GPS: TomTom vs CoPilot vs Mapopolis Vs ?

[Guest d_chandnani]

I am sure this has been discussed earlier, but I guess this is a topic that never dies. :D Any help on this is greatly appreciated.

I have an Audiovox SMT5600 smartphone (just got this awesome phone!) and am looking for a GPS naviagation solution (am in Washington, USA). I have tried to read up some information on the solutions available out there and believe the main options are: TomTom, CoPilot, NavMan and Mapopolis. (is this even correct?).

I am trying to decide which one to go for.

Main features I would be interested in are: ease of entering destination adresses, accuracy and re-routing in case of wrong turns.

If you have any feedback/comments/suggestions on this that would be great. Also, if you have used it with an Audiovox SMT5600 and have feedback on general usage of any of these systems that would be awesome.

Also, which is the most popular GPS solution for Audiovox smt5600? :)

Thanks for your time guys!

- Dinesh Chandnani

Edited July 12, 2005 by d_chandnani

[Guest chucky.egg]

TomTom includes a GPS receiver, which makes it more expensive than the software only systems, but it all works out about the same in the end.

I use TomTom now, and used Mapopolis before, and I find that TomTom is better for in-car navigation, but Mapopolis was better for "on foot" navigation.

I've never used CoPilot so can't comment on that

Mapopolis has a free trial (but requires that you have a GPS) so you could try it first and see (if you can borrow a GPS device).

TomTom is a great product, and much as it hurt at the time it is worth the money IMO.

[Guest beersoft]

i would go with

tomtom then mapopolis then copiloot then only if forced at gunpoint to go with destinator

tomtom is the best imho

mapopolis is the cheapest, and there is a free trial (which is good)

the other 2 arn't as good so i would avoid them as much as posible

later

Owen

[Guest Samsonite]

just to balance it out, I use CoPilot every day for my work on a Magician and cant fault it!

It has only got lost once - and boy was i lost!! i didnt even know where i was so couldnt start to look at a map!!

I have played with the TomTom GO in-a-box-thing and think they are all very similar. CoPilot doesnt commit you to a GPS unit of their choice so thats what did it for me...

[Guest asphire23]

As much as I want to use Tom tom, I can't. We - who lived in USA are lagging behind on mobile GPS technology.

Live in California and now using Globalsat BT-338 and mapopolis with I-mate SP3i. It works great but sometimes there's this 4-5 seconds lag everytime you press a button if you use it with the GPS.

Still waiting for Tom tom to release their damn GPS!!

[Guest d_chandnani]

Oh... so does this mean it is not a good option to buy any GPS solution for smartphones in USA or does it mean that TomTom specifically is not a good option?

Cheers!

-Dinesh Chandnani

Edited July 12, 2005 by d_chandnani

[Guest awarner [MVP]]

TomTom is available in the USA but on the PocketPC at the moment.

[Guest flyguy]

I have the same exact phone, with the exact same desire... to buy a GPS hardware/software package for my cool new phone! I live in NorthEastern USA.

Have you made any decisions on this yet dinesh?

-Bill

[Guest McF182]

I have got the Tomtom USA maps to work on my nokia 6600 just fine. I dont have a GPS reciever, so I have not been able to test the navigation part.

[Guest chucky.egg]

Er, OK...

The 6600 is a Symbian handset (which is fine, but this is a Microsoft Smartphone forum)

And having TomTom without a GPS implies that you have an illegal copy, cos AFAIK they only sell the software with the GPS.

[Guest Confucious]

Someone posted a link to a test of the 5600 running CoPilot in the USA and they reckoned it was great. I certainly think the UK version is :)

[Guest Snack]

And having TomTom without a GPS implies that you have an illegal copy, cos AFAIK they only sell the software with the GPS.

It is available separately here.

[Guest Confucious]

It is available separately here.

It is available seperatly for PPCs but not for SmartPhones AFAIK

[Guest awarner [MVP]]

Correct the Mobile version of TomTom is only available with their own GPS unit.

With TomTom Plus you can add maps from other countries and this includes areas of the USA which are downloadable per city area.

[Guest xswl0931]

Correct the Mobile version of TomTom is only available with their own GPS unit.

With TomTom Plus you can add maps from other countries and this includes areas of the USA which are downloadable per city area.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

So I can get TomTom Mobile 5 and install USA maps?

[Guest ix666]

If you can wait a bit OnCourse Nav in the US will have a SmartPhone Version.

I up-graded to Version 5 by phone for my SX66 and asked the US support rep if they had a SP version and he said they are working on it.

While I wait I've been using Streets & Trips 2005 which I got at Sam's Club for $20.00 it includes the SP version. The SP version supports GPS but not automatic mapping. Paired up great with my Bluetooth Holux 236slim. Good enuf till OnCourse SP rolls out.

ix666

[Guest ix666]

If you can wait a bit OnCourse Nav in the US will have a SmartPhone Version.

I up-graded to Version 5 by phone for my SX66 and asked the US support rep if they had a SP version and he said they are working on it.

While I wait I've been using Streets & Trips 2005 which I got at Sam's Club for $20.00 it includes the SP version. The SP version supports GPS but not automatic mapping. Paired up great with my Bluetooth Holux 236slim. Good enuf till OnCourse SP rolls out.

ix666

[Guest beersoft]

well, ive been doing some testing satnav stuff for ppcmag

the new world order is

tomtom - the king, but europe only, and expensive and no c550 support yet

copilot - the new version rocks, and alot of the bugs in the earlier version have been squashed, supplied with gps and c550/qvga support

mapopolis, its still holds its own against the big 2 with some of the best map support there is, software only and with c550/qvga support

navigon - a new kid on the block, looks nice, good map support, ass slow and wont work on orange roms, unknown qvga support as it didnt work on my c550 at all

and there is the dark horse that is the pdamill one which should be out soon, which should be a tomtom beater

later

Owen

[Guest jtkratzer]

So I can get TomTom Mobile 5 and install USA maps?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I don't know about getting TomTom Mobile 5 with USA maps, but I spoke with TomTom support in the US yesterday and they indicated they have no intentions or current plans to release a smartphone version of their software for the US. They said it was unstable and that they couldn't come up with a patch to stabalize it. That I don't understand, I have the Audiovox 5600 which is via the Orange C500 and Qtek 8010 compatible with their UK software. What could be different about the algorithms between the US and the UK? Shouldn't they both function the same, just using different map data?

Another question - is Destinator SP for the US that bad? I spoke with two different retailers and they haven't sold a copy of it yet, but none of the GPS software are moving very fast here.

About Copilot, is there an option to make the icon showing your current position static and have the map move around it, rather than the icon traverse the map?