Smartphone GPS options

[Shadly1]

I picked up one of those new-fangled smartphones with GPS. I currently use Google Maps for Mobile mostly because it's free. It's a pretty lousy navigator though. It only tells you where you are, not turn-by-turn directions like standalone GPS units do. I'd like to pick up a mobile navigator product but I'm not sure which one to buy. Tomtom Mobile is apparently the best one for street use but I'm not always on the street. Does anybody have any experience with mobile nav software? Do any of them on the market right now handle trails or breadcrumb at least?

[FishPOET]

I don't believe there is a unit made with turn by turn on the trails we run. About the best you can hope for is to go from point to point or follow a pre-loaded route.

I have used a GPS Map60 for a few years and I am happy with the performance.

[Shadly1]

I know Tomtom lists the bigger truck trails. I guess it's better than nothing. I just wish that Tomtom software was cheaper. There's this program I've been playing with called Google Navigator. It doesn't appear to be an official Google product but it uses Google maps and satellite views. Very cool but all those satellite views are tapping all the RAM on my Mogul! It would probably work better on a Touch.

[nwoods]

I have an iPhone, and it Rocks! (sorry, couldn't help it).
It is pretty tightly integrated with GoogleMaps, but it adds triangluation, so it figures out where you are within a pretty good radius, usually within a block or two (depends on your signal strength and number/direction of cell towers around you).

Once you know where you are, you click the Directions button and you have a choice of text turn by turn directions, or graphically on the screen. It also shows you relative traffic speed. It does not handle detours or rerouting, but other than that, it's pretty good, and makes a great phone even more useful.

Go here and click on the little video at the bottom titled "Brilliant" http://www.apple.com/iphone/

[Materdaddy]

I have an iPhone, and it Rocks! (sorry, couldn't help it).
It is pretty tightly integrated with GoogleMaps, but it adds triangluation, so it figures out where you are within a pretty good radius, usually within a block or two (depends on your signal strength and number/direction of cell towers around you).

Once you know where you are, you click the Directions button and you have a choice of text turn by turn directions, or graphically on the screen. It also shows you relative traffic speed. It does not handle detours or rerouting, but other than that, it's pretty good, and makes a great phone even more useful.

Go here and click on the little video at the bottom titled "Brilliant" http://www.apple.com/iphone/

I agree, for not actually having GPS, the iPhone does a damn good job of (a) finding where I am (b) giving directions, (c) giving traffic! (YES, the iPhone has google maps' traffic updates!).

As for an actual GPS device, you're probably going to be best of buying an actual GPS device, rather than hoping your phone will do bread crumbs like you suggested.

[Shadly1]

I have an iPhone, and it Rocks! (sorry, couldn't help it).
It is pretty tightly integrated with GoogleMaps, but it adds triangluation, so it figures out where you are within a pretty good radius, usually within a block or two (depends on your signal strength and number/direction of cell towers around you).

Once you know where you are, you click the Directions button and you have a choice of text turn by turn directions, or graphically on the screen. It also shows you relative traffic speed. It does not handle detours or rerouting, but other than that, it's pretty good, and makes a great phone even more useful.

Go here and click on the little video at the bottom titled "Brilliant" http://www.apple.com/iphone/

I have that too, fanboy, but I want more. I want "Mandy" to seductively tell me "RIGHT TURN IN 1 MILE. GET ON MOTORWAY." That's hot.

PS: I have a tactile feedback qwerty keyboard, a 3G network and a replaceable battery. NEENER-NEENER-NEENER

[Materdaddy]

PS: I have a tactile feedback qwerty keyboard, a 3G network and a replaceable battery. NEENER-NEENER-NEENER

Tactile feedback qwerty keyboard? First off, who cares? (hint: not me)... Secondly, how big is your hunk-o-junk? (unless of course, you speak of one of those joke of a qwerty keyboards that you have to hit with the very tip of your finger and type slow as hell on anyways).

3g? Does your phone have wifi for the 95% of the time you're at home or work and want reliability (and REAL speed)? Does it actually view web pages, or is your 3g speed wasted on downloading "ringtones" so you can out-"bling" the next loser.

Replaceable battery? Who cares... my battery works fine for me, and by the time it's done, I'll probably be ready for a new phone anyways... Don't you just love our disposable society?

</fanboy>

I am now in stage 5 of iWorship:

• I passed iDenial where I didn't think I needed an iPhone.
• Next was iAnger, which I quickly passed (like your post trying to "out-do" an iPhone).
• Next was iBargaining where I thought if I had a phone that did 3g and a touch screen, I could trick myself into thinking it was good enough.
• I was briefly in a state of iDepression where I didn't think I would make it another day without an iPhone, so...
• ...I bought one and here I am. iAcceptance

[nwoods]

I have that too, fanboy, but I want more. I want "Mandy" to seductively tell me "RIGHT TURN IN 1 MILE. GET ON MOTORWAY." That's hot.

PS: I have a tactile feedback qwerty keyboard, a 3G network and a replaceable battery. NEENER-NEENER-NEENER

LOL, oh many is that funny. Thanks for the good chuckle before bedtime!

[Shadly1]

You may drool and/or worship now.

When I don't pick up a local wi-fi signal, it uses Sprint's 3G network and I have an unlimited data plan. I live in a pretty populated area so it's very rare that I don't have some sort of rogue wi-fi network nearby if it isn't one of my networks. Of course, I do lack the letter "i" before every aspect of the phone. I guess you could consider that a downside.

[nwoods]

My wife has the Samsung i760 (I think?), and it's got an amazing keyboard and decent screen, but it's really hard to use as a phone! Anything that needs a stylus is not mobile friendly in my book.

[Shadly1]

My wife has the Samsung i760 (I think?), and it's got an amazing keyboard and decent screen, but it's really hard to use as a phone! Anything that needs a stylus is not mobile friendly in my book.

I hated that aspect of my phone. That stylus was stupid! I scoured the message boards for some programs to fix everything. I have something like 7 program hacks on my phone right now. I don't need the stylus for anything anymore and I've got a nice, big clock face on my screen too. All the buttons are nice and big except the keylock. I'm still working on that. I've got all sorts of game emulators too. I wish I could get a bigger SD card than 8GB.

I found a dash-mount charging cradle for GPS use. That GPS chews through the battery faster than the backlight does. I do have my doubts that it will stay put when I'm off-roading. I'll have to add a piece of velcro or something.

[Materdaddy]

eww, that thing is ugly!!! It probably has a "clunky" ui too. It's not winblows mobile is it?

Super eww, that is ugly as hell (no offense to you or your wife). Plus, I work with Samsung so I'm biased against buying their products.

[Shadly1]

eww, that thing is ugly!!! It probably has a "clunky" ui too. It's not winblows mobile is it?

Seriously? The UI is great for me after I modified it. I use Windows at work and at home. Why wouldn't I want it on my phone?


As opposed to a GPS enabled iphone?

[Materdaddy]

Seriously? The UI is great for me after I modified it. I use Windows at work and at home. Why wouldn't I want it on my phone?

Because it's unstable and insecure.

As for the GPS, did you not read my first post in this thread? I use a GPS for a GPS... the phone works great as it is. Not to mention that the second generation will have GPS and 3g integrated. Then what? All you iPhone haters (you're just in iDenial) won't have anything left to talk about.

Anyways, this thread has gotten way off topic, so I'm not coming back to this thread since I'm the cause.

Carry on...

[Shadly1]

Anyways, this thread has gotten way off topic, so I'm not coming back to this thread since I'm the cause.

Carry on...

Heh, troll...

J/K, the iphone is fun.