Anybody use iGuidance laptop GPS software?

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John Canfield

John Canfield

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I've been using Delorme StreetAtlas 2009 for a few hundred miles and I have mixed feelings about the product.  My impression is the product is designed to be all  things to all people and due to the inclusion of a zillion features, the user interface is very cluttered and complex compared to others (although the UI is very customizable.)

I don't need all of those Delorme features since we just want in-vehicle navigation.  In hunting around the Internet, I came across iGuidance which looks exactly like it would meet our requirements.  I ordered it from Amazon, it's shipped, and I should get it in a few days when we call for our mail.

After we get some experience with the product, I'll post a follow-up; if anybody has any reports about the product, I'm all ears (or eyes  ;) .)
 
I'll look for your review, but at $99, it's quite expensive compared to Street Atlas Plus at $69 that has 150 million phone book listings and 4 million POIs.  Also, it appears that it costs $179 for the package that allows installation on a PC and a notebook computer while SA allows installing on a notebook in addition to a PC in the basic license.
 
$89 + $3.50 for shipping at Amazon (Semons actually) - this is without the receiver.  Yes, it is expensive, but I have an itch to scratch  :D  I did find a review at laptopgps-something-yada forum, and the package looks pretty good.
 
Have you tried Microsoft Streets & Trips? Software only around $39 and software +gps receiver for around $70. You can also get a free 60 day evaluation. Look here: S&T. I use it often. I also have Copilot but  it has become so cumbersome that I use S&T almost exclusively. For what you get you can't beat the price.
 
I used S&T in 2006 on our way to Alaska as Street Atlas didn't have Canadian maps at that time, they do now.  I found it very non-intuitive and frustrating to use as tasks that were a simple right click menu in SA were either impossible in S&T or buried in the menus.  I was so happy to get to AK and be able to use SA again.
 
John, 

I have been using the DeLorme lap top (hockey puck) system for several  years.  Am pretty(?) satisfied with it.  HOWEVER, they state correction of errors will be made if notified -- have done so on several occasions -- same errors crop up year after year.  Have you noted any?  Still depend on the GPS to tell me where I am --  NOT how to get there.

Please let us know how(well) the IGuidance works for you.  Thanks,  Kate
 
BruceinFL said:
Have you tried Microsoft Streets & Trips?
Click to expand...

I have used various versions of Delorme, Garmin, Microsoft S&T, and CoPilot for years.

CoPilot's user interface (at least up to version 10) is far  superior to any other product out there (IMHO) for navigation.  Their weakness is a relatively poor mapping database (they build their own) and POIs that seem to be educated guesses.  Streets and Trips has a superior POI database and their map DB is pretty darn good.  S&T's navigation is pretty crude compared to CoPilot and Delorme.  I do use S&T 2009 for some planning and POI lookups.

Kate - I have never liked Delorme and never submitted corrections because I never use it long enough to find errors  ;D
 
maddog348 said:
John, 

I have been using the DeLorme lap top (hockey puck) system for several  years.  Am pretty(?) satisfied with it.   HOWEVER, they state correction of errors will be made if notified -- have done so on several occasions -- same errors crop up year after year.  Have you noted any?  Still depend on the GPS to tell me where I am --  NOT how to get there.

Please let us know how(well) the IGuidance works for you.  Thanks,  Kate
Click to expand...

Several years ago, I mentioned to Delorme that they had Turk Street in San Francisco as the wrong direction (Turk is a one way street) in SA 9. In the very next version, it was corrected. I assumed it was corrected only because of me.

BTW, I now mainly use Delorme 2009 Topo, which surprisingly  works very well on my slow little cheap  EEE  PC form a 2 GB SD card.  I normally keep the contour lines off for road use. It's on a jotto desk fed from an old broken Garmin GPS III Plus (and serial to USB adapter) that has no display which was modified to never turn off and is permanently installed in the RV with an external antenna mounted to a roof vent cover. It is also permanently wired to the house battery.

-Don- SSF, CA​
 
Don,  You must be a better letter writter than I am.  Still trying to correct ST & PL that are 10mi apart.  Also local kids center is listed under RV as it has recreation in its name.  Just a few of the local ??  Am hoping out of town is better.  Altho it did lead us down a dead end(at one time crossed river into DeadHorseStPk (AZ) but they moved the bridge.)  Had to detatch the toad and back 'er out.  All part of the adventure. 
 
maddog348 said:
Don,  You must be a better letter writter than I am. 
Click to expand...

I bet it's because they take one way streets that show as the wrong direction a lot more serious as they don't want to be sued because of some idiot who pays more attention to the map than the one-way sign on the street.


"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity  --  and I'm not sure about the universe." 
-Albert Einstein

"The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits."
-Albert Einstein

-Don- SSF, CA​
 
Got our mail today and with it was the iGuidance DVD.  Installed it and played around for a few minutes - first impressions aren't good for route planning - didn't try it for nav yet.  I almost exclusively use Lat/long for destinations since I have learned not to trust any navigation product's POI (or street number) database - unfortunately iGuidance  apparently has no provision for using lat/long in route planning.  It also appears there is no way of avoiding or favoring roads or areas.  iGuidance must be like an early alpha release of CoPilot - I think I have wasted 90 bucks.
 
I have more experience playing around with iGuidance and I'm a little more familiar with it now.  There is sort of a roundabout way of using a lat/long as a destination, but it's clunky.  You have to find the exact lat/long point by trial and error - you right click to place a 'dot' and select 'info' - the address and lat/long are displayed.  It might take several right clicks to hit on your desired lat/long.  Then a right (or was it left) click and you can add that point as a via, destination, or stop.

It seems like you can avoid roads similar to the Delorme method - you add a 'via' and then it routes to the via.  Trip planning is much more difficult than with CoPilot.
 
We used S&T last year, but decided we didn't like it for navigation.  Can't remember just exactly why.  So, we changed to a Garmin self contained unit and are happy with it.

But, we do use S&T for planning purposes & love it for that.  One thing I like is the ability to estimate where we will be when it is time to hang it up and see what campgrounds are around and where they are in relation to our route.
 
geodrake said:
We used S&T last year, but decided we didn't like it for navigation....But, we do use S&T for planning purposes & love it for that. 
Click to expand...

George - exactly the same sentiments here - S&T is a great planning tool and that's all we use it for.  I have been using CoPilot for planning (since it is height-aware) and to determine about where we need to stop for the night (300-400 miles.)  Then I use Trailer Life Campground Navigator to look around in the vicinity to find prospective stops.
 
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