I am a former Mapoplis user who is looking for a new GPS navigation software.
I was wondering if any x51v/x50v users have done a side by side comparison of iGuidance 3 (which I understand is going to be updated shortly to 3.1) and TomTom 6? From reading the reviews in the forum, they seem to be the favorites, but I did not find a lot of direct comparisons.
It appears that TomTom 6 is about $40 more than iGuidance. Is it worth the extra $$?
Basically if you want a pretty interface with a better GUI and more POI's, then go with TomTom. TomTom also has more options to customize the routing, and the interface, and more options of searching for POI's (around car, along route, and around the destination point).
If you want good voice guidance, then go with iGuidance. Main advantages with iGuidance include the ability to tell you which side of the road your destination is on - TomTom does not have that ability. And iGuidance can also speak out the freeway/highway number along with the direction - North, East, South, West. I find that highly useful personally. TomTom does not tell you either info, which can make it difficult to know which merger or freeway entrance to take without having to take your eyes off the road and having to look at the PDA screen.
Personally, I trust iGuidance over TomTom for actual driving (especially in unknown areas), and find TomTom useful for looking up POI's. But OCN6 has a version that has 12 million POI's, so I think that would be a better alternative.
TomTom has a snazzy GUI and many POIs, but I'd go with iGuidance.
The main reason is that TomTom's voice guidance, as mentioned above...... err..... sucks.
It often gives me inaccurate or unprecice directions. For example, it won't even tell you what the next thing is. After you complete a turn, it will just sit there. iGuidance will say "Turn right in 1000 feet" or something like that.
Even upon pushing the voice button, TomTom will only say "Proceed Straight". Totally helpful.
Also, iGuidance's map is newer, and better. iGuidance can also say some names, like route 22, and such. I find it to be much more precise and helpful.
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commercial driver pick up and delivery & over the road consumer: TomTom
TomTom, by far exceeds the demands for a individual dependant on uncluttered visual directions. Voices and all that might be real cool, but in most situations a quick glance at the screen is all you'll need using TomTom. Tho, TomTom does real well at giving you a heads up when exiting a ramp and telling you that you need to be in the left lane as you're making a right off exit. I dont wanna have to be dependent on some voice telling me where I need to be going..... I may have the radio on or I may be in the midst of a cell-phone call. Quick visual glances place me in a safe reliable position 99.9% of the time using TomTom.
When having to make quick decisions, TomTom's screen is by far the best. I find iguidance screen way too hard to focus on , with just a quick glance.
TomTom's newest maps have now included road changes that occured as late as fall of '06. I've never found myself lost in any city so far with just 8 months of use. I do tho, average 3,500 miles a week and travel all the lower 48. I take my work seriously, as the perils of hauling 53 feet of trailer does indeed require my information be accuate and quickly determined. In the past 8 months of GPS usage, iGuidance fails miserably. TomTom, hands down is the best tool a commercial driver has ever ownned.
I'm in consensus w/all the comments. I believe the new TomTom Teleatlas maps have more detail than the IGuidance NavTeq Maps. There are several times I've had to switch to TomTom to find an address or POI. I use Iguidance as my regular GPS.
I wanted to try out TomTom because there is one must have feature that IGuidance is lacking -- it does not show you a map of the entire route when you set the original destination -- this is the one feature that helps you make sure you are going in the right direction and reassures you about GPS routing. You can get a text list in IGuidance but its not the same as seeing the mapped route. I contacted IGuidance support about this feature and they said their developers were hesistent to include it because of memory requirements....
IGuidance is much better at voice & directions:
- Provides and says direction of freeway and exit number
- Indicates graphicaly w/arrows if you should follow a bend or take the fork
- Shows the next immediate turn
- Has BOTH current and Next street's
That last one is a petpeeve w/TomTom I have -- it doesn't show the current street you are on. If you exit to the menu screen, it will show you the street though.
I'm in consensus w/all the comments. I believe the new TomTom Teleatlas maps have more detail than the IGuidance NavTeq Maps. There are several times I've had to switch to TomTom to find an address or POI. I use Iguidance as my regular GPS.
I wanted to try out TomTom because there is one must have feature that IGuidance is lacking -- it does not show you a map of the entire route when you set the original destination -- this is the one feature that helps you make sure you are going in the right direction and reassures you about GPS routing. You can get a text list in IGuidance but its not the same as seeing the mapped route. I contacted IGuidance support about this feature and they said their developers were hesistent to include it because of memory requirements....
IGuidance is much better at voice & directions:
- Provides and says direction of freeway and exit number
- Indicates graphicaly w/arrows if you should follow a bend or take the fork
- Shows the next immediate turn
- Has BOTH current and Next street's
That last one is a petpeeve w/TomTom I have -- it doesn't show the current street you are on. If you exit to the menu screen, it will show you the street though.
Hope that helps
I cannot dispute what you said as these are very subjective. And unless a prof tested out all the regions, it would be difficult to quantify.
But I can say for sure one thing iG prevails big time- it has a 2nd lic for your laptop/subnotebook. You can program your route on your laptop and transfer the favorite (waypoint in Garminspeak) to your pda.
This one is big plus when your wife (or other family members want to have an occasional out-of-state trip).
A subnotebook of 12" is really cool for gps use in a car.
The next version of iGuidance will have Text-to-Speech. Hopefully they'll implement the ability to add customized POI's and have a Speed Camera/Red Light warning system with customizable database.
If they do all of that, they'll have the competition beat for me. I care less about eye candy and more about functionality and safe driving in unknown areas. I don't want to have to take my eyes off the road to look at the screen to know where I'm supposed to go.
Oh, and they should do what OCN6 has done - sell two versions, one with basic POI, and one with a large POI database.
The next version of iGuidance will have Text-to-Speech. Hopefully they'll implement the ability to add customized POI's and have a Speed Camera/Red Light warning system with customizable database.
If they do all of that, they'll have the competition beat for me. I care less about eye candy and more about functionality and safe driving in unknown areas. I don't want to have to take my eyes off the road to look at the screen to know where I'm supposed to go.
Oh, and they should do what OCN6 has done - sell two versions, one with basic POI, and one with a large POI database.
The Intellenav GPS unit already has the text-to-speech feature and it's really nice. This is a slightly modified version of iguidance 3 which runs on a Win CE base rather than PPC. Very nice stand alone unit. http://www.semsons.com/inalnasypfun.html
IGuidance will allow you to search street first, Tomtom does not. If you have an address where the town name given doesn't match the town name on the map, TomTom will frustrate the @#$% out of you. iGuidance wins!
example; my wifes address says Valentie, NY. Both major map companies say he lives in Kinderhook (the county). With TomTom, you'll either have to call Uncle Jerry and hope he gives you better info or you'll have the joy of scrolling maps on a 3.5" screen. With iGuidance, put in his street address and you'll be given a choice of the towns in NY that have that street address, which in Jerry's case is 1.
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IG is also "hackable". I have changed all the zoom setting to show a ton more detail, better colors, different routing, and much more. One of the GPS sites has a tutorial on it. SInce hacking, I've found no need to upgrade to newer version if IG, except older maps. It is about time to get the latest version.
I cannot dispute what you said as these are very subjective. And unless a prof tested out all the regions, it would be difficult to quantify.
But I can say for sure one thing iG prevails big time- it has a 2nd lic for your laptop/subnotebook. You can program your route on your laptop and transfer the favorite (waypoint in Garminspeak) to your pda.
This one is big plus when your wife (or other family members want to have an occasional out-of-state trip).
A subnotebook of 12" is really cool for gps use in a car.
Daniel, Toronto
I have to update what I said a bit earlier.
The new iGuidance 2009 differs from the just outdated version 4 in that they have separated the umpc/laptop and ppc version.
I still have my iGuidance 3 on my Acer Aspire One in which I have also loaded iGuidance Europe3, S&T 2009 and Garmine CNNA2009. The latter one can only run with its proprietory USB gps unit
I have been using TomTom 6 for several months. When you make a turn & lets say the next turn is only .5 miles. The voice will tell you that your next turn is 2 miles. It does this all the time.
I have been using TomTom 6 for several months. When you make a turn & lets say the next turn is only .5 miles. The voice will tell you that your next turn is 2 miles. It does this all the time.
Then I would consider that is really bad if not outright dangerous indeed. Tomtom could be sued for causing traffic accident. You are sure?
Another explanation is that you were driving 100 mph. Even that is not excusable
I am afraid that the most primitive iGuidance 1 (2001 vintage) does tell you in advance the approaching exit correctly.
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