The future of Basecamp: How about subscription

And of course if does matter that software that people use is maintained and remains compatible with the devices they buy.. If they is no guarantee that Basecamp will work nicely with the next generation GArmin how to you stop Garmin customers from chosing another GPS company ?

So what?

It's Garmin's information. They probably know more about what it's worth than you do.

There isn't any clear/strong benefit to Garmin to release anything. If it's "not differentiator anymore", then there's even less reason to release it.

The "sticking to a proprietary operating system" stuff isn't relevant (it has no bearing on whether it makes sense to release anything).

Chris7444 said:

And of course if does matter that software that people use is maintained and remains compatible with the devices they buy.. If they is no guarantee that Basecamp will work nicely with the next generation GArmin how to you stop Garmin customers from chosing another GPS company ?

 I kind of expect Garmin knows much more about running a GPS company than you do. It's not really possible to guess why they chose this path but that doesn't mean they don't have good reasons for it.

They also chose that path a long time ago. They've had a lot of time to see the outcome of it. And it would be fairly easy to change their minds.

Garmin isn't going to make everybody happy with what they do. So a few people being unhappy about BaseCamp isn't likely to sway them. (I suspect the numbers of BaseCamp users is small and the trend for getting ever smaller has been going on for a long time.)

Chris7444 said:

If they is no guarantee that Basecamp will work nicely with the next generation GArmin how to you stop Garmin customers from chosing another GPS company ?

You are guessing that there are a lot of BaseCamp users. I suspect that isn't true. If so, BaseCamp doesn't matter. In any case, it's not like other GPS companies have a BaseCamp replacement.

I disagree. by making the software open source you give the Garmin community an opportunity to continue the work that Garmin think is no longer worth the money.  Making your customers happy is how you make them loyal to the brand.

Many companies have been successful because their strategy was to leverage (and sponsor) open source software. open source is a guarantee of continuity. You are not locked in with a manufacturer's proposal.

And again you have to tell me what the secrets are if (as you said) everyone is using the same base algorithms

"You are guessing that there are a lot of BaseCamp users. I suspect that isn't true"

Why would you want not to open source the software if no one is using it ?

Again, so what?

You are only looking at half of the issue.

Garmin may (probably!!) see the code/algorithms as worth money.

I have no idea why people who can imagine reasons the path a well-established company is talking is bad are completely unable to imagine reasons why it might be good.

Chris7444 said:

Making your customers happy is how you make them loyal to the brand.

You can't make every customer happy. Companies have to make worth-while customers happy.

Chris7444 said:

And again you have to tell me what the secrets are if (as you said) everyone is using the same base algorithms

No, I have to do no such thing. You are second-guessing Garmin's decision.

Chris7444 said:

Why would you want not to open source the software if no one is using it ?

??? Lots of Garmin customers are using the "software". Just not in the form of BaseCamp.

Clearly, it doesn't matter to Garmin if people are not using BaseCamp.

GArmin will decide. And customers will decide.

Garmin has decided.

Customers (most of them) don't appear to care.

You can't make everybody happy.

Finding a few unhappy people isn't an indication that a decision was bad.

But that is not the question. The question is "Does it matter to GArmin if their customer use their software" ?

Chris7444 said:

"Clearly, it doesn't matter to Garmin if people are not using BaseCamp."

On that we agree !

The difference is that you think they have no good reason for it.

Since Garmin appears to be a reasonably compentent/successful company, I'm supposing they have good reasons for it.

Chris7444 said:

But that is not the question. The question is "Does it matter to GArmin if their customer use their software" ?

Given the decision Garmin made, Garmin doesn't think it matters (enough) that people use BaseCamp.

I don;t think anything. I am asking. Are you yourself Garmin ?