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TomTom for Apple iPhone released in U.S. App Store for $99 - Page 3

post #81 of 130
8/17/09 at 3:24pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Judgegavel View Post

Wow, so glad I got Navigon, and didn't wait for this, it was cheaper and has better maps/software. The only thing Tom Tom had going for it was the chance to under cut them in price.

Could you test how well the GPS on Navigon works in airplane mode, i.e., disconnected from the data plan?

Travelling in Canada from the US or vice-versa, one could have an extensive roaming charge if it were necessary to be connected all the time for the GPS to work well. Obviously, certain features would not be available, but could be periodically turned on as needed.

Thanking you in advance.

Abster2Core

P.S. It would be nice if Rogers and AT&T dropped roaming charges between the two countries. Perhaps, it could be rolled into NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) That or a significant price reduction. Better to get a little that nothing at all.
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post #82 of 130
8/17/09 at 3:31pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by cameronj View Post

Is there any reason there couldn't be an option in the Tom Tom app such that when a phone call came in and was answered, Tom Tom would resume automatically? I don't see why not.

I thought that this had been addressed previously;

"For those of you wondering what happens when you get a call, the app turns off but restarts as soon as you finish the call, so it's not too bad. " http://recombu.com/news/tomtom-for-i...av_M11050.html

Watch the video as well
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post #83 of 130
8/17/09 at 4:06pm
TomTom isn't exactly the best out there either. Garmin and Magellan are better rated products. Running that app will surely drain your battery quickly unless you have a power adapter plugged into the iPhone. $99 doesn't make the app attractive when you can get a portable GPS for just a few dollars more.

It looks like they have done a nice job with the app in landscape mode, so I give them credit for that. I think the people that want GPS in their car already have it from the factory, or they already have a portable GPS. So why should they buy another one? Plus the speakerphone isn't the best on the iPhone, so good luck on hearing those turn by turn directions.
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post #84 of 130
8/17/09 at 4:16pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Abster2core View Post

Some of these are covered in other reviews. This was my second reference. Nobody else is doing it. Just thought I would.

It is going to take a day or so to get a good review done. It will be interesting to see some comparisons. My earlier bet is on TomTom, if for anything, the Kit is a must for me. Although my wife has suggested that I simply tape the iPhone, face-in, over my right ear; its the one that doesn't listen to her when she is telling me where to go.

No harm, I wasn't being a wise ass..... This time

I've actually been waiting for this app but I'm going to wait for some further reviews. iLounge should have one I would think, I've found them to be pretty good on the whole.
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post #85 of 130
8/17/09 at 5:02pm
[QUOTE=Abster2core;1466538]Could you test how well the GPS on Navigon works in airplane mode, i.e., disconnected from the data plan?

Travelling in Canada from the US or vice-versa, one could have an extensive roaming charge if it were necessary to be connected all the time for the GPS to work well. Obviously, certain features would not be available, but could be periodically turned on as needed.

Thanking you in advance.

Abster2Core
At the risk of re-posting - because I cannot get Navigon to work at all in airplane mode, but that may be because all the radios are tuned off, but I cant get it to gps lock even if the WiFi part is turned back on, now to add to the confusion....
I have a 3GS, & Navigon works fine (regular 3G enabled). One of my older phones a 16GB 3G, has no data (E or 3G) connection (it has a blank?) sim - that I just use for movies, skype and such. The Navigon will NOT EVER get a gps signal, even though the google maps app works just fine (with WiFi coverage of course)

I had a Genius look into this - after much persuasion cos they don't fix 'APPS' and he felt my iPhone was fine, but said the felt that the GPS chip always required data network to be available.

So beware before you buy either Navigon or TomTom -

This for some reason is too difficult a concept for either supplier to come clean on their website. Remember Navigons 'fix' for poor GPS is to reformat the memory within your iPhone (see the FAQ)

If someone could honestly answer that either APP worked even with data turned off I would be grateful
USA based, I travel to Europe quite a bit. People think these APPS are expensive, wait until you travel overseas and pay for ROAMING data rates (even pre-paid with ATT, still racks up the $$$)


Good luck
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post #86 of 130
8/17/09 at 5:21pm
I just bought it, used it, and loved it. Worked flawlessly for me. I set it on a grip pad that I have on my dash and it worked fine.

Did anyone else notice that in the last photo (with the person using the tomtom car kit) the car has a built in nav? Haha.
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post #87 of 130
8/17/09 at 5:53pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Abster2core View Post

Could you test how well the GPS on Navigon works in airplane mode, i.e., disconnected from the data plan?

Travelling in Canada from the US or vice-versa, one could have an extensive roaming charge if it were necessary to be connected all the time for the GPS to work well. Obviously, certain features would not be available, but could be periodically turned on as needed.

Thanking you in advance.

It worked perfectly well in airplane mode, just used it that way from NYC to Bennington VT (well most of the way, when my battery started to drain and my adapter wasn't working) and back last week. I have a 3GS, which I think makes a difference (at least the built in compass does). Navigon software is top notch and looks much better than the screen shots I've seen of the Tom Tom, I never much cared for Tom Tom software, but that was compared to similar Garmin units. The lane assist that the Navigon has made it the best navigation I've used hands down (thats compared to two Garmins [655,265WT] 2 Eclipse HU, and 1 Tom Tom).
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post #88 of 130
8/17/09 at 6:18pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tulkas View Post

There are a lot of things you shouldn't be doing while driving. At least with talking on the phone, if it is hands-free it is still legal in most jurisdictions (though I am aware of studies that say it is no less dangerous than hands-on).

I think you are right. There should be an option to disable calls or send them straight to voice mail, perhaps with an audible beep that a call came in but no visual notification. This would also apply to SMS and other Push Notifications, as they require you to look down and dismiss the message. This would be akin to turning off you phone when you get in the car. I don't know many/any people that do this as a matter of course.

Quote:
Originally Posted by mstone View Post

Sounds like a great idea to me as well, unfortunately, most jurisdictions that have laws regarding cell phone usage while driving allow them with hands free functionality. But many people disregard that stipulation at least here in California. The iPhone has really too small of a screen to be very useful as an on dash GPS device anyway. Squinting and studying the small text is likely to be more dangerous than talking on the phone.

Quote:
Originally Posted by steviet02 View Post

Considering every built in Nav or hands free options in stand alone navs don't do that why would that be the option you reached for with the iPhone? The fact that the iPhone doesn't handle this in a hands off way actually makes this more dangerous than other options.

It's been shown that talking on a phone when driving, either holding it or not, is at least as dangerous as drinking while legally drunk.

I've said this years ago, but no one believed it.

There should be something that prevents talking on a phone while the car is moving. Period. I was almost hit a couple of times by people talking on their phones while driving.

Its amazing that something that we could never do at all, has become so important to some people, that they have to do it even though it's rarely important.
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post #89 of 130
8/17/09 at 6:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Footloose301 View Post

It's not illegal here in SWFL.

I text all the time while driving, it's not a good idea but it's a habit.

Fun fact: A car and driver mag that I have at the house claims that texting while driving is actually nearly 3 times worse than drunk driving. They measured reaction times and found it to be 3 times longer to react to something when texting over drunk driving.

I have not yet tried to be in a call and use the Tomtom as the main app yet. I will try later when I have a chance to do so.

So, you know that you're doing something really stupid, and could put other people's lives in danger, but you not only continue to do it, but are proud of it?

Amazing!
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post #90 of 130
8/17/09 at 6:30pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by melgross View Post

So, you know that you're doing something really stupid, and could put other people's lives in danger, but you not only continue to do it, but are proud of it?

Amazing!

Proud of it? Where did you read ANYTHING like that?

I said it was a habit. Similar to those who smoke...

I'm a person who responds to each text, I answer every phone call, I return every voicemail, and I'm always early and prepared for work. Thats just how I am. I don't leave a stone unturned.

As far as putting others in danger.... I feel that it's no more dangerous than the people here in FL over the age of 60, or those who believe a turn signal is optional. However, contrary to popular belief texting is 3 times more dangerous than drunk driving; as I have stated in a previous post.
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post #91 of 130
8/17/09 at 6:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Footloose301 View Post

Proud of it? Where did you read ANYTHING like that?

I said it was a habit. Similar to those who smoke...

I'm a person who responds to each text, I answer every phone call, I return every voicemail, and I'm always early and prepared for work. Thats just how I am. I don't leave a stone unturned.

As far as putting others in danger.... I feel that it's no more dangerous than the people here in FL over the age of 60, or those who believe a turn signal is optional. However, contrary to popular belief texting is 3 times more dangerous than drunk driving; as I have stated in a previous post.

When someone puts something down as a "fun fact" even though it's about something dangerous, it usually means that the person doesn't value the information.

No one HAS to answer every call, e-mail, text, or whatever, when driving. In fact, they shouldn't answer any of them. If you're that anal, perhaps you should try not to be.

The fact that YOU feel that way doesn't matter. Its been shown to be very dangerous.

I don't get the point of why other drivers who might have problems should affect your doing the right thing.

You feel that two drivers both driving below their level of competence are safer than one? Or none?

So if all drivers were on the phone or texting you think that would be fine?
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post #92 of 130
8/17/09 at 7:12pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by melgross View Post

When someone puts something down as a "fun fact" even though it's about something dangerous, it usually means that the person doesn't value the information.

No one HAS to answer every call, e-mail, text, or whatever, when driving. In fact, they shouldn't answer any of them. If you're that anal, perhaps you should try not to be.

The fact that YOU feel that way doesn't matter. Its been shown to be very dangerous.

I don't get the point of why other drivers who might have problems should affect your doing the right thing.

You feel that two drivers both driving below their level of competence are safer than one? Or none?

So if all drivers were on the phone or texting you think that would be fine?

I don't think you're grasping my point entirely. It's merely a habit, thus hard to break. Unfortunately, there isn't a patch for it and in my line of work as a technician I MUST answer each phone call on my Sprint (Symbol PDA) device for work, otherwise we get into a lot of trouble. We don't live in a perfect world.

Heck NO! Not everyone should be on the phone or texting. Some have a hard enough time driving properly as it is. Not everyone is created equal. Some are natural athletes; I happen to have better than average vision and a great multi tasking ability. I know that sounds like complete BS and I don't expect you to believe that, but thats how I feel. You can't expect everybody to on the same level when it comes to doing things while they're driving.
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post #93 of 130
8/17/09 at 7:19pm
Given that TomTom was probably one of the more anticipated GPS apps the $99 price point is a dissapointment given most folks probably were also intrested in the mount.

navigon is $69 on sale until 8/31 (unknown how map updates will work)
iGo My Way is $80 (free map updates until 2010)
CoPilot is $35

For the folks bad mouthing CoPilot here's a review:

"So is it worth the £26? Definitely. Co-Pilot is so far the best sat-nav app we've seen for the iPhone. If you've not already got a navigation app or a standalone device it's an absolute snip (though the in-built GPS chip is not the finest for walking or cycling). But, of course, the real question is whether the TomTom app is worth twice the cost. We'll bring you the skinny on that as soon as we can."

http://www.techradar.com/news/portab...6826?artc_pg=2

"The marker has been laid down for TomTom and for the life of me I cannot see how it can compete. IQ Routes is an advantage, but how does it attack an opponent who makes a solution so complete at a price point which is unfathomable.

Co-Pilot Live 8 is ‘spectacularly’ good and it still would be if it cost £60 for the UK version. At £25.99 for the UK version and £59.99 for Europe it is hard to comprehend the value buried in this application. It is the very best satellite navigation solution available on the iPhone at this time, and I suspect it will be in 6 months time as well."

http://www.pda-247.com/wordpress/200...iphone-review/

"ALK has jumped into the iPhone navigation sector with a bang, and priced its Co-Pilot Live 8 solution very aggressively. You could be mistaken for thinking that £25.99 for the UK version is a printing error, but it is indeed completely real and this will put some serious pressure on the competition.
The danger is that customers who have not heard of Co-Pilot may expect a budget solution, but they would be a long way from the facts with such an assumption.

There is nothing budget minded about the iPhone version of Co-Pilot and indeed it offers an experience which equals, if not betters, versions on other platforms.

...

The number of features included in Co-Pilot is impressive and it would take us too long to list them all here. With Live Services, a variety of modes such as walking, driving and cycling, POIs and many, many more it is hard to see where ALK has cut down the iPhone offering. In fact, it has not been cut down at all and is a fully fledged navigation tool which includes most of what users will need.

The initial pricing takes Co-Pilot to a new level for value and the ball is now in its competitor’s courts as to how to react. Simply superb."

http://www.gpsdaily.co.uk/reviews/re...ve-for-iphone/

Mostly UK reviews because the US version lagged a bit.

Personally, I'm going to get the CoPilot since $35 is a low risk purchase. Heck, it's cheaper than a lot of map updates.

I'll decide later if I'm going to get the TomTom package or an updated standalone and hope for a sale or something because frankly there are still a number of annoyances vs a dedicated GPS. It's not a $180 value to me vs a dedicated GPS + iPhone and CoPilot.

The problem is that it really isn't "one device". It's my phone plus the mount to be really useful (iPhone speaker a little too wimpy IMHO). That's still TWO devices. When you can dock your iPhone directly into your car as a nav system...THEN it's one device.
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post #94 of 130
8/17/09 at 7:25pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Footloose301 View Post

I don't think you're grasping my point entirely. It's merely a habit, thus hard to break. Unfortunately, there isn't a patch for it and in my line of work as a technician I MUST answer each phone call on my Sprint (Symbol PDA) device for work, otherwise we get into a lot of trouble. We don't live in a perfect world.

I hope your employer has some deep pockets when you eventually slip up.

Life is too short to drink bad coffee.

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post #95 of 130
8/17/09 at 7:27pm
The speaker is lacking quite a bit, making the cradle something I'm going to be mulling over for a bit. Other that the speaker phone bit, the App works great IMHO. It works much better than my TomTom OneXL. Much faster, slick graphics, and has some of the better features like posting the speed limit of the road you're currently traveling.

Another one of my pet peeves is the time accuracy with respect to the time shown at the top of your iPhone. For example; I set up an address this morning at like 8:15am(iPhone time) and the destination was said to be 19 minutes away(according to TomTom), and it gave me an arrival time of 8:37(according to TomTom). If my math is correct, and it always is..... that is 22 minutes. So, in my conclusion I believe the TomTom app may be running its own hidden clock that is a couple minutes off of the iPhone's clock.
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post #96 of 130
8/17/09 at 7:31pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mstone View Post

I hope your employer has some deep pockets when you eventually slip up.

Are you a mother?

Some things are not inevitable.

Too many people see the negative in everything. Contrary to popular belief, not all motorcyclists on crotch rockets are going to kill themselves, or even get into an accident for that matter.

....and NO, I don't drive a motorcycle.
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post #97 of 130
8/17/09 at 7:31pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Footloose301 View Post

Another one of my pet peeves is the time accuracy with respect to the time shown at the top of your iPhone. For example; I set up an address this morning at like 8:15am(iPhone time) and the destination was said to be 19 minutes away(according to TomTom), and it gave me an arrival time of 8:37(according to TomTom). If my math is correct, and it always is..... that is 22 minutes. So, in my conclusion I believe the TomTom app may be running its own hidden clock that is a couple minutes off of the iPhone's clock.

Maybe it's using the time from the GPS signal rather than from the iPhone.
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post #98 of 130
8/17/09 at 8:06pm
I took a driving course in high school some 20 years ago. Our driving instructor asked us statistically what percentage of drivers have an auto accident. 50% - 75% we guessed.

100% answered our instructor. Whether it's your fault or not it is inevitable.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Footloose301 View Post

Are you a mother?

Some things are not inevitable.

Too many people see the negative in everything. Contrary to popular belief, not all motorcyclists on crotch rockets are going to kill themselves, or even get into an accident for that matter.

....and NO, I don't drive a motorcycle.
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post #99 of 130
8/17/09 at 8:20pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Judgegavel View Post

It worked perfectly well in airplane mode, just used it that way from NYC to Bennington VT (well most of the way, when my battery started to drain and my adapter wasn't working) and back last week. I have a 3GS, which I think makes a difference (at least the built in compass does). Navigon software is top notch and looks much better than the screen shots I've seen of the Tom Tom, I never much cared for Tom Tom software, but that was compared to similar Garmin units. The lane assist that the Navigon has made it the best navigation I've used hands down (thats compared to two Garmins [655,265WT] 2 Eclipse HU, and 1 Tom Tom).

Are you quite certain airplane mode was on???
This adds much to the confusion, Navigon WILL NOT work for me in Airplane mode, what doesn't help the cause, from apples own web site at
http://www.apple.com/iphone/how-to/#....airplane-mode


...
Airplane Mode
Airplane mode disables the wireless features of iPhone to avoid interfering with aircraft operation and other electrical equipment.

Turn on airplane mode:
Tap Settings and turn airplane mode on.

When airplane mode is on, appears in the status bar at the top of the screen. No phone, radio, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth signals are emitted from iPhone and GPS reception is turned off, disabling many of iPhones features. You wont be able to:
...
so GPS is apparently turned OFF
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post #100 of 130
8/17/09 at 8:30pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Footloose301 View Post

It's not illegal here in SWFL.

I text all the time while driving, it's not a good idea but it's a habit.

Fun fact: A car and driver mag that I have at the house claims that texting while driving is actually nearly 3 times worse than drunk driving. They measured reaction times and found it to be 3 times longer to react to something when texting over drunk driving.

I have not yet tried to be in a call and use the Tomtom as the main app yet. I will try later when I have a chance to do so.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8I54mlK0kVw

Sign in required, a drivers ed film on the dangers of texting while driving.

Graphic content.

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"The cobbler's children have no shoes", is a saying that applies a lot to companies who provide products and services. -KDarling on Google Search.

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post #101 of 130
8/17/09 at 8:45pm
HERE'S your $99.
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post #102 of 130
8/17/09 at 9:08pm
Until we can determine if the GPS on the iphone requires internet connection, would those using a GPS app post their Data Usage using the app over a given period, e.g., half hour, hour, etc.?

Suggest including the name of the app. Not sure if there is any difference if the iPhone is on 3G or Edge.

Thank you.
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post #103 of 130
8/17/09 at 9:16pm
The iPhone uses assisted GPS, yes it does require a wireless data connection.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Abster2core View Post

Until we can determine if the GPS on the iphone requires internet connection, would those using a GPS app post their Data Usage using the app over a given period, e.g., half hour, hour, etc.?

Suggest including the name of the app. Not sure if there is any difference if the iPhone is on 3G or Edge.

Thank you.
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post #104 of 130
8/17/09 at 10:06pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by TenoBell View Post

The iPhone uses assisted GPS, yes it does require a wireless data connection.

But does the iPhone need to use assisted GPS? Or can it work directly off of the satellites without the internet?
What goes online stays online. What is online will become public.
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What goes online stays online. What is online will become public.
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post #105 of 130
8/17/09 at 10:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Footloose301 View Post

I don't think you're grasping my point entirely. It's merely a habit, thus hard to break. Unfortunately, there isn't a patch for it and in my line of work as a technician I MUST answer each phone call on my Sprint (Symbol PDA) device for work, otherwise we get into a lot of trouble. We don't live in a perfect world.

Heck NO! Not everyone should be on the phone or texting. Some have a hard enough time driving properly as it is. Not everyone is created equal. Some are natural athletes; I happen to have better than average vision and a great multi tasking ability. I know that sounds like complete BS and I don't expect you to believe that, but thats how I feel. You can't expect everybody to on the same level when it comes to doing things while they're driving.

Well, I wish you, and everyone around you, a lot of good fortune.
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post #106 of 130
8/18/09 at 2:30am
Quote:
Originally Posted by TenoBell View Post

I took a driving course in high school some 20 years ago. Our driving instructor asked us statistically what percentage of drivers have an auto accident. 50% - 75% we guessed.

100% answered our instructor. Whether it's your fault or not it is inevitable.

Good for him, but I'm sure you know people yourself, just as I do that are well into their 80's who haven't had an accident.
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post #107 of 130
8/18/09 at 4:21am
Quote:
Originally Posted by TenoBell View Post

The iPhone uses assisted GPS, yes it does require a wireless data connection.

If so, how much data is the iPhone drawing when using one of the new GPS apps, e.g., TomTom, MobileNavigator, CoPilot Live, Sygic Mobile Maps, or AT&T Navigator?

Obviously, AT&T Navigator will draw more, but it would still be interesting to see how much.

It would also be of interesr to measure the data usage using the iPhone Maps' app. The only problem is that it would have to be repeatedly poked to keep it activated for an extended period of time to get a relatively accurate reading.
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post #108 of 130
8/18/09 at 4:32am
Maps app exchanges approx. 400 KB of data while displaying current location.

We mean Apple no harm.

People are lovers, basically. -- Engadget livebloggers at the iPad mini event.

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We mean Apple no harm.

People are lovers, basically. -- Engadget livebloggers at the iPad mini event.

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post #109 of 130
8/18/09 at 6:00am
Quote:
Originally Posted by TenoBell View Post

The iPhone uses assisted GPS, yes it does require a wireless data connection.

Uses != requires.
It may require, but it is poor logic to say it requires it because it can use it. What are the specs of A-GPS? Are you sure that the specs state that a A-GPS unit will be completely non-functional without a live data connection? Would seem to be a poor spec if a function that is meant to enhance its performance is required for it to perform at all.

"My 8th grade math teacher once said: "You can't help it if you're dumb, you are born that way. But stupid is self inflicted."" -Hiro. Sometimes it's both.

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"My 8th grade math teacher once said: "You can't help it if you're dumb, you are born that way. But stupid is self inflicted."" -Hiro. Sometimes it's both.

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post #110 of 130
8/18/09 at 6:35am
Are you saying you've never been in an auto accident?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Footloose301 View Post

Good for him, but I'm sure you know people yourself, just as I do that are well into their 80's who haven't had an accident.
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post #111 of 130
8/18/09 at 6:37am
I don't know.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Abster2core View Post

If so, how much data is the iPhone drawing when using one of the new GPS apps, e.g., TomTom, MobileNavigator, CoPilot Live, Sygic Mobile Maps, or AT&T Navigator?
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post #112 of 130
8/18/09 at 6:42am
You can easily look up how a-gps works, there is lots of information about it.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Tulkas View Post

Uses != requires.
It may require, but it is poor logic to say it requires it because it can use it. What are the specs of A-GPS? Are you sure that the specs state that a A-GPS unit will be completely non-functional without a live data connection? Would seem to be a poor spec if a function that is meant to enhance its performance is required for it to perform at all.
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post #113 of 130
8/18/09 at 8:25am
Quote:
Originally Posted by TenoBell View Post

You can easily look up how a-gps works, there is lots of information about it.

You are right, if the iPhone uses only A-GSP, then it will require data, as the A-GPS spec does not function at all without data. But, the iPhone has both standard GPS and A-GPS.

Any tests done with GPS by enabling Airplane mode are not valid and will fail, as Apple's docs state that GPS reception will be disabled. A better test would be to disable wifi, pull your SIM and test it out. The maps app will not show any graphics, unless you have your current location cached from your last launch of the app. I just tried it and it pin pointed me, though it took longer, as expected without the data assist.

"My 8th grade math teacher once said: "You can't help it if you're dumb, you are born that way. But stupid is self inflicted."" -Hiro. Sometimes it's both.

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"My 8th grade math teacher once said: "You can't help it if you're dumb, you are born that way. But stupid is self inflicted."" -Hiro. Sometimes it's both.

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post #114 of 130
8/18/09 at 10:03am
Quote:
Originally Posted by TenoBell View Post

Are you saying you've never been in an auto accident?

That's correct.

Anyways we're going off on tangents here and I'm sure people would like to get back on topic.
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post #115 of 130
8/18/09 at 1:16pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Footloose301 View Post

Good for him, but I'm sure you know people yourself, just as I do that are well into their 80's who haven't had an accident.

Sure, maybe one in a hundred. The 100% is usually given. It's certainly close enough.
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post #116 of 130
8/18/09 at 1:31pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by vinea View Post

Given that TomTom was probably one of the more anticipated GPS apps the $99 price point is a dissapointment given most folks probably were also intrested in the mount.

navigon is $69 on sale until 8/31 (unknown how map updates will work)
iGo My Way is $80 (free map updates until 2010)
CoPilot is $35

For the folks bad mouthing CoPilot here's a review:

"So is it worth the £26? Definitely. Co-Pilot is so far the best sat-nav app we've seen for the iPhone. If you've not already got a navigation app or a standalone device it's an absolute snip (though the in-built GPS chip is not the finest for walking or cycling). But, of course, the real question is whether the TomTom app is worth twice the cost. We'll bring you the skinny on that as soon as we can."

http://www.techradar.com/news/portab...6826?artc_pg=2

"The marker has been laid down for TomTom and for the life of me I cannot see how it can compete. IQ Routes is an advantage, but how does it attack an opponent who makes a solution so complete at a price point which is unfathomable.

Co-Pilot Live 8 is ‘spectacularly’ good and it still would be if it cost £60 for the UK version. At £25.99 for the UK version and £59.99 for Europe it is hard to comprehend the value buried in this application. It is the very best satellite navigation solution available on the iPhone at this time, and I suspect it will be in 6 months time as well."

http://www.pda-247.com/wordpress/200...iphone-review/

"ALK has jumped into the iPhone navigation sector with a bang, and priced its Co-Pilot Live 8 solution very aggressively. You could be mistaken for thinking that £25.99 for the UK version is a printing error, but it is indeed completely real and this will put some serious pressure on the competition.
The danger is that customers who have not heard of Co-Pilot may expect a budget solution, but they would be a long way from the facts with such an assumption.

There is nothing budget minded about the iPhone version of Co-Pilot and indeed it offers an experience which equals, if not betters, versions on other platforms.

...

The number of features included in Co-Pilot is impressive and it would take us too long to list them all here. With Live Services, a variety of modes such as walking, driving and cycling, POIs and many, many more it is hard to see where ALK has cut down the iPhone offering. In fact, it has not been cut down at all and is a fully fledged navigation tool which includes most of what users will need.

The initial pricing takes Co-Pilot to a new level for value and the ball is now in its competitor’s courts as to how to react. Simply superb."

http://www.gpsdaily.co.uk/reviews/re...ve-for-iphone/

Mostly UK reviews because the US version lagged a bit.

Personally, I'm going to get the CoPilot since $35 is a low risk purchase. Heck, it's cheaper than a lot of map updates.

I'll decide later if I'm going to get the TomTom package or an updated standalone and hope for a sale or something because frankly there are still a number of annoyances vs a dedicated GPS. It's not a $180 value to me vs a dedicated GPS + iPhone and CoPilot.

The problem is that it really isn't "one device". It's my phone plus the mount to be really useful (iPhone speaker a little too wimpy IMHO). That's still TWO devices. When you can dock your iPhone directly into your car as a nav system...THEN it's one device.

Not a GPS expert by any means, but from reading through the thread it seems clear that the big differentiator is quality and timeliness of the maps.

No matter how feature rich CoPilot may be, if it doesn't have up to date maps (as has been asserted) then it isn't as good as GPS software that does. It seems to me that quality of maps should be the very first thing evaluated in any review, since nothing else can make up for falling down here.

Moreover, without knowing how often maps are updated, or at what cost, it's really hard to evaluate relative worth. As has been mentioned, the price of GPS software is surely somewhat contingent on what developer is willing to spend to keep things up-to-date and accurate, which I would imagine to be a not insignificant cost.

As I say, I don't know much about it, but in the excerpts you quoted there doesn't seem to be any mention of maps at all.
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post #117 of 130
8/18/09 at 2:41pm
What I do wonder about the maps is whether any of these companies, other that AT&T, which I have to think is doing it automatically, is giving a "free" map update for any set period after the program is bought, or whether the maps are the same for a year, anf you have to buy new ones then, or even sooner.

That could be why AT&T's $9.95 monthly fee may not be much more expensive over time.

If CoPilot's maps are already out of date, then it's easy to see why their program is so cheap - they're not paying for updated maps right now, which are expensive to license. How much will they charge when new(er) ones do come out, and will they also be older, or new?

From what I've been reading, Tom Tom's maps are the latest. But what will they charge?

And what happens as routes are added and deleted from our road system? Will the once a year, or even 6 months, maps be good enough for those areas?

I remember when my wife and I used to go down to Florida every year to visit my parents and go to Disney World, the maps were always out of date. Badly too. Often, where the map showed the next turn, it was actually one or more turns later because of all the new roads.

How does a GPS system that doesn't have continually updated maps deal with this in these areas of the country?
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post #118 of 130
8/18/09 at 3:01pm
Here is a recent review of Co-Pilot. http://www.techradar.com/news/portab...-review-626826

And an update on Navigon http://www.techradar.com/news/portab...sat-nav-623238

My take; I'll wait for more comprehensive review and hopefully a full comparison before making a decision.

If TomTom's car kit can run without a data connection, it would certainly reduce need for roaming while out of the country.
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post #119 of 130
8/18/09 at 4:34pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Abster2core View Post

Here is a recent review of Co-Pilot. http://www.techradar.com/news/portab...-review-626826

And an update on Navigon http://www.techradar.com/news/portab...sat-nav-623238

My take; I'll wait for more comprehensive review and hopefully a full comparison before making a decision.

If TomTom's car kit can run without a data connection, it would certainly reduce need for roaming while out of the country.

Again, neither of those reviews have anything to say about the quality of the maps or how often or at what cost updates would be offered.

Does anyone know if there are, say, a couple of big electronic mapping/atlas operations that sell licenses to GPS companies? Do any of the GPS folks do that in-house? If we knew that everyone was licensing their maps from the same few companies, at least roughly what the unit cost to OEMs was, and how often updates are issued, we could get a bead on what the real value proposition here was. Or it would be helpful to know if one or more GPS companies did their own maps, how reliable, etc.
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post #120 of 130
8/18/09 at 9:40pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by addabox View Post

Not a GPS expert by any means, but from reading through the thread it seems clear that the big differentiator is quality and timeliness of the maps.

No matter how feature rich CoPilot may be, if it doesn't have up to date maps (as has been asserted) then it isn't as good as GPS software that does. It seems to me that quality of maps should be the very first thing evaluated in any review, since nothing else can make up for falling down here.

Moreover, without knowing how often maps are updated, or at what cost, it's really hard to evaluate relative worth. As has been mentioned, the price of GPS software is surely somewhat contingent on what developer is willing to spend to keep things up-to-date and accurate, which I would imagine to be a not insignificant cost.

As I say, I don't know much about it, but in the excerpts you quoted there doesn't seem to be any mention of maps at all.

CoPilot uses Navteq and TeleAtlas.

http://investor.navteq.com/media/Cas...ited_Fleet.pdf

http://www.teleatlas.com/WhyTeleAtla...es/TA_CT031098

TeleAtlas is a wholly owned subsidiary of...TomTom.

Navteq is a wholly owned subsidiary of Nokia.

CoPilot used to use Travroute maps which were really out of date for some areas.

CoPilot used Navteq maps in CoPilot 7:

"CoPilot Live 7 incorporates the latest street maps of US and millions of Points of Interest from NAVTEQ, a world leader in premium-quality digital map data. NAVTEQ maps are used by the majority of in-dash systems, and have a reputation of being the most accurate available.

Hundreds of NAVTEQ field researchers literally drive the roads of the US to collect and verify data for the road network. The POI information endures an equally rigorous analysis and validation."

http://www.handnav.co.uk/product_details.php?id=223

Am I claiming that CoPilot is great? Nope.

I am claiming that TomTom is overpriced at $99. I'm dithering over Navigon or CoPilot at the moment. Unless the TomTom goes on sale before 8/31 I'm inclined to skip it and do the CoPilot + standalone GPS or Navigon + FM iPhone base.
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