EOL for Tztouch2 software updates?

P

PugSndBoater

Member
Have Tztouch2 units reached their end-of-life as far as receiving additional software updates? I've noticed multiple new software releases come out for both the TZtouch2BB and the TZtouch3 units, but TZTouch2 is still back at v8.01 from ~14 months ago. Having clarity on this product support state for the TZTouch2 may influence our timing about when to update TZtouch2 hardware, e.g. to TZtouch3.
 
TZT2 is a fully developed product. There is a limit to how many new features can be added due to memory and processing power. The TZT2BB has the same memory and processor as the TZT3, so it can manage some of the new recent developments. TZT2 is still being sold and supported but as far as feature sets it won't be changing much when compared to the lead series (TZT3).
 
I have to sound a bit like a "fanboy" and suggest the original poster check and see how many Garmin or Simrad products introduced at the time of the TZTouch 2 in 2015 are still getting software updates. You can't even get those products repaired.

Furuno has been very good in issuing updates that allow a TZT 2 that shares a network with a TZT 3 (as I have on my boat) to remain fully compatible when the TZT 3 software is updated, which is also something the other manufacturers do not do with a seven year old product.

My experience is that a high frequency of software updates as is seen with the new products of the other manufacturers is a sign of inadequate testing and forcing the users to become "beta testers" in the field to discover the bugs that are then fixed a couple of months later.
 
Thanks for offering your personal perspective on the software and maritime industry, Quitsa.

I can be more precise in my inquiry, Johnny, because I certainly have no expectations of major new features like hi-res bathy being added to TzTouch2 at this point due to limitations of older hardware. No doubt TzTouch2 is a fully developed product, and one that I and others are generally pleased with.

What I’m specifically wondering about is bug fixing, which I usually expect to happen in a software-updatable product from the premium brand for a longer period than new features being introduced (I expect the same extra longevity for security updates too, but that’s less a topic for marine products like these). The Timezero software on which TzTouch is based sees fairly regular bug fixes and minor improvements (in between larger paid new-feature upgrades between major versions), so it seems like not too much of a stretch to want to see at least those fixes and minor improvements pass through more readily to TzTouch units. Timezero has more features than TzTouch in places too, but that’s a separate topic.

For example, I’m trying to understand if annoying little bugs like this viewtopic.php?t=8606
might ever be fixed or if we’re locked as-is on TzTouch2. That particular bug was introduced by Furuno since it doesn’t happen in Timezero.

I realize in writing this reply that my overall thought may even be less about TzTouch2 versus TzTouch3 support, and more about wishing for more ready passthrough from Timezero to TzTouch. When we upgrade our multiple TzTouch2 units, our decision isn’t between Furuno and a lesser manufacturer, since Furuno is the premium brand, but rather probably whether to integrate our full load of onboard Furuno hardware via multiple TzTouch displays like today, or to go with marine displays (maybe MUxxxT series), trackballs, and PCs running Timezero. TzTouch has tighter integration, e.g. with sonar and IP video cameras and across units, while Timezero has more features, speed, and updates. Right now, we’d probably spec a hybrid. We’ve mounted a laptop-as-tablet display running Timezero plus a trackball on the bridge as a demonstrator right now and we find it’s become the go-to interface for doing more things than we expected.
 
I guess it depends on if it is a critical bug and how many users it is affecting. In the case of the link you provided, I am not seeing that concern was ever ran to ground or considered a proven bug. There are operational issues sometimes caused by setup of connected equipment. If that one issue is something you are still concerned with, it would be more productive to follow up on that thread. Furuno has shown to address critical bugs many years after a product has been discontinued. In case of the TZT2, it being it developed product it won't change much as I said but I would expect they would continue to address any larger concerns that arise to existing features. Time Zero (Nobeltec) offers a diffrent complement of features some integrate and some don't. They are the best source to discuss their product options. As software progresses, upgrading of one product like TZ Pro can be an issue so one must check before upgrading. For example TZT series one works best with v3 TimeZero pro and if updated to v4 TZpro it will break a lot of integrated sync items. v4 works well with TZT2 v7 and up and TZT3. It is always best to ask before upgrading anything to understand the full impact.
 
No worries, I'm not particularly grumpy about anything and happy overall with Furuno products as ever.

I totally understood about compatibility in potentially spec'ing an upgraded hybrid system that it needs to keep compatibility in mind. That's a good reminder, though. And a good suggestion to follow up directly on old threads like that specific one I mentioned.

We probably just all have (and hear from our crews) pet peeves we wish were fixed or better. Trying out the Timezero software on the bridge recently may have simply brought several of those to the surface in our crew discussions. We keep this boat fairly refreshed from bow to stern, so part of my ongoing job here is also to decide when to refresh any of the hardware systems versus waiting because they're still in prime lifecycle. Chalk this thread up to a combination of those two motivations to understand more about where TzTouch2 lands.
 
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