vB Easy Archive - Blackjack & GPS

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Blackjack & GPS
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Posted by: kteicher

I have been intrigued by using GPS with the Blackjack and wanted to share some observations as it relates to the two products that I have been playing around with MSN Live and Copilot 6 for Smartphones.

Firstly, I used LIVE and I must say this is a most impressive product. The directions it provided were accurate, clear and efficient. I tried locating some recently constructed streets and they were found. The points of interest database is outstanding, a breeze to find all types of places quickly and easily.

On the downside it doesn't force the screen on the Blackjack to stay lit and doesn't provide voice prompts. The maps look outstanding as well, but there is not a "safe" mode of display when driving, basically text based. Also, if you drive off the route an automatic rerouting is not done.

The depth and breadth of the points of interest is a key feature for me. In a town I was unfamiliar with I was easily able to select from the closest restaurants, even ones that apparently had opened rather recently.

The points of interest database in my Hertz rental car is also nowhere near as complete or searchable as Live.

I was frustrated by the lack of voice prompts with Live, so I decided to make a $149 investment and buy Copilot 6 for Smartphones. As promised this product works without any issues with the Blackjack.

The points of interest database with Copilot is rather limited, only finding a few restaurants near my office, LIVE found virtually all of them (about 25).

The maps don't appear as nicely as Live, but this is a personal preference and doesn't impact my actual use of the product.

I used Copilot today to route me from my office to my home (about 10 miles). The route selected was totally different than the route that Live, Google and Mapquest provided. I think Copilot selected a less efficient route. I overrode the route and went the way I usually go and Copilot updated quickly and easily and rerouted me along the route I normally take.

When I got closer to my home the route provided my Copilot essentially took me past my house and then brought me back. I thought this was very wierd. When I got home I looked closer at the Copilot map and determined that Copilot selected the route it did because it did not show the street I live on running between two major streets. This was a bit disturbing since the road I live on was extended to the other main cross street in 1989. It appears that the Copilot map was from before that time???

I then checked other streets around me constructed in the last 10 years and none of them were shown in Copilot either.

Live, Mapquest, Google all displayed the newer streets.

I really liked the voice prompts (although the prompts don't announce the street names you need to turn on, it's prompts are rather clear). The screen display in "safe mode" is pretty neat, very little map with bold text giving instructions. When the car stops (i.e. at a traffic light) the display seems to revert back to a full map display.

Overall I am pleased with Copilot but would like to see the major shortcomings that I discovered (not a great points of interest database and what seems to be older maps) improved over time.

For my use I will use Copilot when I can input addresses or city destinations. I will use Live to find points of interest and then probably input the addresses back into Copilot, since I feel that the voice prompts and safe display mode of the Copilot makes for safer driving.

Obviously one product won't provide solutions to all my issues.

Hope this helps others interested in GPS with their Blackjack.