AT&T Tilt, Windows Mobile 6.1 & iGuidance (oh MY!)

[SpenceJT]

So much for any support from iNavCorp! Here is the time line of events which began with the opening of a Service Request with iNavCorp on Thursday, August 28th.

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Description of Problem - I have Windows Mobile 6.1 on my AT&T Tilt Pocket PC. iGuidance recognizes my internal GPS, obtains signal lock on satellites without a problem, but does not automatically refresh the map. I know for a fact that this is not an issue between iGuidance and the devices\'s \'built in\' GPS receiver because the GPS Info screen displays in \'real time\' (speed/coordinates etc. all match up with movement and speed of vehicle). It appears to only be an issue with the map display, which will no longer display movement in \'real-time\'. It will capture a given map location and speed, and hold them until the screen is manually refreshed. I am familiar with the \'panning mode\' for the map, and am certain that it is not the issue as I am not viewing the map in panning mode. I see no updates available, other than your recent v4.02 update, which I have applied. The problem still remains. Your assistance would be greatly appreciated, as I am sure there are many others with this identical issue. I have paid good money for navigation software that is at this time, completely useless. I look forward to your prompt response. Sincerely, Jeff Spencer

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...followed by their reply, received late afternoon on Friday, August 29th

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Hi Jeff:
iGuidance worked fine w/ the built-in gps in HTC until recently after HTC released their new ROM w/ wm6.1. W/ this new ROM on your Tilt, iGuidance will now only work w/ either an external GPS, or w/ the built-in gps but by using the universal serial port driver provided through a 3rd party program such as GPSGate from www.franson.com instead. If you choose to go w/ the 2nd option, please note that the basic version would be sufficient.

Thank you and we apologize for the inconvenience.
Support Team
www.inavcorp.com

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....and finally my reply to them

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The very reason that I picked up the Tilt was so that I would not be required to carry around additional components.

Thanks for what you ridiculously refer to as support.

To tell you the honest truth, I am now highly dissatisfied with iNavCorp and your product. I would expect at the very least (at least from a reputable company that stands behind it's product) a forthcoming patch, or work with the phone vendor to provide a patch, that would provide a no-cost universal serial port driver to correct the issue with your application. I now see how well you stand behind iGuidance and will invariably sell it off. Furthermore, as a Systems Administrator with [national company name omitted]., I will have no trouble whatsoever going out of my way to disparage your product and use this instance as an example as to just how poor the support is with your company and how inflexible your product is.

Furthermore, as a member of such forums as; GPS Passions, AT&T, and XDA Developers, I fully intend to post both my request for support and your reply, as stated below to each and every one of these forums and strongly urge others to do the same.

Honestly, did you see NVIDIA say "sorry" to Windows customers who had upgraded to Microsoft Vista? I don't think so. Stand behind and support your product, or face the backlash of the consumer.

Sincerely,

Jeff Spencer
Verona

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I have made good on my words to iNavCorp. I now urge anyone else as irritated (perhaps mentally disturbed) as I am, to make their voices heard by opening service requests on their own. Sure we can install GPSGate on our devices, or purchase an external GPS receiver, but what kind of response is it from a company to direct customers of their product to do so!! As stated in my reply to them, would NVIDIA have told it's customers "too bad", but you can purchase something else because you chose to upgrade to Windows Vista and now our graphics card won't work as advertised? HELL NO!!!

...okay, time for me to grab a beer and cool off.

Regards,
Spence

[SpenceJT]

Here is an update - iNavCorp's reply to me

Hi Jeff:
Please note that the incompatibility is not between iGuidance and windows mobile OS, but only between iGuidance and the HTC driver. Further, HTC's new ROM was released much later after iGuidance v4 was released, and being a small company, HTC will not be able to work us on our request. Our programmers have been looking at this issue and if a solution may be determined, we will make sure it's included in iGuidance 2009. If not, we will continue to include the incompatiblity w/ HTC on our website as we do now to minimize their inconvenience.

Thank you.
Support Team
www.inavcorp.com

My reply

iNavCorp,

Please excuse my error, it is indeed HTC and not AT&T's hardware, however HTC is far from the small company that you described as "being a small company, HTC will not be able to work us on our request".

HTC makes over 80% of mobile phones running the Windows OS. Please read up on HTC and educate your staff on this 'small company'.

http://www.htcamerica.net/about/default.html

I shall contact HTC and pursue this with them, and ask them why they are too small to work with correcting an issue with your product.

As for my chances of purchasing iGuidance 2009 if you can't support your current product? ...I'd say the chance of that is about as good as my chance at winning a write-in campaign for the 2008 presidential elections.

Thank you for providing me with another opportunity to post and ridicule your poor customer support.

Jeff Spencer

a second reply that I had received while typing my reply

Hi Jeff:
Please note that the incompatibility is not between iGuidance and windows mobile OS, but only between iGuidance and the HTC driver. Further, HTC's new ROM was released much later after iGuidance v4 was released, and being a small company, HTC will not be able to work us on our request. Our programmers have been looking at this issue and if a solution may be determined, we will make sure it's included in iGuidance 2009. If not, we will continue to include the incompatiblity w/ HTC on our website as we do now to minimize their inconvenience.

Thank you.
Support Team
www.inavcorp.com

My follow-up reply

I apologize for the terse nature of my prior message. I have just realized that I have mis-understood your comment about being a small company.

I believe the reply you had sent me (below) was worded in such a way that left the impression that you were referring to HTC as a small company.

I have later received a message indicating that you are working on identifying the incompatibility and provide a fix. I appreciate that, I really do, however please don't preach to me about not being able to be 100% compatible. iGuidance 4 was compatible with my AT&T Tilt, and now it is not. As a customer, I do not care, who made what driver change at what point in time. The fact of the matter, as your product, you are obligated to support it. Simply removing every device that changes from your list of compatible products will do little other than shrink your install base and alienate your paying customers.

I thank you for your attention to this issue, and look forward to an agreeable solution.

Jeff Spencer
Verona

I'm done for now. I am planning to contact HTC, to make them aware of the issue and ask if they can put one of their support team members in touch with iGuidance, but I've a 5 year old to put down for the night, followed shortly after by myself.

Cheers,
Spence

[cyjeff]

Joe has already corrected this.

Search iGuidance in these forums and you will find it.

[SpenceJT]

Originally Posted by cyjeff Joe has already corrected this. Search iGuidance in these forums and you will find it.

Thanks cyjeff, I had done that, but hadn't seen anything recent. I must have been too specific in my search. I've checked iNavCorp's site and the now have the issue listed as an incompatibility that they are working on.

**** Note: iGuidance is incompatible w/ the new ROM released by HTC which enabled the internal gps chip. iGuidance will continue to work with an external gps receiver while using PPC6800/Mogul, but in order for iGuidance to work w/ the internal gps, user will need to download/purchase Franson's GPSGate (express or standard version) via http://franson.com/gpsgate/

Regards,
Spence

[SpenceJT]

Thanks again cyjeff!

It took a bit to find it, but after searching on "iGuidance" and "Joe", I've got Joe's work-around.

Here it is for anyone else stumbling upon this thread.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/show...9&postcount=40

Thanks,
Spence

[cyjeff]

Originally Posted by SpenceJT Thanks again cyjeff! It took a bit to find it, but after searching on "iGuidance" and "Joe", I've got Joe's work-around. Here it is for anyone else stumbling upon this thread. http://forum.xda-developers.com/show...9&postcount=40 Thanks, Spence

You are welcome.

It works like a champ... I have used it myself.

[SpenceJT]

Funny iNavCorp appears to have been out-done by an enterprising developer posting in forums!

I've installed the cab and am off to do some testing. I have no doubt it will work. I am thankful that we've got a forum such as this, where people can assist each other. I'll have to donate or send a 'cookie' to this "Joe" guy!

Regards,
Spence

[cyjeff]

Originally Posted by SpenceJT Funny iNavCorp appears to have been out-done by an enterprising developer posting in forums! I've installed the cab and am off to do some testing. I have no doubt it will work. I am thankful that we've got a forum such as this, where people can assist each other. I'll have to donate or send a 'cookie' to this "Joe" guy! Regards, Spence

Well, you can put them in the same boat as the guys from ATT, HTC, Microsoft and a multitude of other software providers that get "help" from the volunteers here.

[verendus]

Good luck getting any kind of real support from iNav. After spending a couple hundred on what they call "updates" which are minor bug fixes, I will never spend a dime on this company. When I purchased version 3, WM6 came out which was incompatible with this version. Instead of releasing a fix, iNav released version 4 which is no different than version 3 (slightly newer map), and charged $80. When I initially had problems with version 4 getting to work, I always got generic email telling me that it was either my phone or the OS i was running.

I am not even sure how many programmers they have. It might be a one person venture under the disguise of "Corp". If they are such a small company, they should not call themselves a Corporation.

[jackleung]

actually, v4 is a big step forward w/ TTS. But with a big step backward by taking out the option to cut map.

BTW, where do you get 4.02 update and what's being update/fix in this release?