Second, if I'm in the middle of a long download losing the connection is painful, because it means I have to start the download over from scratch.

Since the map data is broken up in approximately 256KB chunks, couldn't the synchronization for the download notice what chunks are already downloaded and not repeat the download needlessly?  This would be a huge timesaver.

TechSupport replies:

Thank you for contacting GARMIN.
The error message that you received is indicative of another program interfering with MapSource and the communications port. Please ensure that all programs are closed, including those that come on during start-up. The best way to ensure that all programs are actually closed is to type CTRL+ALT+DEL, which will bring up the Close Program window (Windows 95/98) or the Task Manager (Windows NT/2000). You will find most often a number of programs that are running in Windows  that are not readily visible or known to the computer user. You will want to leave open Explorer, Systray and MapSource (if it was not closed already). To close a program, select it, and then select END TASK, not SHUT DOWN. END TASK will cause a window to appear asking you if you really want to close that program, please say "yes." If you should select SHUT DOWN, your computer will shut its self down, and you will have to restart it. Please let me know if you continue to have trouble

Matt points out:.

There are a few problems with the "don't run any other programs at the same time as MapSource" solution:

1. My computer is built to run multiple programs at once. Only being able to have one application open at a time went away with MS-DOS.
 

2. MapSource wasn't talking to my GPS at the time, so I don't see why another program using the serial port could possibly matter. But for the record, I was not running any other applications that talk to the serial port.

3. MapSource should be robust to the any serial port problems it might encounter. For example, it could put up a message box saying "Another program seems to have interfered with the serial port. Please try exiting all other programs." when it encounters trouble. A program should never crash in response to a condition it could have detected.

A second Tech Support Writes:

The loss of connection could be for a couple of reasons. A loss of communication can occur whenever something pops up on the screen during a transfer of information from your pc to your GARMIN device. However, any pop up message can disrupt the program. The best way to avoid this is to disable any screen savers, instant messaging programs or power management programs that might enable while using the MapSource program.  The other reason could be the comport on your computer itself. It might have gone to sleep. It would be beneficial to check any time out settings for your comports to make sure this does not occur.
 

Matt Writes:

My question came in two parts, one of which you missed.

The first part:

1. MapSource sometimes loses the connection to my GPS. As I stated in my other messages, if MapSource loses the connection to the GPS it should reestablish the connection. It should not give up, it should not quit, it should not crash, it should not burst into flames.

The second part:

2. If I am downloading a number of maps to the GPS, the protocol should be intelligent enough to notice what maps are already present in the GPS and only download the missing maps.

MapSource should have an option to copy all of the map files to the hard disk at a bare minimum.  Ideally it should cache the map files it is currently using in main memory.  If I try to look at the entire US at maximum detail, fine, hit the CD-ROM drive.  If I try to look at South Lake Tahoe, CA, please keep all the data in memory.

TechSupport Writes:

Which MapSource program are you using? Some of the MapSource programs require the cd rom be in the drive to access detail and some do not. The best way to alleviate the problem of the spinning drive is to go to VIEW and uncheck GPS Map Detail when moving around the map. Especially if you are at a close zoom scale. This will allow you move about without the program taking a lot of time to draw detail. The cd rom should not spin as much then. When you get to the location on the map where you need to see detail again, you can always turn the detail back on.

Matt Writes:

I am using MapSource v4.09 with the US Topo data.

I understand that I can turn off detail when I am moving around and then turn detail back on. However, this is clumsy and tedious.

I made two suggestions in my message:

1. MapSource should have the option to keep a copy of all of the map data on the hard disk so that it can get at it very quickly, instead of using the much much slower CD-ROM. If MapSource still wants to periodically look at the CD-ROM to make sure I have a legal copy of the software that is okay.

2. MapSource could leave all the files on the CD-ROM but me more intelligent about caching copies of the maps in main memory so that would not have to go the disk so often to retrieve them.

Both of these choices would be infinitely preferable to the current scheme, which results in MapSource hammering at my CD-ROM drive like a demented blacksmith.

However, if I don't have the maptool selected, then the map highlight could usefully be turned off.  Otherwise I always see pinks maps, which are annoying.  They are particularly annoying because if I look at the "print preview" for a map the pink color is still displayed.  A printed record of what areas of the map I had selected for download to the GPS is almost never what I want.

TechSupport Writes:

The easy way to de-select the maps after they have been downloaded to your Vista prior to printing would be to go to EDIT/SELECT ALL. This will highlight all of the selected maps in the map listing so that you can just press the DELETE key on your keyboard.  Once this is done, you can print without the pink color getting in your way.
 

Matt Replies:

It's like they took the most facile possible interpretation of
anything said. What a bunch of boobs. Anyway, here's more crap:

I should have been more specific in my message. I don't want to deselect the maps after they have been downloaded. I like being able to save a set of maps in a .mps file so that at a later point in time I can download the maps, and their associated waypoints and routes to the GPS. If I de-select the maps in order to print them out then I have to either exit MapSource and not save my changes to the .mps file and then restart. A simple toggle-button to turn on or off whether the selected maps are highlight would therefore be quite useful. The simplest way I can think of to accomplish this is to only highlight the selected maps when the map selection tool (the polygon looking thing at the top of the screen) is the currently active tool.
 

If I bring up the "save to device" widget and check the boxes for maps and routes, MapSource only downloads the maps.  When it is done with the maps (at least when I think it is done) it beeps and announces that it is having trouble talking to the GPS.  When I look at the GPS it has the boot screen up, like it just got powered on.

If I download the routes separately there is no problem.

This is really annoying.
 

TechSupp writes:

Thank you for contacting GARMIN International. I believe this problem relates back to the comport issue from your other email. Maps take longer to download than routes. The routes download alone without problem because they download so quickly.  When you get the comport/timeout issue resolved, both your maps and routes will download together without difficulty.

Matt Writes:

I'm pretty sure my problem is not due to a timeout when talking to my GPS. As I stated in my original message, the GPS appears to restart itself when the maps are done downloading.

If the answer truly is that MapSource gets confused when the screensaver comes on or any number of other things happen, then MapSource should do something about the problem. For example, the protocol MapSource uses to talk to the GPS should be robust enough to handle interruptions in the download and other possible things that might go wrong.

I will do an experiment tonight to see what happens if I download just maps by themselves, and what happens if I download just a single map instead of multiple maps. However, regardless of what I learn from these experiments, I should not be asked to accomodate bugs in MapSource. I appreciate the availability of a work-around, but not running any other applications while I'm running MapSource, turning off the screensaver, etc. are all steps that I should not have to take. If MapSource has problems using the serial port then MapSource should be corrected.