[rajinibm]

Hi Guys

I got a mapmyindia road pilot last week.Cost is 7990/-.Got it from Xenos.

Took it on my trip to mayavaram.Went to visit some temples made in AD 03! It showed the way to go from chennai to mayavaram via cuddalore and pondicherry.I took the NH45 via Tindivanam - Neyveli .It on the whole trip tried to make me turn towards pondicherry.

There is a ' add via' option - have to try this out else would have to save trips to store the needed route i guess.Havent really gone through the manuals, would do so this weekend.

I was actually thinking the screen size would be too small but it serves the purpose just right.

[wanderernomad]

Yesterday went to Haridwar via Ambala-Yamunanagar-Saharanpur-Rorkee. Went using MMI and returned using Satnav. The following is what I felt:-
1. MMI has better coverage. Satnav didnot even show some of the SH's which are a major carrier of traffic in this region. Prominent being the Shahbad -Panchkula SH 31.
2. Voice direction and navigation is easier with Satnav.
3. Distance calculation of both differed for the same route and was at variance with what my ODO showed at the end. While MMI showed it less by about 10 Kms, SATNAV exceeded the same by about 15kms.
4. MMI showed a lot of POI's on the map itself which is good as well as bad as it makes the screen cluttered. SATNAV looks naked in comparison which is good for navigation but if you have to look for an ATM then using satnav to show it is cumbersome to say the least.
Overall I think I will stick to MMI for now.

[MX6]

This is neither Satnav or MMI. But it's GPS tracking device at it's best.

'Read Ayn Rand': World's Biggest Message Written on Google Earth in GPS Device Signals - ABC News

@Ramkya. When you do the c2c in US, keep your gps tracker on and probably plan your route to come with an innovative message!

Ayn Rand's fountainhead had me almost expelled from college ! It's been over 15 years since I read Ayn Rand. This message not only makes me embark on such a journey, it also wants me to go back to Aynrand. Guess I'll write a book too - "The atlas got tracked"!

[sgiitk]

@wanderernomad: Excellent review. As for distance the odo is driven by the speedo data. This normally is optimistic (i.e., shows a higher speed), since many countries have laws something like +0% - 5%. . This will translate into a longer distance travelled.

I am not surprised that MMI had more details of minor roads. This is what has been said many times MMI is better for semi-urban areas. This is included in that.

Let us look at Uttarakhand where you travelled. Take the case of Google Maps - try and work out a route from Bhimtal to say Almora or Bageshwar or Kausani. It is unaware of the major SH/NH from Bhimtal to Bhowali so insists you go down to Haldwani and then go via Nainital! Bhimtal - Bhowali has existed for donkeys years!

[roadracer]

Guys, I am looking to buy MMI GPS device. There seems to be different variants of the product at the MMI website. I am just looking for a device that could support the following.

- Ease of user interface
- Good/Big screen

Which variant would best suit me? Also, would like to know if there are updates to the maps then how could I get the same?

[perseus]

I totally agree with what sgiitk sir have said above. I did Delhi-->Nainital-->Ranikhet trip this weekend and MapMyIndia coverage was very good to say the least. Very precise.

[civicsense]

Originally Posted by roadracer

Guys, I am looking to buy MMI GPS device. There seems to be different variants of the product at the MMI website. I am just looking for a device that could support the following.

- Ease of user interface
- Good/Big screen

Which variant would best suit me? Also, would like to know if there are updates to the maps then how could I get the same?

I have recently been checking out the GPS PND options available. Here are some of the options available:

SatGuide:

1. Moov 560 with a 4.7" display for around Rs 15000
2. Moov 300 with a 4.3" display for around Rs 13000
3. Moov 200 with a 3.5" display for around Rs 10000

Mapmyindia:

1. Zx150 with 5" display - Rs 18500
2. Vx240 with 4.3" disply- Rs 15000
3. RoadPilot with 3.5" dis- Rs 8000

There are also Garmin and Blaupunkt devices available through MMI (Garmin through SatGuide as well). I also came across a brand called Bharatnav, based out of Pune, which has a 4.3" screen PND with MMI installed going for 10 grands at Car Shringar. I decided to give all those a skip, as the warranty, service etc were sketchy at least for now.

I am inclined towards a 4" + display which also has video playback capability. From the looks of it, MMI seems to have better and newer devices (Vx240 & Zx150 which have better processors and GPS technologies) and also have more features - like reverse camera support and Audio out jack that you can use to connect to the AUX-in of you ICE.

Most importantly the maps. From what I saw in the demos till now, I got the impression that MMI has a slight ease-of-use advantage. It has got features like "Add Via Point" where you can say I want to go from A to B, but through C and D. (works well, for example if one wants to go to MG road, but wants to pick up ones friend from the bus stand, then go to a restaurant for lunch and then go to MG Road. that can all be done in one go, rather than split it up into 3 different itineraries).

Updating the maps seems to be much cheaper with SatGuide though. They are offering a 4-yr free map upgrade offer right now. Nothing of that sort with MMI. You got to pay 1000 per upgrade.

I am yet to decide on the model. If you want a big screen, go for a 4.3" or bigger one. At this point, I am inclined towards MMI. So that would mean Vx140, Vx240 or Zx150 for you.

Is there anyone here who has used a MMI Vx240 or SatGuide Moov 560?

[roadracer]

@civicsense, I am also inclined towards MMI based on the positive reviews within this forum. Do you have any idea about road pilot and what's the difference between that and the other 'x' series?

[sgiitk]

@civicsense: I think both the models you list are proprietary. I prefer a generic like Garmin. Do check whether they are rebadged Garmin's. They may be.

[civicsense]

@sgiitk: You are right. SatGuide gets their devices from a company called Mio. I dont know about MMI. I doubt if they are rebadged Garmins, because they also sell Garmin devices separately, though at higher prices. Chances are that their native devices are also of Chinese or south-east Asian make.

@roadracer: Road pilot is a "basic" nagivation device, meaning there are no other features like video, audio playback, bluetooth connectivity to your phone, reverse camera support etc. Also it has a 3.5" screen compared to a bigger 4.3" + ones for the othes. Having said that, the core functionality of navigation is indeed fully met with the Road Pilot (since the maps installed are the same). I do have one eye on that as well. If I dont get a good deal with more expensive ones, I might still go with the Road pilot, the screen size notwithstanding.

[roadracer]

Originally Posted by sgiitk

@civicsense: I think both the models you list are proprietary. I prefer a generic like Garmin. Do check whether they are rebadged Garmin's. They may be.

@sgiitk, What would be the issue with this? Is it that in Garmin you can upload any provider's maps but not in others?

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by civicsense

I doubt if they are rebadged Garmins, because they also sell Garmin devices separately, though at higher prices. Chances are that their native devices are also of Chinese or south-east Asian make.

Wouldn't it be strange to rebadge Garmin? As the premium make, it could only lower its value to sell it as something else.

[sgiitk]

The problem with proprietary is that you are locked into whatever they dish out. Also, if they indeed are el-cheapo Chinese stuff then the durability may be questionable. Rebadging makes sience since the incremental cost of software is nearly nil. So you can buy in bulk, and bundle your software with it at a lower price. 90%+ of the users will never realise what they have, so you have then in your pocket.

[civicsense]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Wouldn't it be strange to rebadge Garmin? As the premium make, it could only lower its value to sell it as something else.

Fair comment. Besides, I also heard that Garmin themselves is looking to increase their presence in the Indian GPS space, with authorized dealers, service etc, which is not really there now. Their portfolio of PNDs and features (real-time traffic updates, voice recognition, FM transmitter etc) looks awesome, though it comes at a premium. Already a few of their PNDs are available through MMI and SatGuide.

[civicsense]

Originally Posted by civicsense

Fair comment. Besides, I also heard that Garmin themselves is looking to increase their presence in the Indian GPS space, with authorized dealers, service etc, which is not really there now. Their portfolio of PNDs and features (real-time traffic updates, voice recognition, FM transmitter etc) looks awesome, though it comes at a premium. Already a few of their PNDs are available through MMI and SatGuide.

Just to add: the features like real-time traffic updates is not relevant for India yet, since that sort of information just does not exist today. It is just that the device is capable of receiving the information and using it to decide on fastest route from A to B.