[DIM335i]

Is it possible to add more maps on the i-drive or at the dvd of the i-drive?

[rrandyy]

You can purchase maps for other countries/regions and swap out the DVD as you need to.

[rob72]

Not sure what you looking for. You can indeed change the map by swapping the DVD. But maps do not exist for every region. Regions that I have heard about having maps;

- Europe (Germany, Denmark, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Austria, Czech Republic, Norway, Sweden, Finland, France, UK, Ireland, Italy, San Marino, Slovak Republic, Vatican City, Monaco, Andorra, Greece, Spain and Portugal)
- North America (USA and Canada)
- South Africa
- Australia
- New Zealand
- Japan

But the Japan one looks totally different, so I would not be surprised if it does not work in a non-Japanese car.

[DIM335i]

I mean that the Europe DVD has all those countries but each country has a more detailed map. For example. ROB72 if you buy the bmw gps dvd and confront it with a common gps unit of your country you will notice that the gps you bought from your country has more detail than the bmw's gps dvd. In my country (Greece) the are is no map of my city on the bmw dvd but if i buy a portable gps unit, it has the map of my city. So my question is: If i buy the bmw's dvd can i make an image of it on my pc and add at its folders other more detailed maps? Maybe thats what i am asking for is sci-fi but... can it be done?

[judec]

Well, I'm affraid it's not possible. There is no data standard used for GPS software so every map provider has it's own format.

Even if U'd find a usable map from Navteq which is the map-data provider for BMW, there is only a small chance it could work.

A few years ago, when I wanted to buy a Panasonic nav unit, I asked Navteq (which made the maps for them also) if it is possible to add the map of Hungary to the Panasonic EU DVD, where it was missing from. Their answer was NO as they compile the data for each of their customers separately based on their specific requirements, so that specific map (or folder of data) I'd buy for other unit won't be compatible with the rest of Panasonic stuff.

Anyway - if U happen to find a GPS unit containing your city with data from Navteq, try it. Burn your custom nav DVD with compiled data and try it in your navi, it can't screw up anything (except one wasted DVDR, big deal).

[rob72]

As Judec indicated, unless you get the map dvd from BMW, you are out of luck. The map vendors do custom map compilations for the different GPS manufacturers and the BMW navi expects the data to be layed out in a certain way on the DVD in a specific format. Other data, like that from TomTom or Garmin will NOT work.

As to the detail of the maps, for the most part I am pretty happy the maps are pretty accurate with only the occasional roundabout or so missing because they just put it in place.

The only maps I have seen that give more detail are the kind of maps you use for hiking. But that is obviously because I live in a densely populated part of Europe. But I know your pain, I have had the issue (in Canada) of driving off the map and having to find my way without guidance (and since it was a rental car, no other maps of any use)

[DIM335i]

I just wonder why the BMW main importer of each country doesnt offer the map the detailed map of their country instead of offering the map of the whole europe. In a DVD of 4.7GB its impossible to be all the detailed map of each country. If i wanted to travel to Italy i would bought the map of Italy...if i would like to travel to Belgium i would buy the map of Belgium but i am in Greece and i want the detailes map of Greece and not only the highways and the map of the big cities. I live on an island that is connected by a bridge to the rest of the country and when i drive over the bridge the gps shows me that i am driving on the sea. My 335i is also a hovercraft

[judec]

U got the hovercraft option for free. be happy

which island do U live on? I dont know any island there big enough for one to get lost :

[DIM335i]

Originally Posted by judec

U got the hovercraft option for free. be happy

which island do U live on? I dont know any island there big enough for one to get lost :

EVIA or EUBEA is the name of the island i live on.

[judec]

Euboea?

[judec]

I guess it is Euboea. Nice curvy roads there, has to be a paradise to drive a 335i there. Even if not too much of them (roads) there. e.g. Google maps say there is no road there

no, now the other side - I feel your pain. Most of the mapping companies forgotten to make a map for those 220.000 citizens. It's all about economics, man. But I feel your pain. It has to be a nice place to live, but I would not buy the navi option being U

[DIM335i]

i didnt buy the navi option to learn the roads of the island i live but mostly of the rest of the country. If i want to visit a small city on the north or south the gps will guide me till the exit of the highway... the rest of the road i have to learn it by stoping and asking peolpe on the sideways. If the dealer of the bmw had told me that there are not detailed maps of the whole country i wouldnt have bought the bmw gps idrive. i would have bought a stand alone gps that has much more detailed map.

[judec]

well, I'm sorry. In my country I went for a test drive + asked some friends here and around. On the test drive the guy apologised that he has no map DVD with him so the navi function could not be tested. So for the next time I brought one with me. Downloaded a backup copy from the internet. Luckily enough it worked for meand I was quiet satisfied. I know I will use it mostly in big cities like Vienna or Budapest, in the country I can easily do on my own like I always did.

[rob72]

Originally Posted by DIM335i

I just wonder why the BMW main importer of each country doesnt offer the map the detailed map of their country instead of offering the map of the whole europe. In a DVD of 4.7GB its impossible to be all the detailed map of each country. If i wanted to travel to Italy i would bought the map of Italy...if i would like to travel to Belgium i would buy the map of Belgium but i am in Greece and i want the detailes map of Greece and not only the highways and the map of the big cities. I live on an island that is connected by a bridge to the rest of the country and when i drive over the bridge the gps shows me that i am driving on the sea. My 335i is also a hovercraft

That is the way it used to be, before they came out with maps on DVD, you had to buy a separate map CD-ROM for each country (or in some cases groups of countries, like Benelux). Pretty damned annoying! I would have needed to buy most of western Europe in pieces.

Now regarding the 4.7GB, a DVD can actually double the amount (9.4GB) by using double layer (DL) media, so that is hardly an issue. But using DL media would make it more annoying to make a backup copy since DL blank media is MUCH more expensive, and not every shop carries it, but for BMW it would not matter much if anything since pressing single layer or dual layer media costs about the same.

[KillDork]

Originally Posted by rob72

That is the way it used to be, before they came out with maps on DVD, you had to buy a separate map CD-ROM for each country (or in some cases groups of countries, like Benelux). Pretty damned annoying! I would have needed to buy most of western Europe in pieces.

Now regarding the 4.7GB, a DVD can actually double the amount (9.4GB) by using double layer (DL) media, so that is hardly an issue. But using DL media would make it more annoying to make a backup copy since DL blank media is MUCH more expensive, and not every shop carries it, but for BMW it would not matter much if anything since pressing single layer or dual layer media costs about the same.

It's more a case of (fore some reason) that there is no map coverage for most of Greece, and Poland, for instance. It's not a space constraint.
The maps are just as detailed here in Norway as in the Alps or in Gibraltar, on the same disc.

[DIM335i]

I am just wondering....Since there is almost total coverage of the Greek map on the stand alone GPS (like destinator) why the f@cking BMW's DVD doesnt have the same coverage. Both Destinator and BMW use the navteq maps.

[judec]

the funny thing is - Greece is not even listed between countries on 2008-1 europe nav dvd, nor is it on any of the small maps. crazy.

also what I dont understand is why e.g. Hungary is not on the EU dvd? only on the eastern europe one. now if my business is in czech rep., austria, slovakia and hungary, I have to buy 2 DVDs. also crazy.

[fritz.marton]

As far as I know there is no map for Hungary. Eastern Europe DVD doesn't work in E90 Prof navi or do you have other experience?

[The Accountant]

For Hungary, go on Navteq's website and send them an email. There response for Poland was that "it may be up to a year until a map for Poland is available". 40 million people and no damn disk? I bought I-drive hoping that the Navteq people are pessimistic, rather than optomistic. We'll see. Worst part is, I don't know the roads in Poland, so I may have to by a Tom-tom until the disk is available, and by then, I'll know the roads (and also likely be disappointed by the maps compared to Tom-tom).

[DIM335i]

I really hate Navteq Maps that BMW uses. Why dont they change partner and go with Google Maps. They are more detailed.

[benyl]

Originally Posted by DIM335i

I really hate Navteq Maps that BMW uses. Why dont they change partner and go with Google Maps. They are more detailed.

Google uses Navteq.

[iatacs19]

Originally Posted by benyl

Google uses Navteq.