Home > Consumer Reviews > Garmin nüMaps Onetime City Navigator North America NT Map Update

The Garmin map updates get larger with each release. I assume that this is because of more map details and more Points of Interest (POIs). These are good things. However, they do create challenges for older Garmin GPS units with lower amounts of built-in memory. Unfortunately, Garmin isn't too forthcoming with either the amount of built-in memory in various units, or the amount of that memory that is required to hold either a full map update or any of the pre-defined selectable partial map update options. This is true even after you have bought the map update; the only information the map update utility provides for each pre-defined selectable portion of the full maps is whether it will fit or won't fit in your GPS units built-in memory. Not providing this basic information is a major disservice to Garmin's customers.

I have read that since my Garmin c330 has an SD card slot, I can buy an SD card and load the new maps onto it. However, I have not found any definitive information on how big the card must be to hold the current (2010) full North America maps. One source (not Garmin) indicated that a 2 GB card would suffice.

My unit originally came preloaded with North America (US and Canada) maps when I bought it. When I bought my first map update, I had to choose between full maps of the US, or full maps of Canada (with a "base map" of the other). Since I live in Maryland, USA, I chose full maps of the US. On a subsequent trip to British Columbia, Canada, I discovered that the Canadian base maps weren't very useful. US 95 up through Idaho into British Columbia doesn't even make it all the way to Cranbrook before my GPS showed me off the map driving through empty space.

The 2010 map update is even larger than the previous map update. Not even the US lower 48 will fit in the c330's built-in memory. There are several pre-defined map sets that I can pick.

2010 Map Update selections that won't fit in my c330 built-in memory:

Full Coverage of North America: All US states and Canadian provinces
Lower 49 States + PR: the traditional "lower 48" US states as well as Hawaii and Puerto Rico

2010 Map Update selections that will fit in my c330 built-in memory:

Canada + Border States: All of Canada, Alaska, and the US states along the border with Canada (and a few more East Coast US states)
East: US states from the East Coast all the way to Texas, OK, KS, NE, SD, ND, and all Eastern Canada up to the provinces of Saskatchewan and Nunavut
West: US States from the West Coast all the way to LA, AR, MO, IL, IN, OH, PA, NY, VT, NH, ME, and just about all of Canada except for the parts way above the Arctic Circle
Lower 49 States + PR NE: Only the US states from the East Coast over to LA, OK, AR, NE, SD, and SD (sorry Texas!), and Puerto Rico
Lower 49 States + PR NW: Only the US states from the West Coast (and Hawaii) over to AL, TN, KY, WV, and PA, and Puerto Rico
Lower 49 States + PR SE: Only the US states from the East Coast over to NM, CO, NE, and from the Gulf of Mexico north to IA, IL, IN, OH, PA, metro NY?, CT, and MA, and Puerto Rico
Lower 49 States + PR SW: Only the US states from the West Coast over to FL, GA, TN, KY, IN, WI, and MN (all the way from the Mexican border/Gulf of Mexico to the Canadian border) and Hawaii (*not* Puerto Rico)

Other important notes about the 2010 Garmin Map Update DVD:
You will need Internet access when you update the maps on your GPS unit even though you have a DVD; the DVD holds the map data so that you don't have to wait while its downloaded from Garmin, but the software must still register with the mother ship
I'm pretty sure the updater records your GPS unit's Unit ID so that the DVD can only be used with one unit

Although it is fantastic that Garmin has accommodated the more limited built-in memory of older GPS units like my c330, the pre-selected map areas probably won't meet everyone's needs... For example, I'm much more likely to need my GPS on both the US East Coast and West Coast, but not in the interior states, and I need it in Western Canada but not Eastern Canada. A "build a set" state-by-state selection showing how much memory was required for each state, along with how much free memory was left on the GPS unit, would allow each customer to best meet their own custom needs.

Thankfully Garmin had the foresight to provide the SD slot for memory expansion (at least in my c330). I'll probably solve my problem by buying a blank SD card for my c330 and loading the maps onto it. Now I know why the 2010 Map Update was available on an SD card in the first place!

Note: For those considering just buying the SD card version of the 2010 Map Update, and not the DVD version, be aware that the SD/Micro SD cards maps can't be downloaded off the card on to your PC. If you want to be able to view the maps on your PC and use the PC to map routes, edit waypoints etc. buy the DVD not the SD/Micro SD.

Installation works well but keep in mind that, unlike the 2009 map that it replaces, the 2010 map cannot all fit in the internal built in memory (of my 260W). You will need to decide what to install (eg, 49 lower states, or eastern North America, etc - you have about 5 options). The only way around this is to put the rest of the map on an SD card.

I was disappointed in the Garmin nuMaps 2010 America One-Time Update. We moved to a new city and were using our GPS to locate stores for shopping. The old maps led us to a fabric store (and many others) that were no longer there. We were told by neighboring stores that a particular store had not been there for 10 years. We thought the upgrade would solve the problem. The first thing we did when we got the upgrade was look to see that this "missing" store had been eliminated. It is still listed on the upgrade, as are several other stores that have been closed for 3 years or more. I don't really see any difference in the upgrade and I consider it wasted money.

This product updated my nuvi 650 with no glitches whatsoever. The DVD installs to the computer first,and then installs the updates to the GPS. The entire process took about 2 1/2 hours. All i had to do was enter the KEY number on the inside of the dvd sleeve. I didnt have to go to the garmin site as i have seen others say they did. There is now streets showing that didnt show on my 2008 version.

There is not a lot to say about Map updates for a GPS, but upgrading my Nuvi to the latest maps and points of interet (POIs) was a painless experience. I just put the DVD in my Mac and then connected the GPS to my computer. The updates installed and I'm set.