I saw this article about SATNAV updates and it started my blood boiling!

Firstly, a joke. What does SATNAV stand for?

Sat At Terminal - Not Adding Value

Anyway.......

The LR Managing Director says....

"Traditionally, [SATNAV] update CDs and DVDs have been sold through Land Rover dealers, however, Phil Popham, Land Rover MD, says, "As a company we embrace the use of technology to develop the ownership experience and this is clearly demonstrated with this new facility. The ability to obtain the latest map information on-line gives our customers a simple, cost effective method of keeping their navigation systems updated."

http://www.carpages.co.uk/land_rover/land-...-12-06.asp

Now I started to think about this and decided tha Mr.Popham may have lost his marbles. I'll explain why.

Landrover probably uses Microsoft Windows in their offices as the operating system (OS) for thier PC's. Microsoft realises that in order to ensure their OS users enjoy their "ownership experience" to the full they issue free updates and new drivers as they become available. They even tell you when one is ready when you fire up your PC.

What do you think Landrover would say if Micro$oft started to charge them for "the improved Customer (ownership) experience" of being able to download updates and drivers for their Windows XP OS's? Micro$oft could easily justify it by saying.........

"The ability for Landrover to obtain the latest updates and drivers on-line gives them a simple, cost effective method of keeping their Operating Systems updated." It would cost LR millions and I'm convinced they would loose their sense of humour if it was proposed.

Likewise, I have already invested upwards of £50k on a vehicle platform that uses computers and, like Landrover, I too would object to being charged for someone having gotton rid of the bugs and errors that should never have been in there in the first place or putting in content that should have been included but was left out because the project deadline was looming!

Why should I be charged for an upgrade that shoud be free! and more importantly, why does the LR MD consider this "rip off madness" worthy of publicicty?

Sometimes I wonder....... It's finally gone! Replaced with BMW 730SE in Sophisto grey Xirallic finish with Oyster (Ivory) and black interior. DAB, Climate glass, Ceramic iDrive and gear selector, power boot and iPhone Bluetooth pack - luvvin' it!

I miss my old RRS "bucket" rattling around but it just had to go!

Last edited by Peter on Tue Jul 10 2007 7:33pm. Edited 1 time in total

Are not all car makers the same on this point though?

Yes, they may be but that doesn't make it OK does it? It's finally gone! Replaced with BMW 730SE in Sophisto grey Xirallic finish with Oyster (Ivory) and black interior. DAB, Climate glass, Ceramic iDrive and gear selector, power boot and iPhone Bluetooth pack - luvvin' it!

I miss my old RRS "bucket" rattling around but it just had to go!

Last edited by Peter on Tue Jul 10 2007 9:42pm. Edited 1 time in total

Not saying it does but that is the way it is, only the same as say updating your TomTom you still pay for the privelege of having a more up to date map.

Peter,

Unlike with Microsofts software I believe the map content copyright etc is not owned by any of the car manufacturers - of course you could be saying LR should swallow the costs and issue the updates FOC however this would be a new precedant for them to set in the industry as a whole

Kaine

Agreed and a fine point well made.

I for one will not be rushing to update my system that's for sure! It's finally gone! Replaced with BMW 730SE in Sophisto grey Xirallic finish with Oyster (Ivory) and black interior. DAB, Climate glass, Ceramic iDrive and gear selector, power boot and iPhone Bluetooth pack - luvvin' it!

I miss my old RRS "bucket" rattling around but it just had to go!

Well I agree that the price is a bit steep, but I don't think that the upgrade to the maps is really comparable to Microsoft bugs upgrade, unless you consider that new roads are bugs or should have been included in a earlier release even if they did not exist at the time.

All the GPS manufacturers charge for the maps upgrades as far as I know, handheld ones included.

As long as the mapping data software business is a virtual monopoly (Navteq), that company can charge pretty much what the market will bear for its database updates, regardless of auto / satnav hardware manufacturer (and also, if nobody ever had to pay for such updates, either Navteq would be out of business, or their data would be quite stale by now. ) Land Rover actually did us a favor by cutting off the middleman (themselves) last year, allowing us to buy update discs directly from Navteq, so dealers don't get their silly cut by doing nothing more than distributing these updates on Navteq's behalf. 

flydive wrote:

Well I agree that the price is a bit steep, but I don't think that the upgrade to the maps is really comparable to Microsoft bugs upgrade, unless you consider that new roads are bugs or should have been included in a earlier release even if they did not exist at the time.

Makes sense!  Malaysia Boleh!
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I never used mine anyway  
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MDP wrote:

I never used mine anyway

Me too!!

I have the DVD for Europe but never found time to drive all the way there!  Malaysia Boleh!
4.2SC Chawton White, Stormers
Tasmod's Sills, Wind Deflectors, LR Sills
Clear Side Repeaters, Towbar
Larini Sports Exhaust, K&N Air Filter
______________________________
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WINNER - 2009 Outstanding Contribution
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" WITH MORE EXTRAS THAN A HOLLYWOOD EPIC "

Bobby wrote:

MDP wrote:

I never used mine anyway

Me too!!

I have the DVD for Europe but never found time to drive all the way there!

What a waste!  

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Bobby wrote:

MDP wrote:

I never used mine anyway

Me too!!

I have the DVD for Europe but never found time to drive all the way there!

I use mine to get back

To be fair you are not comparing like with like, Microsoft offer software updates free of charge. What you refer to is the map data and this isn't free to Land Rover, they purchase those map data updates from Navteq.

When you buy a paper atlas you wouldn't expect the updated version to be free of charge, digital map data is no different.

On an aside though, Navteq have an on-line shop where you can purchase Map DVD's direct for some systems. This is often substantially cheaper than buying a manufacturer branded disc but sadly Land Rover is not one of those manufacturers  Darren Griffin
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