Re: [PLUG] New maps for TomTom One 2nd using Linux?

[Casey Bralla <MailList@nerdworld.org>]

I use the TomTom One XL -S (it speaks).



On Sunday November 22, 2009 11:11:46 pm JP Vossen wrote:
> My wife would like me to update the map on her TomTom One (I think it's
> a second edition unit).  Since it has an SD slot I'd been assuming I
> could just buy an SD card with the new map and stick it in, but it seems
> it's not that easy.  (And why isn't it?  Morons.)
 
> 1) Has anyone updated maps on a similar unit under Linux and if so, how?
>   (I'll probably try it using Wine, but that still smells like defeat.)



I run WIndows XP under VirtualBox (the non-open version in order to get USB 
support).   The TomTom software works fine there.

You can mount the thing under Linux, but I've never tried to updated maps or 
anything that way.




BTW, I've been moderately disappointed in my TomTom.   I bought this unit 
because it was the only one I could find that __DIDN'T__ require me to accept a 
limit to liability every time I turn it on.  (<rant>Pretty soon, you wont be 
able to turn on a toaster without having to acknowledge that toasters are 
potentially dangerous and can cause fires if you put napkins in them</rant>)   

On a recent trip to Pittsburgh to look at colleges for my son, the TomTom 
seemed to update it's position too slowly to be any use in giving me good 
directions.  (I had to make turns faster than the TomTom could let me know... 
I assume this is a CPU horsepower issue)

The other bad thing it does is occasionally send me out of my way for no 
apparent reason.  During some spare time in Pittsburgh, for example, we were 
on our way to visit the aquarium, and the thing tried to send us over 100 
miles(!) out of the way to get there.  Also, on my daily commute up route 896, 
it tries to send me through a small subdevelopment even though route 896 is a 
straight shot through.


One other really dumb thing with TomTom's software was the "quick satellite 
location" package, which was a free "upgrade".  This was supposed to help 
speed up the time needed to acquire satellites.   After downloading and using 
this software for a few weeks, I noticed that the darn thing would take an 
hour or more to lock on and begin to determine it's position.   Then I looked 
at the fine print on the TomTom's software update page.  It turned out that the 
software downloaded a table of satellite locations.  The kicker was you had to 
update the software every 15 days(!) or the table was obsolete, which made it 
take even longer to find the satellites!   Obviously, I "un-upgraded" that 
optional piece of software.



-- 

Casey Bralla
Chief Nerd in Residence
The NerdWorld Organisation

http://www.NerdWorld.org
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