I have a laptop that I'm interested in installing and using GPS. Looking for advice of easiest to use software. I would like it to announce turns with street name, also later I would like to use a tablet (touch screen) laptop. It would be used in US only.

Hi gburkhart, welcome to the forum.

Voice direction prompts with street names you get from iNav iGuidance, ALK CoPilot, DeLorme Street Atlas. Out of those, iNav iGuidance and ALK CoPilot are what most of us would consider touch-screen friendly. And out of those two, I'd say iNav iGuidance is the easiest to use.

The above just answers the three points you mentioned. There may be other factors affecting how suitable a product may be for a user. Check the various reviews posted at http://www.laptopgpsworld.com/37-list-laptop-gps-navigation-software-programs-reviews. Every one of the products listed at that page will get you safely from point A to point B. Each of them has many loyal users who consider it to be the best for what they need. It's very much a personal decision. I think these days there is no such a thing as a bad GPS navigation program.

MARVIN:

Thanks for the response. The touch screen laptop I am looking at is a UMPC. I see that you are in the process of evaluating Mapfactor PC Navigator 7. How does it compare to the 2 others you mentioned, from what you have observed so far. I am fully appreciative of your thoughts and comments.

Mapfactor PC Navigator 7 doesn't read street names, if that's a feature you are looking for. I personally only think of street names as "somewhat helpful". I don't consider the feature to be critical at all, but many users are looking for it.

Mapfactor PC Navigator 7 is touch-screen friendly, and it would work well on a UMPC or a TabletPC.

I like its 3D-map view very much. The product does have a few features which could easily be improved, but nothing that would be a show stopper.

I haven't had much time to work on the review yet, but I've driven with it on several trips.

MARVIN:
I appreciate your help. I've decided on the iNav software. My problem now is a GPS receiver. I would like a USB/Bluetooth combination, low current consumption. The ones packaged with the software are either USB or Bluetooth separately. Thanks again.
gordon

Gordon, I'm not sure if there is any other GPS receiver on the market today which offers both Bluetooth and USB connectivity, but the couple year old Holux GPSlim 236 still seems to be around. GPSlim 236 by Holux does indeed offer Bluetooth and/or USB - and yes, I mean and/or, because if you wish you can use Bluetooth and USB connections even simultaneously.

Pharos makes a Blue Tooth dock for the USB receiver that comes with Streets and Trips, it is approx. $50.00.

Using the dock adapter you can have a wireless or USB connection. I plan on purchasing mine to use with my Pocket PC.

Wayne

I just noticed when looking at the Pharos site that they have one adaptor for 2007/08 versions and one for the 2005/06 version. Thought I would mention that so someone does not do like I usually do and order the first one I see .

Wayne

Marvin:
Got my GPSlim 236 with optional usb cable, and iNav. IN USB MODE. Got the 236 tracking and about to get the iNav going when the GPS viewer stopped. Now "USB DEVICE NOT RECOGNIZED" on laptop. Have tried reloading software ect. I have a gut feeling the cable bit the dust. When it is hooked up to the computer by itself,( no gps) the same message appears. Can't check out in bluetooth.

Did it stop working while connected and while GPS Viewer was running? It could be hardware issue. Or it just wouldn't work when you tried it the second time? (In which case perhaps hardware is still OK, and something else happened.)

It just didn't work when I tried it again.

It is possible that everything is just fine, but the second time you tried it you might have used a different USB post on your laptop. That could cause the GPS receiver to be suddenly at a different Com port. If you are using Windows XP, try to go to

iGuidance > Tools > Gps Options > Auto Detect

That should detect the correct Com port. If you are using Windows Vista, I'm not certain if the auto-detect feature of iGuidance works under Vista, so you may need to change it manually by going to

iGuidance > Tools > Gps Options > Com Port

To find out what com port your USB GPS receiver uses, go to

Device Manager > Ports

and see where your "USB-to-Serial" is located.

The cable by itself , no GPS hooked up, shows the USB device not recognized. I bought a USB Bluetooth, and hooked it up. The GPS viewer shows at least 8 satellites locked on com 5. I can't get the iGuidance to recognize the 236. I set the software on com 5 and tried 4800 & 38400 baud. No luck recognizing each other. Any clues. This is XP laptop. What might GPS gate do for my situation?

GPS Viewer can see the GPS receiver just fine, but iGuidance cannot? Are you by any chance running GPS Viewer while trying to run iGuidance? That will not work. Turn GPS Viewer off, and then start iGuidance. One GPS receiver cannot provide signal to more than one GPS software program simultaneously (unless you use some software splitter, such as GPS Gate).

I ran into something like that on my desktop system when I was testing out Streets & Trips. I have the Palm Desktop installed, which I use for sync'ing my Garmin iQue (a Palm OS-based PDA/GPS). The Hotsync program, which is running all the time, was conflicting with the USB-to-Serial driver. As soon as I told Hotsync to exit, the problems just went away.

Example, with Hotsync running, when I launch GPSGate it immediately shows there is no GPS connection, even if the GPS is connected. If I exit GPSGate, exit Hotsync, and run GPSGate again it sees the GPS signal immediately. Once I'm done with the GPS I just run Hotsync again. If I forget to run it, no harm. I just run it the next time I need to sync my PDA.

If you aren't using Hotsync to sync a PDA, perhaps you have some other resident utility that grabs the USB or Serial ports.

...ken...

Marvin:
You were absolutely correct with your diagnosis. I had the GPS viewer on while trying to lock on IGUIDANCE. Turned it off and works great. Wish there was a warning, didn't even think about such a situation. Thanks again for all your help.

That's excellent! I'm glad it works now!