Telmap5 on Bold 9900 First Impressions

[LondonBB]

I’ve recently downloaded Telmap5 onto my new 9900, having used Telmap via Vodafone’s “Find & Go” for a few years previously on other BBs – a great app!

I’ve used the new Telmap5 for three short journeys and thought I’d post some initial impressions.

I believe the app I have installed on my 9900 may not be dedicated for the 9900 so hopefully some of the below issues will be resolved once a 9900 specific app is developed.

Some of these points have already been raised but I think it worth mentioning again.

Firstly the icons are much too small. I only have average sized fingers but find 50% of the time I select something I don’t mean too and other times it takes several "dabs" of the screen to make the icon respond which can be quite frustrating.

A major issue with the 9900 is that it’s not possible to scroll and select tabs via the touch pad on the phone, which would make it so much easier to use and employ.

I find the text too small. I tend to use glasses for typing on the computer and reading etc, although my sight isn't too bad, but it’s impossible to read the icons without glasses. On previous "Find & Go" apps they were bigger and much more legible in consequence. This is an issue if I don’t have my glasses with me and there’s often plenty of room on the 9900’s screen to potentially make the text and icons bigger.

As mentioned, it would be much, much better if, in addition to being able to touch the screen to select, the scroll pad could be used. Ideally as you scroll through a list of address, for instance, perhaps these could be highlighted and grow in size, a quick press of the touch pad selecting the highlighted icon. Equally if the highlighted icon grew in size it would make it a rather better target to be dabbed by finger on the touch screen.

Another issue I personally have is that the volume isn’t loud enough for voice commands when driving, and I can’t find any menu to make it increase. I tend to listen to music when driving (not too loud though!) but in the past using “Find & Go” I’ve found even the loudest of the three levels is not really loud enough! I think it would be a major improvement to be able to increase the volume significantly - after all, one can always turn it down if it’s too loud but if it won’t go loud enough there's no option.

I used the Telmap5 for a journey this morning and once I reached my destination the app froze - I couldn’t get out of Telmap and had to do a battery pull, after which it was fine again. This may again be an issue with the app not being dedicated to the 9900?

Otherwise it works well once on the move with clear road nav graphics, I just think these initial fundamental issues need to be addressed - specifically making text info bigger, being able to move through and select using the touch pad and an option to increase volume.

[LondonBB]

I used Telmap5 on my 9900 for a longer journey today and, bar the too small text and low volume issues (it whispers!), which hopefully will be sorted once a dedicated 9900 version is finalised, its brilliant. I think its got great graphics, functioned well and quick, a great improvement on the previous version I had on my 9700.

I also like the way you can quickly get a map up, scroll the screen and touch a point that you'd like to navigate too. Coming back today towards home I needed to take a detour to collect my kids from their day club but didn't have an address so scrolled to the correct road on the map, touched the screen and navigated (faultlessly) to that point.

I can't wait for the dedicated 9900 version to appear - if it corrects the current frustrating issues of ridiculously low volume, text that's impractical too read (particularly when driving) and inability to scroll using the touch pad, it should be awesome!

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