Free turn-by-turn voice guided navigation for Windows 6.x phones, by Bing Map - Touch Pro2, Tilt 2 Themes and Apps

My first thread. Hope it's not a report. Credit SD
Free turn-by-turn voice guided navigation for Windows 6.x phones, powered by Bing Maps, for owners with a Windows phones on Sprint, T-Mobile, or AT&T. Bing will calculate your route, and guide you as you drive. You can select the fastest or shortest route, choose to avoid traffic and/or tolls, get a map or a list of directions, and see arrows and hear alerts to know which way to turn next. The navigation feature is compatible with the phones below:
•HTC Fuze
•HTC Pure
•HTC HD2
•HTC Tilt 2
•HTC Touch Diamond 2
•HTC Touch HD
•HTC Touch Pro
•HTC Touch Pro 2
•Motorola Q9c
•Samsung Jack
•Samsung Omnia II
•Samsung Propel
•T-Mobile Dash 3G
How to install it (your phone should have data plan in order to use it):
1.On your phone, open your web browser and go to m.bing.com
2.Click on "Download Bing App" to download and install the app (or download directly fromhttp://mobile.search.live.com/client/download_manual.aspx to install manually)
3.After installing the app, go to Start menu and click on "Bing"
4.Select "Direction"
5.Enter addresses and select "Navigate"

This is an update to the previous Bing cab. It auto updates if you run the old one. Looks like a good update. Similar to Google Maps. Looks like a good update.

I was never really a user of Bing, until yesterday. I never really liked the interface and the usibility of MS apps, they tend to be very utilitarian and clunky. Sort of like 80% apps, they are almost good, but not quite.
That is until I tried this new version of Bing. I don't know about the rest of it, but the maps and the navigation is 100%. Sure its not TomTom or iGo, and you need a data connection (so no wandering the back roads of montana) but it is an excellent FREE altinative especially for city driving.
It loads fast, it looks good, it READS THE STREET NAMES, and it will get you there. So if you are off in an area you are not familliar with, and you are looking for an address, this program will certainly get you there.
You don't have to have nearly 1GB of SD card space taken by maps either. For the power traveler who is always on the go and always navigating, then this may not be for you. But for the other 90% of us, who have to go to Aunt Sally's house, and you have not been there in 20 years... this will do the job, and do it well.
It also pulls addresses from your contacts, it allows you to do voice search and then it will navigate you to the location of your choice. Also, traffic data is on by default (I think, but its there either way). The routing options are a little limited, but they include shortest, fastest, no tolls and account for traffic delays in calculating route (interesting option I have not had the chance to try).

i have the tmo tp2 with energy rom on it and i can't get it to work it is installed and the gps map works but nothing else does??? it says " sorry, we can't complete your search. please check your connection and try again." but i have 3g running and two to three signal bars. what the problem what wrong????

I have the same phone and am running the latest NRG ROM with Cookie (see signature). The update worked in my ROM as does the latest version of Bing... You might try updating to the same version I'm running or reflashing and reapplying the update...
If you want a good, free, turn by turn nav solution the pain of reflashing is worth it I think

nice, i will try this app, never used bing before...

I've played with the nav feature since it was released and... as much as its a great improvement and I will use it from time to time it's still not as good as the google maps navigator for android.... and still couldn't replace something like tomtom. These free programs are going to very soon make gps programs like tomtom pointless though...

I'm gonna have to disagree with you. It can and has replaced TomTom for me. I ran TT7 on my old Tilt for a long time. The bing search is much more powerful and better than TT. TT does some things well but Bing is more well rounded. Plus there's no way I'm shelling out the cash for TT maps when this is free. The voice guidance leaps it in front of WM Google Maps as well. It's probably only just gonna get better as well. It's pretty good right now though.

Aaron McCarthy said:
I've played with the nav feature since it was released and... as much as its a great improvement and I will use it from time to time it's still not as good as the google maps navigator for android.... and still couldn't replace something like tomtom. These free programs are going to very soon make gps programs like tomtom pointless though...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its not as good as hiring a local guide who can come and drive your car for you either. Ultimately that is not the point.
Android (and iPhone) may be good devices, but this program is for windows mobile, so it is only fair to compare it to windows mobile options. If you read my mini review I mentioned that it would be good for light around town navigating. For example, I was traveling a few weeks ago, and I was really craving something other than McDonalds to eat. I decide on Chipoltle, but since they are not as common as McD I needed to search for them. I first loaded google maps and did a search. Found one a few miles away. Due to the confusing roads, and the heavy traffic, I wanted voice navigation rather than just following a line on the screen. So I had to write the address down on a piece of paper, then loaded iGo and keyed the address in and let it guide me to my dinner.
This new version of Bing would have done that all in one step. With the additional possibility to direct you based on traffic volumes (I was in suburban Washington DC, that feature could have been HUGE for me).
Google's flagship software on their OS should be great, and if they had a equivalent program on the WM platform then it would be a fair comparison. Personally this integration of contacts, maps, and directions, along with real time traffic brings the mobile phone to a whole new level of effective. Now if they could work weather into the mix (like radar imagery over the map, all in the same program) it would be perfect. (I live in an area where it could be snowing very heavily 1 mile down the road, and you would never know it or predict it without checking the radar)
My main issue with it... the turn screen comes on over the entire map screen and shows the name of the street you are gonna turn on, and a big arrow indicating the type of turn. It does not seem like it goes away until after the turn. I for one would like the know that info then go back to the map so I can see the route in reference to the other roads around. It has a hide button on the left softkey, but that is kinda annoying to have to do on repeated turns.
edit: All I can say is that my wife's first smart phone, and this easy to use bing software just game me the need to buy a window mount for the phone in her car.

Used it today for the first time. I've been a long time Garmin user and I still like the UI better of garmin but bing gets rid of the lag. It was very accurate where as with garmin I have about a 1 second delay.
Wish garmin would release a newer version fixing the lag issue. overall though I was very impressed with the capability of the free bing app.

Aaron McCarthy said:
I've played with the nav feature since it was released and... as much as its a great improvement and I will use it from time to time it's still not as good as the google maps navigator for android.... and still couldn't replace something like tomtom. These free programs are going to very soon make gps programs like tomtom pointless though...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
boufa said:
Its not as good as hiring a local guide who can come and drive your car for you either. Ultimately that is not the point.
Android (and iPhone) may be good devices, but this program is for windows mobile, so it is only fair to compare it to windows mobile options.
This new version of Bing would have done that all in one step. With the
Google's flagship software on their OS should be great, and if they had a equivalent program on the WM platform then it would be a fair comparison. Personally this integration of contacts, maps, and directions, along with real time traffic brings the mobile phone to a whole new level of effective. Now if they could work weather into the mix (like radar imagery over the map, all in the same program) it would be perfect. (I live in an area where it could be snowing very heavily 1 mile down the road, and you would never know it or predict it without checking the radar).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd really say the only thing I like more about tomtom and other gps programs like it are the 3d views.... That's about it. The UI of tomtom I have always liked best but thats sort of something for each person to decide on their own. This only has a straight up google like map that has the turn directions pop up. Plain yes, handy, definatly... Crazy it took them this long to impliment something like that if you ask me
That said, I wasnt meaning to give a straight up comparision to something not even available for wm (google navigator) but google navigator IS coming to windows mobile and they said that it will more or less look identical accross all platforms (android, WM and Iphone OS) So... comparing them in the light that it will be here... well.... that I dont really think is stepping that far out of line.
For scooting around town for sure this can be a great tool. Especially the fact that you can speak your destination and have it navigate there. Something that tomtom has yet to impliment in there wm aps. Navigon does voice navigation, or at least used to when I used it on my phone years ago, but if I recall correctly you could only speak directions to names of people or places you yourself saved in so for sure points go to bing navigator for that feature. That's why I said aps like this are going to make the stand along gps programs like tomtom and garmin and the sort ancient history! As much of a step up this feature is it's only going to get better. As soon as they add in the 3d map view that tomtom, garmin, google navigator etc I'll be using the program every day!

Aaron McCarthy said:
I'd really say the only thing I like more about tomtom and other gps programs like it are the 3d views.... That's about it. The UI of tomtom I have always liked best but thats sort of something for each person to decide on their own. This only has a straight up google like map that has the turn directions pop up. Plain yes, handy, definatly... Crazy it took them this long to impliment something like that if you ask me
That said, I wasnt meaning to give a straight up comparision to something not even available for wm (google navigator) but google navigator IS coming to windows mobile and they said that it will more or less look identical accross all platforms (android, WM and Iphone OS) So... comparing them in the light that it will be here... well.... that I dont really think is stepping that far out of line.
For scooting around town for sure this can be a great tool. Especially the fact that you can speak your destination and have it navigate there. Something that tomtom has yet to impliment in there wm aps. Navigon does voice navigation, or at least used to when I used it on my phone years ago, but if I recall correctly you could only speak directions to names of people or places you yourself saved in so for sure points go to bing navigator for that feature. That's why I said aps like this are going to make the stand along gps programs like tomtom and garmin and the sort ancient history! As much of a step up this feature is it's only going to get better. As soon as they add in the 3d map view that tomtom, garmin, google navigator etc I'll be using the program every day!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Despite my snotty response, I would be thrilled to see Google Navigator come to the WM platform. I like the fact that Google and Microsoft are taking shots at each other in this "maps war" Ultimatly WE all win. If I am not navigating I like google maps. I keep it on and use it just for seeing where I am at the moment and to see traffic. I like the visual look of the google maps better and the road construction information is great too. But the navigating is a whole ton better on the new Bing.
I really want to like Waze. I really tuely do. I like the idea of driving down streets that I can see that no one else has gone down. I like adjusting my route to get one of the prize locations. However, the stability of the program is very poor. I get crashes once in every 2 or 3 uses.
From what I have seen Google Navigator takes the voice navigation and puts it onto the google maps, and for me that would be the perfect solution... IF it lives up to the promise.

Bing is a great step in the right direction. Sure there are features that are missing now BUT the improvement is a night and day difference. Can't wait to get other features (gas prices, etc). Also, an off-line mode would be amazing. Giving users the ability to download map information in advance for those rural trips (we are heading to North Idaho next month) would be a great option. 99% of the time I have a data connection but when I don't ... that's probably the time I need GPS the most

jrey said:
My first thread. Hope it's not a report. Credit SD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks for posting. people here are generally nice. no need to worry about sucking up to the douchebags at sd...

Related

Just purchased a GPS receiver for my Hermes - Does anyone know

Hi folkes
I've just purchased a GPS (bluetooth) receiver for my Hermes/SPVm3100 and I was wondering what good software there is out there that I can get/use to make the most of it.
I've got Google maps and Live search which both work really well finding locations with GPS but would like something else/better.
Any comments much appreciated
Regards
JON
I would have to recommend TomTom - it's probably a predictable response, but for a reason
I've tried Navigon and really didn't like - I couldn't find an easy way to browse the map and just find the place I wanted to go to and it ran a bit slow for my taste.
TomTom is the only choice in my opinion (though, the iGO software looks quite cool too but i don't think there's any UK maps as yet
Cheers,
Smiffy.
The best software are : TomTom, I-Go and Route66
Check them out and pick one that suites you the best
P.S. Don`t get me wrong but this has nothing to do with WM6, this should be in Hermes General IMHO
another vote for tomtom. i like route66 but the map size is huge, compared to tomtom
Which GPS receiver did you get..and do you like it or have any issues with it? Just curious..
I'm using TomTom. It's pretty good.
Hi,
A nod towards Tomtom, i tried a couple of others forgot what, but nothing was as nice to use as tomtom. (despite its anoyances... why can't i decide how far to zoom in, why must tomtom decide it knows best a few seconds after i have set my desired zoom level... "bad tomtom!! bad!"
If you want to use your hemres for off road navigations
(walking, cycling, hiking that kinda thing)
anquet is very good. Its a digital version of the proper Ordiance survey maps, you can now buy it online for just the area you want and download the maps. I wouldn't recomend it instead of a propper map, as a flat battery could leave you stranded but as an extra its fantastic!!!!!
auto centering and tracking 1:25K maps are really nice for hiking off.
(bit pricey though.)
One vote for iGuidance Been using iGuidance for 2 years, version 2 and now i'm on v. 3. They just released v4. But i'm in the US.
my vote is for iguidance v3... just wish it had the traffic feature of tomtom6... tomtom for me lags and has made me miss a turn or 2, but its also got me out of a few traffic jams...
TOM TOM 6 DOES the job for me the maps take up some room but it works 100 percent with wm6
My vote is TomTom as well.
I tried a couple others and they looked like toys compared to TomTom
tomtom is the most used mapping app, it has the best support and features available like pois extra voices but you should be aware there is a known freezing bug on most hermes configs.
iNav v4.0 is completely compatible with WM6 on the 8525. It's been a good prog and v4 added TextToSpeech and more compressed maps. This is US version, don't know of it's Euro version status.
My vote is for iGuidance v3. I've used TomTom 6 but the Maps were really outdated here in Florida. Plus I had issues getting TomTom to pick up my OnCourse GPS. iGuidance worked flawlessly and had a friendlier user interface.
I've had no freeze issue since i went to version 6.0.30
BUT the mute issue is anoying me!
Iguidance is only available for North America mapping isn't it?
TomTom its the best, i tried igo, route66, ndrive, and TomTom, rules.....
Go for it
If you need help, ask me!
I use Tomtom 6. Very easy to use, nice iterface. I won't say I never get a crash, but the crash is usually when turning it on or exiting - it has not let me down mid journey.
Mike
If you can afford it TomTom is very good.. but also worth a look is Smart2GO (I know its Nokia owned but there's a Windows Mobile version)
It uses more up to date maps than TomTom (IMHO), is totally free.. has free updates of any map anytime you want it (updated twice yearly).. full world coverage, maps can be downloaded either via a pc (totally free) or in sections as needed over the air (with data costs of course - but no other charges)
They make the money on addon's.. like navigation by voice which is chargeable (but it works out way way cheaper than TomTom and you can buy a year of UK voice navigation coverage for way less than a single country of TomTom maps.. then when you go on holiday just pay for a week of coverage for that country.. saving a huge amount)
I actually get on well with it and like the fact you can get free map updates whenever you need them.
www.smart2go.com and you can try out the whole lot for free. assuming you dont need voice navigation its free for life.. if you do its dirt cheap.
I am looking for a good set of Scottish/UK maps/application that is wm GPS compatible - designed for walkers/hikers. Tomtom 6 and the likes always tries to jump you onto the nearest road which is pointless if you're on a remote trail.
Mike
I'd look into MemoryMap Mike.. its all Ordenance Survey Licenced maps at varying scales.. and it works fine (is designed for..) for walking/hiking.. It works on WM devices too.. and there are a huge number of maps available as addons.. including themed packs such as hikers guides etc...
Its way more detailed than TomTom, but theres no navigation of course as its a GPS mapping solution not a navigator.
It can even do a very nice 3d view of the landscape based on the OS gradients of the maps.. its very clever stuff.
oh should have added the url
www.memory-map.co.uk the sites a bit of a mess but the mapping is top quality. Theres a few online places doing the software and maps at discount, and you often get good deals at outdoor shows apparently.

Which GPS Guidance Software?

I have searched and can't find a thread asking everyone which they use and which is the best. Would be great, I think, for everyone if there was a poll option on the boards but since there isn't I will just ask.
I have found almost 20 different software packages for WinMo that offer Voice GPS Guidance, who uses which and which does everyone feel is the best?
I just use Live Search. No voice, but it is free and works well enough. And it is cool to be guided on satellite views.
I have Tom Tom 5 installed, but I hate it and every time I try to use it I give up. Plus it is a serious processor/battery hog. I have a Garmin GPS on my motorcycle that is way more user friendly, thus my dislike for the TT5 software.
I thought it was a simple question, guess it wasn't...
I think it's a great question. Personally I find that if I am searching for a person or a retail location that Google Maps works great. Satellite imagery is nice also. There are several features that Google Maps does not have that I use iGuidance for. Certainly everyone knows that iGuidance offers step by step but I also like the fact that I can go into a 3D view which I find easier to view while driving. Also the ability to switch between POV and "North always up" is handy.
I have unlimited data so I don't mind streaming Google Maps but that is something serious to consider. Also iGuidance does not require any signal from the carrier. The program and maps all reside on the sd card so you can use it in backwoods...
I use both those programs extensively and would prefer not to make a choice. But if I did, I'd choose iGuidance since it offers many more features. Google Maps best feature is it's search ability. Thats what I use it for the most. Then I usually cut and past the address into iGuidance for step by step...
Good Luck.
mostly, i use iGo 2006 (outdated - need to upgrade to iGO8)
iGO is flippin fantastic. i have a hott british chick as my voice guidance, insane POI options, automatic route recalculation. awesome. i want to try Garmin, but havent had the time or patience to figure out how to get it to work with internal GPS
I've used almost all of them with the exception of iguidance.... guess I'll have to try that out next. My two favorites for dedicated GPS is Garmin Mobile XT and TomTom 6. There are pluses and minuses to both of them. Garmin has free traffic, weather, etc., where TomTom has it for a month for free then you have to pay.
Graphics on the Garmin are exactly what you would see on a retailed Nuvi - except the page rendering is pretty jerky and not smooth at all. TomTom on the other hand is smooth as silk. As you turn or move forward, the map follows you along quite nicely.
Route calculations are different between the both as well. They both do a decent job in their calculations, but Garmin takes considerably longer - up to a minute in some cases to calculate a route. TomTom on the other hand, usually takes less than 5 seconds. Neither one would be a deal breaker for me, as I usually only look for routes when it is a long drive where a minute's worth of calculations doesn't make that much of a difference...
Hope that helped! I know I'm more confused now!!!
i have used iguidance, garmin xt, tomtom 6 and now tomtom 7. here is my personal opinion:
iguidance has tts(it pronouce the street name), which is a big plus. however, the routing engine is not very good. if you go an interstates trip, i dont recommend it. iguidance also has poor to average 3d views. it has very nice 2d view though. iguidance 2009 ppc with new navteq with "traffic pattern" and 3d lane changing view is coming out in august 2009.
garmin xt has nice 3d view, but the 3d autozoom zooms out way too much, specially on a long drive. if turning off autozoom, you dont get any zoom in when you about to make a turn. the gps lags quite a bit behind for me, perhaps 2 seconds behind real time. all gps navigation software lags a second behind real time, except for tomtom which predict .5 and 1 second ahead. the routing engine of of garmin xt is not so good either. i have entered several know destination of friends and families home and it never gave me an ideal route. i also tried to route from san jose, ca to falling waters, wv and it have me go down to las vegas and through interstate 40. the ideal route would be interstate 80. garmin xt does have traffic, however, from my understanding is that it doesnt update routing base on traffic info during driving. correct me if i'm wrong. garmin xt also has the best POI search engine.
tomtom 6 routing engine is not that much better. it doesnt give me the ideal route to friends and families destinations, but it did route me through i80 instead of through las vegas and i40 when i tried to route from san jose, ca to falling waters, wv. the traffic feature on tomtom6 works really good, but its not free. traffic updates continuously and update your route accordingly. i've seen traffic work again and again for me. tomtom6 also predict gps info .5 and 1 second ahead of time so you get virtually no lag, tomtom is the only software that does this. the 3d display is video smooth like and the 3d autozoom is perfect for me. the menu of tomtom is also very easy to use. you can navigate through tomtom menu with one hand, and entering destination address, it is also the easiest. some other negatives with tomtom6 is that map is outdated. you can not search any POI within a range. you have to search POI within a category and sometime the category that you want to look is not there. also the "next street" name of next turn is small and way at the bottom.
i like tomtom7 the most. most of what said above about tt6 also apply to tomtom7, but tt7 has much improved map and routing engine. it has the best routing engine by far. when entering families and friends destinations in different cities from 50 to 100 miles away, it always give me the most ideal routing. version 7 map also has mapshare which you can get map correction from thousands of other people using the same map. my g/f neighborhood in WV and my cousin address in PA are not in any of the previous navteq(2008) and teleatlas(2007) map, it is now showing up in the latest telelatlas map. in certain big cities, version 720 also offer detail information including side walk and building and house floor plan showing up as 3d shaped that resemble the floor plan of the particular place. it even has my neighbor's swimming pool. the down points of tt7 is that it does not offer text to speech, and like tt6, the POI search sucks.
i highly recommend tt7. i think the most important feature of a gps navigation software is its map and routing engine. you can download tt7 from this forum and buy the version 7.20 north america 2gb map for about 70 bucks, and you are good to go.
sadthai & greymatter...
Great write ups. I have tt6 and now will look at tt7 but I have always wanted good feedback from those who have tried others to compare. I really wanted iguidance just to get the street name working but I need fast rendering....
I have been googling like crazy... where can you buy TomTom7?
The only thing you find on the net is the cracks... and a lot of them
parcou said:
sadthai & greymatter...
Great write ups. I have tt6 and now will look at tt7 but I have always wanted good feedback from those who have tried others to compare. I really wanted iguidance just to get the street name working but I need fast rendering....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes...tt7 is nice...thx all
I know I am dredging up an old thread here, but do any of these programs offer a "trailing" feature. so that you can turn on and save a line of where you have been? I am looking to map some trails that are not on maps and would like this.

Which is the best off-road GPS application?

Greetings,
Too much has been said about car navigation, yet I am not too sure as to which is the best… Now, which is the best off-road GPS application (I know this is subjective)? I am looking for an application that will track everything, be able to download online map and include guidance (voice ideally) to take me back to my original point. I have tested Run.GPS Trainer, which is cool but it is more orientated at sport. It is interesting to hear how many calories you have burn, but I am looking for all round application. Plus, Run.GPS is very expensive and keeps on reporting “unexpected error” on HD when using the navigation feature.
Any suggestion with some details from people who have used any of these for outdoor activities will be appreciated.
Thank you...
It´s the best.....
Pathaway
Memory Map
Lots of maps, including all the Ordnance Survey 1:50 000, 1:25 000 and aerial photos. Good integration with the desktop app.
I'll second Memory Maps. Bit expensive for OS maps, but very good. If you want to try on the cheap get the V5 European edition. Lets you import scanned maps (tiffs) .
Thanks so far...!
Thank you for all the feedback so, but I am surprised no one has mentioned the likes of GP Tuner that I see on Handango. Are all the above suggestions highly sophisticated pieces of software? Are these applications user-friendly?! I was looking for a solution that meets the original requirements, in addition to ease of use (moving maps, downloadable {Google..}, x to y routing…. I will still check some - I assume they are HD/WVGA compatible!
Thanks
Hi there,
I'm personally using OziExplorer, and have loaded scanned maps into it (you can calibrate any image you want and use it as a map), and the interface is really powerful for route tracking and navigation. However, i think it doesn't support online map downloading, so depending on how important it is for you, it may not fit the bill.
moullas said:
Hi there,
I'm personally using OziExplorer, and have loaded scanned maps into it (you can calibrate any image you want and use it as a map), and the interface is really powerful for route tracking and navigation. However, i think it doesn't support online map downloading, so depending on how important it is for you, it may not fit the bill.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you - yes, I wish to be able to download map from wherever I am, so not an option for me. Calibration is another troublesome process for me....the software should do that for me!
i use garmin xt.
that way i have street maps for all european countries with routing and everything AND topographic maps.
For instance for Switzerland i've got a 1:250 000 topographic map with hiking paths and it even shows POI's like mountain shelters (for the offroad stuff) and loads of more common POI's like hotels or restaurants.
You can record tracks, but it's turned off by default.
Only thing you cant do is download maps, so you have to install them before going off
Also, what i really like is, if you have 2 maps of the same area installed, one topographic, one with streets and so on, the street-map is layed on top of the topographic one, so you have a map with great accuracy while still being able to calculate routes.
Overall it serves my needs pretty good (I live in a big city where it helps me find shops or other locations, but my parents live somewhere up in the mountains, so i go hiking quite often), only the interface needed some getting used to.
Also, the maps are quite expensive, and well, having to buy garmin Xt for the phone, MapSource for the pc (to transfer maps) and the maps themselves can add up to a lot
I'd love to see ViewRanger ported from S60 to WM - it's better than the WM solutions that I've seen so far.
Excuse me?!
Magicdead said:
i use garmin xt.
that way i have street maps for all european countries with routing and everything AND topographic maps.
For instance for Switzerland i've got a 1:250 000 topographic map with hiking paths and it even shows POI's like mountain shelters (for the offroad stuff) and loads of more common POI's like hotels or restaurants.
You can record tracks, but it's turned off by default.
Only thing you cant do is download maps, so you have to install them before going off
Also, what i really like is, if you have 2 maps of the same area installed, one topographic, one with streets and so on, the street-map is layed on top of the topographic one, so you have a map with great accuracy while still being able to calculate routes.
Overall it serves my needs pretty good (I live in a big city where it helps me find shops or other locations, but my parents live somewhere up in the mountains, so i go hiking quite often), only the interface needed some getting used to.
Also, the maps are quite expensive, and well, having to buy garmin Xt for the phone, MapSource for the pc (to transfer maps) and the maps themselves can add up to a lot
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have always thought of Garmin as Car Navigation program, but this comes a a surprise (two applications in one!). Unfortunately, it does not allow for online map downloading...

what is the best GPS software?

Hi everyone,
this has probably already have been discussed before but i can't find a good answer to that question.
so what is the best GPS software with offline maps that run on the titan
i am currently running dcd 4.1.2 with nothing installed so i have the maximum available memory.
Oh and the price does not matter to me as far as the program is good !
i was using tomtom and my friend that have a raphael is using OCN8 but i tried it and im always short on memory
thx a lot !
garmin xt is the best
thx a lot ! it look very nice
does it run smoothly on the titan?
lebulbe said:
thx a lot ! it look very nice
does it run smoothly on the titan?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Very much so... Works well, keeps position well, speed seems to jump a bit more (+/- 1.5mph) than TomTom did. Both are very good but I prefer Garmin XT these days for a couple reasons.
Garmin will tell you that your destination is on the right or left side of the road TomTom didn't. Garmin has Fuel price finder, weather data, and Airport info - TomTom doesn't.
Can't really go wrong with either....
my personal FAvorite is TomTom Natigator 7.45 w/ custom voice C3PO directing you, and Mart Kart as my custom pointer I wish there was a professional sounding "Super Mario".. As for maps, I live in the US and TomTom works great.. I pay the $25/yr and get the live traffic updates (I have an unlimited data plan). I live in Milwaukee and we get rush hour traffic most evenings (and mornings) and you can set up TomTom to auto re-route a faster way.. it updates the traffic every 10 min I think..
I also tried iGo, and was not impressed. It seemsto me to be very unstable (Took me 4 tries just to get it INSTALLED properly, and I am a PC Tech by profession) Once it was installed, I would have lockup issues atleast 1 out of ever 2 or 3 times I used it.... From what I read, others have this same problem.
Google Maps, well, it is free and legal if you have a data plan... but besides that..... lol If I jsut have it on in the background in my dash, I will turn on the google maps with the google earth overlay, so it looks sort of like when there is a car chase on the news by how it follows you
But overall, in the US, I would go with TomTom
ill give a stab...
I hang out with a massive group of guys from offroading mud trucks to race cars and car clubs.. so I was able to test what others had as they all wanted to know which is the best and what to go with..
all I can say is after using each one... there is NO ONE that does it all..
first it is about the feel, look and functions...
ill give a short list of the couple I liked and pro's cons on each.. I am pulling this off of memory as I dont own them but thinking about it.... just not sure which to buy...
iGuidance 2009
- This one was my favorite
Pros -
Quick gps fix
ease of choosing a route
nice voice with speach for navigation (tts is it called??)
Can set gps settings manually
Points of interests had everything I looked for
Large buttons when looking for address
ease of adding location to favorites
ease of saving favorites with custom names
Cons:
no online weather
no online traffic
no online points of interests updates
Cant change car icon
dont think you can change voices
no breadcrumb trails
TomTom
Pros -
Quick gps fix
ease of choosing a route
nice voice with speach for navigation (tts is it called??)
Can set gps settings manually
Points of interests had everything I looked for
online traffic
online points of interests updates
seperate dunkin donuts locator - THIS WAS SAWEET!!!!!
change car icon
change voices - yoda, mr t were funny
ease of saving location
Cons:
no online weather - dont remember seeing that one
no breadcrumb trails
Garmin Mobile XT
Pros -
Quick gps fix
ease of choosing a route
Can set gps settings manually
online weather - really nice and you can choose the city!!!
online traffic - really nice as it lists all streets near you
change car icon - only to 3 it seemed... but hell had a lifted truck so i was in
Google Local search - for alot of things and really didnt use it much but looked good
Fuel prices - gives local prices and drive to... this was really nice and accurate for the most part... and can sort (price from lowest is what it sorted) and told you distance.. but one gas station was closed down (not even physically there anymore)
flight status... really really really cool.. showed landed, in flight and scheduled!!!!
Cons:
Points of interests had everything I looked for although some were not easy to find making this a con
voice with speach for navigation - didnt sound as clear as the other 2.. bit choppy
no online points of interests updates
dont think you can change voices
buttons a bit small for touch screen
no breadcrumb trails
couldnt set gps manually.. i couldnt find any settings button to change it... will most likely use the default internal settings so cant use with gps gate
none had breadcrumb trails that can be exported to say google maps... I want this to map where I have been offroading....
Garmin POI transportation was tricky to find the train i take to work... Patco - Lindenwold was there.. but the other 2 found it easier... it was frustrating
so out of those 3 I liked iGuidance the best for look, feel and funcionality..
however Garmin Mobile XT seemed to have more online features that are pretty handy (i dont fly much so flights not important to me)....
since Garmin had Traffic and weather.. it was nice....
tomtom having the dunkin donuts is a life savor as myself and wife love DD coffee... so to have that was cool....
I just cant see buying all 3.. as they each have their own nice features....
Summer is upon us again (but been raining soooo much) but when i get back with the guys.. I wanna see who got anything new... one guy is using the HP 310 GPS for GPS, Movies, music, etc..... maybe he will let me take that for a bit....
hope this helps some of ya..
I also didnt mention mapopolis... it was pretty cheesy looking, worked but dont think it is available anymore.. but also did breadcrumbs
ones that didnt make the list as i didnt get to see them but know they exist..
copilot
street atlas - looked cheesy
Pocket streets
Delorme street atlas
memory map
oziexplorer
************edited
also this one is looking good...
PocketMap r4
http://www.pocketmap.com/navigator.html
I've used 2004 Delorme and IG.
hands down IG kicks it's butt.
The Delorme was so difficult to use while in a car, the GPS antenna that came with it was a joke and wasn't very accurate.
The screen layout of IG is 10x better.
But, keep in mind that nothing is 100% yet on any of them.
Actually, TomTom does have online weather, as well as online gasoline prices if you are willing to pay for it

Copilot

Normally I`m using Navigon but Copilot is much faster and is getting quicker a fix...but it always stopps when the HD2 - after 1 minute - stopps. With Navigon it doesn`t stopp - do I have to change it in Copilot software or at HD2 ?
How content are you with Copilot generally?
peter7 said:
Normally I`m using Navigon but Copilot is much faster and is getting quicker a fix...but it always stopps when the HD2 - after 1 minute - stopps. With Navigon it doesn`t stopp - do I have to change it in Copilot software or at HD2 ?
How content are you with Copilot generally?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you mean it goes into standby, you can turn that off in the settings in Copilot. (It's in menu, settings, backlight).
If you don't mean that, can you explain a bit more?
Great - sorry I missed it !
Another question:
How do I get more POI`s ?
Are you content with Copilot =
To be honest, I've only used it a couple of times. I've always been a TomTom user, but Copilot is so cheap that I'm probably gonna get it. I don't really use POIs either. I simply use it for getting from A to B!
For that, it's nicer than TomTom. It looks better and seems more accurate (despite the fact that accuracy is probably very little to do with software, and more the GPS!)
I also like the pinch-to-zoom in it. It just looks really nice.
Copilot is much better than Navigon and of course TT !
How about your experineces ?
Sorry to hijack this thread slightly (!), but can Copilot be used for navigating on foot?
I am a TomTom user via PNDs in vehicles normally, and would only ever really use my phone to navigate if I was on foot - for this TomTom is no good with.
Also, on a related topic, does Copilot make use of the built-in electronic compass - ie. does it know which way you are facing before you start moving (again a key thing when navigating on foot!)?
Thanks in advance!
SimonW500 said:
Sorry to hijack this thread slightly (!), but can Copilot be used for navigating on foot?
I am a TomTom user via PNDs in vehicles normally, and would only ever really use my phone to navigate if I was on foot - for this TomTom is no good with.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes it can, also by automobile, motorcycle, bicycle and RV (whatever that is).
I don't think it does work with the built-in compass, which is probably no bad thing as the compass is not that accurate.
I've been using CoPilot Live for two years now and I find it excellent. On the HD2 screen it's brilliant and is very smooth with the fast processor. Don't forget to also download CoPilot Central Live which is a desktop application that lets you plan your routing on your PC and send it to the phone & vice versa. You can download it for free HERE although you'll only get the most out of it if you have CoPilot installed on your phone. Have a look at the CoPilot User Manual HERE[url].
For the money, it's a superb bit bit of software.
Edit: Sorry, my mistake. You could do planning on version 1 of CoPilot Central but it seems they've removed that on version 2. But you can still plan journeys on the desktop using Google Earth and import them via CoPilot Central version 2 though in KML format..
Purchased yesterday, and for the price, cant fault it.
CoPilot 8 Live Au
I've been using it for 2 weeks and like it. Pinch to zoom is great and the graphics are better than TT.
The trial allowed me to download an Au map but unfortunately I can't purchase it here in Aus so I've loaded TT7.
Will buy Copilot 8 when it becomes available here if the price is right.
Copilot 7 was outrageous at over $200Au.
Had co-pilot since 3.5 days.
It has always had odd issues just as Tom Tom (I used the latter when it was Palmtop Route Planner and City Maps for Psion and Palm) has ... dodgy post codes and some addresses and sometimes very odd routing.
It is a shame that they have removed the old desktop s/w ... but given I have the full CPL6 ... I still have that.
In 8, it also appears that the free traffic camera integration from PocketGPS is missing ... I think they are going to charge for that when available in the UK.
I love the fact that in 8, you get speed indication for the road you are on. It probably isn't completely accurate ... but a nice touch.
It is prettier ... but slightly less configurable than previous versions.
Lock with the HD2 is incredible ... 7 satellites in my study when I used to struggle for a lock with the TyTNII ... not sure how HTC have managed that.
As someone else mentioned ... for the cost .... it seems mad not to enable it. I have 7" Sat Nav in both my cars ... so I don't need it unless I'm in someone else's car ... but it's still worth it for planning routes.
Perhaps the best thing is it's ability to have multiple stops. This can be used to guide CPL not to use stupid routes.
Paul.
Hi
Sorry to jump in here, but can anyone who has Copilot for Europe tell me if the Canary Islands are included please?
Thanks
QWERTY and Contacts search?
I'm agreeing that for the price it seems like a winner. I too am a TomTom user and have sat nav in all the vehicles I use regularly, but well always a nice-to-have!
Two things that I can't figure out with it though:
1) How do I change to a QWERTY keyboard for address entry etc?
2) When I'm searching my contacts - it doesn't actually search - I seem to have to type it in exactly.. can this not be changed?
Thanks.
I want to know if you can change it to QWERTY too.
For the price, you'll struggle to beat it, however I do prefer TomTom, the quick/shortcut button on the screen on TT7 is damned useful..
Also can you change how it plans your route, speed/distance etc the same as on TT?
I'd love to get a QWERTY keyboard on Copilot too! It does bug me when apps have their own keyboards in them. I can't see it happening though. REALLY would love to be wrong in this case though!
I've got a question about CoPilot.
How the heck do you remove it? There is no uninstall option in the Remove Programs
Can you just delete it from the storage card and remove the icons? This seems a bit ham fisted.
I need the space for my TT maps
SimonW500 said:
I'm agreeing that for the price it seems like a winner. I too am a TomTom user and have sat nav in all the vehicles I use regularly, but well always a nice-to-have!
Two things that I can't figure out with it though:
1) How do I change to a QWERTY keyboard for address entry etc?
2) When I'm searching my contacts - it doesn't actually search - I seem to have to type it in exactly.. can this not be changed?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. According to the faq on the website of CoPilot the querty keyboard is planned for one of the updates of CoPilot 8 in the future.
Quote from the FAQ:
Will a Qwerty keyboard be added to CoPilot Live v8?
We currently have a QWERTY keyboard in iPhone and are working to add a QWERTY keyboard via a free update soon to Android and Windows Mobile.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought and activated the trial of Copliot 8 that was on my hd2, and I like it.... I've run it alongside Tomtom too and it sometimes chooses slightly different routes, but it's not failed to get m eto my destination yet. For £24.99 you can't go wrong. However There is a problem that I can't add custome poi's such as the gps pocket camera database... seems to be a bug with a specific version of 8, which is a little annoying.
I bought it when it first appeared in the early beta roms...
I really like it, although bicycle mode does seem to want to send me on some bizarre routes and round the wrong way on roundabouts.
and some streets don't seem to have house numbers (mine included)
I tried Copilot several days in Paris.
What I can say is that this software is really really bad.... Except you like to be lost or are fond of wrong way streets.
nb1962 said:
Hi
Sorry to jump in here, but can anyone who has Copilot for Europe tell me if the Canary Islands are included please?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have contacted the customer service about this question and they told me that canary ARE present in europe map.
Are you planning holidays in canary? Me too I'm ready to go in about 15days for 3-4 months in Fuerteventura
Bye
Erik

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