almost 2017... where's the tech?

To me, what makes Google Maps really handy is the "live" features that require data connection ... route suggestions generation engine, traffic, construction, road closures, etc. I'm happy with my Garmin Dezl, supplemented with Google Maps on my phone that I use multiple times daily. Simple distance calculations between points is 10 times faster on Google app then on any GPS device. I've been doing this long enough to know when to avoid some Google routing attempts.

If Google were to do such an extension of their software to the trucking industry, they's probably want to do it the way they do all their other apps and software ... require high speed data connection and we're not quite to that point of feasibility yet in terms of cellular data being cheap enough in bulk to manage all the data that would be required to run as we do our current dedicated GPS devices 24/7

Google must have some wicked powerful servers scattered around that can generate 2 or 3 routes in just a matter of moments and factor in speed limits, construction, detours, and time specific traffic then push it to the user. truly an amazing feat.

 

The 720 ran on Windows CE, bastardized to limit device functionality to it's designed purpose. So does the 760. I would expect the 710 to be the same.

I don't buy "data incompatibility" as an excuse for the antenna not working; it worked fine when I first got it, and no one ever offered me a refund - just an opportunity to pay more for an internet-dependent alternative. Also, the window-mount magnetic base for the tablets has a port for the antenna. Interesting choice. (One of my tablets already has a cracked screen, from falling off of the magnetic mount. I looked everywhere for a ruggedized case, but could not find one.)

I have technical background in both radio electronic and software engineering. I don't think that the software on the tablet will run, independently of the custom hardware; they likely have hardware-specific hooks for things like location smoothing, and if I were them, I'd have some form of hardware-dependent copy protection in place. You may be able to extract map data and/or shared-object library functionality, depending on how savvy their developers are to reverse-engineering techniques and countermeasures - and the level of your commitment to the task - but doing so would likely void your warrantee, violate your license agreement, and violate copyright/patent law. Don't let that - or me - discourage you. *I*, however, would *never* do such a thing. (Well, or at least never admit to it, anyway... )

 

Sir, yes Society sucks. But it is what it is.

Even here, I write a essay that takes up two screens to read as a lesson to impart to share with others who were not born in them days. Then a little boy says too long did not read. That's a shame. No wonder America is tottering on ruin, with everything dumbed down to basic carnal desires like food and what not.

Ive been told it's better I should die and go away and quit bothering some with long posts filled with facts that no one could care less about. It's not a problem because I take them out of my life when they fly true colors like that.

I value people who know whatever it is they know about. I love to learn and can take correction. But try to do that to a young one today, they would just about shoot you.

Facebook was interesting for all of 6 months the last two years before I quit it pernamently was a exercise in shoveling virtual poop and blocking people who are full of it, some in my own family. It does not unite any of us. It actually divides us. I wonder perhaps is that why the large companies allow such #### to infest the net to break up our Nation on purpose.

 

I'll hire the bootstrapper, you and the disabled. They have the strength to do battle when necessary without me having to helicopter mom them or baby sit them worrying if they will do the work.

The rest who brag about sticking it to the man, those are the true trash and parasites as far as Im concerned. To be young, strong and have all the things God made them have at that prime age to do mighty and great works in life and waste it, that makes me cry. And I don't cry. Much. I lost tears a long time ago.

 

Sounds like the a-hole is doing as well or better than you, with income security and a free, all-encompassing, no-deductible safety net, to boot.

Your path is certainly more admirable, but his kids will probably go to a more expensive college - maybe even for free.

I will point out that for every a-hole, there is a hard-working young kid that winds up spending 30 years working as a stock boy at a grocery store, trying to save up money to finish school, but getting knocked down every couple of years, before he dies of a heart attack caused by some condition that he could not afford treatment for.

You hear the success stories. The failures remain silent, after they die. But the people around them, remember. And learn. To become a-holes...

And that's where it all goes wrong...

 

I expect that they push some of the heavy lifting to the user's device, but yes; dedicated, centralized, large-scale database servers tend to be able to retrieve and organize data much faster than small-scale, distributed, portable, multifunction devices can, in their place...

 

So, I finally got a chance to look over the SD card document that you attached. At the same time that it tells us not to use microSDHC or microSDXC cards, the card pictured as one that would work, says right on the front of it that it's a microSDHC card. The discussion of card "classes" doesn't lead anywhere, since it doesn't tell us what "class" of card the device wants or requires (although I presume that higher is better) - or why.

The description repeats several times that certain formats are problematic, but does not clearly explain the problem. If the device reads the card, you'd think that would be sufficient. If it is not sufficient, you'd think that the device would reject the card - fail to recognize it as usable storage, give a useful error message, fail to format it for use, or something along those lines, which would prevent it's use, outright.

I called Rand McNally and asked about the microSD slot, when I got my 720, because I was hoping to use it to add software to my device - maybe an audiobook player, or the like - but they indicated that it was not designed for customer use; that it was a service tool, for software upgrades or similar such uses. Admittedly, I would have expected a service port to remain hidden inside of the case, and not be exposed to user tampering, but it does beg the question of whether we should be putting a microSD chip in, at all. I do have a 32GB microSDHC chip, in mine, and it shows up when I connect the device to a computer, as an additional drive - but it's not especially useful, beyond that, and it has not affected the operation of the device, good or bad, as far as I can tell.

Can you be more specific as to what kind of chip is required and why, or how and when the device uses it?

Thanks in advance!

 

It is not a service port. It was reserved for future use, and as of last year because the Maps are larger than the internal storage the Micro SD Card is now needed for the Maps to load to.

8/16GB Micro SD Cards only. The 720 cannot read the format of the 32 gb card. It will allow the maps to load to it, but in the read process it will have issues. The Checksums on the Maps will show corrupted map files only.

You will not physically see an issue until you try to route in an area and that DCA is corrupted.

The Class on the Micro SD Card should show a "C" around it, not a "U", watch out for cards showing a "C" and a "U" together.

The Ultra/Ultra Plus/Evo/etc have a different file format that the 720 hardware cannot read correctly.

https://www.sdcard.org/developers/overview/speed_class/

Here is an example of what to buy.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ..._8gb_micro_sd_card-_-9SIA2T21ZU3719-_-Product

Now if you have a 720 and have put in the 32GB Micro SD Card in it and have downloaded the new maps, Start a conversation with me since you cannot simply copy the files from the 32gb to the 8 or 16 gb Micro SD Card. You will have to download the maps again.

 

I believe smart truck route by teletype tried this. Truck routes over google maps on android and iOS it uses apple maps. It's alright but i didn't care enough to buy it