Comments on: Review – OnCourse Navigator 8

By: JakeRich

JakeRich — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 14:52:11 +0000

Neville, the Navigon 2210 is an all in one unit. It is not On Course Navigator 8, which is a software-only routing system for Windows Mobile devices. I’d suggest you contact Navigon for information.

By: Neville Franssen

Neville Franssen — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 16:17:15 +0000

I recently purchased a Navigon 2210 and would like to activate the Radar Detector feature. Cannot seem to see directions for this at the website recommended in your instructions. Please assist.

Thank you,

Neville Franssen

By: JakeRich

JakeRich — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 13:52:03 +0000

WVU#1Fan, that is correct. According to OCN, you need more than 64 Meg of RAM for the TTS option. GPS applications take up a LOT Of memory, and so do TTS apps, so they just don’t fit well in the 64Meg space.

I can vouch for PPCTechs’ upgrade for you. They returned my unit quickly and it’s worked perfectly. I really do like having 128 Meg of RAM. In fact, it’s become one of my criteria for any replacement device I would look at when my X51v has to be put out to pasture.

By: WVU #1 Fan

WVU #1 Fan — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 02:20:23 +0000

Jake,

Just wondering if you have to have the 128MB of RAM for the TTS option to work on the Axim x51v? Mine only has 64MB, does that mean I would have to upgrade for the TTS option to work? Either way, you did a great job as always on the article and testing, I always value your opinion, I think I am going to buy the program even if I can’t get the TTS module with it.

By: webbahboy

webbahboy — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 18:32:42 +0000

JakeRich, you are the MAN of GPS!
Terrific review!

By: JakeRich

JakeRich — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 02:15:57 +0000

Yep, the Garmin ties you to the receiver. That’s ok, but if you lose/kill the receiver, as you say, you have to get another or get Garmin to do some sort of magic to unlock it (assuming they would–I suspect they’d sell you a new one by simply not letting you unlock to use the software with anything. To do that would leave you with a marketable product–an unlocked version of the software).

It all comes about because of the database cost to the navigation developers–in non-Garmin cases (they own their own database) the database is usually slightly more than 50% of the cost of the product to the user, plus a start up fee to the vendor. So vendors have to sell a LOT of product to cover those costs. The protection schemes are attempts to reduce piracy and make some profit.

By: Pony99CA

Pony99CA — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 01:19:06 +0000

I use two GPS programs — CoPilot Live 6, which uses device activation, and Garmin Mobile XT, which locks to the GPS receiver itself. (I also have a third GPS PDA, but I don’t use it much any more because the sound died.)

The Garmin scheme works better for me than a memory card scheme. When I got my 8 GB MicroSD card, I was able to copy everything from my 2 GB card and it worked fine in on the new card.

Also, when I upgraded from my Motorola Q to the Q9m (still with the 2 GB card), I just put the card in the Q9m and it worked (although I think I lost my Home setting and Favorites), so I still have device portability.

The downside is that I’m tied to using that GPS receiever with the program, so if I break the receiver, I’ll probably have to get another Garmin receiver and/or get tech support to unlock the program. It also means that I can’t use my cool Head-Up Display GPS receiver with Garmin Mobile XT (which is one reason why I also use CoPilot Live).

Steve

By: JakeRich

JakeRich — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 21:42:20 +0000

If you have SDHC, they do have an 8GB option. It costs more (for the bigger card), but not that much more. No word on a 16Gb.

For my money, the card is a better solution that others have come up with–the idea of registering it using the internal ID of the software, the PDA and a generated unlock code, which is the other popular security system, means you can’t get it to run on another PDA until you unregister and reregister it for that PDA’s internal code. At least with OCN8 you just move the card you go.

By: Pony99CA

Pony99CA — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 21:01:27 +0000

I don’t know if I like this memory card system. As you say the security is tied to the card, it sounds like I can’t copy the software an 8 GB card to have the program and my music library on the same card. So they’re forcing me to choose between navigation and music.

Maybe they need an 8 GB (and soon, 16 GB) option.

Steve

By: JakeRich

JakeRich — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 03:21:17 +0000

For some reason the two links in the article didn’t post as links. Here they are:

OCN website: http://oncoursenavigator.com/

OCN8 Screenshots website: http://www.oncoursenavigator.com/ocn8_screen_video.aspx