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Old 22nd February 2013, 17:07   #76
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Re: Google Maps making MapMyIndia (and similar products) obsolete?

Nokia Maps seems to be navigation king in the segment. It wipes the floor with google, blackberry and apple maps.
You can download the country or area maps and do proper offline navigation. It even returns point of interests(POI) and driving directions to the places, reroutes etc..offline.

Search for the youtube video for Nokia maps vs Google maps.

If there was ever a device to make mapmyindia and others relatively obsolete, it would be a lumia phone with Nokia Maps in it.

Disclaimer: I dont have any first hand experience with nokia maps. My info is based on friends using the same in India and abroad and also from the public domain. As for me I totally rely on google maps. There is also an option in google maps to pre-cache the area you want so you dont need network all the time. But while rerouting and looking for POI offline, it doesnt work really well as Nokia maps.
For normal use, I chart out the path and cut off the data connection and travel solely on GPS guidance. It works for me.

Last edited by itsgeox : 22nd February 2013 at 17:13. Reason: change
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Old 24th February 2013, 10:13   #77
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Re: Google Maps making MapMyIndia (and similar products) obsolete?

Precisely the topic that I have been thinking about for some time. There are pros and cons on both approaches for navigation. As many have pointed out, Google navigation is dependent on network connectivity and that is a big issue when it comes to inter city trips. I did overcome this using a free app on Android called Nav Free world. All I had to do was to setup the app, download the country map for India and get going. It works completely on GPS connectivity and doesnt need data network so worked perfect for me on all of my long trips. It definitely has its limitations, but works pretty well.

On the con of using such apps, you are actually heating up the display of your smart phone by keeping it on for long hours. If you notice, most of the smart phone screens heat up if they are constantly on for long times. This might definitely increase the risk of something going wrong on the phone display. This can be an expensive affair if it goes wrong.

In short, apps are definitely a good option as they come free of cost. Use it when you actually need it and there will be a good balance on risking your display and getting the functionality.

Last edited by MDe : 24th February 2013 at 10:14. Reason: Spelling update
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Old 24th February 2013, 11:29   #78
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Re: Google Maps making MapMyIndia (and similar products) obsolete?

Suppose you reach a place there is no data network or extremely slow data network, and you get a highly confusing roads and turns, only Pre-loaded maps work here.

Also data download for google maps is not light, and also not very cheap. Only when we have unlimited plans, you can use google maps without worry of running of the quota.
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Old 24th February 2013, 12:54   #79
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Google can also provide offline maps but won't do so due to loss in ad revenue. With time they will surely launch a paid offline solution for phones, moreover independent gps devices running google maps.
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Old 25th February 2013, 11:53   #80
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Re: Google Maps making MapMyIndia (and similar products) obsolete?

Quote:
Originally Posted by k2max6 View Post
Google can also provide offline maps but won't do so due to loss in ad revenue. With time they will surely launch a paid offline solution for phones, moreover independent gps devices running google maps.
Google does provide offline maps and they are pretty light (about 80 MB for an entire area that covers Bangalore to Mysore , hassan, arasikere, tumkur etc. ).
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Old 25th February 2013, 12:18   #81
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Re: Google Maps making MapMyIndia (and similar products) obsolete?

Stand alone navigators are way better than multifunctional ones. More over as many pointed out, Google maps navigation is not available unless you are connected. The offline maps which google permits isnt good enough for real time navigation.
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Old 25th February 2013, 12:44   #82
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DieselFan View Post

Google does provide offline maps and they are pretty light (about 80 MB for an entire area that covers Bangalore to Mysore , hassan, arasikere, tumkur etc. ).
iPhone doesn't have these for sure. I understand that you can cache some map area but not sure if the same detailed maps can be permanently downloaded.
Other forum members are also pointing out, the problem with google maps is they don't work offline. Android users can comment.
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Old 25th February 2013, 14:18   #83
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Re: Google Maps making MapMyIndia (and similar products) obsolete?

So this is how I'd summarize this entire discussion.

There are three aspects that we need to consider, when we try to trade-off Google Maps and MMI:

1. The availability of accurate maps with a plethora of POIs marked ("Map"), and
2. The availability of a good routing algorithm ("Navigation").
3. The adaptability of the above algorithm to unplanned changes ("Rerouting").

Map:

There is no evidence to believe that either of Google Maps and MMI incorporates latest changes (new roads, one-ways, restaurants and shops, diversions etc.) quicker than the other (perhaps except the fact that Google is known to use crowdsourcing). So this aspect really hangs on delivery of such updates to the end user. MMI delivers it in twice-annual map updates which costs money to the user, whereas Google delivers it via their cloud infrastructure. MMI's method is slow and results in outdated maps, while Google's method allows the user to have the most up-to-date maps all the time. Google requires the user to have a fast Internet connection (3G) while on the road to enable this but then again they allow you to cache large areas of the map onto the handheld for those times when one is off the data network. Overall, I think Google is the clear winner over MMI here, irrespective of data network availability.

Navigation:

Navigation requires two things - a method of locating oneself on the map (GPS), and an algorithm to reach a destination while adhering to a bunch of constraints (toll roads, traffic, speed limits, one-ways...), both of which are computationally intensive. Locating oneself on the map (Time to First Fix) is something that MMI probably can do in-device but most cellphones will require Assisted GPS (which mandates a data network connection). Similarly, computation of the route itself (some adaptation of Djikstra's, I'd guess) is a task that is also offloaded by the cellphone to a powerful server. Thus, it appears to me that Navigation with Google mandatorily requires data connection to start off but not with MMI, so we are in a position similar to that of Map above. But keeping in mind that recency of Maps influences accuracy and usability of Navigation, I'd still mark Google as the winner here.

Rerouting:

We can never predict when and where we might require rerouting. So, if Google cannot manage this without data connectivity, then it is a bit let-down, which to me says MMI is the winner in this category. But then again, Google should be able to do this in locations where data network is available, and the fact that Google's original computations would have been more accurate due to the recency of the maps and would perhaps require less rerouting, plus the increasing coverage of 3G networks within India all suggests that the wind is blowing in Google's favour.
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Old 27th February 2013, 21:30   #84
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Re: Google Maps making MapMyIndia (and similar products) obsolete?

Quote:
Originally Posted by SKavuri View Post
My experience in navigation:

Once thing I noticed with my phone is that when I switch on the GPS, it takes like 10-15 minutes to identify the location. So I made it a habit to switch it on much before I start the car. Do the others have a similar lag or the technology caught up in the last 2 years?
Same thing with my Nokia C5-03 mobile, but that is not the way it should be.
My friends Nokia locks in less than 2 minutes, every time. While sitting in the same car his mobile connects to the GPS satellites faster even though we both have A-GPS. So I guess there is something wrong with our respective handsets.

Quote:
Originally Posted by itsgeox View Post
Nokia Maps seems to be navigation king in the segment.
Nokia maps are better while you are within city limits, outside on the highways there is not much difference between the two, or any of them, I think, based on my limited experience in Kolkata.
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Old 28th February 2013, 01:09   #85
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Re: Google Maps making MapMyIndia (and similar products) obsolete?

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Originally Posted by WindRide View Post
I find sygic with MMI offline maps very useful. I dont use google maps since i dont want to pay for navigation.

Downside in sygic being search feature sucks. So i use wifi+google maps to find route and save that route beforehand in sygic before embarking on journey. Problem solved.
how do you do that? My only gripe with MMI is the search feature. Tried the google local search feature, but couldn't figure out how it works

I am a heavy phone-maps user. Earlier (from 2009 through 2011) through my e71 and gmaps/nokia maps and now since the last one year, on my iphone - gmaps and MMI-Sygic.
Sygic is actually brilliant, works in offline mode, and gets regular map upgrades.
spending 2400/- for MMI-sygic has been one of the best investments on my car!
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Old 2nd March 2013, 11:16   #86
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Re: Google Maps making MapMyIndia (and similar products) obsolete?

I have both google maps & nokia maps on my phone, but sadly my Nokia E-63 does not have an inbuilt GPS. So navigation was not really very accurate. It was good to know the routes, but not for live navigation. So, I was in a fix whether to go for an Android phone/ Tablet or a dedicated PND. I went for the later as I am pretty happy with my Nokia (& I prefer to use a phone with a keyboard, rather than full touchscreen).

So, last week, I got myself a MMI Vx140s Premium (map version 7.1) for about 11500/- My initial tidbits with this device is positive. Locks the GPS in a few seconds & the location reporting with maps are very accurate, as far as I have experienced. Though, have not used it extensively, but it did failed to fire the voice navigation at one turn & on one turn, the display was showing turning to the left, & the voice guidance asked me to go right.

Apart from this, & battery life, I liked the device. I was happy with the time it needs to lock the GPS. Will post more, once I take it with me to unknown territories where its actual usage lies.

Regards,
Saket

PS: BTW, it can play videos, apart from pictures & music too, which adds to my ICE. Bluetooth connectivity with phone works well, but I don't know, if I will use this feature.

Last edited by saket77 : 2nd March 2013 at 11:22.
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Old 4th March 2013, 12:22   #87
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Re: Google Maps making MapMyIndia (and similar products) obsolete?

Try apps like agps assist or gps fix. It will give you a location fix much faster

Quote:
Originally Posted by noidea View Post
Same thing with my Nokia C5-03 mobile, but that is not the way it should be.
My friends Nokia locks in less than 2 minutes, every time. While sitting in the same car his mobile connects to the GPS satellites faster even though we both have A-GPS. So I guess there is something wrong with our respective handsets.



Nokia maps are better while you are within city limits, outside on the highways there is not much difference between the two, or any of them, I think, based on my limited experience in Kolkata.
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Old 15th March 2013, 16:54   #88
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Re: Google Maps making MapMyIndia (and similar products) obsolete?

If you have an Android phone then you can download the OSMAnd or OSMAnd+ app.

The OSMAnd (roid) app is free and you can download the map of the region of the world you are travelling to and then use your phone in offline mode!

The data comes from OpenStreepMap.org and the quality of the data for India is still getting there. I use the device to record the roads that are not on the map. I then upload the .gpx files to the OSM database for everyone to use free! Really useful and very quick.

I used the app in Thailand recently and it worked like a charm.

The OSMAnd+ app costs Rs.199 and it offers unlimited offline map downloads.
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Old 15th March 2013, 17:30   #89
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Re: Google Maps making MapMyIndia (and similar products) obsolete?

HillBilly, thanks for that info, will try it out.
There is one more app called Navfree which also uses the data from openStreetMap.org, but the POI search is limited in offline mode(by limited i mean very less ni number). When connected to internet it uses google search to fetch the POIs.
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Old 2nd May 2013, 08:43   #90
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Androids Navigation and me

Now I do not know if its happened just with me or with others too, but I would like to share a couple of real sticky situations that have happened to me while using the android's in built navigation tool.

Prologue :
In the mid 2012, we (father (tiger) , mother, brother, me and my Indigo e cs - aka Chandrasekhar Azad aka Azad) went on a trip to Kurnool and wanted to cover Mantralayam, Mahanandi, Allampur Jogulamba Devi Shakti peetam. We had started from Hyderabad on the Friday evening and planned to be back by Sunday evening.

First Event:
We had covered Mahanandi, and Jogulamba Devi temple on the saturday and wanted to visit Mantralayam on the Sunday. We started off in the morning at around 600 Hrs and got hooked on to the navigation system for the first time. We typed in the destination and it had brought us back our route. Thanks to technology, I thought. We just went ahead and till about the first 25 kms it was the best road I had seen though a single lane one. No traffic and no disturbances, just floating around with decent speeds and sun flower farms on both sides and just us in the early morning dew. And then, the hit. Slowly the road deteriorated and we kept moving thinking that its gonna get better because we had already done around 25 kms and we had another 70 to go. We trusted the navigator and moved on ahead hoping things would change. But it kept deteriorating and deteriorating and at one point, we did not even know if we would be able to make it out of this place. Azad was doing proper off roading now and would put any SUV to shame but it was terribly disheartening to see it go through all that abuse with it being fully loaded with us and our luggage. The rest 40 kms of the 70 left took us 3 hrs to travel at a slow nail biting pace and then another 1 hr to cover the remaining 30 kms on a decent track. Now, should I call myself foolish? Or just unlucky or am I a real stupid to have taken us this route trusting the Navigation system and the maps that were shown on my tab, even when we knew there was a regular route that the other vehicles take to Matralayam from Kurnool. By the time we reached Mantralayam, it was around 1100 Hrs. And then after the darshan we were back to Kurnool in exaclty 2 hrs, this time ofcourse, we played it safe and used the regular route back to Kurnool.

Second Event:
Last weekend of April 2013. This was a trip where my tiger and me were going back to Kurnool and wanted to visit Yaganti. The trip to Kurnool was just smooth, no major issues and we made it to Allampur Jogulamba devi temple in 4 hrs. We stayed there and wanted to go to Yaganti on the Sunday morning. Similar plans as last time and we asked around to Yaganti trying to find the best possible route. And we did get one just that the 90 kms distance we had heard had become 150 kms via Dhone. In the return, I proposed can we give one more chance to tab and see if we find a better route? Tiger was ready for it. And we went ahead typed the route to Hyderabad and it showed we can make it to Dhone in 60 kms unlike the earlier route which took us 100 kms from Dhone. I should have guessed the pattern here sorry but no, i went on and this time we got into a ghat, climbed it, and then the road was narrow but motor-able. We continued and then the realization, it navigated us in to places where you would not see humans for kilometers together, it was all just rock and mud and us and Azad There was no way we could have made it back as I could not take a U turn too. No place for any car maneuvering. Just had to go straight and hope for the best. Now, did not I say we climbed the ghat? It was time we got down that and the terrible situation was that I had do it with complete rocky road with boulders hitting my underbody and trying to move left and right side of the small narrow lane that now cannot be called a road and trying to get down the ghat we had ascended. It took me 1 full hr to negotiate the 5 km hell stretch and then got onto a small village and on the road to Dhone.
Yeah, we had cut short about 90 kms from this road when compared to the one in the morning but we also put our lives and Azad at risk.

Lessons Learnt:
Never ever will I touch my tab again for directions to any place.
I will do proper research before I get onto random roads.
I will keep a map which will have the bus routes and then follow them judiciously.
Its better to ask locals around than getting into sticky situations.

Silver Lining:
My Azad. Hats off to it. It got its underbody hit by rocks and had been abused to handle such roads and got us down the ghat and still ensured it did not break down or got stuck. I am pretty sure any other sedan would have just sat down and gave up, not my Azad. The respect for the Tata's and my love for my Azad has increased manifold post this trip.

Do let me know if any of us have also had similar experiences or it was just me who had to go through this.

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Last edited by Inquilab28 : 2nd May 2013 at 12:10. Reason: Removed the emoticons even if 2 were permitted.
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