What do people rate as the best gps software?

philb · 04-06-2005, 04:55 PM

AS the question suggests!!

This is for UK buy the way

Quattro · 04-06-2005, 04:57 PM

I think most of the people in the UK use desinator with map monkey, if I'm not mistaken.

FyreDaug · 04-07-2005, 08:04 AM

Microsoft Streets and Trips 2005? Havent used it yet, dont have gps up, but I have the software that Ive never used

DarquePervert · 04-07-2005, 09:13 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by FyreDaug

Microsoft Streets and Trips 2005? Havent used it yet, dont have gps up, but I have the software that Ive never used

I'm not int he UK, but I'll chime in on S&T.
It's great software. I use it at my office to map directions to clients and calculate mileage. It's very accrate.

However for navigation, it blows. The maps are zoomed out too far to see anything. You can't orient the map so the direction of travel is at the top. There's no voice prompts.

Kupop · 04-09-2005, 11:18 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by DarquePervert

I'm not int he UK, but I'll chime in on S&T.
It's great software. I use it at my office to map directions to clients and calculate mileage. It's very accrate.

However for navigation, it blows. The maps are zoomed out too far to see anything. You can't orient the map so the direction of travel is at the top. There's no voice prompts.

I use Streets and Trips 2005 since I got a copy for free. I don't have a computer in my car yet but I use this software with a GPS unit I purchased off of eBay on my laptop when I go to places I am not familar with.

I have never used any other software so I can't really say how it compares but you can change the zoom... and it has an option (in 2005, not 2004) to have the map rotate so you are always traveling "up".

I think it would be neat if it changed the zoom on the map. So that while your speed increased the zoom would decrease. When you zoom in closer for city driving and got on a interstate and start going 80mph you can't really look too far ahead.

The directions are good but I have noticed that the specific point on the road isn't very accurate. If I typed my home address in it says it is like half a mile down the road from where it actually is.

It is also very difficult (I can't at all) to tell what side of the road anything is. It has many points of intrest that can be searched and it will give specific directions to but it doesn't help with what side of the road it is on.

Lastly, in 2005 edition they added the recalculate route from curent location button. This is nice because if you go off course you simply push this and it uses your current location to get to the next stop.

It's hard driving a manual car in traffic, while on the phone, and pay attention to the laptop in the passenger seat to know when to turn.... I ended up missing the turn and didn't realize until I was off the phone and finally looked over at the screen.

Vchat20 · 04-09-2005, 11:32 PM

from what ive been told, S&T 2k5 sucks for carpc use for one reason: you need to reconfigure your gps device in S&T after resuming from hibernation or whatnot. if it wasnt for that reason, id happily use S&T 2005 for my carpc since i already have it

evandude · 04-09-2005, 11:51 PM

I use DeLorme Street Atlas 2k5... it's not perfect, but it sounds like S&T is even worse. Delorme has had the auto-rotate for quite some time I think (I know 2k4 had it)

2k5 adds automatic recalculation when you go off route, you can set the distance it lets you go before recalculating. That is a HUGE help... when you're trying to navigate in a city and miss a turn you really can't go reaching to hit the recalculate button.

SA has voice navigation, including voice prompts to tell you upcoming turns, and also voice recognition so you can give it voice commands.

All in all I don't think it's a terrible program, but as far as I know none of the frontends implement it so when I eventually pony up and buy a touchscreen someday, I'll have to switch to different mapping software... so in that regard it's less than ideal.

Bugbyte · 04-10-2005, 12:21 AM

I have and use Street Atlas. It does suck for touchscreen, but it doesn't suck so badly that I want to drop another $100 on a different program.

The voice control allows you to zoom, center, pan left/right/up/down, ask for the next turn, etc. If you have a microphone, it's not too bad.

Clearly, Destinator, IGuidance, Routis, and Copilot are better but not by enough to make me drop the buckage on a new system.

Kupop · 04-10-2005, 11:41 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by Vchat20

from what ive been told, S&T 2k5 sucks for carpc use for one reason: you need to reconfigure your gps device in S&T after resuming from hibernation or whatnot. if it wasnt for that reason, id happily use S&T 2005 for my carpc since i already have it

I never had to reconfigure any GPS settings on my laptop at all. This is for the GPS unit itself and MS S&T 2005, or 2004.

I have had my laptop run until the battery was too low to continue. Plugged it in the cig ligther and came out of hibernation with no reconfiguration. The GPS unit looses power and will need to lock on to the sats again though, if that is what you mean.

I don't think this program is very good for this use but since it is the only program I have it is what I will use. I couldn't imagine trying to use it on a 7" monitor. It is a bit difficult on my 15" laptop screen.

When I actually build the computer for my car I will look into another GPS software. I am currently working on the performance aspects of my car than the stereo/computer side.

RootBreaker · 04-13-2005, 07:07 AM

Well im new here.. and was searching for the same topic

. That is how I got here...

Now you didnt mention best gps software for what platform

anyhow... I am going from New Jersey (South as North is a seperate state only known by Southern Jerzey Folks) to North Carolina in 2 weeks... and I can do it without a GPS but they are nice....
my bro in law has the built in GPS in his Ferd Expedition... he was using it and it took him partially the wrong way.... so we reported back to the trusty road atlas...

now I have a Compaq iPaq 3850. This does not have the built in CF slot... A friend gave me the Compaq double jacket for it so now I have 2 pcmcia slots and one has a PCMCIA to CF slot adapter in it...

I went to ebay and did some searching on GPS units for CF slots.... found 2 good ones.... Pharos gps and Globalstat
all in all the Pharos was some $$$$ (still cheap @ around $250 without software). Searching

I found a website that was specific for pda's and laptops over in the UK... I was still wanting the Pharos until I read this article... http://www.pocketgps.co.uk/globalsat-bc307.php
even that guy is impressed.. so some google searching and I still found it pricey... $150-$225... On trusty ebay I bought one and was shipped to my door for $85. That brings up another rant but will keep short.. I am tired of buying stuff on ebay where people are making their money on shipping.... this gps was $65 buy it now with $15.99 shipping and $2.95 mandatory insurance..
HELLO US PRIORITY MAIL ITEMS THIS SMALL AND WEIGHT ARE $3.95 + INSURANCE!!!!! so the dude made $8 off of shipping... anyway it was still cheaper than on the web... and it was new....

so I have my gps and it works... so now I am looking for software...
I have a borrowed copy of MS Streets and Trips 2005 from a friend...
installed it and pocket streets...
now for the gps pocket streets is good because it shows you the map pretty good... however when you save the map on your pc as a pocket map... THE DRIVING ROUTE DISAPPEARS!!!!!!

Now I am waiting on a 1gb sd card so I can install
TOMTOM 3
&
Destinator
(and buy a FM Transmitter to make my iPaq a mp3 player in the car too)

I may be buying TOMTOM 3 as the site I linked above says it is the best out for pda's. Even better than the new TOMTOM 2004

we shall see... but that is my PDA GPS Hardware recommendation and possible software stuff...

also on that site for the PDA they have Speed traps and yellow light software I believe to tell you where they are... that is

if you live in the UK

I dont have the $$$ right now as I have a family and have been buying necessities for the house and more to come.....

also my bro in law has a tablet pc that he loves.... and I just found out that you can buy the MS Streets and Trips 2005 GPS edition that comes with the usb gps unit to which he could use and really like...

my future upgrade to my wifes 1996 gmc jimmy will be a monitor, pc with gps and xbox hookup for my 5 year old... (and ummmmm my.... sel......f....

)

Boy this post will never end!!!!
also I have a truck...
just a little one... and will use the gps once I have good software to map out all of our 4wheelin spots.
also my bro in law has 186 acres in North NY to which we will use it to map out all of his wheelin trails....so I see many uses with this iPaq gps unit.... very small and portable...also good for walking with....

remember one thing... MS ST is based on the PC and it may give good instructions but if you dont have a tablet pc or laptop that you are willing to lug around.. the product is not designed around portability.... hence designator and TOMTOM have gone around and designed from the PocketPC functionality out......

neon_eddy · 04-13-2005, 08:00 AM

Streets and Trips 2005 - great Points of intrest, great directions, great trip planning, sucks for in car nav, buttoms too small, and no voice. and no 3d view (gotta have the bling)

Routis 2004 (iGuidance I beleive is similar.. and looks similar) - This is the one I currently use, POI are limited and does not include phone numbers. Great voice directions, recalculating, shows a distance meter for turns, VERY touch friendly has on screen keyboard for datat entry, coupled with NaviVoice, you can talk to it also. and with the new autolauncher and resumer this is the best option I've used, and best yet 3d VIEW!

Street Atlas - Better than S&T2k5 for in car nav, same on PIO, but no on screen keyboard, and small buttons does not embed in CF well , it cna be done but you loose info. and no 3d View.

I have not tried,
copilot 8
destinator
autoroute
mapppoint
iGuidance (screen shots look much like routis)
or anything else.. copilot to me seems like a possable winner.. but it has some issues embedding I hear. IF there was a way to update PIO and roads with Routis or iGuidance , I would be fine with that, but living in the thick of urban sprawl, new roads go up all the time.

hope it helps..

Vchat20 · 04-13-2005, 08:51 PM

from what i could tell throuh searching, autoroute and mappoint are essentially just S&T2k5 rebranded. they are all listed under the same section on the MS website anyhow. and autoroute looks just like S&T2k5.

12Vsystems · 04-14-2005, 01:49 AM

I use microsoft streets and trips. I think it's ok, the buttons are really hard to use on a small touch screen. You don't have many configuration options as far as the apperance.

Does anyone know of a skinable GPS interface?

RoyN · 04-14-2005, 01:54 AM

Hmmm... I would have thought you would know better, building a frontend and all....

would be the best thing to say to you.... look at map monkey and free drive, both in these forums, both skinnable, both made especially for in-car use.... happily or sadly both require destinator3 maps to run