Tom Tom on the iPhone
But it sounds like a half-baked attempt to rush an app out that has been in development for most of the year (at least).
The initial reports on the $A100 app are less than complementary, particularly in comparison to their cheaper, more refined, and much earlier released competitors.
I’ve been specifically waiting for Tom Tom’s release since I got the iPhone last year. I guess waiting a bit longer to see if they can sort out what sounds like some significant complaints wouldn’t be a bad thing. And if they don’t, well their competition gets good reviews, and is 20% cheaper!
Whilst I won’t be trying Tom Tom I have tried both Sygic Navigator & Navigon.
I find the sygic app to be the best at the moment (most accurate), as I have tried to navigate with the Navigon it seems to have my position out by about 500m which to me is too bi an error especially for turn by turn navigation.
So for now I will be sticking with sygic 2009 edition which covers (for you stu) Australia and new zealand.
Dave
Great feedback – thanks Dave. I needed that first-hand (trusted) comparison. the out-of-position error you were getting with Navigon is one of the issues people are also raising with the Tom Tom – which is quite a deal-killer.
Given the Sygic is getting the best review, it is becoming increasingly likely that I will go that was as well.
Shame I bothered waiting! At least now I’m not left wondering!
It all comes down to why we buy gps units, we want accurate directions from A to B, a difference of 500m or so may seem trivial to some but try going up to upper beaconsfield in the dark and trying to find your way. It took me an extra 45 minutes for a 15 minute journey due to the inaccuracy, they should refund people the $100 or so and give us a program that should navigate. If we wanted inaccuracy by a Melways and Navigate with that on your lap.
Sygic is the one for me, I did have tom tom on my ipaq but bough IGo8 instead, far superior, well at least it gives me 250 metres,100 metre and 50 metre warnings of when I need to turn rather than tom tom’s turn right, recalculating.
Reliability has to be the key factor, route 66 on my nokia took me on a journey to oakleigh from pakenham (my daily comute), the route it planned took me not down huntingdale rd (which it should) but up warrigal road, turn right towards malvern and down behind chadstone shopping centre and back on to princess highway and then down huntingdale rd. shame on route66
Absolutely agree with all that. TomTom’s IQ is meant to help too – learning about the route you take from a specific A to a specific B, but I don’t see how that helps either. If I know how to get from A to B, I don’t need a GPS. Where I do need it, is getting somewhere I don’t know, and then we are absolutely dependent on the device/program getting it right (left, right).
Now I have committed (at this stage) to not using mobile data on my phone, I need a unit to get me around the place – be that software on my phone or a dedicated unit. Sadly, even keeping the maps current is a futile, very expensive exercise.
Wish they’d learn from the Apple Store Apps model – 10000 programs sold for $1 makes a lot more money than 100 programs sold for $10. Relating that back, if TomTom’s app was $20 (or even $10), 1000’s would buy it to try it out. There is always more money in the masses if you get your advertising right.
i dont even keep a sim in my iphone, just use skype over wifi if i need to make calls, dont even use a data plan.
sygics maps even include eastlink, which route 66 doesn’t, most dont include the new pakenham bypass, sygic does and it only takes up 202mb including australia and new zealand maps
to me its like the printer and ink scenario, my wife has a lexmark printer bought it for $200 last year, 3rd lot of cartridges cost $110. All these companies realise that they can afford to make a loss on the technology and make it up on the consumables. dont forget the reason apps are around is that someone wished there device had this feature or that feature and so filled the gap. Also apple receives 30% of the app fee for every app sold – not a small amount of money. Considering that apple put a gps in the iphone and due to there agreement with google for non turn by turn navigation what point is there in having a phone that will only tell you you are here.
Thanks all for the update, I will stay away from Tom Tom for now. Also, with all the hype I can’t locate a store that sells the car mount which supposedly improves reception. sygic app it is.
I’ve also heard how much they are charging for the car mount (which initial discussions included that it was going to be part of the app purchase) – around $150. If you combine it, might as well just go out and get a dedicated unit. Hate to think what the upgrade maps are going to cost, I’d guess based on all this, they won’t be free (or even cheap)