Notices

I have not used GPS navigation software before now. I have been testing the Map application after buying and downloading the navigation capability from Wayfinder.

For local trips the software has worked well, only once directing me to make an illegal left turn. If you disregard the suggested directions, it quickly recalculates and plots a new route.

I have been trying to plot a trip from my location in Maryland to an address is Massachusetts. I have been having some difficulties, and without a manual, it is a little hard for me to say that it's the software's fault. The fact that there is no manual is a problem in itself. The built-in Help is inadequate for all but the most basic questions.

It doesn't appear possible for Map to calculate a route unless it has a GPS position. I can't simply open a Favorite (bookmarked) location and ask for a route to a second location. No route is calculated unless you get in range of the GPS system. If you want to plan a route the night before your trip (e.g. from inside your home) and then save it, you can't, for two reasons. First, you have to have a GPS fix to calculate a route, and secondly, there's no way to save a route for later use. You have to plot your route only after you're on, or near the road.

For my Massachusetts trip, I have been trying to direct the software to take me over the Tappan Zee Bridge and then to US 684 and on to the Massachusetts Turnpike. Map instead plots me through New Haven on I-95, but I know that on the date and time I'm traveling, traffic will be heavy for dozens of miles on that road. So I have added the Tappan Zee bridge and a spot on US 84 as Favorites. Once Map calculates the route, I can tap Find > Edit Route and then add Favorites as waypoints. But this is trickier than it should be. My US 684 Favorite wasn't precisely on the northbound lane of US 684, so the route Map calculated included exiting US 684 to drive over the exact spot and then back onto US 684 northbound. Favorites can be renamed but they can't be moved that I could find, so it's not simply a matter of sliding the Favorite over a few pixels to recalculate the route.

There does not appear to be a way to import routes from Google, Yahoo! or Mapquest.

It may be that Map can do some of the things I say here that it cannot, but without a manual from Wayfinder, I have been unable discover how.

Map can be set to show points of interest (POI) and you can specify which types of POI you want to see. By holding the stylus on a place on the map, you can get a context menu to open offering "Navigate to", "Add to favorites", "Open Details", and "Set Marker". "Open Details" gets you the latitude & longitude, and if possible, an address or road name.

You can view Map in 2D or 3D, but 3D will not allow you to zoom out very far.

Map can be set to one of 3 voices (UK male, USA male, USA female) and there looks like an option is available to download more.

There is a short list of available languages: Dansk, Deutsch, English UK, English USA, Espanol America, Espanol Espana, Francais Canada, Francais France, Italiano, Nederlands, Norsk, Portugues, Suomi, and something in Cyrillic that looks (forgive me) like Pyccknn.

Units can be either metric or imperial.

Rather than screw a bracket into my dash, I am using a product called "Glue Dots" to hold my n810's bottom edge to the steering column while it leans against the dashboard. A Glue Dot is a very sticky gob of goo. One 'dot' is strong enough to hold the n810 in place, but it's easy to gently pull the tablet off of it. One dot lasts for weeks of frequent use. My vehicle has an AC outlet, so I can run power to the n810 even while driving.

Having the n810 under the glare hood of the dash has not prevented GPS reception, and it's good to keep glare off the screen. Only a little bit of my instrument panel is obscured, but it's only the extremes of the speedometer that I can't see.

That's my experience so far. I would like to know more about what Map can do, so please share your experiences here.

killick

That's one thing I've noticed about this software. It shows both directions of the arteries. My Garmin doesn't do that.

When you say you are plotting points all along the way, are you saying you are re-calculating little mini trips all along your route? I ask because I didn't think this program would allow mutiple points on the same trip.

I have an N800 by the way, but the differences are minimal. One thing that does make it better, is the fact that I can sit the receiver on the ledge of my window and play with the navigation while inside.

Please post your other thoughts as well if you have any.

If you have a route plotted from point X to point Y, it is possible to add other points between X and Y or after Y. With the n810 you use Find > Edit Route, then add an address or Favorite. From there you can move the waypoints up or down in any order. Map recalculates the route each time you add or change the order of these waypoints. It's pretty easy to add a new address or one of your Favorites in this way, but it's difficult for me to drag the view to a new location and create a new Favorite because the Map software seems to arbitrarily jump back to the current location while I'm searching for the right spot to put the waypoint. I wonder if changing the "View" settings would help this? Sure would be nice if Wayfinder would put out a manual!

I can sometimes get GPS reception inside my home near windows, but I don't have a convenient window sill-- they're all near the floor. Maybe I can convince my wife that we need a glass-domed observation tower...

killick

According to Wayfinder support you can manually set the starting point of the route by disabling the GPS receiver. That way you should be able to plan your routes without the need for observation tower.

I haven't had a chance to try it myself as the my trial expired but would welcome someone trying it out.

I have been using other GPS devices, and navi softwares such as IGO, destinator, and Mio GPS besides MM.

I found in navigation aspect, MM can't compete with those, which can calculate the route in real-time, cockpit view, 3D display, etc. But MM is better in browsing the map, real-time logging the route, knowing where you're. They are suit for different purposes.

in Latin letters.. presumably Russian then.

Great tip. It works great. But the glass-domed tower still has potential, I believe.

Thank you!

killick