It's Official! Google Phone/Maps>Garmin>Mapquest

[Amber Lamps]

I drive for a living and my Nexus One consistently finds addresses that my Garmin can not. I was on a long drive yesterday and decided to call Garmin. After 27 minutes on hold (yeah unlimited calling) I got Chris from customer service. I read off three addresses that Garmin couldn't find but my phone could and he double checked them and even checked Mapquest to no avail. Heck, my phone even went so far as to give me a picture of the building when I arrive at the locations, with one being an empty lot because the house was only a couple years old. What irritates the most is that I updated my Garmin maps in Dec and one of the developments had been there for at least 3 years.

[anthonyk]

Yeah, Google maps (and GPS) managed to find me in the backwoods of India and show me the dirt roads out. It's good stuff.

[Trip]

Google is constantly updated. garmin does it once a year. My garmin app for my blackberry is better than the google map app because it is updated consistently as well. I still like my zumo because I can use it in no cell coverage.

[marko138]

Does your Google maps read the directions to you?

[derf]

Also realize that GPS companies may update their map every year, more than likely the map info is bought from a 3rd party, add in development time for them to transfer the 3rd party information to a digital map, plus time for that 3rd party to get the information. It all adds up to an updated map that is between 3 and 5 years old for the modern update. Their bussines model is based on giving you an updated map every few years.

Google on the other hand updates a website based on construction reports, their bussiness model also includes giving you a free map on demand.

[azoomm]

Originally Posted by marko138

Does your Google maps read the directions to you?

If you select navigation with voice, yes.

[Amber Lamps]

Originally Posted by Trip

Google is constantly updated. garmin does it once a year. My garmin app for my blackberry is better than the google map app because it is updated consistently as well. I still like my zumo because I can use it in no cell coverage.

Trust me ,Nick, I don't know about other phones but mine does not require cell coverage to operate the GPS. I used it just yesterday out in the sticks-zero coverage, without any problem. It reads the directions, through my stereo via the aux jack and it shows a picture of my destination when I get there. I have an 800 series Garmin, pretty much the top of the line for them. If I'm not mistaken, my phone does have a built in gps antenna.

[Amber Lamps]

Originally Posted by derf

Also realize that GPS companies may update their map every year, more than likely the map info is bought from a 3rd party, add in development time for them to transfer the 3rd party information to a digital map, plus time for that 3rd party to get the information. It all adds up to an updated map that is between 3 and 5 years old for the modern update. Their bussines model is based on giving you an updated map every few years.

Google on the other hand updates a website based on construction reports, their bussiness model also includes giving you a free map on demand.

Dude, that's a pathetic excuse... for one at least one of my destinations had been there for years and two when your ENTIRE business revolves around the gps industry, it kinda sucks that you are beaten out by a company like Google that has many irons in the fire imho. That would be like Microsoft coming out with a better motorcycle than Honda.

[Trip]

Originally Posted by TIGGER

Trust me ,Nick, I don't know about other phones but mine does not require cell coverage to operate the GPS. I used it just yesterday out in the sticks-zero coverage, without any problem. It reads the directions, through my stereo via the aux jack and it shows a picture of my destination when I get there. I have an 800 series Garmin, pretty much the top of the line for them. If I'm not mistaken, my phone does have a built in gps antenna.

gps works fine, it's loading the maps that's an issue. The maps are not preloaded on the phone, it requires service to download the maps before you can set your route.

GPS devices come preloaded with maps, which makes them great in the sticks, but is also why they aren't as up to date as on demand map applications on cell phones. Unless you are using wifi, you are just flat out lying and we can all point and laugh.

iphone does have some standalone gps apps but they require several gigs of memory to store something on the order to store a decent map. Garmin's maps of USA are over 2 gigs. Google maps is a massive package that would require most of a memory card and it isn't stored on the memory card that comes with the phone.

[Trip]

Originally Posted by TIGGER

Dude, that's a pathetic excuse... for one at least one of my destinations had been there for years and two when your ENTIRE business revolves around the gps industry, it kinda sucks that you are beaten out by a company like Google that has many irons in the fire imho. That would be like Microsoft coming out with a better motorcycle than Honda.

Given that different map companies do things differently and their focus on updating may include seperate areas of the country it is something of an issue.

Also, Garmin and others have had a bigger memory issue to deal with. They are standalone GPS units. They have all the maps on one device. Memory has cost a lot of money and is coming down now, which is why you are seeing much more cheaper units on the market, but they also try to make older units still update-able so they have to keep their map packages small so old customers can still update their maps.

Cell phones use on demand tech, they can keep their map as updated and larger as they want since they don't store the entire map on the phone.