Re: Getting Fed Up With MapSource Unlock

Stephen Brown wrote:
On Thu, 13 Apr 2006 17:21:36 -0400, Joe S. vigorously opined:

I purchased a GPS MAP 76Cx a couple of days ago -- VERY pleased with it.

I ordered the MapSource National Parks East because I need the 1:24,000
topos of the Great Smokies. I plan to load the Smokies topos onto the SD
chip in the GPS unit. Are you telling me there is an unlock code that will
allow me to upload the maps only to this one unit? What happens if I want
to put one of the topos onto my Etrex Legend?

No problem; first because there are no unlock codes for Garmin topo
maps (either the US or the National Park series) and second because
even the maps that do have unlock codes allow you to use them on two
GPS receivers.

Hi, Joe.

I am not familiar with how mapsource unlock works for the national park
series of maps.

The source for that map data is the USGS, and they, presumably since
they've already been paid by the taxpayers, are less restrictive on
licensing their data than is NavTeq.
Therefore Garmin doesn't need to include unlock code protection for
those maps and they choose not to do so.

My problem is specific to North American City Select, versions 5/6. I
purchased NACS a couple of years ago, and still have it. NACS is licensed
for two units, in my case, a GPSmap 76CS and a Vista C.

I've recently sold these units.

Garmin tells me that the unlock codes for NACS are specific to both units,
I'm assuming through the Unit I.D. which can be found through the
MapSource program under the menu sequence: Utilities, Get Unit ID. (If the
unit is connected, you will get your specific gpsr's Unit I.D. string.)

Since you presumably had to go through the unlocking procedure to use
the CS-NA maps you would know that the maps are tied to the specific
serial numbers of the receivers. So why didn't you sell the maps along
with the one of the receivers?

I'm also informed that these unlock codes are not transferable to a new
unit, and that is the crux of my complaint.

I am also assuming, for lack of better knowledge, that the unlock codes
are generated from this Unit I.D. String and some type of Software I.D.
string on NACS, as well. Together, these allow you to upload the NACS
maps to your particular unit. However, there is no consideration given
for people who sell their units, then buy new ones. Garmin expects
everyone to purchase additional unlock codes, a practice I find ethically
and morally reprehensible as a business practice.

This, when it seems perfectly feasible for a bench technician--with
authority to do so--to simply reassign the hardware/software code
combination to the new unit without having to purchase new data from an
outside vendor every time a new code sequence is generated.

Of course then you'd need to ship both units to Garmin, they'd have to
modify them to have a different serial number and then ship them back
to you. Sounds rather expensive and time consuming compared to the
alternative of recouping part of your map expense by selling the maps
along with the receiver.

I wouldn't want my company to be locked into that type of agreement,
anyway.

Presumably the impetus behind the unlock policy is NavTeq since they're
the ones with the most to lose if the map data becomes freely
available. But since they currently have the best auto-routing map
data they are able to dictate such restrictive terms in their
contractual arrangements with Garmin/Magellan/etc.

so I don't know why anyone would even want to use
that model.

For the same reason that anyone makes any business decision - when
weighing all the costs and benefits it was felt to be the best option
available.

.

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