Comments on: Two free apps help name that peak http://gpstracklog.com/2010/01/two-free-apps-help-name-that-peak.html GPS reviews, news, tips and tricks Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:51:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: CSG Show #26 – I’m Andy Willoughby, and how in the world are you anyway. | Centennial State Geocaching http://gpstracklog.com/2010/01/two-free-apps-help-name-that-peak.html/comment-page-1#comment-40812 CSG Show #26 – I’m Andy Willoughby, and how in the world are you anyway. | Centennial State Geocaching Tue, 26 Jan 2010 03:25:16 +0000 http://gpstracklog.com/?p=3627#comment-40812 [...] iphone and andrion apps that help name peaks – from gpstracklog.com [...] [...] iphone and andrion apps that help name peaks – from gpstracklog.com [...]

]]> By: igorbrejc.net » Fresh Catch For January 14th http://gpstracklog.com/2010/01/two-free-apps-help-name-that-peak.html/comment-page-1#comment-39682 igorbrejc.net » Fresh Catch For January 14th Thu, 14 Jan 2010 22:02:27 +0000 http://gpstracklog.com/?p=3627#comment-39682 [...] Two free apps help name that peak | GPS Tracklog [...] [...] Two free apps help name that peak | GPS Tracklog [...]

]]> By: Marty http://gpstracklog.com/2010/01/two-free-apps-help-name-that-peak.html/comment-page-1#comment-39650 Marty Thu, 14 Jan 2010 16:05:22 +0000 http://gpstracklog.com/?p=3627#comment-39650 The current model of consumer GPS receivers locks you into whatever firmware is on the device. Thus it is rare that functionality is added to the unit. Yes, Magellan gave the Meridians turn-by-turn and Garmin gave the Oregon the ability to add custom rasters as a result of firmware updates. But it is rare that such significant increases in functionality take place. The GPS industry needs to figure out a way to let users add apps to their devices. Why should Garmin/Magellan/DeLorme be the ones to decide how we use our GPS receivers? Let us decide what capabilities to give our GPSr. Garmin has introduced those profiles, but we need something more robust. We should have a choice of geocaching apps, hunting apps, exercise apps, and cycling apps that we can download to our units. The manufacturers should give us some basic functionality, then let us decide how we want to customize our devices and tailor them to our use. Imagine if there was competition among developers to create the best apps and the market decided who succeeded. This would kill the current marketing model of charging for a higher-end model with increased functionality or shepherding customers to a different model line based on desired functions. However, Garmin could take an Apple-like position and create an app store. Let other people develop apps for a unit, Garmin would test the app for quality, then Garmin could get a cut of the app's sales. The current model of consumer GPS receivers locks you into whatever firmware is on the device. Thus it is rare that functionality is added to the unit. Yes, Magellan gave the Meridians turn-by-turn and Garmin gave the Oregon the ability to add custom rasters as a result of firmware updates. But it is rare that such significant increases in functionality take place.

The GPS industry needs to figure out a way to let users add apps to their devices. Why should Garmin/Magellan/DeLorme be the ones to decide how we use our GPS receivers? Let us decide what capabilities to give our GPSr. Garmin has introduced those profiles, but we need something more robust. We should have a choice of geocaching apps, hunting apps, exercise apps, and cycling apps that we can download to our units. The manufacturers should give us some basic functionality, then let us decide how we want to customize our devices and tailor them to our use. Imagine if there was competition among developers to create the best apps and the market decided who succeeded.

This would kill the current marketing model of charging for a higher-end model with increased functionality or shepherding customers to a different model line based on desired functions. However, Garmin could take an Apple-like position and create an app store. Let other people develop apps for a unit, Garmin would test the app for quality, then Garmin could get a cut of the app’s sales.

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