The Best "Real" GPS Navigation Software

Richard Ward · #1 (**permalink**) 05-13-2008, 07:12 PM

First of all, let me begin saying "Thanks" to all the hard working geeks out there who've made things like GPS Unlock, WM 6.1, etc. available for our HTC 6800's. I wouldn't be posting this if it weren't for you guys.

My question is simple: What's the best of the best for GPS software on our PPC's? I'm using Google Maps and while I can now find Dunkin' Doughnuts without first knowing what street I'm on is great, but now I'm looking for more 3D arrow-navigating GPS we've come to love on our car models.

I've been playing around with a friend's somewhat aged TomTom 6 which includes the "latest" maps from what I believe is last year. It looks promising, but what good cost-effective applications are there that don't cost $100+ and give you that "real" GPS feel with voice prompts, etc.?

I know $100 is well worth decent GPS software for some, but for people like me, $100 will score me a full windshield-mount car unit that'll let my phone be a phone.

Thanks in advance!

Nickles · #2 (**permalink**) 05-14-2008, 01:42 AM

I have TomTom6, GarminXT, iGuidance4, iGo2006 and iGoi8 all on my device, all working.. i always seem to drift to iGo2006.
reason is -> great looking 3d mapping. REAL TIME ON SCREEN POI. POI's simply appear on your map route, and a simple click brings up a tiny window with the name and number of the POI all without ever going off route- and you can dial that number right then and there on screen...
that is a simple feature that is SORELY lacking in the others, even in iGo's latest release - iGo8.

I think TomTom is the worst.. crazy to operate, and just plain ugly.

iGuidance and iGo8 are the only 2 that have real TTS capability (where the voice actually announces the street names).. i WOULD be using iGo8 exclusively, but it's an absolute memory pig, and it crashed time and time again, when in 3D mode with TTS voice turned on... shame ....... i think they need another build to perfect that .. (it's only been released a couple weeks)..
iGuidance was my app of choice, until i saw iGo2006.. i just really like the usability, and graphics .. also a big plus with iGo, unlike that of TomTom, Garmin OR iGuidance, is you are free to only load the maps you wish to use.. meaning, you can get away with a complete GPS solution for your state for around 40MB or so.. better than a 1.2GB real estate with the others..
Granted, you can't map from AZ to PA, if you don't have the states in between right ?
well kind of - iGo has a 'Major US Roads and Highways' map, that you can load up, to do all the connecting navigation between all the states.

i highly recommend iGo2006.. of course if your like me and have a severe obsession and OCD with GPS you won't be able to stop until you've tried them all.
my next mission was actually Destinator v7, but i couldn't find any US maps.. so i gave up.............for now......

Journeyjeans · #3 (**permalink**) 05-14-2008, 06:21 AM

Thanks for the run through Nick! I have iGuidance right now, and I have the one click launch set up, and so that's cool and all...but I find it buggy in one way. As soo as the voice comes on, it glitches. Like, the speaker will pop, and then the voice will speak, or it'll happen at the same time. Plus, the menu system is not pretty at all. I LOVE the TTS, which is what I got it for, and the glitch I've gotten used to. It's not so bad, but...

Basically, I was looking for another solution, so I got Garmin XT. Now, this is a pretty menu system! Simple, straight forward and visually appealing. I miss the TTS, but seriously, it's not a delbreaker...until you mentioned iGo8!

I was thinking of trying iGo because it looked pretty too (hell, what can I say, I appreciate the asthetics, lol), but didn't feel like loading up my card with Yet Another GPS map (it's 4GB, but still). But now I see I can get single maps? Hmm, guess I'll try for that and the TTS. Awesome breakdown again, thanks!

~Journey

roninr6 · #4 (**permalink**) 05-14-2008, 08:25 AM

The Mogul does not have enough memory to run iG08 with TTS voices. My rom Boots with 29MB free RAM, and iGO8 with with TTS will give me an out of memory error within 5 turns every time, and for those 5 turns its very slow at refreshing the map. I have yet to see a report of someone using iGO8 with a device with 64MB and have the TTS work, you need 128MB of RAM.

I do however use iGO8 and its been great for me, I like it better than iGO2006 that i had been using/ 2006 had no TTS so really I dont miss not having it in iGO8.

I am still on the hunt for some building files for iGO8, I have found a few but not many, and I have not found any 3dc files for North America, only 3dl.

I have also tried garmin XT, TomTom, and Sygic. Garmin has the nest routing by far, with Sygic a close second, TomTom and Igo use teleatlas maps which arent as good as navtec. I really didnt like the map view in Garmin, I like the more 3d angle of the the others. I actually like sygic quite a bit, but for some reason I always come back to iGO.

The only downside to IGO is that they dont sell a retail version with North American Maps, you have to source the maps from somewhere else. OnCourse Navigator is a rebadged version of IGO for morth america, and the OCN maps will work, but there wont be a OCN 8 until later this year from what Ive read. OCN 6 is the same a iGo2006 and its $89.99

**Lsme420** · #5 (**permalink**) 05-14-2008, 09:43 AM

The best "REAL" GPS? I want to know what the best "FAKE" GPS is?

nico4k · #6 (**permalink**) 05-14-2008, 10:08 AM

My vote is for Navigon MobileNavigator 6. this is the "real" true Best GPS system you will find!! the only problem is that it is only available in UK right now....but they have US Maps too. This will be available for the Pocket pc in the US by the end of 2008 as i was told by a Rep. from Navigonusa.com
I have not seen a better looking and full of features navigation system as of yet...Navigon is worth the wait.

Richard Ward · #7 (**permalink**) 05-14-2008, 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lsme420

The best "REAL" GPS? I want to know what the best "FAKE" GPS is?

A "fake" GPS is one that doesn't do what I want, when I want. O_o

I'm really just looking for a "Follow the arrow" rotating-map type thing, whereas Google Maps requires you to constantly rotate the phone because the maps are fixed. I want "up" to always be "straight ahead," in a sense.

TomTom seems pretty nifty but it seems to take like a good minute to acquire satellites even with QuickGPS.

puevigi · #8 (**permalink**) 05-14-2008, 10:30 AM

Do any of these allow you to take a "snapshot" of the map as you are looking at it? Basically for some of the places I go I'd like to be able to pull up a saved map of that area to show someone else when I'm trying to tell them where a place is.

roninr6 · #9 (**permalink**) 05-14-2008, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nico4k

My vote is for Navigon MobileNavigator 6. this is the "real" true Best GPS system you will find!! the only problem is that it is only available in UK right now....but they have US Maps too. This will be available for the Pocket pc in the US by the end of 2008 as i was told by a Rep. from Navigonusa.com
I have not seen a better looking and full of features navigation system as of yet...Navigon is worth the wait.

Does it run well for you? I have read that it needs a lot of memory to run smoothly so I have never really tried it. It uses navtec maps right?

Nickles · #10 (**permalink**) 05-14-2008, 02:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Journeyjeans

Thanks for the run through Nick! I have iGuidance right now, and I have the one click launch set up, and so that's cool and all...but I find it buggy in one way. As soo as the voice comes on, it glitches. Like, the speaker will pop, and then the voice will speak, or it'll happen at the same time. Plus, the menu system is not pretty at all. I LOVE the TTS, which is what I got it for, and the glitch I've gotten used to. It's not so bad, but...

I have the same exact one button setup with GPSgate, and mortscript for iGuidance.. and the EXACT speakervoice issue as you mention above..
as you, just learned to live with it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by roninr6

The Mogul does not have enough memory to run iG08 with TTS voices. My rom Boots with 29MB free RAM, and iGO8 with with TTS will give me an out of memory error within 5 turns every time, and for those 5 turns its very slow at refreshing the map. I have yet to see a report of someone using iGO8 with a device with 64MB and have the TTS work, you need 128MB of RAM.

I am still on the hunt for some building files for iGO8, I have found a few but not many, and I have not found any 3dc files for North America, only 3dl.

Yeah, the only way i can keep igo8 up for an extended amout of time is if i do regular 2D maps with a regular non-TTS voice..
I think i found a couple 3DL maps for igo8 when i was hunting a couple weeks ago.. have you checked the 'usual' places?