Garmin City Navigator Version 7 now available

[CLEAN1]

I just received the email below from Garmin. I am still using Version 4 on my Streetpilot III, so I guess it is time to upgrade.

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In a continuing effort to provide our customers with complete and accurate

automotive navigation mapping, Garmin is pleased to announce an update to

MapSource City Navigator North America v7 DVD.

 

Features of MapSource City Navigator North America v7 DVD include:

 

*** Updated map detail, as provided by our data supplier NAVTEQ, for freeways,

interstates, national and state highways, local, county and residential roads

for the entire U.S. Canada and Puerto Rico.

*** Now with verified data for Alaska.

*** Premium detailed maps throughout the U.S.

*** Turn restrictions, speed categories, roundabout guidance and other

navigation features

*** Nearly 6 million updated points of interest - including food and drink,

lodging, entertainment and more

*** Will automatically create point-to-point routes on the PC and compatible

Garmin units.

 

To view this map data online, please visit the following link:

http://www.garmin.com/cartography/mapSource/citynav.jsp

 

 

Update Policy for the MapSource City Navigator North America DVD:

 

Update unlocks are $150.00 for full access to the entire U.S., Canada and

Puerto Rico, available directly from our website. Please visit the link below

for more details on the update, and to complete the form to have the MapSource

City Navigator North America v7 Update DVD ROM shipped to you. Please be

advised that this update is for the StreetPilot III, 2610 and 2650. After

receiving the update DVD, please follow the on screen instructions to pay for

your update unlock code and update your software.

 

Visit our website now to order your update DVD.

http://www.garmin.com/unlock/

 

If you have questions regarding this product, please feel free to visit our

main MapSource Unlock page. From there, you will be able to access the FAQ's

that answer many questions regarding this update and how much it costs. We

can also be reached at cartography@garmin.com with any additional questions.

 

Please keep in mind, updates are not required. We recommend that you review

the changes that have been made to ensure they are relevant to your personal

situation.

 

Best Regards,

 

Garmin Cartography

cartography@garmin.com

 

Garmin International

1200 E. 151st Street

Olathe, KS 66062

[MattS]

I loaded this a couple of days ago, and am fairly impressed with the number of corrections. Several instances where the maps were just plain wrong going back to version 4 (and still wrong through version 6) have been corrected for this version. Definitely worth it ... and more so if you can finagle a discount out of Garmin.

[Art..]

Any tips on how to do that?

[MattS]

Any tips on how to do that?

Art, it's fair to say...

 

 

Either you got it or you don't. (Let me know if you're interested, I promise ... it won't hurt!)

[Brimoon]

I see that Garmin is offering the Version 7 update to City Select for $75. I suspect that it contains the same map data as City Navigator since the description of the updates are the same for both. I wonder why there is such a large price difference? City Select works on a broad range of Garmin units (including the 276C that I use). On the other hand, City Navigator is said to work only on the StreetPilots 2610, 2650, 2720 and III. Apparently City Select will not work on those four units. Go figure??

 

Brian

[Art..]

Yer crackin' me up here.......

[Stan Walker]

I wonder why there is such a large price difference?

 

Compensation for the cheap memory?

 

Stan

[smiller]

I see that Garmin is offering the Version 7 update to City Select for $75. I suspect that it contains the same map data as City Navigator since the description of the updates are the same for both. I wonder why there is such a large price difference? City Select works on a broad range of Garmin units (including the 276C that I use). On the other hand, City Navigator is said to work only on the StreetPilots 2610, 2650, 2720 and III. Apparently City Select will not work on those four units. Go figure??

I think that all of the auto-routing units can use City Select but apparently only some (automotive units) can use City Navigator. I think the map data is the same for the two products but City Navigator includes additional routing info, such as which lane to be in prior to a turn, which exit to take on a roundabout, etc. Nice to have I guess, but if I was buying an upgrade I probably wouldn't consider that marginal extra utility to be worth another $75...

[David_S]

I have a new unregistered never unlocked version of 6.0. So should I unlock it and get a free upgrade to 7.0 or should I wait and hope I can get a free unlock for a later version

[smiller]

I have a new unregistered never unlocked version of 6.0. So should I unlock it and get a free upgrade to 7.0 or should I wait and hope I can get a free unlock for a later version

Garmin's policy has been to provide a free upgrade to anyone who purchases a unit after the upgrade is announced, even if it is not yet shipping. They seem to count the registration date as the purchase date so if you have not registered yet then you are probably eligible for a free upgrade to v7.

[MattS]

I think that all of the auto-routing units can use City Select but apparently only some (automotive units) can use City Navigator.

Somewhat off-topic, but I think they can all use City Navigator, to varying degrees of success. Of course, Garmin doesn't recommend its use in anything but the Streetpilots with which it is bundled. Memory is also a contraint for the smaller units -- the majority of the v7 NA maps are 10MB or more -- a challenge for, say, a 16MB card or the 19MB on board a V.

 

Also, this upgrade is only available on DVD, so CD-only PCs are now out of the game. Garmin tends to make these leaps before the mass market does. (There are workarounds for this, but none "sanctioned" by Garmin.)

[smiller]

Somewhat off-topic, but I think they can all use City Navigator, to varying degrees of success.

 

Yes, I think that is probably correct, although if the unit can't utilize the additional routing data then there would be no point in using CN over CS since the map database itself is the same (I think.) But then again, maybe non-automotive units can display the additional direction data in CN... we don't know that they can't and Garmin is being perhaps intentionally vague here. Would be an interesting experiment to try.

[Scarecrow]

What is the relationship between MapSource 6.7 and City Navigator 7? Is MapSource the application which uses a database consisting of City Navigator? Are they unrelated?

 

Pardon my ignorance, please...

[MattS]

Is MapSource the application which uses a database consisting of City Navigator?

Yes.

[MattS]

Would be an interesting experiment to try.

Could be. Only three maps from v7 are smaller than the 1.44MB on a GPSIII+ -- of course those are the Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut. Got ice?

[johnlt]

They do not list the 276C in their list of products that can use CN Ver 7. |I use CN Ver. 6 on my 276C with no problem. It autoroutes nicely. Will it work with CN7?

[kioolt]

Version 7 of City Select is also out. It will work with the 276C.

[MattS]

Will it work with CN7?

I'll go out on a limb and say yes. The drawback with v7 (vs v6) is that the map slices are fewer and larger, so you'll have less of an opportunity to cherry-pick your maps up to the 256MB limit. Virginia, for example, is now just two maps ("Roanoke" and "Norfolk") that cover the whole state, to the tune of about 36MB.