Mapsonic, TomTom2, SmartST v2, Mapopolis

guy · Occasional Visitor Joined: Feb 08, 2004 Posts: 13

There are 3 basic questions I have spent about 30 hours in the last month trying to answer (using this site, gpspassion.com, gpsinformation, and pocketpcpassion.com) that maybe folks could help with.

1) Who has the best maps for Europe, TeleAtlas or Navtech? Now, in general I have found that people have said that Navtech does, but in the towns near my apartment in Italy, TeleAtlas clearly is better. Also, I checked a few more towns that I have visited, and TeleAtlas is always as good (used Viamichelin.com and Mapquest.com to compare) What have you guys found in your personal experience with the TeleAtlas and Navtech maps in Europe?

2) Of Mapsonic, TomTom2, Navman SmartSt v2, and Mapopolis (i know mapopolis uses Navtech) , who I can expect to actually include the latest maps of their supplier, whether it be Tele Atlas or Navtech, and who will provide the updates of the maps at a reasonable price? If you don't answer anything else, this is the number 1 question I would like help with before I will buy the software.

3) Now, which software should I get. I'm pretty sure if I find that Navtech has the best maps, I will go with Mapopolis for Europe because Routis isn't out yet for Europe, and it looks pretty clear that Mapopolis and Routis have the best software using Navtech maps. If I go with software that uses TeleAtlas, the competition seems a bit more difficult to decide upon. There are 3 things that I hold as the most important for the software I want to buy.
1) Has the latest and most accurate maps
2) Provides routes that, most of the time, are not filled with problems such as driving me 10 miles out of the way
3) Provides updates to the software and maps at a fair price.

I like the rest of the cool features the different softwares provide, but all the cool features mean nothing to me if the software doesn't have the roads in the towns I want to visit, or half the time it provides ridiculous routes. I can actually live with the latter if the software at least has the latest roads. I mean lets face it, if I know where I am on the map with the GPS and it has all the roads, I can probably get there. But, if the software gives me a great route, but only gets me within 10 miles because it doesn't have the roads I need, then it is useless.

Hopefully you folks can help...

Right now I'm leaning towards Mapsonic because I like the maps on Viamichelin.com, it just seems like they incoporate the Tele Atlas maps well. Plus, it looks like the software has a good map loader for the pocketpc. It sounds like TomTom II is the best for features and routing, but it seems they are expensive for the maps, I'm worried they won't be as reasonable with updates to their maps, and don't include the latest and most complete TeleAtlas maps. It looks like SmartST v2 is decent, but there really isn't a lot out there for reviews, so without more input from folks who have used it, I'm reluctant to get it based on the v1 weaknesses relative to TomTom.

Thank you very much if you read this far, and I will act on your help soon, ie as soon as I get some good answers, I'm ordering the software pronto Smile

legless · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jan 04, 2004 Posts: 6

Personnally I'd stay away from Mapsonic/Mapviewer.

The maps are as good as any but the software needs a lot of development and the viaMichelin marketing and support groups need to take a lot more notice of what people are saying in forums like these.

have a look at this for another not very happy mapsonic user (FRODO):

http://firstloox.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1144

Lack of public API's for things like uploading POIs, uploading waypoints, doing postcode destination and locate from address book functions obviously account for some of cost differential between the viaMichelin products and the likes of TomTom but (in my view) it make for a much weaker product.

Regards

Jon

guy · Occasional Visitor Joined: Feb 08, 2004 Posts: 13

Thanks for the reply legless.

Anyone have more answers to my 3 questions?

Thanks,

Guy

MrT · Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2004 8:35 am Post subject: Try Alturion

They are very expensive and offer map and software upgrades for a year then afterwards for an annual fee. It runs on both PC and PDA and has many features including TMC that the others do not.

I have seen it in use in a colleagues car (without TMC) and when working it seemed very impressive. However to me it appeared not much better than an alpha version as the screen kept locking up and needing a soft reset, not something you want to do whilst driving. On screen it also appeared to be always driving down the wrong side of the dual carriageways. Not a problem for my Dutch colleague but a bummer in the UK.

www.alturion.com

guy · Occasional Visitor Joined: Feb 08, 2004 Posts: 13

Thanks MrT for the response. I'm open to Alturion, but your reply didn't really provide answers to the 3 questions, it just complicated the situation a bit more. While you saw the Alturion product personally, there isn't a professional review on it, or many other users who can talk about it. Also, you said it looked impressive, but then noted some problems with it at the end. Finally, I'm still trying to figure out which navigation software includes the the most up-to-date and full maps of their supplier, whether it be TeleAtlas or Navtech.

Thanks,
Guy

DennyL · Regular Visitor Joined: Jan 24, 2004 Posts: 114

It seems to me, Guy, that you can rule out Mapsonic because it doesn't provide updates at a fair price, or any price at all other than re-buying the whole product!

A couple of weeks ago I emailed Mapsonic and asked them whether, and for how long and at what price, updates were available to Mapsonic purchasers. Here is their reply:-

Thank you for your message and your interest in ViaMichelin and our PDA products.

We would like to inform you that we offer you a free update to optimise our software on your PDA. To find the update , please follow this path on our website www.ViaMichelin.com: Store/ Map Display and Navigation/ MapSonic or MapViewer presentation and demo/ technical information (on the left)/ Update your software.

Besides, there is no update of the maps available, these are actualized in each new PDA software version every year and are made by our partner TeleAtlas, which provides us all the cartography.

We hope we could provide you with enough information to answer your request and if you have any other question, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Yours faithfully,

- Customer Relations Department -

Wherever you're going, go ViaMichelin.
http://www.ViaMichelin.co.uk

Have you considered www.digimap.de, Guy? No-one seems to talk about it and I don't know how good it is. they even have a chart on their Web site showing how their update/upgrade system works, and say "Map data updates are available on a half yearly basis. The next map data update will appear approx. in August 2003. Map data updates may only purchased for the regions your license is valid for.", for what it's worth (August 2003!)

I use a Palm Tungsten T3 and am trying to decide whether to go with Maopsonic or Mapopolis.

guy · Occasional Visitor Joined: Feb 08, 2004 Posts: 13

Thanks DennyL,

I put 50 hours of work into researching this subject. I finally decided to just get Mapsend Streets Europe for the Magellan Meridian I already have. I know I'm missing out on routing, more detailed Tele Atlas European maps, color, and the whole pocketpc. However, I decided to save 900 bucks, give the software 3 more years to develop and buy my unit when I go back to the states. If I didn't already have the meridian and I owned a pocketpc, then I think I would have got SmartSt v2. Since it is new I think it would have the Tele Atlas latest maps.

Guy

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