New Software upgrade available

        It sounds like we are using different maths. Many people are not talking
about buying 4 newer upgrades a year, but the LIFE of the GPS they expect
before upgrading to newer model.

        Here is the type of math many people use.

1. The current map should be okay for at least 2-3 years. If there is a
         newer changes then most likely few small roads not major street or hi-way

        And if there is a major change then it probably take 3-5+ years to
complete.

2. If you upgrade your old GPS to newer and better every 2-3 years then
Lifetime is little too good for Garmin, and not a good deal for most
consumers.

        Me? I bought my Nuvi 1490T couple months ago and it came with City
Navigator v2010.20 or v2010.30 or something like that, and I don't even
bother to ask for newer version of City Navigator 2011.20

And then there's yet another "math".

I don't plan on upgrading my present equipment while they're still
functioning. I much prefer the feature set in my StreetPilot era devices
which are NT capable to those in the Nuvi series. I like the tailorable data
field capabilities and the remotes. Given, voice command seems intriguing,
but I don't think it's sufficient to buy current generation devices. For
those who don't have an investment in StreetPilots, the Garmin devices which
include a lifetime subscription merit consideration.

But, for me, as long as Garmin continues to honor lifetime subscriptions and
as long as my devices continue to function, the NuMaps lifetime subscriptions
are worth the cost. If Garmin decides to phase out subscription support on a
by model basis, I suspect that'll limit their desirability to the point that
they'll have difficulty selling lifetime subscriptions.

How often I take advantage of the updates is another matter. If I don't feel
I'll have sufficient benefit from the update, I'll skip it. The process can
be tedious. But I still have the capability if I want it.
--
Carl Heinz
cfheinz57@charter.net
(Remove number)