Pocket PC - version 4.37 released

SafeHarbor · Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2004 8:42 pm Post subject: Pocket PC - version 4.37 released

Here are the release notes for version 4.37 for the Pocket PC. We are now suggesting a 300 mHz machine with 64 megs of RAM as a minimum platform for running Mapopolis Navigator.

4.37 30 January 2004

* Implements quick find of PIOs. This function appears under "Tools -> Find -> All Places by Type." If GPS is active, the search origin is set to the GPS position. Tapping the PIO icon brings up "Route there."
* Adds "Route To" in the Pop-up menu which appears when tapping and holding the information box for an item on the map.
* Adds checkbox under Navigation Options to suppress "Next" prompt.
* Implements "GPS port not available" notification message if the GPS port cannot be opened
* When using Route To or Route There, if no address is specified as the beginning point, the current GPS position is the default (with no need to return to the navigation screen).
* Implements pSpeak text to speech synthesis for directions. (English only.)

Lamar @ mapopolis support

Dzik · Occasional Visitor Joined: Feb 03, 2004 Posts: 2

SafeHarbor, what's pSpeak? Is there a User Guide for this version specifically? Is thare a way to preserve setting when you upgrade Mapapolis. Thanks in advance.

SafeHarbor · Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2004 9:02 pm Post subject:

Hi, Dzik,

pSpeak is the Mapopolis implementation of a phonetic database, needed to create the voice synthesis for reading the street and road names.

And when new settings are added, there's not an easy way to preserve the old settings, but it does record and save your maplets.

I also have a preview of the 4.38 version available and will be happy to send it to anybody who writes to lamar@mapopolis.com and requests it. I'll post here when it's released, of course.

Thank you for asking. This forum needs some activity. Smile

Lamar @ mapopolis support

SafeHarbor · Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2004 9:04 pm Post subject:

Oh, and there's not yet a version of the manual for 4.37/4.38 specifically, but the help files in the problem have been updated with the changes.

Lamar @ mapopolis support

SafeHarbor · Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2004 9:05 pm Post subject:

Freudian slip - help files in the "program"

Lamar @ mapopolis support

Dzik · Occasional Visitor Joined: Feb 03, 2004 Posts: 2

Thanks SafeHarbor. I gave pSpeak a try today. Finally we got road names and other stuff in voice commands! Bravo Mapopolis team. They sound bit synthetic for my taste but's it's definatelly a step in a right direction. Is this something that will evolve into more natural voice as technology improves?
What's new in 4.38? Can we axpect 3D maps in a future?

Sorry for all the questions. I really like your product and I'm curious of what's ahead.

SafeHarbor · Posted: Thu Feb 05, 2004 9:37 pm Post subject:

Dzik, my crystal ball gets very murky and I have to adjust the rabbit ears sometimes. I think it's a safe guess that the text-to-speech engine will improve and that other voices, including a English-accent voice, will be added.

We've looked at 3D and are not sure where it fits in with the philosophy of our program, which is to be fast, accurate, and do it all on the handheld without needing an attached PC to set it up. 3D uses up a lot of system resources, and we already have a "busy" program.

Our programmers are working on it now, but it has not yet been determined that we WILL offer it at all. It depends on how it performs and how great the demand is for it from our customers.

Lamar @ mapopolis support
_________________
Mapopolis support

israel_id · Occasional Visitor Joined: Nov 06, 2003 Posts: 14

I 've always tried to convince people new to gps that a 3D view is just a gimmick... I Like the fact that mapopolis has choosen not to implement it just yet. what mapopolis does boast though is functionality.

I guess the 3d view might be needed for the marketing side of things.
Thumbs Up

AlunS · Posted: Sun Mar 14, 2004 6:37 pm Post subject:

I personally find the new pspeak thing a bit irritating. To start with the whole voice prompt is now often waaay too long, and usually gets interrupted halfway through or even earlier especially when turns are coming thick and fast on top of one another.

Also it makes some very amusing attempts at some Irish place and streetnames which, quite frankly, are totally unintelligible. Oh yes, and it insists on calling Irish national roads, like the N11, "North 11", instead of "En 11".

Could we please have an option to get the old terser prompts back again ... I miss Audrey Smile

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