[kdixon]

all... can you please give me a quick run down of the differences/benefits of the free gps software with voice navigation?

Mapquest free versions posted here (search on Mapquest)
- AmazeGPS (free)
- Nav4All (free)

Which works better? Which is easier to navigate? Anything at all you can tell me would be very helpful!

Thank you !!! :o)

[sheldonbk]

I found Amaze loads so slowly and moving around in the program is really wierd... slow response and uses Q & P keys instead of standard BB keys.

Nav4All has a great interface but I found a couple important shortcomings. It told me to get on the highway but not direction. I could see my highway ramp past the light and it told me to turn left at the light. I figured it might have been trying to redirect me around some trouble so I followed it as it took me around the block to the same spot, where it again wanted me to go the wrong way.

Right now, I'm trying Telenav... 30 day trial... well worth checking out if it's worth the premium. So far, it sure seems like it is.

Mapquest... when I followed the links around here, I never found a free version. So, I figured I'd check it out if Telenav didn't work for me.

[JSanders]

Of the paid services, TeleNav beats all (commercial and free). Co-Pilot is another paid application.

Of the free, Nav4All, AmazaGPS and GoogleMaps are great.

[Organman]

I've tried Amaze and Nav4All. I lost patience with very SLOW loading times for Amaze and its non-Blackberry interface.

So far I've settled with the Nav4All program. Having driven a couple thousand miles with it, it has generally been very accurate. I love its simple arrow navigation screen with spoken directions. In my situations thus far, the screen clearly identifies which highway exit ramp to take, by specifying the correct exit number as well as the correct destination name. Recalculates a new route fairly quickly if you go off route. I hope the next update speaks the actual street name too!

[sheldonbk]

Originally Posted by Organman

I've tried Amaze and Nav4All. I lost patience with very SLOW loading times for Amaze and its non-Blackberry interface.

So far I've settled with the Nav4All program. Having driven a couple thousand miles with it, it has generally been very accurate. I love its simple arrow navigation screen with spoken directions. In my situations thus far, the screen clearly identifies which highway exit ramp to take, by specifying the correct exit number as well as the correct destination name. Recalculates a new route fairly quickly if you go off route. I hope the next update speaks the actual street name too!

Maybe I should give Nav4All another shot. To be fair, it got me to three locations I wasn't sure how to reach in one afternoon. It happened to be on my way back when the highway ramp was within sight that it took me around the block. The fact that it did that scared me into thinking that maybe I need something that won't do those kind of things. Hence my Telenav trial.

To be fair, Nav4All did load very quickly and it did recalculate very quickly. I'm finding in my Telenav (30 day) trial so far, that it takes a long time to locate GPS signals. I don't understand it since my 8310 is very fast locating GPS signals (using the base GPS mapping program). I deleted the AT&T version and loaded the Rogers version, so I'm hoping that having the version from my data supplier will resolve that problem. If this problem isn't resolved, I'm not going to consider paying a cent for Telenav.

[FF2]

Sheldonbk:

You might be curious to know that most gps units, even standalone ones, occasionally do some very odd routing. Now that does not mean that your experience and decision was wrong just that VERY WEIRD routing or reversals or u-turns will not just happen now and then.

[JSanders]

Sheldon, I and others have noticed how slow the AT&T version of TN is... the 5.1 version of TN itself is still pretty snappy.

[sheldonbk]

Originally Posted by JSanders

Sheldon, I and others have noticed how slow the AT&T version of TN is... the 5.1 version of TN itself is still pretty snappy.

Thx!

Funny... I received a reply from Telenav to an email message that I sent questioning why it takes so long for Telenav (AT&T version) to aquire a GPS when vehicle GPS's (and other programs) aquire GPS signals much faster. The reply I got...

"As for your GPS receiver, that is a feature of the phone itself and not TeleNav. If you are unable to acquire a GPS signal, it means that your phone's receiver cannnot pick up a reading."

Is TeleNav support always so enlightening? LOL.

[vincentnyc]

mapquest (free version) is no longer free. it said to contact mapquest 800 customer # to purchase the software in order to use it! lol.