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Darren Frequent Visitor
Joined: 11/07/2002 14:36:40 Posts: 23848 Location: Hampshire, UK
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Posted: Fri Jan 08, 2010 12:30 pm Post subject: |
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Not entirely impossible. iPhone can already supply video to an external display after all.
But we also have iSlate or whatever coming later this month. There were rumours of multiple screen sizes eventually. Would a 6 or 8" device be too big for the dash? _________________ Darren Griffin |
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gatorguy6996 Frequent Visitor
Joined: Feb 16, 2008 Posts: 695 Location: Florida, USA
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Posted: Fri Jan 08, 2010 1:40 pm Post subject: |
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Darren wrote: | It's clearly not going to be a HD Traffic type solution if free, it'll have to be delivered over the radio network? |
That's what I'm guessing Darren. It would make sense that they would use HDRadio for traffic delivery like the new Cydle device here (T43H). Fast, cheap, but still requiring an antenna. _________________ Garmin 1695 / 255 / 760 w/MSN - Droid w/Google nav + Navigon - Navigon 8100T - Dakota10 - GPSMap76C - GeoMate Jr. |
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Kar98 Lifetime Member
Joined: Nov 25, 2004 Posts: 344 Location: DFW, Texas, USA
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Posted: Fri Jan 08, 2010 3:11 pm Post subject: |
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"TomTom 'Ease'/'Start' for $120?"
Kinda ridiculous. Just got the wife a XL 340-S for Christmas, paid $97 for it. |
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Darren Frequent Visitor
Joined: 11/07/2002 14:36:40 Posts: 23848 Location: Hampshire, UK
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Posted: Fri Jan 08, 2010 3:17 pm Post subject: |
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What's truly ridiculous is the retailers/distributors/manufacturers who collude in this price cutting.
TomTom went on record a few years back as saying they do not but the sales prices in the US suggest otherwise or some retailers are making a huge loss (unlikely).
Consumers may think this is great but it serves only to damage the market and their is clear evidence that it is doing. Low prices devalue the technology and cause customers to perceive that it is worth less than it actually is.
At some point the price cutting has to stop and then when the devices return to a price level that more accurately reflects their production costs with a realistic profit margin, customers baulk and walk away.
The end result? Innovators die and only a handful of the largest manufacturers survive who then dominate the market. We have already wtinessed this with the stagnation in GPS development.
New startups can't get the VC funding to break into the market because of the price cutting. _________________ Darren Griffin |
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gatorguy6996 Frequent Visitor
Joined: Feb 16, 2008 Posts: 695 Location: Florida, USA
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Posted: Fri Jan 08, 2010 3:18 pm Post subject: |
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Darren, Tom Murray TT VP Marketing NA, did say (in a GPSBusiness article) the traffic cable will be RDS-TMC, confirming your earlier comment.
In essence, no different from Garmin's NA offer except in the choice of traffic provider. _________________ Garmin 1695 / 255 / 760 w/MSN - Droid w/Google nav + Navigon - Navigon 8100T - Dakota10 - GPSMap76C - GeoMate Jr. |
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Darren Frequent Visitor
Joined: 11/07/2002 14:36:40 Posts: 23848 Location: Hampshire, UK
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Posted: Fri Jan 08, 2010 3:19 pm Post subject: |
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gatorguy6996 wrote: | Darren, Tom Murray TT VP Marketing NA, did say (in a GPSBusiness article) the traffic cable will be RDS-TMC, confirming your earlier comment.
In essence, no different from Garmin's NA offer except in the choice of traffic provider. |
And some further rumour suggests the Traffic won't be FREE per se but may be offered free in targeted sales campaigns _________________ Darren Griffin |
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gatorguy6996 Frequent Visitor
Joined: Feb 16, 2008 Posts: 695 Location: Florida, USA
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Posted: Fri Jan 08, 2010 3:27 pm Post subject: |
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I saw that. Methinks Tomtom might be taking advantage of a eager bunch of bloggers and press by being a bit fuzzy on the details. The Ease (Start) without supposed "free lifetime maps" would not garner much attention at all. But TomTom is showing some confusion now whether it will be an included feature.
On the marketing side, they can always clarify later when not so many eyes are paying attention. In the meantime they get some needed press attention at CES. _________________ Garmin 1695 / 255 / 760 w/MSN - Droid w/Google nav + Navigon - Navigon 8100T - Dakota10 - GPSMap76C - GeoMate Jr. |
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mikealder Pocket GPS Moderator
Joined: Jan 14, 2005 Posts: 19638 Location: Blackpool , Lancs
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Posted: Fri Jan 08, 2010 3:30 pm Post subject: |
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Darren wrote: | And some further rumour suggests the Traffic won't be FREE per se but may be offered free in targeted sales campaigns |
I really don't see anything new in this one at all, lets face it Traffic (via RDS) has been free for life included within the purchase of the RDS receiver for Europeans. I appreciate this is for the North American market which operates a different system but its not looking like its going to be free to use for life - just a jazzy PR release to cover the launch of a Traffic receiver thats built in to the power cable!
I only hope whatever receiver they introduce works well and doesn't repeat the issues we observed in the UK although most of that was due to poor FM netwoork coverage, the mk1 receiver wasn't much good though!
In addition some devices have been previously offered with free trials of Live services, I seem to remember a free trial of GPRS based Traffic a few years ago, then there are the free "taster" maps for the PDA's and the free map update recently brought in when iPhone users upgraded.
At this rate they will be giving everything away!
Lots of fancy PR dressing up services and offers we have seen before if you look back over the years - Mike |
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Darren Frequent Visitor
Joined: 11/07/2002 14:36:40 Posts: 23848 Location: Hampshire, UK
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Posted: Fri Jan 08, 2010 4:03 pm Post subject: |
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mikealder wrote: | Lots of fancy PR dressing up services and offers we have seen before if you look back over the years - Mike |
Well there has been no PR, that's the point. A brief mention by TomTom is all. The rest is supposition.
But the real interest is the lifetime free maps, if that is to be believed. _________________ Darren Griffin |
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Kar98 Lifetime Member
Joined: Nov 25, 2004 Posts: 344 Location: DFW, Texas, USA
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Posted: Fri Jan 08, 2010 4:11 pm Post subject: |
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Darren wrote: | What's truly ridiculous is the retailers/distributors/manufacturers who collude in this price cutting.
TomTom went on record a few years back as saying they do not but the sales prices in the US suggest otherwise or some retailers are making a huge loss (unlikely). |
Uh, think "loss-leader during holiday sales." Yes, they actually do incur losses on certain items in order to lure people into a shopping frenzy. The regular price for the XL 340*S is $249 to $279 plus tax at national retailers, and currently $159.95 (regular $249.95), plus S+H+tax at tomtom.com. |
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Darren Frequent Visitor
Joined: 11/07/2002 14:36:40 Posts: 23848 Location: Hampshire, UK
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Posted: Fri Jan 08, 2010 4:24 pm Post subject: |
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The price cutting has been going on for much longer than the seasonal sales and black friday. You will rarely find any of those devices being sold near to the list prices. _________________ Darren Griffin |
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gatorguy6996 Frequent Visitor
Joined: Feb 16, 2008 Posts: 695 Location: Florida, USA
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Posted: Fri Jan 08, 2010 4:24 pm Post subject: |
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Kar, in this case I'm on Darren's side. There were too many outlets selling TomTom products at bargain-outlet prices for it not to have been ridiculously cheap TomTom deals with the retailers at the core of it. You didn't see the same with Garmin products over the Holidays, further evidence that TomTom is their own worst enemy when it comes to price erosion. _________________ Garmin 1695 / 255 / 760 w/MSN - Droid w/Google nav + Navigon - Navigon 8100T - Dakota10 - GPSMap76C - GeoMate Jr. |
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Darren Frequent Visitor
Joined: 11/07/2002 14:36:40 Posts: 23848 Location: Hampshire, UK
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Posted: Fri Jan 08, 2010 6:22 pm Post subject: |
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The Google Nexus is a joke. Large screen is nice but that's it. Why have the largest screen of any Android phone then add hardware buttons and a trackball
Good as I hoped it might be, it wasn't worth the wait and unless it's picked up by a UK operator it is dead in the water here.
Does it have the rumoured OLED screen? _________________ Darren Griffin |
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gatorguy6996 Frequent Visitor
Joined: Feb 16, 2008 Posts: 695 Location: Florida, USA
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Posted: Fri Jan 08, 2010 6:40 pm Post subject: |
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Yes it does, which creates a problem with outdoor viewing. _________________ Garmin 1695 / 255 / 760 w/MSN - Droid w/Google nav + Navigon - Navigon 8100T - Dakota10 - GPSMap76C - GeoMate Jr. |
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Darren Frequent Visitor
Joined: 11/07/2002 14:36:40 Posts: 23848 Location: Hampshire, UK
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Posted: Fri Jan 08, 2010 7:32 pm Post subject: |
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gatorguy6996 wrote: | Yes it does, which creates a problem with outdoor viewing. |
OLED not so good outdoors? I thought it was supposed to be better in all circumstances? _________________ Darren Griffin |
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