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Nat Geo Topo! RIP

Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2012 3:12 pm
by DaveK
I should have seen this coming when I noticing the lack of product development for Topo! and the eventual absence of the product on store shelves and on the internet. Effective February 2012, National Geographic ceased production of the Topo! Outdoor Recreation Navigation software. The program utilized USGS Topo maps that were seamlessly presented on a moving PC screen (with the aid of a GPS) that followed the vehicle as it moved.

It is very difficult now to find any of the state series, especially for the western US, and I am scooping up the few states that are missing from my collection. Tom and I are scouring every source we can find to get all of the western US and if anyone has Wyoming, Idaho, Washington or Oregon, please send me a PM.

On a side note, I happened to wander over to the Spatial Minds website (Overland Navigator) to see what they were offering and was surprised to see what had developed. It appears that Craig is still selling Overland Navigator, but as far as the product is concerned for PCs, there will be no further development on v2. The current version, 2.0, is available for download only and the site no longer contains any information about the products features or capabilities.

Craig is busy with the newer version (3.0) of Overland Navigator, which is an Apple only product (no PC compatibility, at least for a while) and will be or is available only for the iPhone and iPad.

Times change!

Re: Nat Geo Topo! RIP

Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2012 11:44 pm
by cruiserlarry
DaveK wrote:On a side note, I happened to wander over to the Spatial Minds website (Overland Navigator) to see what they were offering and was surprised to see what had developed. It appears that Craig is still selling Overland Navigator, but as far as the product is concerned for PCs, there will be no further development on v2. The current version, 2.0, is available for download only and the site no longer contains any information about the products features or capabilities.

Craig is busy with the newer version (3.0) of Overland Navigator, which is an Apple only product (no PC compatibility, at least for a while) and will be or is available only for the iPhone and iPad.

Times change!
Technology is changing, and products adapt or die off. For mobile use, I-pads and other tablets are quickly replacing more cumbersome laptops and limited GPS units - and this will accelerate, IMO, if more resilient versions with data input ability are made (Panasonic even offers a Toughbook tablet now).

I just hope developers like Craig don't neglect the (Google) Android format which, despite all the hoopla, actually outsell Apple products...