Comments on: Status Of The Garmin Map Compiler cgpsmapper – ? http://freegeographytools.com/2010/status-of-the-garmin-map-compiler-cgpsmapper Exploring the world of free tools for GIS, GPS, Google Earth, neogeography, and more. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 04:48:22 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: MarkS http://freegeographytools.com/2010/status-of-the-garmin-map-compiler-cgpsmapper/comment-page-1#comment-8182 MarkS Thu, 08 Jul 2010 10:53:05 +0000 http://freegeographytools.com/?p=4558#comment-8182 I have to agree with Igor. When I got my GPS unit a very significant factor in the decision was the availability of programs such as cgpsmapper (and mkgmap). On the back of sucessfully using my handheld GPS with these programs we also got an in car sat nav from garmin. If it wasn't for programs such as this I would probably have gone with a rival manufacturer. Not publishing information on the map format might help garmin sell a few more maps in the short term, but ultimately it will sell less units and less maps as people will go elsewhere. I have to agree with Igor. When I got my GPS unit a very significant factor in the decision was the availability of programs such as cgpsmapper (and mkgmap). On the back of sucessfully using my handheld GPS with these programs we also got an in car sat nav from garmin.

If it wasn’t for programs such as this I would probably have gone with a rival manufacturer. Not publishing information on the map format might help garmin sell a few more maps in the short term, but ultimately it will sell less units and less maps as people will go elsewhere.

]]> By: Igor Brejc http://freegeographytools.com/2010/status-of-the-garmin-map-compiler-cgpsmapper/comment-page-1#comment-8175 Igor Brejc Thu, 08 Jul 2010 07:59:12 +0000 http://freegeographytools.com/?p=4558#comment-8175 >> I think the availability of cgpsmapper and the Garmin maps it creates helps drive commercial demand for Garmin units. It definitively does, but AFAIK Garmin doesn't really earn any money on units, it earns money by selling maps. I've been a Garmin user for 3-4 years now, I have 2 Garmin units but I haven't bought any official Garmin map so far. Instead I decided to use mkgmap and I've also implemented my own software to produce free maps from OSM data (through cgpsmapper). This is probably the main reason Garmin keeps the map format closed-source. >> I think the availability of cgpsmapper and the Garmin maps it creates helps drive commercial demand for Garmin units.

It definitively does, but AFAIK Garmin doesn’t really earn any money on units, it earns money by selling maps. I’ve been a Garmin user for 3-4 years now, I have 2 Garmin units but I haven’t bought any official Garmin map so far. Instead I decided to use mkgmap and I’ve also implemented my own software to produce free maps from OSM data (through cgpsmapper).

This is probably the main reason Garmin keeps the map format closed-source.

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