAVTEQ – recognized as a world leader in premium-quality, highly accurate mapping.

“We are pleased to offer this enhanced map coverage for those who live, work, and travel in Eastern Europe,” said Gary Kelley, Garmin’s vice president of marketing. “Through our relationship with NAVTEQ, we are able to offer consumers some of the most detailed and up-to-date maps available anywhere.”

The enhanced coverage will be available formats that include a pre-programmed accessory SD or microSD cards, or pre-loaded in selected StreetPilot® and nüvi™ personal navigation devices (PNDs). The enhanced cartography is expected to be available in March 2006. Visit www.garmin.com for more information and pricing.

FWIW, I have been working with some of this cartography in beta form, and it looks quite good. I won't get to Eastern Europe to actually try it out on the road until June or so.

Michael

 

[Taff]

Your timing is excellent. I will be leaving for 10 days in poland on 14th May and have just spent 10 mins on the phone with a Polish GSer in Scotland trying to order GPS maps from a Polish website. Sadly, we failed, but we will have another crack at it tomorrow.

Its been a long day, but I can't find it under "Maps & Charts Products" on the Garmin website though. When I do eventually find it, do you know if it will work on a 2610?

 

[Kritou]

Your timing is excellent. I will be leaving for 10 days in poland on 14th May and have just spent 10 mins on the phone with a Polish GSer in Scotland trying to order GPS maps from a Polish website. Sadly, we failed, but we will have another crack at it tomorrow.

Its been a long day, but I can't find it under "Maps & Charts Products" on the Garmin website though. When I do eventually find it, do you know if it will work on a 2610?

Nice lad in Romsey said it is only available in those Baltic countries mentioned in the press release, and then only on certain models being sold there. Garmin see no chance of it being released for sale elsewhere due to expected lack of demand

Hmmmmm - maybe someone could open a thread inviting "expressions of interest" from all Garmin users, advertise the link widely and suggest Garmin PLC monitor the level of demand

 

[Taff]

.. Garmin see no chance of it being released for sale elsewhere due to expected lack of demand

Well I wanted one.

Never mind, I'll just have to get GPMapa 4 then.

 

[PanEuropean]

It's been a long day, but I can't find it under "Maps & Charts Products" on the Garmin website though. When I do eventually find it, do you know if it will work on a 2610?

Hi Taff:

I don't think the product has been released for sale yet. I have a pre-production release that I have been testing. As far as I can tell, it will work on all the GPSRs, provided it is released in CD format and not in 'data chip' format. I note that there has been a trend recently to release cartography for new markets in the form of a small, preloaded data chip, rather than on a CD. My guess is that this makes it easier for the end user to get up and running - they just stuff the data chip in the GPSR and voila, it works. What this will mean for those of us who do not have a data chip hole in our GPSRs, though, I don't know.

The only information I have about this is what was disclosed in the press release above.

Michael

 

[Kritou]

.......As far as I can tell, it will work on all the GPSRs.........

The nice Romsey chap said it would run on a Quest, so I take that to mean it will also be on CD/DVD

 

[Taff]

.. As far as I can tell, it will work on all the GPSRs, provided it is released in CD format and not in 'data chip' format. I note that there has been a trend recently to release cartography for new markets in the form of a small, preloaded data chip, rather than on a CD...

But wouldn't that make Mapsource increasingly obsolete? Unless of course it was released in both formats. From reading threads on here etc, its pretty clear that the ability to do pc planning of routes, waypoints etc is a huge advantage to a lot of users.

Just received an e-mail from Garmin saying

Currently that mapping is not yet available as a seperate package for purchase.It only exists on units sold in that country. I'm afraid you will have to wait until our version 9 mapping to get these additions to our European mapping.The data for Eastern Europe will be included in the City Navigator Europe DVD when we release in version 9, approximately Q3/Q4 2006.

 

[markie_wales]

And there's me just having stumped up for a 2GB card 'cos I'm lazy and want it all one there the once and to forget about it!

Mark

 

[lywood]

Version 9 is being released in Q3 2006 ! . They have only just released Version 8

 

[Chisurz]

Nice lad in Romsey said it is only available in those Baltic countries mentioned in the press release, and then only on certain models being sold there. Garmin see no chance of it being released for sale elsewhere due to expected lack of demand

Uh? Well that is going to do their sales a power of good!

I'll be going that way before 3Q2006, so how do I get a CD copy to load the relevent segments onto the 2720???

 

[PanEuropean]

Not possible. Even if you had a copy of the product (which has not been released for sale yet), you wouldn't be able to get an unlock code for it.

Michael

 

[Chisurz]

Unlock codes - Yes, realise that... Just not playing the game really, is it...

 

[Frank Warner]

Hummm...

So version 9 ... will it be there by October/Novermber?

Even if not .. any recomendations of online buying - who do overseas purchases? (The garmin prices here are about $200 more than those in the US for the City Nav Europe ver 8 ). (humm should also get some US prices too. )

For me - on trips I don't like to take a PC/laptop. Too much space/weight/complexity ... I'm geting a PDA to do the little stuff I want to do (some text notes, little spreadsheet for costs , MP3, raster mapping). The GPS will have to handle all the vector mapping. So for the TT in 2007 I'd like city Nav Euope ... from IOM through to Turkey ... on to India would be nice. As would up from Africa. But I don't think there is much demand for that