[kinetic1one]

i too am curious as to Mobile ^ and whether we can put ALOT more apps on it...

[sf2bowie]

I highly advise that you do NOT modify the software, or download anything but the norm to your GPS Unit.

Not only will it ruin your warranty, but who's to say that those said programs will work on yours?


As for not being able to travel to a different country with this, It is meant and registered for use in the said country purchased in. So if you bought it in the US, or a website that supplies through the US, it will NOT work in any other country.

And for the TSS, it is not implicated for us in the US, yet. Apparently, the note within the box when purchased, explains why it isn't available yet.

I'm so excited for this GPS unit. It has loads of delicious features, yet the POI's for this product, do not do it justice. There needs to be a revamp and addition of POI's. I'm tired of seeing age-old spots, and nothing sensible like there is within a 5 mile radius.

[nadkas]

Hi,

There is this software caleed nokia N500 auto Navigation software update wizard. I got it from the nokia website. dnt ask how. I was frustated cuz there was nothing on the website and dunno how but I found it. The software is very good.

[kinetic1one]

you have a link to that software?

[velishka]

Check this link for software updates.
http://europe.nokia.com/A4577610

Message Edited by velishka on 02-Jan-2009 02:08 PM

[navgeek]

I have been doing a lot of googling to find out when and where will i be able to find an update for the maps.

There was something interesting that I found out this morning. When i turn on my nokia 500 it says that it uses navteq which is sister concern for nokia. But if you look at the map that is in there it is similar to the one that teleatlas has.

I checked the maps on my 500 and it is missing hw 216 in edmonton ab. When i went and checked the website of navteq. They had that hw properly defined. So then i went to teleatlas web site and checked the same hw. Teleatlas has the same map as my nokia 500. So I am not sure whether my nokia 500 is using teleatlas or navteq.

I had called the customer service and there hasnt been any good information regarding this issue. I am going to see what i need to do next either return it and go for garmin.

This is really frustrating. Hopefully someone from nokia will read and make sure that they really change the north american models to navteq.

[nadkas]

well thats the problem with Middle east maps as well. The navteq maps are not at all upodated. I mean roads that have been built since a year now are not shown in my N500.

i DUNNO, at times I just feel that I made the wrong decision for buyin this nokia GPS.

[rpcezar]

hi all.

I also had the same problem of the "no valid license..." I've bought my nokia 500 in europe and now i'm living in Sao Paulo and just can't use my gps. Please, does anyone can help me on this?

[grvideo]

I just purchased an N500 and there is no voice instructions. I looked in the Voice Skin foloder and is empty. How can I get the voice? I ajusted my unit for Canada language. Please help.
Grvideo

[nadkas]

This mite work for you.

Check this link for software updates.

http://europe.nokia.com/A4577610

What you got to do is, download this software onto ur comp. Put in the memory card into ur comp and start the program that you downloaded. The installed software will then check the net for a higher software version for you GPS. Most likely it will get the version which is the one in ur memory card. However, download the new software onto ur mem card n chek. hopefully it shud work, n ya try to inc the volume, for all you know it mite just be on mute.....kiddin

Message Edited by nadkas on 06-Jan-2009 04:03 PM

[navgeek]

You should select US English as the language in your Setup. Once you select that you will be able to go to the navigation general setup and select voice skin. There you will find Female TTS voice. That will give you the text to speech functionality.

[wessamh]

No Answer from Nokia !!!!

[nokdubai]

I also purchased the N500 in Dubai and was assured by the sales staff that the unit came with 4 map updates per year for free from Nokia.  On asking the retailer where the map upgrades come from they stated that Nokia would be including them on the map download site by January, still not done!

The fact that the N500 isn't listed on the Nokia site for maps doesn't give me a lot of faith in this.  I also cannot believe that the unit is locked to the region in which it was purchased as this negates the benefits of purchasing a GPS for use when travelling.

I notice that the same retailer that I purchased off has now dropped the price by some 25% since September and are now stating that there are 2 free map updates between now and 2011.  They are still unable to let anyone know where the updates can be obtained from.  The following is my message to Nokia and their reply

Me 

[Feedback:I have had to select a product I don't have due to the fact that my 2 Nokia products are not included on your drop down list.  I have a 1202 phone and a N500 PND.

The N500 was sold to me on the basis that it uses Navteq maps (your sister Company) and that these were updated free every quarter by Nokia.

The fact that the product barely rates a mention on your site does not instill faith.  I would like to know:

1) when and how will maps be updated?

2) Are you using Navteq maps as the unit displays "Navteq on Board" when starting

3) Can the unit be used in countries other than the place of purchase.  If not this makes the unit an expensive paper weight

4) when can we expect Nokia to start responding to all of the issues highlighted by loyal Nokia customers on the Nokia forums regarding this product.

5) Is Nokia going to actively support this product going forward

It is about time that you included the product in the list of products and started offering support for what at this point in time is an expensive mistake which does not show the quality features etc that are usually seen in Nokia products.

Nokia

Thank you for emailing Nokia Careline.

With regard to your enquiry, kindly be informed that we are a technical support center, providing our services to all Nokia customers who are facing difficulties with their Nokia mobile products. With regards to enquiry update map to Nokia N500 be advised that we will escelate your case to the relevant department in nokia. Once we get the feed back we will be more than happy to update you.

I will update if there is anything remotely helpful if they eventually reply as stated.

[velishka]

Keep your finger crossed. I doubt that you will get an answer, though.

[nokdubai]

Hi

Here is a bit of information (pasted below but with persons name removed) I have received from an executive from Nokia regarding the N500.  It would appear from this that Nokia are wiping their hands of this unit and we are all left holding onto expensive electronic paper weights.  After this experience, I for one, will never purchase or recommend a Nokia product to anyone.

Hi,

I am sorry to inform you that N500 is not part of our product offering anymore, we have ceased to produce any PNDs some years ago and therefore do no offer support to the device anymore.

The information that you have received from the store on the possibility of getting map udpates from our Maps services to the device is incorrect. The device was created before our current maps solution and the updates are not possible.  

I understand that this is not the answer you have been looking for. I have alerted my colleagues working with our retail and contact centers to update the information on N500 and map updates. It may not help the person hoping for a different answer, but at least he/she will get the answer quicker than you have.

My sincere apologies for the inconvenience this has caused

[quattrog]

nokdubai and others, I think this statement is a load of **bleep**! This product was released in the US I believe around spring of 2008. The statements in the information from this so called exec would leave me to believe, if true, that Nokia knowingly and willingly released a product to the US market that had already been "dropped" from their support. That to me sounds like they committed fraud on the US customers who purchased this device. This sounds like a class action law suit. Anyway, thanks for the info. I like you, will never  purchase another Nokia product, or advise any friends to buy a Nokia product in the future.

[nokdubai]

I sent an email back to this executive (name, email address and telephone number provided to me by Nokia Careline) saying the same thing but never received a response.  I even sent a link to a Nokia press release announcing it's release onto the Middle East market in May 08 and stated that the unit was still be actively retailed in the UAE.

However all that said, has anyone been able to find out from Nokia how to update the maps on the unit?  I have been in constant contact with Nokia throught their support system (both email & telephone) now for a number of months and no one has been able to provide details of how to update maps on the unit.  I have been told that the updates are handled by Navteq, but on approaching Navteq (I have a business relationship with their office in Dubai) they insisted that while they creat the maps, Nokia had assumed the full responsibility for distributing them.  Nokia seem to be totally ignorant of the support process for this device.  I would have thought that map updating would have been something that would have been sorted out prior to releasing the unit to the market.

I am happy to be proved wrong, but I don't think that there is going to be any major change in support, and as a result I agree this has been a case of decieving the buying public with promises that have never been realised.  I have approached the retailer I purchased the unit from and they are very concerned as they have sold a considerable number of these units.  They spent over an hour on the phone to their supplier (I assume Nokia) and have since suggested if I still have the box, invoice etc that they will refund.  That to me says they also were told there is little to no support for it.

If someone from Nokia reads these forums mybe they will have the guts to reply to this thread and either confirm that there is no support for the N500 or tell us how to get it.  We shouldn't accept anymore promises that it will all be available "soon".  They support it now or they don't support it all.  It's is not like they only released it last week.

[quattrog]

nokdubai, I've called Nokia a few times and each time the person I spoke to was of no help, and down right nasty. They could care less about this product. I don't even know that Nokia has any software in place to update the maps on this device. I should have known there was something wrong with this device when I saw that it had a suggested retail price of $500.00 and was selling for around $100.00 on line. That should have been the warning sign. I still use this device, mainly as my hands free for my cell phone. But for nav, I use our Garmin. There's just too many little bugs in the software (putting in addresses can be a major pain if you don't know the exact zip code for where you want to go. Even then, you need to know the exact sub-zone of the zip code you're interested in. Now tell me how many people will know that. There's also the issue with the thing zooming all the way out(in our case, to a pic of the entire North American continent) when you attempt to manually zoom out just a few clicks. Anyway, I don't believe anyone from Nokia looks at these discussions or even care. I'm just glad I didn't pay the full retail for this thing. Nokia is garbage as far as I'm concerned and I'll never purchase another Nokia device in my life.

[luckycat]

I agree with you completely - especially the issue with the exact zone within a zip code in the US..it is horrific software. 

I suggest to all of you having issues with this to look at replacing the standard software on the Nokia 500 with something like iGo.  It at least makes the hardware useful.  I made this switch a few months ago and couldn't be happier, however I'll be buying a Garmin or a new car w/Navigation built in, and then might use the Nokia 500 for a simple Windows CE game unit or something.  Smart2Go software (on the Nokia 500) simply sucks, and with this type of support I will certainly never be buying a Nokia product again. 

http://nokia500.wetpaint.com/page/Software+that+works?t=anon

[luckycat]

There is no reason why you should not upgrade the **bleep** firmware with something that actually works.