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MapCreate v7; First Impressions
Topic Started: Mar 16 2007, 06:34 AM (1,072 Views)
ICHTHYS
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I ordered on 3/12 in the evening and received 3/15. So kudos to CascadeGPS.com Fast service from them.

My first impressions on the software.

I was glad to see that they include a basemap for Canada. I wish they would put all USA and Canada maps together like they do for their i-Way units, but at least they have a basemap for Canada in there.

I also wish I could left click to zoom in and right click to zoom out. Maybe I don't have it set up right, but I like that feature.

But I am very impressed with the maps so far. They seem quite detailed and the ability to add or remove what features you want to load was a big selling point for me in going with Lowrance. I never liked being forced to have all of the restaurant and other useless POIs forced on me by Garmin. I can shut them off and save the map space.

One thing I was very pleased to see was that it came with a 512mb SD card. Very nice.

So my first impression is that I am quite pleased with the mapping.

I am taking it on the road today and I'll get a good look at the maps while actually using the GPS.
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jjen
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Can MapCreate 7 be installed to the hard drive or does the dvd have to be in the drive? Can the dvd be backed up?
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ICHTHYS
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The program requires the DVD to be in the drive to run. There was a workaround for this for the 6.3 version, don't know if it works for v7. There is a thread somewhere for the workaround.
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b smith
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Is there a noticeable difference between 6 and 7 and what are they? I have 6
would it be worth the purchase?
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ICHTHYS
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I can't answer that as I never owned v6.
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Steel City Seekers
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Hey, ICHTHYS, you posted over at gc.com that MapCreate 7 uses Navteq data. Is that right? That's pretty big because 6.3 is obviously NOT based on Navteq. It looks more like Tiger, which is pretty old. My PDA software uses Navteq and the roads are dead-on. The roads, as I drive them in MC 6.3 are decent, and you generally know which road you are on, but there is a pretty big difference.

Navteq is known in North America as the leader in road-based navigation. This could be foreshadowing of some pretty big news with regard to turn-by-turn navigation. It might require new hardware, that is, a new iFinder series, but the use of Navteq seems like a pretty big indicator to me that they are on the way. Even if that isn't the case, the Navteq maps should be more accurate.
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ICHTHYS
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When I power on my GPS it shows a screen that says

Copyright LEI 2006
Copyright Navteq 2006
Copyright infoUSA 2006

We all know what LEI is, and infoUSA provides the POI information. So that leaves the maps to Navteq. If I startup without the SD card (and thus the maps) I don't get this screen.

This tells me the alarm box is from the maps and so the maps must be Navteq.
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Steel City Seekers
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ICHTHYS
Mar 31 2007, 11:17 PM
When I power on my GPS it shows a screen that says

Copyright LEI 2006
Copyright Navteq 2006
Copyright infoUSA 2006

We all know what LEI is, and infoUSA provides the POI information.  So that leaves the maps to Navteq.  If I startup without the SD card (and thus the maps) I don't get this screen.

This tells me the alarm box is from the maps and so the maps must be Navteq.

Huh, when I read this post, I had to run down to the garage and grab the iFinder and power it up. I don't get any screen that says any copyright info. when I power up. Must be something new with the new software. However, I fully agree with your reasoning with regard to Navteq and that is great. Some of the advertised updates for 7.0 vs. 6.3 didn't interest me, but this would be pretty big.
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Steel City Seekers
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Sorry, continuing the thought here. It would be great because some of the details in the software are very good in 6.3 right now. Any time I'm in the woods, and the iFinder tells me I'm coming up on a small stream, well by golly, when I get to it on the iFinder map, there it is in real geography right in front of me. The off-road details in MC 6.3 are very good and right on the money in my experience.

The roads haven't so much been so accurate. I like to plunge into the woods and walk around and come out somewhere completely different and know where I am in relation to other features such as streams or roads. Often, roads aren't so accurate. This is very apparent to me because I own a cache less than a half mile from my house that is in a wooded park. My PDA software, Google, Mapquest, etc. show maps accurately, and this is important because publicly-available parking for this area is precise. MC 6.3 has the road seriously goofed up in this area and actually shows the parking spot to be in the middle of a trail for the cache that is close to a quarter-of-a-mile away.

Now you have me itching for the upgrade. Thanks a lot!!! At least my birthday is close.
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CO-Zman
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Steel City Seekers
Mar 31 2007, 09:43 PM
Now you have me itching for the upgrade.  Thanks a lot!!! At least my birthday is close.

So...birthday boy/girl :unsure:.... didya get MC 7? :D

Z
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Steel City Seekers
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CO-Zman
May 13 2007, 11:32 PM
Steel City Seekers
Mar 31 2007, 09:43 PM
Now you have me itching for the upgrade.  Thanks a lot!!! At least my birthday is close.

So...birthday boy/girl :unsure:.... didya get MC 7? :D

Z

I choose boy, and no I didn't get (or ask for) MC7. I had to settle for a new truck. WooHoo!!
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CO-Zman
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May 15 2007, 09:40 PM
I choose boy, and no I didn't get (or ask for) MC7. I had to settle for a new truck. WooHoo!!

Hmmm....tough choice :rolleyes:

Got me a new truck too!!! Guess I'll crossin' any new toys off the list for awhile :P

Z
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Steel City Seekers
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CO-Zman
May 16 2007, 01:28 AM
Guess I'll crossin' any new toys off the list for awhile  :P

Oh, ya, me too!
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lmcleod
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Incredible, the only 3 lakes in SC that do not have bottom contours are the lakes that I fish exclusively. :(
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owensamuelson
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Imcleod,
You should check here: http://www.lowrance.com/Products/Mapping/LakeMaps/index.asp

Lowance is adding free more detailed lake maps for certain lakes. I don't know if all of these are already in MapCreate7, but the ones listed here, that are not in MapCreate7 will have more details. They don't have any for SC but maybe will add more.
Owen
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