Mapping Programs, Literature, and the News
 

I usually don't use maps the way that all the GPS programs assume. I live at my home address, and I already know how to get to the grocery store, the gas station, and the local cafe.

I like to read books. When Sherlock Holmes is going down King William Street (I just made that up, apologies to King William if there is such a street) I want to know exactly where it is. I don't want driving directions to King William Street -- I just want a &*() map showing where it is and where the other main streets around it are.

I have in general found the mapping programs pretty bad when you try to use them for that purpose.

What do people use when all they have is their N900 and they just want to track a character in a novel, or, for that matter, see where there was a shoot-out in the news?

Re: Mapping Programs, Literature, and the News
 

Google Maps is just the thing, if only they had a mobile version for Maemo... or install NITdroid ? :-)

Re: Mapping Programs, Literature, and the News
 

I use Ovi maps, and use the search function, which comes back with something like "sorry this service is not currently available" and then I fling my N900 across the room and curse Nokia. Or, if I am abroad and don't want to pay for Ovi Maps to download a load of data for no apparent reason and still fail to carry out a successful search despite all the maps being loaded onto the device, then I don't even attempt the search before flinging the N900 across the room and cursing Nokia.

Re: Mapping Programs, Literature, and the News
 

Quick reply...
Have you tried ModRana?
Of course, you will have to download map tiles before you can use it, in any program. When Points-Of-Interest functionality will be added, you will be able to "bookmark" some places, like the home address of a character.
There is also NavIt, vector map.
Mappero.
CloudGPS.
The list of mapping software is large and growing.

Re: Mapping Programs, Literature, and the News
 

OVI Maps on the N900 by default is what you want. If you don't figure out how to search, there's something wrong with your head.

Re: Mapping Programs, Literature, and the News
 

In case you didn't know, the search function on Ovi Maps is BROKEN.Most times it returns "function is not available, please try again later". If it works for you all the time then count yourself lucky.

Re: Mapping Programs, Literature, and the News
 

I don't use Ovi Maps that often (have in-car sat-nav). But I have never had any problems with it when I tried it. Are you using Pr1.2? have you downloaded the maps, or do you have a good connection?

Re: Mapping Programs, Literature, and the News
 

I use the search on Ovi Maps all the time as I need to go to various cities with my job. I like to have a look at where i'm staying, It works perfectly for me every time. If it doesn't work for you, count yourself unlucky, but please don't assume it's broken for everyone!

Re: Mapping Programs, Literature, and the News
 

Thanks for listing programs, but I don't need a list. I have tried them. Thanks for letting me know that there is a long list. That doesn't help. I already know that.

I will take another look at ModRana.

Re: Mapping Programs, Literature, and the News
 

So, are you a psychiatrist?

Are you saying that you have used OVI maps on the N900 for the purpose of following the movements of someone who isn't at the GPS location and it works great for you?

It is probably the program I have most used for this purpose, but it's not fully satisfactory to me.

Actually, maybe Mappero has worked best for me.

Can you focus in on the psychological ailment I must have? I can search, but it doesn't work efficiently for me.

Re: Mapping Programs, Literature, and the News
 

I never said or implied it doesn't work for anyone. I said it doesn't work ideally when the GPS function is something that is totally irrelevant.

Please explain how you got the idea it is broken for me. It is not broken. It works fine for the purpose you described. That is not the use I was asking about.

I thought that someone would describe using the mapping programs in a way similar to what I described.

Re: Mapping Programs, Literature, and the News
 

I wasn't referring to your head, be the other one who didn't know how to use the search function in OVI Maps :)

OVI Maps is very good at this. There is no turn by turn on the N900, but to find streets anywhere is excellent.

I put in King William Street, and up can two alternatives within a fraction of a second. This was your exact problem according to your first post :) and I have no idea how a simpler solution can be found other than google maps (not on the N900 by default, and doesn't really work that good on the device inside the browser)

William street in King City, Canada and
William Street in Australia

Cool :)

Edit: The GPS is irrelevant, OVI maps work more or less exactly as google maps, only much better on the N900.

Re: Mapping Programs, Literature, and the News
 

Maemaps is a nice workaround for having google maps more fully on the N900, and it even lets you access street view (if the literature you are reading is contemporyj.

EDIT: Damnit, streetview stopped working because of obsolete flash player.

Re: Mapping Programs, Literature, and the News
 

Yes
No difference whether maps is already downloaded, or download on the fly. I've tried both BTW.

Connection is good enough to be downloading map on the fly, so should be good enough for mere search.

I tried search a couple of times today, and surprisingly it worked both times. Maybe Nokia have finally put in some extra servers to handle the load? Hopefully this isn't just a flash in the pan.

EDIT: unfortunately it seems to be shortlived, search still crapping out from time to time.

Re: Mapping Programs, Literature, and the News
 

I didn't get the idea that it was broken for you at all! Don't be so touchy :rolleyes:.. if you read the thread you would have seen that it was Kureyon who said the search function in ovi maps was broken. Maybe I should have quoted so that you would see who I was replying to, but I thought It was fairly obvious. Ok, it's your thread, but it is a discussion.

Re: Mapping Programs, Literature, and the News
 

Ovi maps for n900 is rubbish. The search function doesn't work AT ALL when you're offline, even if you have all the relevant maps on the device and as for whether it even works online, that is a matter of luck as others have said.

Re: Mapping Programs, Literature, and the News
 

It is essentially as Google maps, as I have tried to explain. Only that it works better in the N900 than google maps does. And you can preload the maps.

One trick though regarding the search function. It tries to find locations near you first. Often it is better to also include the country for more hits. For instance "King Williams street, Australia". That is the road, followed by a comma, followed by the country.

Re: Mapping Programs, Literature, and the News
 

Also, it downloads data without telling you and for no apparent reason. Again, even if the relevant maps are preloaded. For this reason I have to deny the phone access to the data connection when abroad (to avoid expensive data roaming charges). The result of this is that Ovi Maps is constantly bringing up messages saying it can't connect. Very annoying. Truly an awful piece of half-baked software. It's actually a step backwards from the Maps application on my N95.

Oh and it doesn't let you save points of interest, either.