[vu2pmc]

Garmin Maps from Mapmyindia will be compatible for all Garmin Navigation devices for Road and Handheld mapping Devices for Garmin.

Originally Posted by Twiny

Did not see Garmin 50LM / 52LM in the supported Garmin devices from MapMyIndia maps.
Does anybody sure of compatibility of MMI maps on LM 50 / LM 52

[ebonho]

Guys TomTom or MapMyIndia please help.

TomTom Via 100 vs Start

MapMyIndia LX340 vs LX140WS

Confused. Want a GPS but never really used one or know a whole lot about them Please advise.

[V12Doc]

Originally Posted by ebonho

Guys TomTom or MapMyIndia please help.

TomTom Via 100 vs Start

MapMyIndia LX340 vs LX140WS

Confused. Want a GPS but never really used one or know a whole lot about them Please advise.

These GPS are really old fashioned and expensive. Why not use google maps from your phone or buy a spare android phone for 15K and use google maps from there free of charge. they all charge for route updates and more while google maps is free and is way more extensive and precise. It has helped me through areas unknown to the worlds because the roads outlined is google maps is from satellites. Imagine a GPS guiding you through dirt tracks. Thats the extensiveness of Google Maps in India. It has turn by turn voice navigation and along with Google Maps you can use the phone for way more things like OBD Scanner, Music Player, Streaming Service, Video Player etc.

[amolpol]

Originally Posted by V12Doc

Imagine a GPS guiding you through dirt tracks. Thats the extensiveness of Google Maps in India. It has turn by turn voice navigation and along with Google Maps you can use the phone for way more things like OBD Scanner, Music Player, Streaming Service, Video Player etc.

Google maps are pretty good as long as you have network coverage with data connection. This is where the traditional gps systems score over it since they have offline maps and don't require any mobile service. Since the google maps get updated with points of interest almost real time, I don't think they'll come up with an offline solution anytime soon. On slower data connections in remote areas theres a considerable delay and even timeouts while exploring the map for directions. With 3g networks expanding this problem is shrinking as compared to a couple of years back, but its still not 100% gone.

With respect to the friendliness of the interface, there's no doubt that Google wins hands down. I found MMI to be very cluttered and the touchscreen to be very poor as compared to the capacitive screens that are available on todays phones.

From my extensive use of Google maps across the country, I can say that its about 85-90% accurate in terms of routing and or the maps by itself. There have been quite a few times where it has shown me roads that don't exist (sometimes showing roads through people's houses) and there are other times when the navigation takes you through roads that are your worst nightmare even though there was a better alternative available (which of course you only happen to find later). So relying on Google maps without proper review of the alternate routes can get you surprised, I'm not sure how MMI fares on this aspect since I've used it only once or twice.

The other thing I've noticed is that with turn by turn navigation running, your phone battery will be depleting at a much faster rate than you'd imagine and thus a dedicated power supply is needed to prevent a full drain of power. Not to forget that my Samsung Note 2 and previously Note 1 is prone to heating up with navigation running continuously.

So while Google maps is a big boon to smartphone users who can now ditch their gps devices, one has to exercise some amount of caution as well.

PS: Actually there is another alternate solution to not having a dedicated GPS device. MMI has downloadable maps for smartphones which takes away the need for a GPS device but allows you freedom to use Google Maps and/or MMI maps as and when needed. I have downloaded the Sygic Maps application but have never really gotten a chance to test it out, may be there are a few who have ventured into that territory and can provide some feedback.

[sasi405]

I tried Sygic, but can't make any sense of it. Maybe I need to research further and download more maps.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by V12Doc

These GPS are really old fashioned and expensive. Why not use google maps from your phone or buy a spare android phone for 15K and use google maps from there free of charge.

TomTom Via 100 and Smart and MMI LX340 are just 8500, with TomTom having lifetime free map updates (MMI you have to pay - around 1000 bucks everytime - but their maps are way more detailed than TomTom and Garmin currently, so what it comes with should take TomTom and Garmin, even with regular 6 monthly updates, at least 2-3 years to catch up to the current level of MMI). Te just launched MMI LX140WS is the cheapest PND at just 6500. Plus all the advantages of PNDs over Smartphones with Google maps as described by Amol below.

Originally Posted by amolpol

I found MMI to be very cluttered and the touchscreen to be very poor as compared to the capacitive screens that are available on todays phones.

Thanks Amol for putting across the advantages of ddicated PNDs over Smartphones in just a practical manner.

Even I found the MMI much-vaunted 3D (Dont Panic) map interface too cluttered, not very clear and bright and sharp coor and graphic wise, and the touch screen not as responsive as the TomTom. But their interface on the top of the screen of being able to type out all detailes in one line versus TomTom where you have to jump from city to area to street to house in different steps/screens, is better in MMI.

[::CMS::]

I am using Google Maps and Sygic with MMI maps (when there is no n/w connectivity) in my Headunit in car. Both works flawless and compared to MMI, Google Maps is far better in finding the optimal route. I am facing a small problem with Sygic, running the app in the background wont give voice guidance and tracking, it has to be the current app and also I couldnt find any setting to change that behavior.

[V12Doc]

The experience I am sharing is from a village visit and Google does have offline mapping which you can do before going to the area or whenever you make a route it makes it available offline. Early days there was no offline so you might be talking about those. Otherwise I find Google maps pretty good. Other than that I don't think there are areas today not covered under mobile networks

[S_U_N]

After using Google maps and Sygic extensively for last two years I can say, when in doubt, stop and ask the locals.

There are roads on the outskirts of Pune, for example, which are recommended by Google Maps, and they are actually under construction (filled with stones and look like a dirt track). I made a mistake by selecting that and had to drive in first gear for several KM's.


Sygic has improved a lot with each update, but the coverage is incomplete for the small roads. Several times, I have taken an interior road, which is not there in Sygic. It shows that I am off-road.

So, don't go blindly by the routes suggested by these systems.

[dkaile]

Originally Posted by S_U_N

There are roads on the outskirts of Pune, for example, which are recommended by Google Maps, and they are actually under construction (filled with stones and look like a dirt track).

Yup. The shortest route shown by Google Maps of Meerut to Chandigarh is via Shamli. I had the misfortune of recommending that to one of my friends who came back half-way cursing as that included 25kms of NO Roads at all. So take those map recommendations with a pinch of salt and go by local knowledge. Unroll your window and ask "Yeh road aage tak theek to hai naa?"... Lolz.

[DerAlte]

Originally Posted by ebonho

Guys TomTom or MapMyIndia please help.
...

TomTom - at least their hardware is unlikely to give up on you obeying Murphy's Law. Or, even better, get a Garmin unit. Check features), Look for a unit that is VFM for you (

Google Maps are decent, but unless you are a geek and intend to create a life for yourself around a smartphone, you would be better off having an independent device.

Google Maps work quite well in the city, especially if you have searched for your destination. But, like @DKaile mentioned, you run the risk of being taken by a route which can only be euphemistically called 'roads'. It also does a few quirky things, like not telling you that it has actually selected a similar address which is actually not your real destination. And there is no saying how close, or far, is that similar address from your real destination.

I haven't figure out a way (it should be there, no?) of saving a location (other than by Search result, into my account) in Google Maps of a place that I have managed to reach by asking around. On a dedicated device it is a cinch - just touch the screen, and it will save the current location!

Currently there is no overwhelming superiority of either Google or dedicated PNDs. Both have their pros and cons. I have both, and I use one of them depending on the situation.

[Dry Ice]

Any recommendations for a "lightweight" app which can create a track in .gpx format? These days am mostly using osmand app - I was hoping there would a plugin or something to record the track but sadly, didn't find any. The standalone app that they have uses a data connection to fetch the BG map and doesn't use the data already present on the phone!

So if I have to use a standalone app, I want something which is a little light on the resources. Since most probably I will be running a dash cam + torque pro + osm at the same time.

[::CMS::]

Originally Posted by Dry Ice

So if I have to use a standalone app, I want something which is a little light on the resources. Since most probably I will be running a dash cam + torque pro + osm at the same time.

Torque can track your route and can be seen using google maps. It can also do the dashcam task also using a plugin.

[Dry Ice]

Originally Posted by ::CMS::

Torque can track your route and can be seen using google maps. It can also do the dashcam task also using a plugin.

Can I add comments to waypoints and pause/resume the recording?

Torque keeps crashing on my phone since the 4.4 update, not sure what it is. So, I would like to keep it separate from torque - I guess it won't save the track completely if it crashes midway.

[sgiitk]

Originally Posted by dkaile

I had the misfortune of recommending that to one of my friends who came back half-way cursing as that included 25kms of NO Roads at all. So take those map recommendations with a pinch of salt and go by local knowledge.

I looked for Kanpur-Gurgaon. Google told me to get off the YE at the Aligarh turn-off and then take SH22A to Palwal. Yes the road does exist, but even a tractor will have issues navigating it, let alone a Civic!! A nightmare of a drive.