I've got the last build of Pepperwhite that I know existed, build 76, and I'm looking to upgrade the map data that I'm using with Pepperwhite. The latest Tiger data from the government is available and I believe that I'm able to import it into Pepperwhite format. Does anybody know how this is done? I've got the PWimport.exe utility but it doesn't seem to work. I'm pleased with the Pepperwhite product but need updated maps. ANY and ALL solutions welcome!

Is Pepperwhite officially gone now?

I think people have tried to contact them, and even offer to take over the business. Search more on this forum. I don't know that anyone found an answer yet.
Eric

Yeah, I searched the forum first before posting, there is scant information available. I guess I'm looking for advise from anyone that may know something about that map importer that Pepperwhite provided, it just doesn't seem to create the map files correctly from the updated Tiger data.

Hi David,

I have the same build. I too really like the Pepperwhite OCX and have a lot of time invested in it with several applications. Did you ever figure out how to create new / updated map files? I am still interested in giving this a shot. I don't beleive that the PWIMPORT utility was ever designed to read the TigerLine data directly but rather to import from other formats (ESRI etc.) That said, if we could figure out or understand the format of the pepperwhite map files, writing some code to recreate them with new map data should be do-able...

Have you made any progress on this or found a good alternative OCX map control?

Do you know if anyone's been able to contact Pepperwhite lately?

Eric

Have you made any progress on this or found a good alternative OCX map control?

I have made very limited progress and have not found an alternative to it. Ih honestly want to make the Pepperwhite solution work as it has been so incredibly rock solid for so many years and across so many different platforms. I would certainly like to keep this thread open as there appears to be some interest in this product still. I am hopeful that I will be able to announce a solution to our dilemma but nothing has panned out yet.

The PwImport will not do any sort of base conversion of Tiger data to the specialized Pepperwhite format, I'm still stuck there. The PwImport utility seems to properly import attributes from Tiger but not the raw map data, which I need.

Do you know if anyone's been able to contact Pepperwhite lately?Eric

Are you interested in updated maps or additional functionality?

No, I'm just curious, I've never worked with Pepperwhite. Have you found out what happened or a contact for whoever owns the assets of Pepperwhite?

Eric

I have made very limited progress and have not found an alternative to it.I did find Tony Sammartino on the Linked-In network. No doubt that it is him as the profile references Pepperwhite. What I don't know is when that profile was created and/or if he ever looks at it, etc.

David, I feel the way you do! The control has been fast and rock solid and I don't need additional functionality I just need updated maps. That's why, like you, I am hesitant to abandon it. Even if Tony does not want to be in the business anymore, (I understand!), it would be wonderful if he released the information or the code that he uses to create the map files so that those of us that have and still use the control can extend the life of it!

FYI: I just started evaluating the BlueMarble GeoObjects Control a few hours ago. It's too soon to tell how it will work for me. So far I like what I see, and it seems like it might be more complete and feature rich than the Pepperwhite control. And it reads the Tiger/Line data files directly (+other formats) so when the Census releases updates you just go get them! However with that additional capability seems to come more complexity from a programming perspective. That's just my first impression after an hour or so of "playing" with it and like I said it is too soon to tell as I am really not yet familiar or confortable with the control. I'll let you know how it goes....

All that I will say at this point is that I was successful in reaching the principal of Pepperwhite and I await further response. I believe there is more desire for updated maps than from just me so anybody else that would like updated mapping data I would encourage you to add your voice to this thread. Hopefully there will be enough interest to make the work necessary worthy of the effort and time. I feel very blessed to have been able to open an initial contact with Pepperwhite regarding updated mapping data and await their response to my request, but that is my primary objective. If the opportunity arises I will ask about the assets and/or possible updates.

Seriously, I've had the Pepperwhite module loaded up on several thousand machines over the last decade and it has just never been an issue for me, having always served me without any issues, none, ever. The lack of updated maps has been my only issue.

FYI: I just started evaluating the BlueMarble GeoObjects Control

I would love to hear any future thoughts you have of this product, never seen it before. If my endeavors to procure updated Pepperwhite mapping data fails then I will be looking at Blue Marble very closely, but that is strictly Plan B at this point.

Have you found out what happened or a contact for whoever owns the assets of Pepperwhite?

For what its worth: I know that Pepperwhite was a one person business owned and operated by Tony Sammartino. I spoke to him on the phone many times. He was in Medford New Jersey and I don't think that Pepperwhite was his full-time occupation, but rather a side-business. As I recall he went thru a divorce in early 2006 and that took much of his time away from the business. The last communication I had with Tony was an email on 10/31/2007.

After that he totally dropped off the radar. I have heard nothing from anyone to suggest that the company or its assets were ever sold, either something happened to the guy or he just decided that he was done with it... I don't know??

For what its worth: I know that Pepperwhite was a one person business owned and operated by Tony Sammartino. I spoke to him on the phone many times. He was in Medford New Jersey and I don't think that Pepperwhite was his full-time occupation, but rather a side-business. As I recall he went thru a divorce in early 2006 and that took much of his time away from the business. The last communication I had with Tony was an email on 10/31/2007.

After that he totally dropped off the radar. I have heard nothing from anyone to suggest that the company or its assets were ever sold, either something happened to the guy or he just decided that he was done with it... I don't know??

Social Networking... I am almost certain that this Tony Sammartino is on Facebook. It might be the only way to contact him.

Social Networking... I am almost certain that this Tony Sammartino is on Facebook. It might be the only way to contact him.

I can't confirm the Facebook entry but I have NO DOUBT that he is on Linked-in. His Linked-in profile even lists him as the president etc. of Pepperwhite to present day. I sent him a message via that forum, but he has not replied to me.

I did in fact have a brief, and positive, email exchange with Tony back in the early part of December but I am sad to report that communication appears to have come to an end and silence has returned. I would so very much like to have updated mapping data as the Pepperwhite product itself is still solid and the only problem is the mapping data being stale. It's very frustrating to be so close to a solution and yet so far away. I've got users screaming for a answer to this and I'm not sure where to turn.

Could we write a wrapper around a competitive product, such as the GeoObjects from Blue Marble? I envision a small replacement .ocx that accepts Pepperwhite calls and returns and formats them onto and from GeoObjects? I don't easily have access to the source to my application so merely upgrading the program to a new mapping solution doesn't work for me. Are there enough of us in the same boat that would present a good business reason for Blue Marble to create such an interface, a Pepperwhite <--> GeoObjects interface.

I did in fact have a brief, and positive, email exchange with Tony back in the early part of December but I am sad to report that communication appears to have come to an end and silence has returned.

Interesting....Well clearly if you had a dialog with Tony as recently as December, then that is THE most recent dialog that I am aware of! Did you get a sense about or of his interest and/or willingness to continue to support his product? Will he be back? What did he say/write?


It is possible to put a wrapper around another product to get it to behave like Tony's control, but that would not be an easy task. I have neither the expertise or time to make that happen. From a practical perspective, it would probably be more work than just coding to a different control from scratch. That said, I have yet to find a control that performs as fast and easily as the Pepperwhite control. It really is (or was) in most respects a superior product. Most of the controls on the market license on a per machine basis and that is a huge negative issue for me!

I started testing the Blue Marble GeoObjects control and it looks pretty good and seems easy enough to work with! Although much slower (than Pepperwhite) when you load it up with large sets of maps, it has a no run-time royalty license and that's a big plus! Unfortunately, I had to deal with a serious family emergency and did not get much time to work with the control during my two-week evaluation period. Thus in fairness to Blue Marble, some of the issues I had with it likely stem from my inexperience and limited exposure to the product....

Interesting....Well clearly if you had a dialog with Tony as recently as December, then that is THE most recent dialog that I am aware of! Did you get a sense about or of his interest and/or willingness to continue to support his product? Will he be back? What did he say/write

I spent a good deal of time researching everything Pepperwhite and fully realize that he's not been heard from in quite some time. Since this is a public forum and to honor Tony's private email to me, I would prefer not to say too much. We only discussed the mapping data and of getting the latest Tiger data into the proprietary Pepperwhite format. There was no discussion beyond that as my immediate goal was the data being updated, anything further would have to wait. Nothing was promised, and no further replies have been received. I still hang on to the hope of some surprise email from him again, but with each passing week the hope fades just a little. If only we had the mapping data layout then maybe we could build our own data files.

Since this is a public forum and to honor Tony's private email to me, I would prefer not to say too much.

I understand completely and appreciate that position! I guess if you still hold out hope, I can only suspect that it is for good reason... Thanks for the update...

Hi Folks,

I just found this thread.

I to use the PW control in my software and have been using it for over 10 years. I had many a conversation with Tony before he went"dark". :-)

Every release of windows I get concerned that it will no longer work but I am happy to say that it keeps on working even with R7 64 bit.

I have looked at Blue Marble, etc. but never saw a reason to make the switch as PW is heavily embedded in my software (Home Page (http://www.pcwp.com)) .

I would like to up date the date if possible so if anyone finds a way, please let us know.

Thanks,

George

Hi, We, too, were very pleased with the Pepperwhite software. The project I was involved in was "complete" (is anything ever??). Recently, I've been asked to make upgrades and make sure that all components are the latest.

I have emailed Tony just today. I then found this thread. Even if I don't hear from him, I'd like to make sure that we have the latest files.

The date on the pwstrv2.exe we have is 05/01/2002.

The latest map file date is 04/08/2002.

I would very much appreciate someone who has obtained this more recently letting me know if there are later versions of the v2.

OR, if anyone has an update on Tony, please post it or email me.

Thanks to all! Jerry

I would very much appreciate someone who has obtained this more recently letting me know if there are later versions of the v2.

Go here and download the last version that I'm aware of being available, build 76. I don't know about the dates they were released, just the build number. This version was released in February of 2007:

Pepperwhite free evaluation map ocx download / ActiveX mapping component download for GIS vehicle tracking AVL and real-time GPS applications (http://web.archive.org/web/20080423040132/www.pepperwhite.com/download.htm)
(http://web.archive.org/web/20080423040132/www.pepperwhite.com/download.htm)

Can anyone send me a copy of the PWimport.exe application!? I need to convert some data over from .shp format to the compatible version that Pepperwhite uses. I don't care about the Global aspect!
Please help!!!

Bargies
ajenault@yahoo.com

Use the link provided in the message just before yours, you'll find the download there.

Hello

I an traslating my mapping project from VB6 to VBNET 2010, can anyone help me with an example of how can I draw a line, zone or circle using pepperwhite?

I apreciate your help...


Thanks

Does the company offer support? lol

Does anyone know if the pepperwhite ocx works with Windows 7 64 bit? I copied my ocx and license files into \windows\system32 and tried issuing regsrv32 but get an error saying the control "..failed to load". Thanks in advance.