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@secretmanofagent: This is by far the best bang for your buck.
The Sept upgrade fixed everything that was wrong with the original release of this. I was PISSED when I bought it in August. Demanded a refund from anyone that would listen (and still didn't get it). After the upgrade it works beautifully.
No major issues at all and I sent them just a few things they can tweak to make it a more pleasant GPS.
Since most of that monthly fee is for map licensing, why isn't there an app using OpenStreetMap as a source in the U.S? In many cases, it's more up-to-date than paid maps.
Actually, I think the $2.99 you pay upfront is not recurring. You pay extra dough if you want the voice turn by turn, which is not required. I don't use the voice in my TomTom currently and I'm fine with that. If you don't need the voice directions, it's a hell of a deal.
@wolfie351: As I say above, it's about taking up space on the actual dashboard. A sideways fit is way better. Also, it's DATA that you want to see on the sides, not more roads.
Bought the Co-Pilot app on Wilson's recommendation and I absolutely love it. To me, that's the best value in the app store GPS-wise. I even convinced a co-worker to skip the $100 TomTom app and go with Co-Pilot.
@Kiamat: Wholeheartedly agree on Co-Pilot. Had the opportunity to use it this weekend and it worked great. I do wish answering calls didn't kick me out of the app but it was up and running pretty quickly after the call ended.
@pantsonfireliarliar: Also, keep in mind that, while in a call, you can hit the home button to bring up the springboard. From there you can re-open the app without ending your phone call.
The only problem for me is that the voice prompts come through my bluetooth headset during the conversation. Of course some may see this as a boon, but I usually mute mine.
I actually used this app this weekend for a trip to PA from NY. Worked just fine. I did get worried 1 or 2 times when all of a sudden the maps turned grey, but they quickly connected and updated to the new maps. It would be awesome if before the trip the download the maps to the phone but we'll see if this happens.
Yes, I have now used MotionX for 3 days and they have made hit again, one more time. I think that their big advantage is their prior success on iPhone. They take that experience and make better and they only do iPhone, so nno compromises. I think that with any price they are best. At that price they will make market completely new in my personal opinion.
Allow me to pre-apologize for this rant now. Here is why, I have been using MotionX GPS app for the iPhone for quite awhile. Then Apple came along with the 3.0 update and now in the middle of my app I get spam (advertising) for this new product by MotionX. I am really let down that Apple and all these companies allow spam in paid products. This really drives me crazy and it reminds me of why I hate going to the movies these days. You pay an arm at the door, a leg to get a popcorn and drink and then you finally find yourself a nice seat, get cozy and then proceed to watch 10+ minutes of commercials!!! Wow, this is almost as good as TV with 300 friends.
Now I know there are people out there that say this is what keeps the apps or movies or whatever so cheap but it is just driving me away. I respect these companies and their abilities but I just plain do not want to look at these apps...
I d/l this last week since it is essentially risk free. So far Im impressed, its interface isnt as slick as my Nuvi but it works and it keeps me from having to tote another device around.
One thing you need to mention though is it does use a cache, to the tune of 250 meg of on board iPhone memory. I have been at home on wifi and run the simulated trip at 8x speed. It downloads all the 3d map data on wifi and keeps it in cache so it doesnt have to use 3G while Im driving. As soon as you change scale or switch to 2D maps it has to d/l again so that is predicated on leaving it alone during the trip.
Last Sunday a family emergency brought me to an unfamiliar town. After a day of trying to navigate using downloaded google maps and the maps within iphone, I found this gem and it really helped me get around quite a bit. It updates the route a little slow at times but I definitely recommend.
I used this app all weekend on a road trip. Worked GREAT! This is THE BEST value for the money.
I do wish they offered the app with the voice feature for a single one-time purchase, but they may do this in the future. I am no fan of repeated on-demand purchases.
Also, it's not clear is whether you can use this on multiple iPhones linked to the same iTunes account, since the in-app purchase of the voice feature likely has no clear path to get to the other phones. I didn't test it, though.
There are a few bugs with selecting music playlists for playback. A subsequent try usually fixes it.
And the iPod buttons are too small, and other buttons, such as the popup button to change from 3D to 2D are at the bottom next to other buttons, so it's easy to miss.
But, Giz is right, for the money, there is no better GPS iPhone solution right now. Kudos to the app maker. This is good stuff!
I wasn't sure about this app since it was way cheaper than the other big "name brand" navigation apps. But I have used it for about a week and it does the job. It's not the best I've used but for $3? If they can manage to do some minor updates and people keep buying it, maybe the big dogs of navigation will drop their prices.
Copilot on Android also lacks qwerty... =[ It slows me down when looking for destinations until I readjust. Why couldn't it just use the one built-in with the Operating system? Like the iPhone OSK or the Android OSK. Makes people regret purchases.
11/24/09
11/24/09
The Sept upgrade fixed everything that was wrong with the original release of this. I was PISSED when I bought it in August. Demanded a refund from anyone that would listen (and still didn't get it). After the upgrade it works beautifully.
No major issues at all and I sent them just a few things they can tweak to make it a more pleasant GPS.
11/24/09
10/05/09
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The only problem for me is that the voice prompts come through my bluetooth headset during the conversation. Of course some may see this as a boon, but I usually mute mine.
10/05/09
10/05/09
10/05/09
10/05/09
10/05/09
Now I know there are people out there that say this is what keeps the apps or movies or whatever so cheap but it is just driving me away. I respect these companies and their abilities but I just plain do not want to look at these apps...
10/05/09
One thing you need to mention though is it does use a cache, to the tune of 250 meg of on board iPhone memory. I have been at home on wifi and run the simulated trip at 8x speed. It downloads all the 3d map data on wifi and keeps it in cache so it doesnt have to use 3G while Im driving. As soon as you change scale or switch to 2D maps it has to d/l again so that is predicated on leaving it alone during the trip.
10/05/09
10/05/09
I do wish they offered the app with the voice feature for a single one-time purchase, but they may do this in the future. I am no fan of repeated on-demand purchases.
Also, it's not clear is whether you can use this on multiple iPhones linked to the same iTunes account, since the in-app purchase of the voice feature likely has no clear path to get to the other phones. I didn't test it, though.
There are a few bugs with selecting music playlists for playback. A subsequent try usually fixes it.
And the iPod buttons are too small, and other buttons, such as the popup button to change from 3D to 2D are at the bottom next to other buttons, so it's easy to miss.
But, Giz is right, for the money, there is no better GPS iPhone solution right now. Kudos to the app maker. This is good stuff!
10/05/09
(By the way, it only works on the iPhone 3GS)
10/05/09
09/24/09