Mobility Site - View Single Post - Pros and Cons of Major PPC GPS Systems from Users

Amamba · 07-03-07, 11:04 AM

Dell (what else :o) Axim X51v, OnCourse BT-359, iGuidance 3.01

Hardware:

Pros

Small, very portable - about the size of two matchboxes set end to end

Battery life OK, size considered (says 11 hrs IIRC, I've never used it that long)

Being just a receiver, doesn't lock you into any particular software, unlike standalone GPS units.

Cons

Will not work with MS Bluetooth stack, period. Works perfectly with Widcomm stack.

Takes sometimes up to 5 min to get GPS signal. Usially 1-2 min, never instant connection.

Was utterly useless on trip to Manhattan, would lose signal all the time. (Seem to be Manhattan specific issue)

Battery cover feels a bit flimsy.

Software - iGuidance 3.01

Pros

Very nice, accurate and timely voice prompt

Pretty accurate, although there're occasional hickups (this may be related to routing constraints that I select, though). Basically, very good in getting you from point A to point B.

Fast start

No memory related issues even with other programs running (this is why I chose it over TomTom)

Easy finger menu operation while en route

It shows next street on top of screen, and the road you're currently on at the bottom. Some other GPS units I looked at only showed the next road.

Cons

Expensive updates. The newly released v4 is more like v3.2, at $70+ it's a joke.

Getting a map to take you from one location that you're not currently at, to another (as opposed to starting at your current GPS location) takes a bit long, compared to Mapopolis or MapQuest - you have to find a start location, select it as start, then do a route. The response in this case is a bit sluggish, although bearable. (Making a route to some destination from your current GPS location is fast).

It shows side streets you're driving by, but roughly half are usually unindentified. The font size can't be changed easily. There's an unofficial manual on how to change the font size, but at smaller font it's harder to read. I wish it was smart enough to change the font size for smaller side streets automatically.

The 3D view is fairly useless, imho, as it shows much less detail. I am not a big fan of 3D view anyway, so I may be biased.

Favorites can't be organized in folders.

ABCDE keyboard layout instead of QUERTY.

The "Detour" feature is nice, however it's hidden in menu, and it doesn't let you specify custom detour distance (at least I didn't find how to do it).

It identifies ramps from one freeway to another way too late, imho. E.g. it's telling you to take a ramp from I275 onto M14. You'd be in right lane, passing M14 sign, yet the software still shows you on I275 (which is technically correct, but it should show both). This can get confusing when you're in a section where 2 or 3 freeways merge and you're not sure which lane you have to stay in. The voice prompt is good, but more visual guidance is needed in this case.

Basically, I'd say that the voice prompt and routing and memory requirements are strong sides, and the visual display is rather mediocre. I didn't have an opportunity to compare to anything other than now-defunct Mapopolis, though. Also, the X51 screen isn't too legible in bright sun, when it is glancing at screen distracts from driving, and I find myself using voice navigation most of the time anyway.

I would've still chosen iGuidance over TomTom, based on the complaints I read about TT's memory requirements.

07-03-07, 11:04 AM	#55 (permalink)
Amamba Aximsite Minor League Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 295 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	iGuidance 3.01 Dell (what else :o) Axim X51v, OnCourse BT-359, iGuidance 3.01 Hardware: Pros Small, very portable - about the size of two matchboxes set end to end Battery life OK, size considered (says 11 hrs IIRC, I've never used it that long) Being just a receiver, doesn't lock you into any particular software, unlike standalone GPS units. Cons Will not work with MS Bluetooth stack, period. Works perfectly with Widcomm stack. Takes sometimes up to 5 min to get GPS signal. Usially 1-2 min, never instant connection. Was utterly useless on trip to Manhattan, would lose signal all the time. (Seem to be Manhattan specific issue) Battery cover feels a bit flimsy. Software - iGuidance 3.01 Pros Very nice, accurate and timely voice prompt Pretty accurate, although there're occasional hickups (this may be related to routing constraints that I select, though). Basically, very good in getting you from point A to point B. Fast start No memory related issues even with other programs running (this is why I chose it over TomTom) Easy finger menu operation while en route It shows next street on top of screen, and the road you're currently on at the bottom. Some other GPS units I looked at only showed the next road. Cons Expensive updates. The newly released v4 is more like v3.2, at $70+ it's a joke. Getting a map to take you from one location that you're not currently at, to another (as opposed to starting at your current GPS location) takes a bit long, compared to Mapopolis or MapQuest - you have to find a start location, select it as start, then do a route. The response in this case is a bit sluggish, although bearable. (Making a route to some destination from your current GPS location is fast). It shows side streets you're driving by, but roughly half are usually unindentified. The font size can't be changed easily. There's an unofficial manual on how to change the font size, but at smaller font it's harder to read. I wish it was smart enough to change the font size for smaller side streets automatically. The 3D view is fairly useless, imho, as it shows much less detail. I am not a big fan of 3D view anyway, so I may be biased. Favorites can't be organized in folders. ABCDE keyboard layout instead of QUERTY. The "Detour" feature is nice, however it's hidden in menu, and it doesn't let you specify custom detour distance (at least I didn't find how to do it). It identifies ramps from one freeway to another way too late, imho. E.g. it's telling you to take a ramp from I275 onto M14. You'd be in right lane, passing M14 sign, yet the software still shows you on I275 (which is technically correct, but it should show both). This can get confusing when you're in a section where 2 or 3 freeways merge and you're not sure which lane you have to stay in. The voice prompt is good, but more visual guidance is needed in this case. Basically, I'd say that the voice prompt and routing and memory requirements are strong sides, and the visual display is rather mediocre. I didn't have an opportunity to compare to anything other than now-defunct Mapopolis, though. Also, the X51 screen isn't too legible in bright sun, when it is glancing at screen distracts from driving, and I find myself using voice navigation most of the time anyway. I would've still chosen iGuidance over TomTom, based on the complaints I read about TT's memory requirements.