Vote for Best GPS Software (more complete poll)

[eaglesteve]

I have been a user of colpilot live, Tom Tom, GoogleMap, MapKing, and iGO My Way.

The best in my opinion is iGO for the following reasons:

1) It is the only one that warns you if you exceed the legal speed limit. This is in addition to red light and fixed camera warning. Tom Tom only changes color if legal speed limit but has no audio warning. Mapking assumes a estimated road speed limit but does not keep the real speed limt in its database so the warning is not useful. All other software do not even have such warning.

2) Beauty of its user interface

3) Speed and responsiveness

4) Tolerance for gps inaccuracy due to weak or even lack of signal strength inside tunnels.

5) Availability of maps

6) Abikity to obtain 3D lock within 10 seconds, if the gps seting is correctly done.

7) quality of sound and spoken voice.

[schettj]

WLS for driving (copilot - never drive alone on trips long enough to need directions - new version chirps on turns, so if desperately lost and unwilling to pull over, I'll set it up and use it without looking at it, mostly)

Google Maps for "where the heck is..."

Yeah, I'm cheap. I also really like not having to load up maps before going somewhere.

I had some GPS software where you had to load maps for the state(s) you wanted before you left for your drive. Never liked that, but other then that it seemed to have all the features of the dedicated gps systems.

[Osteo]

Originally Posted by kilmarac

I tried Nav4All and found that I couldn't get it to find the GPS even with the settings manually entered and GPSView running.

Hey Kilmarac, you have to get the GPS viewer up and locked with sats before starting nav4all for it to work. It will go to blue bars on the view page and I usually waste time switching back and forth between the view and the data page which seems to graphically display the lock a bit faster.

It takes my Verizon 6800 no more than 30 seconds to lock on with full view of the sky both here in TN and when on vacation in CA. Indoors is a crapshoot. I'm fine upstairs to lock in under a minute but on my livingroom couch it sometimes won't lock...

Also don't d/l N4A from the Esmertec java app (like in Opera Mini) as it will install but wont work, you need to d/l the CAB and install. I think it gives you 2 options (autoinstall or d/l the CAB, just d/l the CAB).

Once locked, I start N4A and its good to go. Unsure why yours won't work. I know one of the experts modified the cab for GPS viewer so it will start on com4 but I can't find the link so here's the link to the original http://www.hevis.com.hk/download/GpsViewer1.5.zip.

[wjrandon]

I'll give my vote to Telenav as well. Despite it's shortcomings (and there's several) it gives the most satisfyingly navigation experience. The key feature for Telenav is it's expansive POI database that seems to be directly linked to the yellow pages. No matter where I travel Telenav knows exactly where everything is located. Also, I like the fact their map databases are updated every three months - not having the map data stored locally on my SD card and having to pull it from the internet means always having the freshest road data available (well in principle anyway).

Nonetheless, if Microsoft or Google start providing audioable turn-by-turn directions with a 3d perspective. Telenav's $10 per month service fee becomes more difficult to justify unless the company continues to innovate it's product line which has become stagnate for users with older equipment such as the PPC-6700.

[friguy3]

My wife has a TomTom and i tried it on my phone but there are a few major missing factors that iGuidance has....my 2 cents
iGuidance:
1. Text-To-Speech - once you used it for a while, it feels wierd without it and annoying, now cant use GPS without it
2. you cant just move the map around on TomTom, you have to click here then to this menu then here and now you can, iGuidance you drag around and done.
TomTom:
1. The maps are much nicer, actually liked the 3D maps on here, but always go back to 2D on iGuidance
2. Can use other better voices

I have found POI are what-ever for both. TomTom is missing major stores which i still dont understand and the maps seem to be the same in both. Im in NY, NY

[No1ustad]

Originally Posted by Hoof

For me its iGuidance. Don't see how most people don't seem to care too much, but for me its vital to have street names announced. Having the street names announced gives me a much better sense of where I am and where I'm going. As opposed to just "turn right in 1 mile, turn left in 2 miles". Instead I get "continue 2.3 miles on Connecticut Avenue, then turn right on Calvert Street"

That seems very beneficial. there's no way to have street names announced in tom tom? if not, i might have to try iguidance

[fat boy]

iGuidancee requires GPS Gate and astrogps launcher to work wit the internal GPS.

I don't use either of these and iGuidance 3.0 works perfectly. I am on the offiical new sprint rom for the Mogul and no2chem 5055. My vote is iGuidance and Google Maps. They cover different types of information and technology where both are needed and I use them frequently

And how are the maps are they current? (Meaning kept current).

I think they do a good job for getting updates, not perfect because roads are always being changed and built.

[tpeazy]

Originally Posted by Osteo

Do try www.nav4all.com and while it needs a keep-alive like Holux GPS viewer, its FREE and gives audible turn by turn directions in dozens of languages. Requires literally only bits if data to reroute if you goof so data cost is minimal if you dont have an unlimited data plan.

Can you tell us how you got nav4all to work. I tried unsuccessfully many times. Thanks, Tp

[kid_29]

dose anyone have a cab for iguidance

[Osteo]

Originally Posted by tpeazy

Can you tell us how you got nav4all to work. I tried unsuccessfully many times. Thanks, Tp

1st, d/l and install the Holux GPS viewer. Here is a modded version set automatically to com4 so you don't have to change it each time. http://rapidshare.com/files/87097363/mGpsCmd_COM4.zip.html. I found it on XDA by TalynOne, thanks man, if you're reading.. Once installed, go outside and run the program just to be sure you're getting a satellite lock. Hit Open GPS and you can check off the WAAS/EGNOS box as it will give you more accurate data (google WAAS for more info). With full view of the sky, you should get a full lock w/in a few minutes or less (takes < 2 minutes for me on a cold start, and < 30 seconds if used < 4 hrs ago). You can press GPS view to see the sats and their signal strengths.

Once locked on (proving your GPS works), exit the program and navigate with PIE to www.nav4all.com on your phone and d/l and install the cab. Do NOT navigate there from Opera Mini or it will d/l and install a version that won't work.

Once installed, I'd soft reset just to clear your memory. Next, start up the gps viewer and it should lock on fairly quickly as the data is fresh. Using the hard OK button on the left side of your phone minimize the viewer. Then start up Nav4All and you should be good to go. Once in you will have to d/l the language and voice packs (it should prompt you to do so automacially).

Next you can go to settings to make your setup choices. It took me a while to figure this out but you can get help on most of the settings but opeining up the slide and pressing your # key while the item in question in highlighted.

Nav4All got me all over Aneheim and San Diego CA and also hasn't messed up here in rural Tennessee either.

The interface is easy to use once you get the hang of it and while the map doesn't display automatically while driving, it tells you what lane to be in to make your next turn (it will say "in 200 yards, stay left - 2 highways" meaning the left two lanes of the road you're on will be the way you want to go). Poking around their website, they wanted it to be fully audible and not visual to be safer while driving.

Good luck, and I hope this helps!