[simon_m]

Hey guys

I need some information and i hope you will be able to help me ...I am originally from US,but recently my job is connected with lots of travelling in Europe (and especially UK) ,so i need a reliaqble GPS system ..A friend advised me not to buy TomTom ,because it has some connectivity problems in Europe ,and also told me to try some rookies on the market ,which offer free try outs ...So i checked and the most popular one which i found is called NAV4ALL ..You can download it for free from their website ,which is pretty convinient..The only thing is i that i don`t know if it is safe to do this ..Has anybody checked it out ?

Thank you!!

[Hands0n]

Hi simon_m and welcome to Talk3G.

"TomTom" ....."connectivity problems in Europe" - I cannot accept the information you have been given by your friend. Firstly we have to separate out what is going on and where.....

Tom Tom is merely GPS software, it has no connectivity to do other than to the GPS receiver, be that Bluetooth or COMn: port. For that it will rely on the PDA or Laptop's own operating system communications support.

Next the GPS receiver - the world is your oyster here, the choices you have of wired or wireless (Bluetooth) are large to say the least. If I had to offer advice I would say go for a Bluetooth GPS receiver as that will hold the best future-proofing for you should you change PDA/Laptop/GPS Software. Now this is where there may be some issues regarding sattelite acquisiton and holding. Some GPS receivers do it better than others - it may be this is what your friend is alluding to. But, and this is important to note, you are not obliged to use Tom Tom's own GPS receiver. You can buy Tom Tom software only and select whaterver GPS receiver you choose.

For the latter read all of the reviews or visit specialist GPS websites and see what the forums say about each. But generally, GPS receiver technology is at such a state of the art that there is little to choose from at the base level of the technology.

HTH.

[miffed]

I have a feeling another newbie will be along with some very positive "finer details" about Nav4all any minute now ;)

[Hands0n]

Gosh! I can't wait to hear how good that is :rolleyes:

[3g-g]

My next trip to Colombia is due soon as well...

Perhaps the best selling portable sat nav system in the UK (tomtom) has met it's match in nav4all?

[Victoriya]

I'm currently using this software and i find it rather useful. The programme is light (because it downloads only maps that u need) and easy to navigate... however the downaside is that the maps are only 2D, so if you expect some fancy graphics as tomtom, you won't be delighted unfortunately... :) I guess that's how much u get for a free software, i hope nav4all gets better when it becomes paid..

[Ben]

Did I accidentally miss the R out of GPRS somewhere? O_o

[simon_m]

exactly for this reason i was asking about opinions for tomtom and nav4all ..beca use i really have no idea if i can compare them and whatsoever ,so i was relying of friends advice and answers from forums ....i don`t know if nav4all is that amazing ,but i spoke with a coleague of mine who told me that if it is free to download it means that they would definitely try to compensate this with unreasonably high price for on-going services ,which means that i will look for another options ..

[Ben]

Generally speaking, you get what you pay for.

[Hands0n]

@simon_m - Generally speaking Tom Tom is the acknowledged "best" of the bunch. In its version 5 incarnation it includes all of the European maps too, which is better value than some that make additional charges for doing so.

Nav4all is what it is - a budget priced product that has some limitations, as Victoriya (above) says. There are undoubtedly others in comparison to Tom Tom.

But, as has already been said "You pays your money and takes your choice". I suppose if you subsequently find out that Nav4all is not all that it is cracked up to be, or that it does not fully meet your requirements you could always buy into Tom Tom (your other choice) and the loss will not be so great, but the experience quite rewarding.

[simon_m]

well guys ..

i checked the software out ..a friend of my sister has it ,so i could see what t was about ...the price depends on the data transfer as the software downloads the maps from a satelite ,so there is no set price ....this was very interesting-the real time of the maps which keeps them maximally up-to-date ..

I think that the maps of TomTom can be bought in advance ,but not directly downloded ,this is a very big difference...

[Hands0n]

Point of clarification and a caution, read up on the product carefully.

Nav4All does not download its maps from any sattelite. What it does is use the mobile phone network to contact the Nav4All central site to get your routemap for the journey you are about to undertake. That means, you have to be in range of a mobile phone transmitter mast - not a problem generally in the UK - for your network provider so that you may establish a call session with the Nav4All computers.

The following taken from the Nav4All Frequently Asked Questions (http://www.nav4all.com/site2/www.nav4all.com/enguk/faq.php) pages.



5. Do I stay in connection with the Nav4All computer the whole time while I am navigating?
No, only to calculate the route; which is generally no more than a few seconds. If the route needs to be recalculated because you have changed your plans or ignored the directions, you would need to call the Nav4All computer with your telephone again.

and ...

11. In areas where my mobile phone does not work....?No problem; the system will keep guiding you, as long as you started before you entered the telephone vacuum. You only need a telephone connection of a few seconds before the start of the vacuum.....


And ... from their "Its so easy (http://www.nav4all.com/site2/www.nav4all.com/enguk/easy.php)" web page



What could be easier than navigating with your own handset?
Click on the Nav4All menu and enter a new destination or click on a previously saved destination. Its that simple.
Your GPS receiver - as you do need it - recognises the location where you are at that moment, while your handset contacts the Nav4All main computer, which then calculates your route within seconds and relays it to your handset.Next, follow the clear arrows on your display or the spoken instructions and you will arrive at your destination. With the car, your scooter, your motorcycle or by walking, it's that easy.


What is not so clear is HOW the mobile phone contacts the Nav4All main computer - it could be via GPRS which could be very expensive in data charges dependent upon your mobile operator and what package you are on. Alternatively, it could be a "phone call" to an international number which again on a mobile could be very expensive. The costs are played down dismissively on the website - which alone is very worrying.



6. What are the telecom costs involved?
In comparison with other forms of telecom traffic, the Nav4All telecom costs are negligible.
Significantly lower than the prices offered by other navigation service providers.


Finally .... there seems to be a time limit (http://www.nav4all.com/site2/www.nav4all.com/enguk/phoneguide.php)


Until 15 August 2006 everyone can use the best navigation system in the world since we consider every user as a test user.
The sooner you use the system, the more you can benefit from it.
Nav4All has no limit to the number of users: we can take on millions at a time. Only the period is very limited.
The more people use our system, the better it will be.
So let your family members, colleagues, friends and business users (employees and/or clients) enjoy this unique worldwide possibility of navigating using their own mobile phone/handset.
There are just two conditions. Firstly, you must have a Bluetooth enabled phone with the corresponding Java support for Bluetooth. Have a look at Selected handsets to see if your device is suitable.
Secondly, you must have a GPS receiver. You can buy a GPS receiver separately, but the Bluetooth receivers used by other navigation systems such as TomTom, Route 66, Wayfinder, Activepilot and all the others are suitable as well!
With Nav4All you can easily extend the reach of your current navigation system until it practically includes the whole world, while costing you nothing! And you can also enjoy the most recent updates free!
Use the hardware of your ‘old’ navigation system and improve it with Nav4All software.

If you do not have a GPS receiver, then have a look at the Shop and order the HOLUX GPSlim236 Bluetooth GPS receiver with SiRF-Star-III.
Be quick about it, as stocks are limited!
You can also buy a comparable GPS receiver from a reliable post order company, your favourite electronics company or your telecom provider.


I have nothing against Nav4All as a product but there are too many ambiguities for me to be satisfied with using such a facility. I would much prefer to pay a fixed amount for a product such as Tom Tom and, with no other charges for actual use, just get on with it.

[simon_m]

yeah ,i perfectly understand what u mean and i think that are many people that share your view..
but for my type of lifestyle,i think this is the best option..my company assigns me to go to different places and i don`t know where i am going much time in advance ..so i just download the map when i am there and i don`t have to buy anything in advance ..and when i don`t need it anymore i just delete it and i am done ..well ,it is true that the costs can be high sometimes ,but the company covers that ..hehe

[Victoriya]

Yeah it's true that nav4all has its limitations, but it has its advantages as well. First of all it is not as expensive as many people think... i mean the download per MB; and seond of all it is up to you how much you'll download. You only have to download maps that you atually need (not a whole package) so you don't have to download maps you're not gonna use...

[miffed]

I must say I am a little wary of using Nav4all

I am guessing that Nav4all is linked to the NWO (New world order) & is part of a conspiricy , where the Illuminati are making an effort to track our activities

Look across the internet and you will see that ALL of those that promote/ endorse / or even have a good word to say about Nav4all appear to have sprung from nowhere - they all have no other posts to there name other than the ones promoting Nav4all
This suggests to me that these people have been brainwashed by the Illuminati and given new Identitiies
So if you want to be brainwashed & become part of the New World Order , then fine - but I have heard some nasty stories about these Reptillians , so be very careful !

I will be passing this information on to David Icke ,John Ronson etc ASAP