| Versions |
  |
|
| Author |
 Topic  |
|
rbrown3rd
USA
43 Posts |
 Posted - 01 nov. 2005 : 20:46:15
|
I had a chance this summer to use the Delorme software on a 7,000 mile trip. I found it to have a quirky, odd user interface. It also did some very odd routings taking us through the heart of Calgary, Alberta when we would have preferred to go around.
Now, fast forward to Hurricane Wilma that forced us to evacuate South Florida in our motorhome. I decided to buy Microsoft's Streets and Trips and have used it for a bit during the last couple of weeks. We have the 2006 version with voice prompting. This morning we used it to navigate from our campground here in Dunedin to a generator shop in Tampa. The voice prompting was excellent and we were routed nicely to the shop.
I am validating Marvin's observations on the Delorme Software vs. the Microsoft Software. I can already see that I will not go back to the Delorme package. For about $30 at Best Buy I am finding the S & T by Microsoft an amazing buy. I am now saving up for IGuidance which I am going to add to my navigation suite.
Bob in Dunedin, Fl
Bob -- South Florida, USA
Then -- Geographer and GIS Professional
Now -- Retired and active tourist and hobbyist geographer
|
 |
|
|
photon
15 Posts |
Posted - 04 nov. 2005 : 07:01:04
|
Over the summer I read the reviews of iGuidance 2.1, CoPilot 8 and MS Streets & trips 2005 in various places on the web. From those reviews I thought I wanted iGuidance and MS Streets & Trips for my guidance and planning purposes. CoPilot was the Editors choice in the Laptop Magazine review and CoPilot offered a 30-Day Money Back Guarantee so I decided to get all three just in case but was fully expecting to return CoPilot. As it has turned out CoPilot has proven its value so I did not return it. I thought I would share some of my experiences with these programs. I have used these in the Mid Atlantic and North Eastern US.
In the image above I am traveling a four lane highway that has not changed in many years. It has some at grade intersections and some interchanges on it. There are two lanes in each direction and a left exit lane for northbound traffic to turn on to River Edge Road. As this image shows, iGuidance sometimes thinks you are in a lane you are not actually in. In this image iGuidance thinks I have entered an exit lane to make a left turn at this at grade intersection for River Edge Road in the center of the image. As I approached this intersection driving in the left lane it suddenly zoomed in and created the new route displayed which involves a left turn then a U turn and getting back on the highway. The only way to avoid this behavior is to travel in the right most lane through this area.
As shown above CoPilot doesn't make that mistake and continues to display a larger view all the way to the next turn regardless of which through lane I happen to be driving in.
The CoPilot image above shows a trip I needed to travel several times which includes multiple stops. iGuidance presented a different and visually shorter route for the segment from Shaw’s to Caratunk which Copilot didn’t want to use without some manipulation to alter its decision making. CoPilot turned out to have it correct. Unfortunately I chose to use the iGuidance route the first time I traveled the segment from Shaw’s to Caratunk.
This image shows iGuidance routing for the last segment of that multiple stop trip from Shaw's to Caratunk. Most roads don't display at this zoom level in iGuidance but this zoom level shows similar area to the CoPilot image above. I am not able to get iGuidance to display the entire route with stops but this is the segment that matters and I hope you are able to compare the images. As I discovered once I had actually been there both MS Streets & Trips and iGuidance have Caratunk miss located miles from its actual location. What iGuidance is showing here as our destination in Caratunk is right next to the actual location of The Forks. This is an error of 7.7 miles north of where Caratunk actually is. This route turned out to be a high clearance vehicle route. It was a long slow adventure in my sedan. The route gradually and sneakily deteriorated. Eventually I was frequently getting out of my car to scout out ways past boulders, ditches, pits, small streams and other hazards in this road that gradually became a narrow overgrown one lane route. I reached Caratunk over an hour later than if I had gone the CoPilot route. I used CoPilot for the remainder of my driving on this trip and had no further problems.
CoPilot isn't perfect either. This image shows Oak Hall Lane truncated in CoPilot.
In this image iGuidance has it right. iGuidance shows the entire street in the center of this image (Oak Hall Lane).
In this image CoPilot presented what really is the shortest route between these two points and it did it using primary roads totaling 16 miles.
This iGuidance image shows the same starting point and destination as above. What is iGuidance thinking? This is iGuidance shortest route and is a mix of primary roads and small residential streets. This is a 20 mile route.
As a result of my experiences I have come to depend on CoPilot as my navigation software of first choice but I continue to experiment with iGuidance because it is elegantly lean and mean. I have not used MS Streets & Trips much because CoPilot has met all of my trip planning needs and seems easier to use for that purpose. CoPilot has the advantage of creating and saving routes in its planning mode that CoPilots guidance mode will use. CoPilot remembers most settings you choose where MS Streets & Trips seems to remember nothing. There are a few things I like better about iGuidance but there are also many things I miss in it that CoPilot has. In CoPilot you can mark a road as favor or avoid and you can specify via locations if you prefer to be routed a certain way. You can also adjust CoPilots routing engine for different road types. I was able to use this feature to plan and save routes in four directions using roads that are unlikely to be clogged with traffic in the event that an evacuation of the area is called.
iGuidance weather feature launches your default browser. If that doesn't happen to be the very unsafe Internet Explorer browser the weather feature doesn't work.
My personal feeling is that CoPilot wins easily over the combination of MS Streets & Trips plus iGuidance at this point in time. If you need ONLY guidance, iGuidance is a good choice as a lower cost alternative to CoPilot but recognize that while iGuidance has excellent maps and does a very good job of plotting out the quickest route it doesn't do so well at other routing options and you may not be able to get it to plot something closer to the route you would like to take. You can still drive the route you prefer forcing iGuidance to recalculate based on where you are. If you need guidance and planning features or want to have more control over how you are routed I recommend CoPilot over the combination of MS Streets & trips and iGuidance. I feel the additional functionality in CoPilot that you can't get from having both MS Streets & Trips and iGuidance justifies the higher cost. I was able to get CoPilot at reduced cost using the Dads and Grads discount mentioned in these forums.
Photon - USA |
|
|
|
Marvin Hlavac
Canada
6899 Posts |
Posted - 04 nov. 2005 : 12:52:43
|
Hi Photon. Thanks for a very nicely done comparison review. The more of us share our experiences the easier it will be for future purchasers of these products to make an informed decision which software to go for. My perhaps the main concern with CoPilot was the map data, but quality of maps in different programs often varies based on geographical location.
Marvin Hlavac - Toronto, Canada
iGkeys | S&Tkeys | ARkeys | S&T + AR Tips & Tricks |
|
|
|
rbrown3rd
USA
43 Posts |
Posted - 04 nov. 2005 : 13:27:13
|
Thanks Photon. That was a very well done comparison. So far I have only used Delorme and MS Streets and Trips 2006. Between those two the MS software is clearly superior. My son has used MS S&T 2005 on his business trips and just switched to 2006 and really likes it. I am still going to get either Iguidance or CoPilot to supplement my MS package. So far I am really pleased with the MS package since it adds voice prompting which works extremely well for me so far. I tried the voice prompting in Delorme but it was miserable often prompting me after a turn had passed. Thanks again for a really nice comparison.
Bob -- South Florida, USA
Then -- Geographer and GIS Professional
Now -- Retired and active tourist and hobbyist geographer
|
|
|
|
photon
15 Posts |
Posted - 04 nov. 2005 : 23:56:00
|
quote:
Originally posted by Marvin Hlavac
My perhaps the main concern with CoPilot was the map data, but quality of maps in different programs often varies based on geographical location.
Hi Marvin,
You do a great service in these forums.
I wonder if folks would post data errors they find in their area if there was a special forum to post this information to. This way folks could see how the various programs do for a given area before they buy.
The quality of the data was a primary issue for me in making my decision on what to purchase. I have not been happy with the data in the Delorme products I own. I was expecting similar issues with CoPilot but having had it a while I think it has very good data. I do have a list of enhancements I would like to see in CoPilot but improved data is at the bottom of that list. Mostly these programs are very accurate but I have found data issues in all of them. As far as the places I have been go I don't think I could choose one as likely to have it right more often than the others at this point. There is still an element of the unknown whenever these programs take me through a new area. In Copilot the only data mistakes I have found so far are that truncated road and a different road that is not shown to connect with the primary road it connects to. This is pretty minor because that Copilot gets me there any way. I am either on the road and just need to watch for the destination or it routes me a slightly different way than it might if it wasn’t missing that bit of data. It has some new roads that I know were just constructed in the past few years.
A recent short road reroute that allows for construction of an interchange is not covered in any of the programs yet. The rerouted road is fun to drive. CoPilot hesitates then snaps to a previously existing small cross road in that spot which is gone now. It announces directions to get back on the main road to my destination. As we get further from the original routing it jumps to no mans land where the new road segment is at this point. iGuidance hesitates at first and doesn't have the previously existing small road to jump to so it stands still for a moment then jumps to no mans land and announces "Proceed to the nearest road". At that point both just track actual location until the reroute rejoins the original routing.
A feature that CoPilot has that I don't think other products have is the ability to submit your GPS tracks. I hope that submitting my tracks will result in correcting the issues I encounter by the next release. I won't be all that surprised if that doesn't work out but willing to give the benefit of the doubt. My email contacts with ALK have been positive experiences.
CoPilot does have a lot of options and being new to this type of software it did take me awhile to experiment with the settings to see what I like best and how to get the most out of it. Some of the choices I made early on I have now changed.
Photon - USA
|
|
|
|
Marvin Hlavac
Canada
6899 Posts |
Posted - 05 nov. 2005 : 00:34:35
|
When I played with CoPilot I was actually very disappointed with the map data, but I suspect the product may have much better map of US than it does of Canada. Your experience indicates that and also other people (including Paul a.k.a. paulkbiba) who used CoPilot were not as critical of it as I was.
I'm not sure if people would want to post info about data errors in their area, but feel free to start a new thread on that topic and it is possible people will contribute. In my experience, at least here in some parts of Canada, it seems that NavTeq (iGuidance, S&T, etc) appears to have the most consistent map data. Some people have commented in the past that perhaps TeleAtlas may have an edge on NavTeq in rural areas. CoPilot for their North American product doesn't use NavTeq or TeleAtlas data, but rather it relies on its own maps.
Marvin Hlavac - Toronto, Canada
iGkeys | S&Tkeys | ARkeys | S&T + AR Tips & Tricks |
Edited by - Marvin Hlavac on 05 nov. 2005 00:36:04 |
|
|
|
photon
15 Posts |
Posted - 05 nov. 2005 : 00:36:48
|
quote:
Originally posted by rbrown3rd
I am still going to get either Iguidance or CoPilot to supplement my MS package.
Hi Bob,
Glad you found this info helpful. If you want to try it out CoPilot does offer a 30-Day Money Back Guarantee so you could see how well it does in the places you travel.
"There’s no risk when you buy from ALK. Try our product for 30 days and see for yourself how well it works."
You probably have to purchase directly from ALK. The Dads and Grads discount code still appears to work so if you buy the CoPilot Live Laptop 8 (Software Only) you can get it for $159.20 with free shipping: The code from the link below is CPLJUN05
http://www.alk.com/newsletters/nav_june05/navigator605.htm
Hope this helps
Photon - USA
|
|
|
|
rbrown3rd
USA
43 Posts |
Posted - 05 nov. 2005 : 02:05:57
|
Thanks for that tip Photon. At one time they also had an upgrade for users of software such as Delorme. I think they required some sort of proof of purchase. I will check that out. For now, MS Streets and Trips is doing a good job for me here in Florida so I have time to really research it. I enjoy the research almost as much as using the software so this is fun to me and this forum is very helpful. I really appreciate you posting your CoPilot results.
Bob -- South Florida, USA
Then -- Geographer and GIS Professional
Now -- Retired and active tourist and hobbyist geographer
|
|
|
|
photon
15 Posts |
Posted - 06 nov. 2005 : 03:23:25
|
Here are some screenshots of Millinocket Maine focusing on the south side of town from each of the three programs. This is a little data comparison experiment that shows some ways in which the data varies between the programs.
MS S&T fares the worst in this particular location. Missing road segments and missing roads. Looking over a wider area than just Millinocket I notice missing segments in continuous roads is not unusual in this program in this part of Maine.
CoPilot does a pretty good job. It has almost as many roads as iGuidance shows and it has a thing or two that iGuidance doesn’t have. There are some differences in roads one of which I think CoPilot shows correctly but I don't know about the others. I remember following York Rd around the curve then immediately making a right turn and driving through the open gate where iGuidance shows this as a straight shot. Not at all an important difference but unusual for iGuidance. I have no idea which is correct on the routing of the far end of that road but I would put my money on iGuidance. Not all that important considering it is a dirt utility service road in a field.
I can’t set the zoom to show close to the same area as the others so a second image below that shows more detail.
iGuidance appears to cover the most roads but when you check these roads are marked as “No Name” and do not have any addresses so they are not worth much. An interesting thing to look at is the intersection of Route 157 and Medway road. iGuidance shows the intersection of Route 157 and Medway road differently from the others but the reality is really a merger of the two. Medway and Eastland are really one double wide hunk of pavement at the junction with Route 157 and yet they also diverge in about 4 car lengths so you don’t really want to be looking for close separate street entrances when you are looking for exactly where to turn in or you might miss the correct entrance thinking the guidance means the next one which is also close in view. You want to be looking for one street to turn in to that separates into two.
|
|
|
|
Marvin Hlavac
Canada
6899 Posts |
|
|
rbrown3rd
USA
43 Posts |
Posted - 06 nov. 2005 : 13:14:25
|
Photon...thanks again for your results. Very interesting.
Marvin...I have always loved creative 404 messages. That one I especially like because it has mixed in a geographic and routing element. Too cool.
Oh man....Iguidance or Copilot. Still leaning towards I guidance while I continue using S&T 2006.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Sent from the Mothership somewhere on the road.
For our latest location see http://www.bbbrown.com/ or
http://www.bbbrown.com/placemarks/location.kmz
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Bob -- South Florida, USA
Then -- Geographer and GIS Professional
Now -- Retired and active tourist and hobbyist geographer
|
|
|
|
admin_0
1 Posts |
Posted - 04 mars 2006 : 01:44:09
|
| So if I open the seal on this Microsoft Streets & Tips 2006, and install it on my bluetooth-enabled laptop, will my Palmone Bluetooth GPS that came with a TomTom Navigator package then work with my laptop? |
|
|
|
Marvin Hlavac
Canada
6899 Posts |
Posted - 04 mars 2006 : 15:31:28
|
Yes, I cannot think of any reason why it shouldn't. The receiver supports NMEA standard (just as S&T and most other software do). It's Bluetooth, just like your laptop. Enjoy !
Marvin Hlavac______________
iG customization | AR and S&T Tips & Tricks |
|
|
|
DaveP
6 Posts |
Posted - 14 mars 2006 : 16:32:53
|
Marvin,
Thank you for your review! I tried to find a review like this all day yesterday! I wanted to find out what real people thought and if anyone had compared different GPS Mapping Software for PC to one another.
I went ahead and ordered MS Streets & Trips 2006 with their GPS Receiver based on the little imformation I had yesterday.
I looked at CoPilot and was turned off by the Activation process and I thought it said I needed to be hooked up to the internet to use the software, It lost me on that. I didn't want to take a chance on buying software that I needed wireless Internet lap top while I was traveling.
I also thought it was rather quite expensive how can 1 program be more than 2X the cost of others?. Compared to S&T 2006 and iGuidance heck you could buy both those products for the cost of CoPilot. Is CoPilot that great? After reading photon's good review on CoPilot I still have a hard time with the cost.
I chose MS Streets and Trips, with out any knowlege.
The reason why I did, was it came with a GPS reciever and was only $80(Amazon.com)
I also went to S&T web site and they crushed the presentation of their product.
Yes a good web site will sell your product. Streets and Trips web site with their movie demo's gave me a real view look at their product.
Also it was MS product and I knew their GPS receiver would work with my XP windows.(At the time I didn't know you could buy any receiver like the globalsat.)
If I enjoy Streets & Trips I may spend and get IGuidence later on down the road.
Thank you for your review.
|
|
|
|
zrxh14
USA
34 Posts |
Posted - 03 avr. 2006 : 20:26:34
|
| One of the best things about S&T 2006 is the calculate route from current GPS position. |
|
|
|
Topic |
|
|
|
| This page was generated in 1,47 seconds. |
 |
|
- 
- 
Laptop GPS Software Compared
