Updating maps for GPS, Viable?

[oldbmw]

It was my intention to update the maps for my satnav every other spring, but the original up to date maps (2011) will direct me to a supermarket that was demolished in 1998 and which has been a college since 1999. It also does not know of the hypermarket that replaced the original supermarket (also in 1999) and which is about half a mile from the original site. A few times I have been on roads which have obviously been there a few years ( trees well grown at the side) which it thinks are fields or open country. It misspells the name of my farm and local hamlet so you can't input the name to navigate to it and Today it tried to direct me across some fields where a road used to be many years ago, some traces can still be seen under the trees which I guess to be 15-20 years old.

Given the cost of the upgrade and the need to spend 19 hours online for a down load ( the server usually disconnects you after about 12 hours) I have come to the conclusion it might just be better to buy a new "up to date"? unit every few years..

What are other peoples experiences?

[Warin]

Rather than tie yourself to a shop, you are better off with a brand?

Brand specific....

For Garmin/maglen? you can get OSM maps... free.

Think that changing the GPS means relearning how to do things, I don't like that bit. It does mean you get new buttons/screen/memory card capabilities so those can be good. I think it is much like these computers - buy a new one every second generation looks to be good.

[spooky]

got the same issue here, specially TomTom units, even brand new units only a week old do not know the place I'm living which exists since 1902 and is routing delivery drivers miles out of place in to a filed without even a track.

The thing is, that some of the manufacturer bought "old" databases from an old stock of maps out of Google-earth, obviously very cheap... yeah even Google-earth was not very precise with there maps a few years back...

The main issue appeaser not so much in dense populated areas like city's, but more likely on the country side... and yes even the latest "Garmin City Navigation Europe NT 2013.30" is listing POI's for places like Hotels, which are no longer exists for more than 4 years.

At the end... well.. don't relay on this sort of map software in the 1st place, and secondly don't wast your money on this sort of software every year, only because they are telling you that the database of POI's is now even bigger and got more fancy stuff with it than ever before... which may is right, they only fixing bugs and adding more data, rather than correcting the existing ones...

Well just to add some more bashing.. this companies can't make money by maintaining there database, but to invent new ideas to be able to attract new customers and selling the crap... at that stage I have to recall a statement out of "Terry Pratchet's - going Postal"... the statement go's like this: ... "the meaning of a business is not to present a good service, but the only service"