Guys,
over a year ago I posted the same question. I bought the Micro Soft S&T for 2009. Seems "purfek".
I have since bought a Lap Top for the RV and I want to upgrade to Win 7. My 2009 will work I am told by MS. They also , unsurprisingly, recommend upgrading to MS 2011. What do you all say? I got $70 on the line for the upgrade and I can do that easily......question is do I get any bang for those bucks? I am not a fashin plate for software and I only require that it works well.
Thanks,
John
For in vehicle use, it is hard to beat an iPad with built in 3G and GPS. The big 10" screen is glorious to use, there are many great mapping apps, and plenty of games to keep your passengers entertained when you don't need navigation assistance.
And - it just keeps getting better and better every year. The mapping app providers are competing with each other, and competition drives down prices and pushes out new features (usually for free) often.
There are some dash mounts for the iPad, but the best dash mount is the passenger's lap. *grin*
Cheers,
- Chris
Chris,
Thank you for your answer and rec. I need to home the system on my Toshiba 505 Lap Top that will be carried with me in the RV. I am still looking for a rec for my system.
John
Google navigation is really excellent also.
My wife's I Phone is darn good by it self way better than my Tom/Tom she runs it through the Apple Laptop someway as some may remember I bought me a new Apple laptop that didn't last she has had it since the 2nd day so I am back to Dell lol but I am going buy me another Apple
good luck
Quote from: technomadia on June 29, 2011, 10:33:23 AM
For in vehicle use, it is hard to beat an iPad with built in 3G and GPS. The big 10" screen is glorious to use, there are many great mapping apps, and plenty of games to keep your passengers entertained when you don't need navigation assistance.
And - it just keeps getting better and better every year. The mapping app providers are competing with each other, and competition drives down prices and pushes out new features (usually for free) often.
There are some dash mounts for the iPad, but the best dash mount is the passenger's lap. *grin*
Cheers,
- Chris
That's assuming you have a passenger who can read a map ;)
She uses Gog Nav and Map quest a lot for planning our travels. Great systems. No help in-route, however. The iPad is a good idea and she will probably upgrade to that down the line but we have a year to run on this contract. Good thoughts, though.
So, Garmin or ? ....Model?
Thanks all,
John
Quote from: JohnEd on June 29, 2011, 11:08:59 AM
So, Garmin or ? ....Model?
It is hard to justify buying a standalone GPS - the latest phones and iPads are so much more powerful now, and the GPS software is just another app. Garmin and Magellan and Tom Tom are now all available as iOS apps - no need to buy a separate box anymore, and you can actually afford to buy multiple mapping programs for the fraction of the cost.
Rather than buying a new Garmin, I'd stick the money into an iFund to save up.
BTW - Cherie and I develop iOS apps for travelers, so we know a bit about what is out there. Feel free to ask us for app advice.
Our apps:
http://www.technomadia.com/apps/Coverage.html (http://www.technomadia.com/apps/Coverage.html)
http://www.technomadia.com/apps/State_Lines.html (http://www.technomadia.com/apps/State_Lines.html)
Cheers!
- Chris
Quote
It is hard to justify buying a standalone GPS - the latest phones and iPads are so much more powerful now, and the GPS software is just another app. Garmin and Magellan and Tom Tom are now all available as iOS apps - no need to buy a separate box anymore, and you can actually afford to buy multiple mapping programs for the fraction of the cost.
Rather than buying a new Garmin, I'd stick the money into an iFund to save up.
- Chris
I was about to say the same thing. If you get one of the smart devices to use for a GPS you get the added benefit of all the apps and having a large screen and portable as well
John,
Google Navigation works on Android phones. It finds directions by voice instructions, which is very handy while driving.
Well John,
Everyone has told you how their iphone/ipad/droid phone/etc etc etc is the best answer. I keep seeing you saying something about using the system you have and just wanting to know if the software upgrade is worth it.
From the left field bleachers I would ask one question. Are you happy with the software you currently have? If you are, if it does what you want and it will work with Windows 7...................
Consider me lost in place........
Frank
Frank,
I have an 18 inch screen that I can see at a glance. Yes! I like it. MS S&T works well but isn't optimized for MS Windows 7. I have heard nobody say that S&T has fallen in comparison favor-ability so I will stay with it and upgrade to the 2011 release.
Everyone's suggestion involves a new phone, iPhone of i Pad. Can't go there at this time. I have 2 phones, one desk top and three lap tops in the house and any one of those devices is at least twice as smart as I am and I have maxed out on my humility dosage so I can't yet get another device unless I retire something. When the phones go I will undoubtedly replace them with a device that has GPS built in even if I don't want that capability. The lap tops apparently have the receiver built in and just need software to drive. They came screwed up that way and I wouldn't have had the foresight to want it so once again EVERYBODY, including the vendor, was smarter than I.
This system is warrantied for and must last 3 years. I, on the other hand am not and don't. ??? ::)
Thank you all,
John
I have a Palm Pre smart phone with Google Maps and GPS apps. Funny the dont work when I get into areas without digital cellular service, which tells me its not a real GPS, but is triangulating off cellular towers to find position, and using google maps for altitude. Someone say otherwise if they truly know, but I believe all smart phones work this way and none are actually using the GPS satelites for data. A friend with a droid has noted the same issues.
In contrast, a real computer with a real GPS reciever, and something like DeLorme mapping software, is real GPS. My suspicion with the above mention of an iPad with google maps is that it would work like a smart phone and not be a true GPS.
Both the iPhone and iPad w/ 3G chip set are REAL GPS. We use them all of the time without cellular data connections, and have for years. We keep a navigation/mapping app with locally stored maps just so that we can utilize them without needing to connect to Google Maps over the air when we're out of signal area.
- Cherie
a app that some of you other iphone users might check out is called "around me" it finds things like restaurants, gas stations, stores and other conviences. It gives directions and milleage. Its free as far as I can remember. We use it all the time when travelling.
iphone is my suggestion. See if you can upgrade your plan maybe.
Eric
Art,
Phones like Android do use real GPS. However, unlike stand-alone GPS systems, the actual mapping software is not resident on the device. Instead, the phone communicates your location through the internet to a server that does the work. Apps are often like that. I recently went on a trip to India and bought a Hindi translation program. This thing worked great. It could translate anything I could think of. I get real pleasure out of hearing it translate things like, "Sir, your camel has eaten my soup (Mahasaya apane unta mere supa khaya hai)." I thought that it would be amazingly useful in my travels. Unfortunately, it turned out that the reason it had such a vast vocabulary and range was that it functioned through the internet. Since there was no available 3G network or wifi where I traveled, the thing was useless. Good thing I did not have any problems with camels.
Eric,
As soon as I can but it will be a while. Thank you for your response.
John
Quote from: JohnEd on June 29, 2011, 05:16:18 PM
Eric,
As soon as I can but it will be a while. Thank you for your response.
John
What company is your service thru? I have at&t and I can upgrade my plan at anytime with a new contract.
Good luck!
I have a bundled pack with Verizon. Air card, cells and land line for a year. My sound quality with AT&T was very good and I was happy with them. Problem was that they performed poorly at Quartz when i was looking. Veriz was supposed to be doing well out in the desert so I went with them and their sound quality is inferior. I understand that AT&T is doing really well in that vicinity now that I have switched.....oh, well. SamoSamo.
John
I use Delorme on a HP computer 21in touch screen that serves as my TV as well. I like delorme as it has a special step up for touch screen. and acts like a standard GPS with touch screen. I also use the Android Navigation app and it works flawlessly mainly in my towed. Almost forgot the HP has built in camera and microphone witch works with Delorme's voice navigation command center.
Quote from: artvonne on June 29, 2011, 02:36:16 PM
I have a Palm Pre smart phone with Google Maps and GPS apps. Funny the dont work when I get into areas without digital cellular service, which tells me its not a real GPS, but is triangulating off cellular towers to find position, and using google maps for altitude. Someone say otherwise if they truly know, but I believe all smart phones work this way and none are actually using the GPS satelites for data.
FYI - because they are online and have a data connection, smart phones can get a GPS fix much faster by using "assisted GPS" with a little help from nearby cell towers and even WiFi base stations. With assisted GPS technology, a smartphone can even get a fix indoors where a traditional GPS will be totally lost. But every modern smartphone also has a real GPS receiver in it that locks onto the same satellite signals as standalone GPS devices, and that receiver works even offline in the middle of nowhere.
The problem you have noticed is that if you are out of range, your phone knowing where you are doesn't help much if it doesn't have a map to display. And the free Google maps program that comes with the iPhone and Android and Palm Pre relies on a data connection to Google to display maps. It can sometimes be smart enough to pre-cache the maps, but in general, if you are out of range, you are out of luck.
On the Pre, I don't think there are any alternatives with local maps. Not sure about Android. But on iOS, there are dozens of them. Even Tom Tom, Garmin, and Magellan sell iPhone GPS apps that turns your iPhone or iPad into a full-on works-offline standalone GPS. All the maps are built in - the apps are 1GB to 3GB in size to fit the entire country on board. But with iOS devices ranging from 8GB to 64GB, you can actually have several full GPS navigation apps on board.
If you have any more tech questions, ask away. Though I am still a bus novice, I am a more than a tad bit knowledgeable when it comes to mobile tech. In a former life, I actually used to be the "Chief Spy" for Palm and PalmSource... *grin*
- Chris
Quote from: technomadia on June 29, 2011, 11:12:40 PM
Not sure about Android. But on iOS, there are dozens of them. Even Tom Tom, Garmin, and Magellan sell iPhone GPS apps that turns your iPhone or iPad into a full-on works-offline standalone GPS. All the maps are built in - the apps are 1GB to 3GB in size to fit the entire country on board. But with iOS devices ranging from 8GB to 64GB, you can actually have several full GPS navigation apps on board.
If you have any more tech questions, ask away. Though I am still a bus novice, I am a more than a tad bit knowledgeable when it comes to mobile tech. In a former life, I actually used to be the "Chief Spy" for Palm and PalmSource... *grin*
- Chris
Have any of you tried the Locus free nav program? I would like to intigrate a Android tablet as part of the dash system in my bus.
Brice
No matter which one you choose, be sure it has a female voice. When I tried the male voice, I ended up responding "Don't tell me which way to turn, you jerk >:("
Cat Farnsworth just visited us on her way back to TX and the poor soul had used Google to map her trip. She had been muddling around in our mountains, on back roads mostly, until she could find a wireless signal to Dallas and he bailed her out. She was only 2 miles from us when she finally called.
While her visit was short (and well received) I offered her my Garmin GPS for the rest of her trip. She sweetly declined because she hadn't used one in the past so she settled for my Road Atlas.
I, for one, don't want to involve my laptop for my Nav aid. My Garmin is now considered obsolete by the Mfr. but still gets me where I want to go. I'll consider another one of these days because I subscribe to the KISS principle. I don't want a phone that takes pictures, allows me to surf the 'Net and sends me astronomical bills at the end of the month.
Bob