Laptop GPS World

Ken in Regina · #**106** May 22nd, 2008, 06:14 PM

Hi Shannon,

Would it help to just copy the pictures I posted a couple of messages up? Or would that be a conflict of interest?

...ken...

RsH · #**107** May 22nd, 2008, 07:01 PM

For the record, I posted a long message to Shannon... had to break it into two parts to get past the 5000 character limit per message... covering the issues. The 401 and 403 are all roads with collector and express lanes and the SA mapping does NOT have that. It has it for the 427 south from the 401, but not for the 401, 404, 400 or 403/410. That is part of the problem. Also there are 4 ramps between the 401 and the 403 south of the 401... one from the collector to collector and one from the express to express going north on the 403 to east on the 401 and west onthe 401 to south on the 403. The one from the collector lanes westbound actually splits off the exit from the collector lanes to the 403 northbound ramp after exiting the 401. Only two of these four ramps are in the map! So the whole is a mess. I've suggested that they LOOK at Google Earth's photo of this interchange <grin> if they want to see what they are missing. The same applies at Bathurst and at Yonge, where the map posted the other day from a different product is indeed correct. NavNGo'sIGO8 has these correct too, incidentally. So does S&T this time. So Shannon has the information, and a way to replicate my problem as I gave her the start and end coordinates in lat-long formation and if she inputs those into SA she will always get my messed up route. Can they fix it for this year, or do we have to wait for the 2010 version to see if they finally got it right <grin>

RsH [aka Bob]

johndeerebilly · #**108** May 23rd, 2008, 11:11 AM

We live in rural Michigan, on a dirt road, the closest town is couple of miles away, we DO have indoor "facilities" even have satellite TV, cell phone and wireless internet connection, laptop GPS running 2009+ but when I took a look on Google Earth just now at the Toronto 401/403 mess, I nearly passed out. Now I know why we moved to the sticks!

LRon · #**109** May 28th, 2008, 10:39 PM

I got a look at SA2009 Plus today while working on a customer's computer, a laptop that's used in the vehicle. The program is very impressive, especially the integration with the phone database, but there's no 3-d mode.

The gps routing and moving display works and appears accurate, but when we click on 3-d, the map area freezes and the cpu goes to 100% forever. The speed, direction, etc info continues to update and appears accurate, but the map never changes. When we click on 2-d, the map movement resumes.

The laptop is an older one, but from the program specs, it should at least satisfy minimum requirements. It's a Compaq Armada M700, 256mb ram, windows XP pro sp2, 1024x768 display, bluetooth gps receiver Globalsat BT-359CS. The program takes a while to load, but once it's active, its speed and operation is just fine except that there's no 3-d mode.

Anyone else having any 3-d mode issues? Anyone have any idea what might be the problem (short of a new computer)?

Marvin Hlavac · #**110** May 29th, 2008, 05:51 AM

Hi LRon,

Welcome to Laptop GPS World.

I couldn't at first use the new 3D mode either. The map area would turn all black as soon as I hit the 3D button. In my case it was related purely to my old setup - a PC I built 5 years ago, and upon which I recently forced Windows Vista (never a good idea to install a new operating system on an old hardware). However,as soon as I booted Windows XP on the same PC, DeLorme Street Atlas 2009 worked perfectly in the new 3D mode.

I suspect the issue you are experiencing is, just like in my case, related to the old hardware. The video adapter is likely not good enough anymore for todays demanding applications

. You can try to see if there is a way to assign more shared memory to the video adapter, but I suspect that will not have much effect

.

LRon · #**111** May 29th, 2008, 11:45 AM

Yes, I think you are right. There's only 8mb of video memory, and there does not seem to be any way to increase it. I got it to almost come up on 3-d by decreasing the resolution -- got the car to appear, but on a black map display area, never got the map. Thanks for the input.

Marvin Hlavac · #**112** May 30th, 2008, 08:12 AM

Read about a biker who just returned from a 7000 mile trip using DeLorme Street Atlas for his GPS navigation on his Ultra-Mobile PC (UMPC): A Biker Uses His Ultra-Mobile PC For GPS Navigation

Marvin Hlavac · #**113** June 21st, 2008, 09:21 AM

BestBuy in my area has a special promotion going on right now, which includes DeLorme Street Atlas 2009 w/GPS. I posted about it in the following thread: BestBuy Wants to Turn Your Laptop PC into GPS for $59

kcflyer · #**114** June 21st, 2008, 11:39 AM

I tried SA2009 in the car for the first time yesterday. I'm a long-time S&T user, and always view my maps with a fixed view with North at the top. Having the 3D display rotate with the direction of travel pointing up completely flummoxed me! I realize it's how most consumer devices work, but old habits die hard.

I plan on spending some more time with SA2009 on vacation next week...

Rick

LRon · #**115** June 21st, 2008, 12:16 PM

It sounds as if you are in 3-d mode and that you would rather be in 2-d mode. Just click on the 2-d button. That will give you a flat map. In GPS settings, make sure the box on "rotate map in GPS direction" is unchecked. I think this will give you the view you prefer.

Ron

Shannon · #**116** June 22nd, 2008, 08:14 PM

kcflyer-

You can modify the options to still be in 3-D NavMode and not rotate in direction of travel (this also works for 2-D NavMode and the classic tracking mode).

At the top of the screen, choose the Options button, and then the GPS Settings should show by default, the 7th setting down is "Rotate Map in GPS Direction", uncheck this box and then begin your travels, you will stay North Up.

-shannon

Cactusfolk · #**117** July 17th, 2008, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ken in Regina

First impressions driving with SA 2008+ on the Garmin iQue 3600 handheld...

Pretty awful.

The map is hard to see. Those nice fine high-res details that look so nice when you hold it in your hand indoors just don't get it done when you stick it in the car holder out in the bright sunlight.

There is minimal nav info when you are driving.

If you want to do anything at all you have to poke around through the drop-down menus. You have to pull over and stop to do that.

I guess I'm spoiled by Garmin's Que software on the iQue. It understands the concept of "here" in a number of useful contexts, for instance creating a route. SA doesn't seem to have any idea of "here" when you want to create a quick route on the fly. With the Que software it's dead simple to create a route to anywhere from "here". The first thing that is helpful is it assumes you want to start "here", so you don't have to mess around entering a starting point.

SA kills the GPS, redraws the map to some random place and asks you to tap a starting point on the map. It's all downhill from there.

Doing static route planning on the PC with SA is pretty simple but heaven help you if you want to do any on-the-fly routing on either the laptop or the handheld, which is the kind I mostly do. Eg. I know how to get from here to Calgary or Vancouver without any help from my nav device. But when I need to go somewhere specific while I'm driving around in some strange city I need to be able to pull over, do a simple search for the address, waypoint or point of interest (POI) and be able to punch one button that will calculate and activate the route.

I'm impressed that it works at all on the iQue, and if all you want is to know where you are and create a track log it works fine. But if you want to do anything else it would require programming a bunch of stuff into FastFinger so you don't have to mess around chasing stuff in the dropdown menus.

That's my initial impression.

...ken...

RE: SA 2008

I agree with not being able to see the map using SA 2008 while in a car during the day. Not bad at night but during the day was a serious problem. My wife was navigating where she could dedicate time looking at the map where I as the driver had no clue due to sunlight glare. I have a relatively new HP Pavilion laptop with a big screen. Using the high contrast helped a little (during daylight hours) but was still hard to see due to glare.
I wonder if there are, ‘clip on anti-glare screens’ available for a laptop? I remember using one 20 years ago and it worked great. However is bulky even though it was on a desk PC. I am going to buy SA 2009 w/LT40 receiver. I m wondering if the glare issue was ever considered as an improvement for SA 2009?

Marvin Hlavac · #**118** July 17th, 2008, 10:28 AM

Hi Cactusfolk,

to Laptop GPS World.

The most effective solution would include purchasing one of the very

expensive laptops with sunlight-readable screen. Or, if possible, try to positiion your laptop so the screen is not in direct light.

flannigan · #**119** July 20th, 2008, 09:53 AM

Marvin:
I just got through reading all 8 pages of this thread. I'm finally going to take your advice and buy SA2009, today.
Thanks to everyone for giving this old man a reason to "try something new" as Marvin suggested long ago.
I look forward to reading more and maybe I'll be able to contribute in the near future.
Regards,
Mike Flannigan

flannigan · #**120** July 20th, 2008, 05:17 PM

I planned a route to a location I am renting in the near future. The address IS in MapSource & Streets & Trips. It is not in SA2009. Even the street does not show in SA. (27 Pinecrest Way, Bluffton, SC 29910 (Hilton Head) (N32 15.404 W80 53.636) The house is 3-4 years old and the golf course is older than that. I'm surprised an area that old is not in SA. I'm also surprised the golf course (Pinecrest Golf Course) does not show in SA. I went into the "Options", "Map Features", "Customize POI's", "Golfing" and checked the Golfing tab. It still does not show. There are 3 other golf courses in that immediate area and none of them show either. All of them show in MapSource and in Streets. Thought I'd mention this as a constructive comment.
Regards,
Mike Flannigan

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Laptop GPS World

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