Apparently many think that Ovi Maps is just as bad as the tablet version... http://mer-l-in.blogspot.com/2009/10/ovi-maps-really-is-this-best-we-can-do.html On Thu, Oct 29, 2009 at 1:27 PM, Kevin T. Neely <ktneely@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: > Ovi Maps uses Navteq maps. The engine is different from the mapping > application on the N8x0 series tablets. > > On Thu, Oct 29, 2009 at 12:13 PM, Mark <wolfmane@xxxxxxxxx> wrote: >> >> On Thu, Oct 29, 2009 at 11:54 AM, Kevin T. Neely >> <ktneely@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: >> > That really works? I've been rocking mobile navigation for a couple >> > years >> > with Ovi Maps (formerly Nokia Maps), and more recently waze. The first >> > is >> > excellent, the latter very promising. >> > >> > I understand that Ovi Maps is not quite ready for primetime on the N900. >> > Maybe one of the reasons they postponed the launch? >> > >> > K >> > >> >> The Wayfinder Map app that came on the N8x0 is excruciatingly painful >> to use for actual navigation. The map data (at least in my area of the >> USA) is extremely out of date, and the POI database is severely >> lacking. You can't load the whole country at once, only the western or >> eastern half, and if you're traveling across the dividing line it >> couldn't be any less user-friendly. You can't have more than one map >> active at a time, so even though you can add maps at will, navigating >> between any two of them is impossible. Trying to enter a destination >> is an exercise in futility. If you manually pan the map and place a >> "favorite" and use that for your destination the directions are pretty >> good and the voice prompts are excellent, but there are so many >> obstacles to getting to that point that the app is pretty much useless >> for anything but showing you where you currently are. Plus, the app as >> shipped is crippled to only show your current location - if you want >> navigation you have to pay as much as a whole standalone navigation >> device, but you don't get the stability or any of the other strengths >> of the standalone devices. All of the other "navigation" apps for the >> tablets are works in progress and none of them natively do routing. >> Navit claims to, but if it does they've certainly hidden that >> functionality well. RoadMap does rudimentary routing, but you have to >> create the route manually. If you can't do routing, then you can't do >> navigation... >> >> Neither Ovi nor waze is available for the tablets, and if Ovi is the >> phone version of the tablet Map app that it appears to be, I'm less >> than impressed. You do have to pay extra to get navigation and it more >> than likely uses the same map data. Waze does indeed seem very >> promising, but again they are duplicating much of what OpenStreetMap >> has been working on for years, and everybody would benefit much more >> if they would integrate their technology with OSM instead of striking >> out on their own. OSM already has a huge amount of map data, but the >> user interface is a PITA and they would greatly benefit from an app >> exactly like waze. >> >> I don't own a smartphone, but Android 2.0 may be what changes my mind >> on the matter. Even if I could afford an N900 I wouldn't risk it at >> this point. Maybe if they are still being produced and supported in 2 >> or 3 years I'll consider it. My mobile mapping experience thus far has >> been with PDA, Tablet and Laptop map/navigation software, and I have >> yet to find an application - even the expensive ones - for any of >> those that is in the same league as even the worst standalone GPSr. >> The usability of even my piece of junk TomTom is light years beyond >> anything I've tried that wasn't a dedicated unit. >> >> Mark >> _______________________________________________ >> maemo-users mailing list >> maemo-users@xxxxxxxxx >> https://lists.maemo.org/mailman/listinfo/maemo-users > > > > -- > In Vino Veritas > http://rubbernecking.info > _______________________________________________ maemo-users mailing list maemo-users@xxxxxxxxx https://lists.maemo.org/mailman/listinfo/maemo-users
