"Ted Lindgreen" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Owning two Garmin units with the non standard datacards, I agree
with the other complainers that this is a 'fault' that needs to be
'fixed'. The only purpose for hangin on to them seems commercial,
i.e. in Garmins interest and not something beneficial to the
customers.

It helps to maintain the security of pre-programmed marine data without
requiring individual unit locking. This in turn makes it easier for the
mariner.

This is definately NOT true. Most mariners do not WANT to "just buy
A card to plugin": they HAD to do this because RayMarine, Garmin,
and other manufacturers only provided the map-data on such cards.

I work in the industry and I can assure you pre-programed Bluechart
datacards outsell Bluechart CDROMs by many, many fold. For most mariners,
pre-programmed cards are still much easier than unlocking and uploading a
CDROM. There are still heaps of people out there who are confused by the
simplist of PC applications.

. . . . . . . . as serious mariners update their maps
regularly, the "compatibility with old pre-programmed cards"-argument
is just not valid anymore. Certainly not for new equipment, one
which one usually wishes to use up-to-date mapping data instead of
using years out-dated data on old pre-programmed cards.

What rubbish!! All pre-programmed datacards have the same release of
mapping as the CDROM version. If you have bought a new datacard with old
mapping on it, take it back and get it replaced with the current version. If
new map data is released in the future, simply return your card, pay a small
update fee and take home the latest version. Theres no reason to ever have
to use an old chart anymore than you have to use an old CDROM.


Regards,
-- ted