Re: Subscription to NASD CD-ROM (was: embedded ...)

[Andy Ross <andy@mail.office.nextbus.com>]

Brian Lloyd wrote:
> >I'd bet, if we wrote a converter from the Fed data to the Jeppeson
> >format, you would have very few differances.
> 
> Regardless of what I have said, if that were so, I suspect that the GPS
> manufacturers would opt for the less expensive FAA data.  They don't and
> that is universal.  Why do *ALL* the manufacturers use Jepp data?  There
> must be a reason.

Thank you, exhibit A. :)

I think you just showed us the reason:  Jepp data is _perceived_ as more
accurate (because everybody uses it, of course).  Since the database
cost is a small fraction of the unit cost for a GPS receiver, and
especially since the maintenance cost of upgrades isn't the problem of
the manufacturer (the user has to pay for them), the manufacturers just
use Jepp data by default and write off the extra cost as "advertising".

Mind you, _I_ haven't looked at the data for discrepancies, but I'd be
a little worried if the government data was actually _wrong_.  It's the
same data that goes into the NOS charts and approach plates, isn't it?
Since NOS users aren't flying into the ground any more than Jepp folks
(I presume -- if this isn't true I smell a HUGE class action lawsuit
brewing), I argue that this is an existance proof that the Jeppesson
database is no better than the FAA one.

Oh, and I'm one of the silent downloaders.  I'm more than happy to pay
for my share of the CD, although I'm not terribly interested in a 
subscription service.  Just tell me where to send the check.

Andy

-- 
Andrew J. Ross                NextBus Information Systems
Software Engineer             Emeryville, CA
Andrew.Ross@nextbus.com       http://www.nextbus.com
(510)652-1303x19              Why Wait?
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