Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

G-Map turn-by-turn navigation experiences?

F

funnyboy88

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 18, 2009
192
83
I searched for a similar thread already and couldn't find one, so I apologize if there is one discussing the successes/failures of this app.

1. It works. I put it to the test by traveling to a couple places that were 30 minutes away that I had never been to before. I got there successfully without much confusion.

2. The GPS signal is very sensitive. Placing the phone in your lap while you are driving causes the app to lose the preciseness of the GPS signal, and you WILL miss directions. It NEEDS exposure to the sky. I put it on my dashboard and the app became flawless. I just bought a windshield mount so that I can see the directions while giving it the proper GPS placement.

3. Some of the directions are whack. Now, I have no experience with dedicated GPS units, so I have no idea if they do this as well. However, it will take you on some really weird routes. Some of them are terrible suggestions; some have been helpful!

4. If you get a phone call, like other apps, you have to re-open the app and then when you get to the View Map button, it will ask you if you want to re-use your previous destination. It will then talk to you at the same time your caller speaks. You have to hope you don't miss any important directions if someone calls you before you can re-open the app.

5. Currently there is no integration with the iPod of your iPhone. When you open the app, the music stops. If you have headphones with the remote controls, you can click the headphones to get the music playing again. This will silence the voice directions. Most likely, you are not wearing the headphones in the car. Therefore, once the app silences the music, there is no way to get the music playing again. Double clicking Home closes the app. It does not bring up the ipod controls. I emailed the developers and they said they are working on fixing iPod integration.

How has this app worked for you guys?
 
Forgot to add the app's biggest disappointment. It is a pain to take addresses from Maps or Contacts and put them in to G-Map. Ideally, you should be able to grab address from the your Maps bookmarks or Contacts without a fuss!
 
It works pretty well.
1. You can make sure that it follows your intended route closely by putting in Waypoints, and using the Route function instead of the Where To mode. It's good that it does give you both.
2. Not ALL new roads have been added (mine lacks a new section of Freeway)/
3. If you don't have the Line Cord plugged in all the way, you won't get sound into your Car Radio. But, this is not a problem with the App. It's the short circuit between the seat and steering wheel.
4. Sometimes, if you don't have sound, you have to close and reopen the App.
5. It reroutes you automatically if you make a wrong turn.

I DO notice one problem that I believe is a shortcoming of my 12 Car Adapter. With the 3GS, the G-Map open and tracking, my Battery Percentage indicator slowly goes down. And with the iPhone in the Windshield mount, it gets pretty warm sometimes. I suspect that the iPhone 3GS, when using the open App, and GPS running, uses more current flow that then Older Adapter can supply. I bought this Xtreme Mac Adapter when I had the 1st model iPhone. I have emailed the company with absolutely NO response back from them. Has anyone had any experience with more than one adapter, and which one may supply more current flow?????

All in all, I think this is a GREAT APP for the PRICE. And they say the price is going up. They have done a great job, and are upgrading it along the way. They aren't very good at answering email though.
 
nice review, if Tom Tom doesn't release theirs by late August, I'll be buying this one.

I am only a bit hesitant cause there are alot of states with the law where you cant put up anything on the windshield.:mad:
 
funnyboy88 said:
Forgot to add the app's biggest disappointment. It is a pain to take addresses from Maps or Contacts and put them in to G-Map. Ideally, you should be able to grab address from the your Maps bookmarks or Contacts without a fuss!
Click to expand...

Have you upgraded to 3.0 so you could use Copy/Paste???
 
TomTom will be the only way to go. Its the only top of the line system coming out.
 
I have had a chance to use both G-Map and Sygic.

G-Map wins for me. I used G-Map for about eight hours Friday night and I found it very impressive. It rarely lagged but occasionally it would place me on the wrong street for a few seconds if the two streets were fairly close.

Entering address in G-Map was very easy and it uses the iPhones native keyboard. I think this app is the closest to my Garmin Nuvi 850. The settings offer three map color combos for day and night modes. The colors are nice and sharp and the streets are clearly labeled though not all streets are labeled, same as with my Garmin. :( POIs are easy to find and on my 3GS, it found them almost instantly and was very accurate. POIs can be called by clicking the little phone icon on the lower right after selecting a POI. Nice and easy!

The Sygic Mobile Maps lagged so bad that it sometimes was four blocks behind. Many times it would jump ahead about a block and take several seconds to come back to where I really was. I liked the lane assist also but the lagging was just too much for me. POIs? What POIs? :(
 
I've had this app since it came out or there was a price drop.

I've just recently started using it when all the talk of the TomTom appm and other GPS apps (I have a TomTom device) started becoming popular.

It's been essentially as good as my hardware. I used it to take me to a city about 30 miles away that I'd never been to to see my nephew in an MMA match. It got me there faster than my sister who used MapQuest or some other net software printout. I got there right behind my nephew, who left earlier than me.

I had it on the passenger seat, plugged into the car charger. At one point I passed a turn because I thought I needed to go farther, but it redirected me back to the correct turn. The mistake was mine. The speed is pretty accurate, the time is extremely close and the voice directions are better than my TomTom GPS. Again, for the price, it can't be beat. And, I'd never pay a monthly charge for a GPS. I'd buy a GPS unit (which I already have) before I'd pay monthly for an app.
 
Scooterman1 said:
Have you upgraded to 3.0 so you could use Copy/Paste???
Click to expand...

Yes, I am using copy and paste. I'm saying it should be simpler. You should be able to go into your contacts, select a person, and boom, get directions. Currently, you have to open up your contact, tap the address to open it in Maps, copy the address, open up G-Map, change the city to the correct city, paste the address, delete the number because you first have to put in the street name, then paste again and delete the street name because you are putting in the number. WHEW. What a pain.
 
funnyboy88 said:
I'm saying it should be simpler. You should be able to go into your contacts, select a person, and boom, get directions. Currently, you have to open up your contact, tap the address to open it in Maps, copy the address, open up G-Map, change the city to the correct city, paste the address, delete the number because you first have to put in the street name, then paste again and delete the street name because you are putting in the number. WHEW. What a pain.
Click to expand...

You may try suggesting this at: http://www.xroadgps.com/Maps/GMapforiPhone/SupportRequest/tabid/2466/Default.aspx

I don't know if it will get through, but it's worth a try.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back