Why does microsoft streets and trips cost only 25 bucks? I believe it
comes with updates and road construction and such...
Actually, Streets and Trips 05 costs 40 USD. Amazon.com is selling it with
discounts and rebates that bring it down to 24.99. Heck, you can even get an
OEM CD from shop.com for 9.99. However, list price is 40.
Is there a way if each user purchased streets and trips gpsdrive could
use that map data?
Yes, but who sells map data that we can read with GPSdrive? Every commercial
mapping application includes map data that is *tied to their application*!
We can not read the data, because it is in a proprietary format. What I'm
proposing is that we should start a business to provide maps for linux. I
don't think NavTeq will do business with a non-profit, so it will be a
for-profit corporation. We would become the map provider for GPSdrive users,
since nobody else is doing it.
If we could count on having 5,000 users, then I think a price of 50 is
manageable. The reason I'm going straight to NavTeq is because I won't be
dealing with the added cost of a man-in-the-middle.
Also, those Microsoft MapPoint maps suck and blow. In my area, there's whole
roads missing, and the roads that do exist are very rough and not accurate at
all in terms of turns and distances. I could ask NavTeq to degrade their
maps to that point, and then they'd reduce the price accordingly. However,
we might as well use TIGER data at that point.
(By the way, do you see anyone *ELSE* selling full North America maps for
$40?)
(I apologize for the strong words. I'm trying to push a website out the door
tonight, and I'm way tired. Sorry all!)
Better yet, get the maps, create the closed library and let any linux based GPS
app use that lib to access NavTeq maps. Then you can sell the lib to anyone.
Might create a wider market. Only issues might be keeping the distribution of
the lib/maps under control to reduce the risk/rate of piracy/IP infringement.
From what I understand of the GPL (and LGPL) this is perfectly legal and
doesn't "poison"[1] your library forcing it open under a different license than
you create the original.
[1] idea taken from some of the FUD reports put out in regards to the nature of
the GPL and closed code.
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