[unni.ak]

Originally Posted by lancer_rit

Ramky,
its Rs. 3490/- for software + all india maps. You have versions for Windows Mobile and Symbian (WF). I meant to buy this for sometime now and made some queries to mapmyindia. Since I was travelling, I had postponed it by some weeks. Today, I did the transaction :-)

Yes, its difficult with the one ways. But I found google maps doing a better job for Bangalore. I have been using mgmaps with google maps and/or yahoo india maps (mapmyindia source) for 1.5 years, so have had a fair bit of idea of these options...

Hi Lancer_rit, you have MapmyIndia maps right, can you please post your first impression and general feel for it. At Rs3490/- its a steal. The stand-alone device costs about 22k. I understand that you need a GPS enabled PDA/Mobile, but still, it seems like a pretty great deal.

[bigman]

Originally Posted by unni.ak

Hi Lancer_rit, you have MapmyIndia maps right, can you please post your first impression and general feel for it. At Rs3490/- its a steal. The stand-alone device costs about 22k. I understand that you need a GPS enabled PDA/Mobile, but still, it seems like a pretty great deal.

18,510 markup for the standalone device is very expensive. You can buy a generic Windows CE satnav stand-alone device for about £50 (RS4,000) then buy the software for RS3,490 and you got a standalone GPS device for RS7,490.00. You can install TomTom, , iGo, MioMap Destinator, Mapmyindia etc etc to these generic devices

One such generic device is :
Navigo 3.5" Sat Nav V2 - UK Maps, Full Postcode Search - ALSO plays MP3 & MP4 - Ebuyer

[ask77]

I have been using map my india software on my nokia n95 for the last three months and found it more accurate than nokia maps. although on highways I also use google maps yahoo and gmaps but in cities WF Inav loaded, of map my india helps a lot with voice based navigation plus the added benefit of no gprs requirement because the maps are preloaded , the license can be transferred to another symbian phone if you change your phone plus they claim to provide lifetime free upgrades.

[lancer_rit]

Originally Posted by unni.ak

Hi Lancer_rit, you have MapmyIndia maps right, can you please post your first impression and general feel for it. At Rs3490/- its a steal. The stand-alone device costs about 22k. I understand that you need a GPS enabled PDA/Mobile, but still, it seems like a pretty great deal.

unni.ak, I'll post my review after i get their CD/package and install it and get a chance to try it out. Yes, its a good deal for your phone if you have
* a decent size screen with high res - 2.4" or 2.6"
* inbuilt GPS or you can get a bluetooth GPS (assuming your phone supports it)
* if your phone is touch screen based, I guess it makes it easier in some cases..

Please note that all mobile phones have relatively small screens compared to standalone nav devices - the size of screen makes following the maps, reading names on it, and providing input much easier. I have used Garmin Streetpilot and can confirm this compared to my N95 :-)

So, the standalone devices do have merit - the mapmyindia offerings are on the expensive side though.

[lancer_rit]

Originally Posted by bigman

18,510 markup for the standalone device is very expensive. You can buy a generic Windows CE satnav stand-alone device for about £50 (RS4,000) then buy the software for RS3,490 and you got a standalone GPS device for RS7,490.00. You can install TomTom, , iGo, MioMap Destinator, Mapmyindia etc etc to these generic devices

One such generic device is :
Navigo 3.5" Sat Nav V2 - UK Maps, Full Postcode Search - ALSO plays MP3 & MP4 - Ebuyer

bigman, the issue is always maps for India. How good/detailed are they, and are they being updated regularly ? I didn't buy a Garmin GPS for this one reason for atleast 2-3 years.
Of course, if you can install mapmyindia or Satnav with India maps on such a standalone device, then that seems good proposition.
For me, I bought the N95 mainly for navigation possibility and the fact that many people support the Symbian S60 platform - since a year or so, even Garmin has a GPS software for S60 for $99. Again, maps for India is a reason I went for mapmyindia...

[unni.ak]

Originally Posted by bigman

18,510 markup for the standalone device is very expensive. You can buy a generic Windows CE satnav stand-alone device for about £50 (RS4,000) then buy the software for RS3,490 and you got a standalone GPS device for RS7,490.00. You can install TomTom, , iGo, MioMap Destinator, Mapmyindia etc etc to these generic devices

One such generic device is :
Navigo 3.5" Sat Nav V2 - UK Maps, Full Postcode Search - ALSO plays MP3 & MP4 - Ebuyer

Bigman, yes this seems like a good option. But then, how can I find out if a particular device is compatible with MapmyIndia or SatGuide maps. I was checking the MapmyIndia website and it doesn't seem that they sell maps for 3rd party stand-alone devices. Its only for mobiles and it might not be compatible.

Originally Posted by lancer_rit

unni.ak, I'll post my review after i get their CD/package and install it and get a chance to try it out. Yes, its a good deal for your phone if you have
* a decent size screen with high res - 2.4" or 2.6"
* inbuilt GPS or you can get a bluetooth GPS (assuming your phone supports it)
* if your phone is touch screen based, I guess it makes it easier in some cases..

So, the standalone devices do have merit - the mapmyindia offerings are on the expensive side though.

I don't own a GPS enabled mobile nor a mobile with decent screen size that can be used. It doesnt make sense for me to buy a PDA and then install maps, cause the cost factor will not vary much and I'll be sacrificing on usability. Its mentioned on MapmyIndia site that there are no recurring charges, any idea if it includes map upgrades.

Originally Posted by lancer_rit

bigman, the issue is always maps for India. How good/detailed are they, and are they being updated regularly ? I didn't buy a Garmin GPS for this one reason for atleast 2-3 years.
Of course, if you can install mapmyindia or Satnav with India maps on such a standalone device, then that seems good proposition.
For me, I bought the N95 mainly for navigation possibility and the fact that many people support the Symbian S60 platform - since a year or so, even Garmin has a GPS software for S60 for $99. Again, maps for India is a reason I went for mapmyindia...

Same question/doubt here too.

[bigman]

Originally Posted by lancer_rit

bigman, the issue is always maps for India. How good/detailed are they, and are they being updated regularly ? I didn't buy a Garmin GPS for this one reason for atleast 2-3 years.
Of course, if you can install mapmyindia or Satnav with India maps on such a standalone device, then that seems good proposition.
For me, I bought the N95 mainly for navigation possibility and the fact that many people support the Symbian S60 platform - since a year or so, even Garmin has a GPS software for S60 for $99. Again, maps for India is a reason I went for mapmyindia...

Thats why I suggest a generic standalone sat nav device. If you do not like the mapping then at least you install other satnav software.

mapmyindia works 100% on these generic standalone GPS devices. So if you fancy going for mapmyindia you may as well buy the generic device and software and save yourself more than RS11,000.

If anyone fancies a smartphone for satnav then I suggest a HTC device such as the TyTN II or Diamond. mapmyindia works well on both units.

[unni.ak]

Originally Posted by bigman

mapmyindia works 100% on these generic standalone GPS devices. So if you fancy going for mapmyindia you may as well buy the generic device and software and save yourself more than RS11,000.

If anyone fancies a smartphone for satnav then I suggest a HTC device such as the TyTN II or Diamond. mapmyindia works well on both units.

Hmmmm, food for thought. Got to locate some good stand alone devices and then check with MapmyIndia support for compatibility.

OT: Working night shifts??!! I am.

[akshay4587]

I am looking for such stand alone devices(prefer them over PDA's cellhones),any links since I cant find any decent deals on them.

[someshb]

I am using the Mapmyindia navigator from Feb 08, and I am satisfied with it very much.. They claim 85% accuracy, and it is that much. Inside city its almost 9% accurate, and on 'some' highways there is a offset from the road, but thats acceptable. I had bought the one that costs 18K Amax navigator. Now a days they offer much better Navs but they cast around 23K, its worth it, they have bluetooth, fuzzy search, superb graphics..

[lancer_rit]

Originally Posted by unni.ak

I don't own a GPS enabled mobile nor a mobile with decent screen size that can be used. It doesnt make sense for me to buy a PDA and then install maps, cause the cost factor will not vary much and I'll be sacrificing on usability. Its mentioned on MapmyIndia site that there are no recurring charges, any idea if it includes map upgrades.

Map updates are not included. mapmyindia (CE Info systems) has not yet finalized its policy regarding the map updates - charge/frequency. I was told that charges would be nominal...

Originally Posted by bigman

Thats why I suggest a generic standalone sat nav device. If you do not like the mapping then at least you install other satnav software.

mapmyindia works 100% on these generic standalone GPS devices. So if you fancy going for mapmyindia you may as well buy the generic device and software and save yourself more than RS11,000.

Sounds a good idea if a standalone GPS device is available for which a lot of software. One important thing to ensure is that the GPS device is SiRF III compliant for fast lock and accuracy. My N95 has a power saving, less capable GPS device built-in.
A good PDA phone with SiRF III and best value for money is the Asus P527 and other models in this range. My friend bought one with both touch-screen and numeric keypad for Rs.14k approx

Originally Posted by someshb

I am using the Mapmyindia navigator from Feb 08, and I am satisfied with it very much.. They claim 85% accuracy, and it is that much. Inside city its almost 9% accurate, and on 'some' highways there is a offset from the road, but thats acceptable. I had bought the one that costs 18K Amax navigator. Now a days they offer much better Navs but they cast around 23K, its worth it, they have bluetooth, fuzzy search, superb graphics..

Highways being off the layout in the maps does happen. A good example is NH206 from Tumkur to Shimoga - I have seen the alignment of actual road does not match either of mapmyindia/yahoo india or google maps... So, use GPS but keep you eyes open otherwise one may become a candidate for Darwin awards ;-)

[unni.ak]

Originally Posted by someshb

I am using the Mapmyindia navigator from Feb 08, and I am satisfied with it very much.. They claim 85% accuracy, and it is that much. Inside city its almost 9% accurate, and on 'some' highways there is a offset from the road, but thats acceptable. I had bought the one that costs 18K Amax navigator. Now a days they offer much better Navs but they cast around 23K, its worth it, they have bluetooth, fuzzy search, superb graphics..

Thanks Somesh for the info. I've send you a request via PM. Hopefuly, the current issues will get sorted out in the updates. The Amax Navigator you have covers 174cities, right. The new navs have more than 200 cities, have you checked if you can upgarde the maps to the one that covers 200 cities?

Originally Posted by lancer_rit

Map updates are not included. mapmyindia (CE Info systems) has not yet finalized its policy regarding the map updates - charge/frequency. I was told that charges would be nominal...

Sounds a good idea if a standalone GPS device is available for which a lot of software. One important thing to ensure is that the GPS device is SiRF III compliant for fast lock and accuracy. My N95 has a power saving, less capable GPS device built-in.
A good PDA phone with SiRF III and best value for money is the Asus P527 and other models in this range. My friend bought one with both touch-screen and numeric keypad for Rs.14k approx

Charges would be nominal!!! Hope it remains true. I've got some equally good reviews on SatGuide and MapmyIndia, now need check out the availability of 3rd party devices that are compatible.

[ask77]

I think Nokia 5800 expressmusic with 3.2" touchscreen having symbian OS should be good for gps too both satnav and map my india support symbian besides the phone has its own nokia maps since it has built in gps . for 20,000/- you get a good high res touchscreen phone with gps capability there are all kind of gps software which can be installed on this phone. It also has wifi and gprs capability to download maps on the go. Most dedicated gps devices have 3.2" touchscreens and come for around the same price.

[viper_711]

Originally Posted by ask77

I think Nokia 5800 expressmusic with 3.2" touchscreen having symbian OS should be good for gps too both satnav and map my india support symbian besides the phone has its own nokia maps since it has built in gps . for 20,000/- you get a good high res touchscreen phone with gps capability there are all kind of gps software which can be installed on this phone. It also has wifi and gprs capability to download maps on the go. Most dedicated gps devices have 3.2" touchscreens and come for around the same price.

How are you so sure of the price of this phone? I just checked the website and it still says 'coming soon'.
Is it already available in your town??

[someshb]

Originally Posted by unni.ak

Charges would be nominal!!! Hope it remains true. I've got some equally good reviews on SatGuide and MapmyIndia, now need check out the availability of 3rd party devices that are compatible.

mapmyindia released their first upgrade in July-Aug, they gave the upgrade complimentary since it was the first upgrade.. But subsequent upgrades will be chargeable, and yes they have not finalized upgrade cost structure.

And regarding mapmyindia demo, in bangalore you can walk into any of the 'Staples' stationary stores and they will give you a full product demo.