Rand McNally intelliRoute TND 500

That's fair.....with that said, my TND still runs rather old maps but it gets me where i need to go. Sometimes it looks like I am plowing a field or water skiing with the truck, but I am sure if the maps were updated it would run fine....

 

I was doing some looking earlier today and saw many Garmins with lifetime free map updates....(missed the last page of posts)

Got a new software update today, some nice new features that were added.

For the price of the maps, I understand the need to charge for it. But like the other guy said, over 25% of the original cost of the unit is nuts.

Today mine decided to have a memory issue and popped up a message saying about "Odyssey Mobile." Just for the hell of it I looked it up online and found something that kind of bothered me. Found a company that sells skinable generic navigation software. What bothered me about this was the fact that I realized just how "cheap" these units actually are. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to knock the effort to provide truckers with reliable working navigation. However, when I see a unit that has generic navigation software from a third party company just made to look unique installed onto a $350 device I kinda feel ripped off. This really made me feel like RM got the device, tossed the cheapest navigation software into it that they could find, made it "truck specific" and called it good. I'm sorry, but for the price tag I guess I expect something that is made from the ground up, something that isn't "generic." I really hate to wonder what the bottom line is on these things. I wouldn't be surprised if the cost to make these(including software and support) is around $150 at this point. Looks to me like another ploy to rip off truckers some more.

Don't get me wrong, I still support the TND 500 as a whole. I thinks its a decent product for what it is. Its provided me with many benefits. However, I don't see me continuing to put any money into it seeing that it is already becoming obsolete and being the expense is insane. Unless I see some major changes(i.e. cost, unit quality) then I see myself ending my time as a RM customer.

 

As an Mac owner #I feel like a red hair step child, I can't believe R.M. does not have a doc version for the Mac with all this money they have, they can send this code to Singapore, India or Pakistan have a written in 2 to 3 days.#

On your outside of the 710 box it says it's Mac compatible, there is no GUI compatibility whatsoever with this software, that I can fine.

So how do I get map up dates for the Mac......

 

Ok, hold the phone. As many long-time members of this forum know, I don’t pipe up unless I feel that I can provide a useful answer to a direct question posed inside of this community. In this case I feel compelled to clear up some confusion and partial information in this thread.

First off, ALL GPS BRANDS consist of a partnership of technology and hardware providers. NONE make 100% of the finished product themselves “from the ground-up.” Garmin has its partners, Cobra has theirs, Rand McNally has theirs, TomTom has theirs, etc. In fact, when you first turn on these units you will see a lot of little logos on the opening screen identifying the primary partners. When you turn on a Rand McNally, for instance, you will see one of the logos called “InfoGation.” That software company develops GPS “skins” (that is “what the buttons look like”) and utilizes NavTeq as a map provider within those skins. Garmin uses the SAME map provider. “Odyssey” is the product name of InfoGation’s GPS data software product similar to “T700” is a product name by Kenworth. There is NOTHING GENERIC OR SINISTER about Odyssey or the InfoGation software development company whose customers include Rand, Microsoft, and many others as they are a major GPS software development firm. (And Rand’s CEO very publically press-released how elated they were when they inked the partnership with InfoGation to provide the basis on the TND product line by the way.) Rand, Garmin, and everyone else utilize multitudes of software and hardware “supplier” or “sub-system providers” the same way as Kenworth does for that T700.

Second – “there are NO free maps.” NavTeq and TeleAtlas CHARGE for continuous map updates to Garmin, Rand, Delorme, Microsoft, etc. That COST WILL BE PAID BY THE END USER one way or the other. Example:

Garmin 560LMT 5-inch GPS suggested retail is $529.99 (average dealer price at this writing is around $485)
Rand TND510 5-inch GPS suggested retail is $349.99 (average dealer price at this writing is $349.99)

Difference = $125 to $150 MORE for the same sized GPS for your “free maps” (and less accurate inner city truck routing.)

Average price of the 560LT (without lifetime maps) = $425 ($75 more than the same Rand unit, although the Garmin comes with the traffic receiver to get your “advertising-driven” traffic in about 80 cities.)
Price for a Garmin map upgrade on one = $79.99
Price for a Rand map upgrade = $79.99

From Garmin’s site: Free Lifetime Map Updates entitle you to receive “up to” 4 map data updates per year, when and as such updates are made available on the Garmin website, for this specific Garmin product only until this product’s useful life expires or Garmin no longer receives map data from its third party supplier, whichever is shorter

Average time that you own a particular model of GPS = 2 to 3 years
Average time that Garmin expires the “useful life” of a model = 2 to 4 years

“Lifetime Maps” is a marketing strategy, although one that makes many users “feel” good. In fairness to Garmin and to the spirit of this post, their web-based updating system for the maps is more convenient and mature than Rand’s at this time (but I don’t believe that it will always be that way.) And, once you add in the traffic receiver into the equation, the cost between the two brands is basically a "wash." So then it comes down to who does truck routing better again.

 

TND Map update.... I just got the email from Rand....

http://store.randmcnally.com/tnd-50...D0611&sp_rid=MTc0MTEzMTMyMzMS1&sp_mid=3991288

$79.99

The Micro SD Card Map Update is:

Compatible with the IntelliRoute® TND™ 500 & 700
Fits into a side slot on your IntelliRoute® TND™
The SD Card will also ensure your IntelliRoute® TND 500 or 700 is updated with the latest software enhancements from Rand McNally

 

Rand has the code written for the TND. They do not buy off the shelf software and toss it onto the unit. Odyssey Mobile is just an older name that the software was called before we went to production.

You should be able to contact Rand Support and get an updater card to fix this issue. It is a file that is not responding correctly on bootup.

Thanks,
Mark

 

So this update is not for the 710 ?

 

Negative. This update brings the 500 and 700 up to the maps and most of the features of the 510/710.

 

I installed the major update to my TND500 T5E last week, here are the issues...some old and still there and some new issues.

I am major peeved that I am now only getting 1 mile notice for weigh stations...when I'm a half mile away or already at them. Before, i believe this was a user setting up to 6 miles notice...option not there now, I'm stuck at 1 mile notice. Also, the device shows me weigh stations not in the RM MCRA, and the RM MCRA shows some scales that the device doesn't know about. And they're not new scales, they've been there for years.

The goofy looking icon showing my current speed below posted speed. The current speed icon looks like a ripoff of the Garmin current speed and the posted speed limit looks the same as before. It's just inconsistent that neither look remotely similar on the same unit.

Old issue that is still there....POIs'. It is really dumb to be shown POIs' for an en route search that are not on my route. For instance...I'm leaving Atlanta and heading to Chattanooga...why do I need to see a weigh station west of Atlanta close to the AL line come up on the en route list of stations? that scale is at least 30 miles off of my route! And it's not just scales, it's all POIs'.

Oftentimes, the device seems to ignore length restrictions on US and state routes. And don't even get me started on bridge weight restrictions...it's like it doesn't know what those are.

Older and existing issue, almost no matter where I'm at the unit will always start me out in the wrong direction. For example...I'm in a Pilot, less than 100 yards from an interstate, the unit never fails to route me in the opposite direction going through some redneck little town 5 miles out of route to get back on the interstate.

$79 map update...give me a f'g break! The map was outdated when I bought the device 6 months ago. The "free" map update of 30 days after purchase is a rip. It should be version based, not time based.

Many of the features in the new TNDs' should have been in the first versions, they shouldn't be things that only new buyers get.This is the only GPS I've ever seen that wouldn't let you enter coordinates...that should have been a feature all along...or they shouldn't be selling these things.

I could go on and on. I think RM has put way too much focus on changing the way the device looks, rather than function and performance. I wish I could go back to the last version that I had, this thing is almost useless now, since I can't rely on any of the data that I like to use it for. If they don't at least address the weigh station issues, this will be the only and last RM gps I'll ever throw good money at.

Now, that new Garmin DEIZL looks like a winner. If I could only get my $350 back to put towards it.

 

Truck tools/warnings - more settings for trucks than shown in preferences/truck.

Scales - Rand is actively finding all active scales to make sure the database is correct on your TND. If you find one that is not on the TND, submit a Tell Rand.

Do you have the Car POI's turned on? Rand has to give data to the user that is an overall feeling of what is requested. What if someone wants to see what is around them? Do we need to rewrite the existing code again to suit them? The code is written after we do survey's of drivers at MATS and GATS to get the overall feel of what is requested.

When you find issues of mis-routing submit a Tell Rand or post here. Their is a support thread for this type of issue. It could be the road has incorrect truck attributes around the truck stop in the map database.

Length restrictions - examples?

Maps are never up todate. Construction and other items could take up to a year to make it into a map database. Until Navteq shows it in their map database it will not be in ours since we get our map database from Navteq. Submit a Tell Rand on these issues.

Only a few new features are on the 510/710 that are not on other models.

If you are on the latest version, then you will see you can enter Lat/Long on all models. The update came out last week.

If you bought a TND, then all version updates are free. Unless you update you will not see the new features. So if you bought a TND 6 months ago, 1 yr ago, 2 yrs ago, you can still get the most current version each and every time for free. Update. If you do not have a computer then call Rand Support and they will send you an UPdate SD Card for free.

See Prior post from DieselBoss about map updates.

I buy a computer with Win7 and then 90 days later Win8 comes out. I still have to buy Win8 if I want the latest.

Thanks,
Mark