[speedonline]

Hey,

I was planning to purchase a stand alone GPS Unit and was wondering, you guys could help me rate Satnav and Mapmyindia on the following:

• Device Build Quality
• Battery Life
• Software Ease of Use
• Map Details (Point of Interests, Map Accuracy, By-lanes, etc)
• Back-End Support
• Map Updates
• Value for Money

Currently i am using a bluetooth receiver with my Touch and Mapking. The budget is around 25K.

[bigman]

Mapmyindia looks good never used it though. I have it on my Kaiser and on my Trinity but not visited India for a while.

RS 15K for what is just a generic satnav box with mapmyindia installed is a bit excessive. I have seen the same boxes but with Euro software on them being sold for as little as £50. A smartphone based solution is always better. I had a Garmin unit and it is now packed away in tis box as I use the Kaiser or Trinity for everything.

Check your PM mate.

[harjeev]

I used MapmyIndia's navigator for a couple of days, I dint find the maps as detailed as the yahoo road maps. I mean no block names etc and all the roads are not named. I used it about a year ago for a couple of days and decided not to go in for it.

I now however use the MPMaps from Mobile GMaps - View maps from various sources on your mobile phone! which is free on my E90 communicator. and am pretty satisfied with it.
info on mgmaps can be found here .
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techni...tml#post811011


You can download and store maps on your device and offer zoom levels from 1-17.

[svkndv]

My first GPS device was satnav loaded on my imate PDA. It was an average quality maps. Most of the places maps were not updated or direct you through the roads which are not in good condition. Recently i bought mapmyindia navigator. One of the biggest advantage is that mapmyindia choose National Highways as first priority route unless you select state highways. Most of the time it was accurate in my last 1000 KM travel to kerala. As i have experience with both the device i recommends mapmyindia

[dilipkumar7278]

Guys
I have been regularly using MMI nav and last weeek I was in Mumbai so I could test the maps as kerala doesnt have detailed street maps. Well for once,it seems to be pretty accurate barring some minor flaws.Once when it asked me to turn left from the middle of a flyover.The only way for me was to jump from the flyover. So the lesson,never ever rely completely on these devices. Also it directed me to oneway roads many times..Now they have another update of the maps.Hope these errors will be looked after this time
Cheers
Dilip

[xotiq]

I have Mapking on my HTC P3300, and its just about OK. Positional accuracy is good(more to do with the Sirf Star Chip), but maps and navigation features can do with improvement.

A pleasant surprise has been navigation on my Nokia 6110 Navigator, (Navteq+Route66). Navigation features are much better compared to both (Mapking+Satnav), maps are 2007 Q3 i suppose (must be better updated), rerouting works fine....and you get 6 city maps free for life.

Again Yahoo Maps / Google Maps are much more detailed.

[svkndv]

Mapmyindia will provide map update by this weekend to existing customers and new one. here is the extracts of mail which i received from mapmyindia team

This upgrade should truly exceed your expectations: - Now easily navigate through cities at street level, as compared to 18 cities earlier. - Explore more with points of interest as compared to 280,000 points of interest earlier. - Get connected to towns and villages across India as compared to 55,000 earlier. - So, discover something new with unique destinations across India yet to be discovered!


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[ramkya1]

@ Unni ak: My anwers in Bold.

========

I've been bitten by the GPS bug and am looking for a GPS device for use in my car. ...........................offering maps for download, for mobiles and stand-alone solutions.

To say the truth,I'm sort of inclined towards stand-alone GPS than one integrated with a mobile, purely cause I wont be able to use a camera mobile (almost all PDAs and GPS enabled mobiles have camera) in office. The websites I looked into are:

I've been using the HTC PDA + GPS receiver combo with Satnav Destinator and One India map for the past 3+ years, very satisfied. Back then I paid 22 K for the bundle; including their innacurate maps which had only main roads tracked.

Over the years, they improved, I have upgraded, cost me 2.5 k for this year; 4 upgrades and got the One India Map which is good, has maps of 36 cities, Ahmedabad map is a great upgrade.

Would suggest the stand alone box with a 3.5" display, the PDA is too small to be reading from the driver's seat, my son does the navigation now and reads out the display. Feel the PDA size is pigmy, tough to read when you are concentrating on the road, a bigger screen is what you need.

The upgrade is pretty accurate with streets, roads and POI (points of interest) clear and increased numbers, compared to One India Map, the old one was a relic.

The GPS has been a great source of comfort to me and family in my many drives , specially recent drive through MP. We could save locations of hotels, tourist spots and landmarks, in POI and navigatge cleanly back from wherever we are. The many landmarks of these 36 cities are clear the navigation and routing has alternatives, a little bit of handling, you'd be able to master it. When you are in secondary roads and need to take directional calls, the gizmo is very useful.

When I had to drive on fog on the Mumbai Bangalore GQ & Ahmedabad - Delhi, GPS was my third eye to indicate road crossings, busy towns and turns on roads, I could average higher speeds. You have to experience this to see how comfortiang it is when you have to reach daily targets before sundown and you start loosing time.

Just search the net for Destinator and SatNav you'd get the website and talk to them and also research here on the user experiences on other systems.

Sat Nav has promised to upgrade to 100 cities, don't know when that's coming.


Personal Navigation Device | PND | India

MapmyIndia Navigator - India's choice in In-car GPS navigation

I need advice on the following:

1. Which is better in terms of map coverage and accuracy?
2. What about map upgrades? How much do they cost?
3. Are there any other service providers?

In addition, it would be great if users could pen-down (type!!) your experience with GPS. MapmyIndia and SatGuide claim to cover 200+ Cities and all road-ways, so utterly confused!!

Mods: Hope this is the right section to post this query, if not please do the needful.
=======

---Ramky

[unni.ak]

Originally Posted by ramkya1

- Over the years, they improved, I have upgraded, cost me 2.5 k for this year; 4 upgrades and got the One India Map which is good, has maps of 36 cities, Ahmedabad map is a great upgrade.

- The GPS has been a great source of comfort to me and family in my many drives , specially recent drive through MP. We could save locations of hotels, tourist spots and landmarks, in POI and navigatge cleanly back from wherever we are. The many landmarks of these 36 cities are clear the navigation and routing has alternatives, a little bit of handling, you'd be able to master it. When you are in secondary roads and need to take directional calls, the gizmo is very useful.

- You have to experience this to see how comfortiang it is when you have to reach daily targets before sundown and you start loosing time.

Ramky sir, thanks a lot for the reply.

Needed some clarifications, you have mentioned that you have maps for 36cities with One India Map. However, the SatNav/SatGuide websites mentions 200+ cities. Excerpt from their web-site, "SatGuide offers turn-by-turn navigational directions for many Indian cities. SatGuide software is offered with ONE INDIA map that has detailed maps of more than 200+ cities along with National Highways and other routes."

I understand that the maps will not be even 90% accurate, but it is a source of comfort to have a GPS which is more than likely to guide you to the right path.

[ramkya1]

Originally Posted by unni.ak

Ramky sir, thanks a lot for the reply.

Needed some clarifications, you have mentioned that you have maps for 36cities with One India Map. However, the SatNav/SatGuide websites mentions 200+ cities. Excerpt from their web-site, "SatGuide offers turn-by-turn navigational directions for many Indian cities. SatGuide software is offered with ONE INDIA map that has detailed maps of more than 200+ cities along with National Highways and other routes."

I understand that the maps will not be even 90% accurate, but it is a source of comfort to have a GPS which is more than likely to guide you to the right path.

The original map had about 150 cities, the later one, by march 07, yes, they had about 200 cities. Then they upgraded. The earlier one, you had to open different maps for different cities, for. e.g, when I reach Mumbai, I have to open the Mumabi map, when I reach Bangy, i have to open it etc., was a pain.

The upgrade has it all in one, now 200 + (will have to chek). If I drive now, it seamlessly navigates thro cities, 36 cities have very detailed maps including street names, turn by turn nav. etc.

What they have detailed in these 36 is 90% accurate. There are many places where I have driven for e.g, Calicut to Palakkad thro. Perinthalmanna - 50% accuracy in some sections. MP: some sections - Jabalpur, Bandhavgarh to Khajuraho, Sagar to Bhopal, 50% accuracy; they have not tracked it at all!!!! I suspect some new roads have come up, not even in TTK maps, but Kerala was a surprise.

I am sure this would improve, they are upgrading nd tracking fresh, a financial consortium from the US has invested heavity in SatNav and things are bound to improve.

Hope this helps,

--Ramky
=======

[lancer_rit]

I believe mapmyindia has more map coverage of India than anyone else but there are inaccuracies, and also in some cases roads are not named, one ways are not up to date etc. But its still the best you can do.

Going to buy iNav WF for my N95 soon...

Cheers,

[ramkya1]

Originally Posted by lancer_rit

I believe mapmyindia has more map coverage of India than anyone else but there are inaccuracies, and also in some cases roads are not named, one ways are not up to date etc. But its still the best you can do.

Going to buy iNav WF for my N95 soon...

Cheers,

What's the cost of the software + maps?

The way one ways come and go, it would be difficult for anybody to update.

--Ramky

[rammishra]

If you would prefer something other than standalone GPS then i feel Nokia 6110 navigator and 6120 Navigator is very good option. I have been using it in mumbai and Pune very accurate and helpful Voice navigation features with facility to upgrade when new maps are available.

[unni.ak]

Originally Posted by ramkya1

The upgrade has it all in one, now 200 + (will have to chek). If I drive now, it seamlessly navigates thro cities, 36 cities have very detailed maps including street names, turn by turn nav. etc.

What they have detailed in these 36 is 90% accurate. There are many places where I have driven for e.g, Calicut to Palakkad thro. Perinthalmanna - 50% accuracy in some sections. MP: some sections - Jabalpur, Bandhavgarh to Khajuraho, Sagar to Bhopal, 50% accuracy; they have not tracked it at all!!!! I suspect some new roads have come up, not even in TTK maps, but Kerala was a surprise.

I am sure this would improve, they are upgrading nd tracking fresh, a financial consortium from the US has invested heavity in SatNav and things are bound to improve.

Hope this helps,

--Ramky
=======

Thanks a lot sir. I guess I'll need to check out both and then come to a decision. Got to find a store that sells GPS devices, and then see for self. I've been reading reviews on the net and MapmyIndia seems a step ahead of the two. But again, nothing concrete to base my decision on. I understand that HVK also uses SatNav and reading your review makes me lean towards SatNav, especially since things are set to improve on that front with the US investment. Confused!!

20-22k is the price range and its not an easy decision!!

[lancer_rit]

Originally Posted by ramkya1

What's the cost of the software + maps?

The way one ways come and go, it would be difficult for anybody to update.

--Ramky

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...