Google Navigator Fees

[vailguy]

Except for the "bugs" already addressed, I really like my new Droid. I especially like Google Navigation. My question is do you think after everyone gets hooked on this feature that Verizon/Google will start to charge for it? How will Google make money for Google Navigation going forward except for some sort of fee?

[wuyanks]

good question. i hope not.

i find it amazing, i don't miss my Garmin one bit

one gripe though, i can't figure out how to choose alternate routes (shortest distance vs shortest time for example)...

[a62gtypek]

pretty sure they're not.
google makes all their money from ads.

[PetrolHead]

Yea, Google's revenue model doesn't revolve around charging consumers for its services. It's a completely ad based revenue model, so at worse we may see sponsored results in the map/nav search. Example, search for "Pizza", and Pizza Huts show up at the top of the list, or with orange pins or something like that. My guess is that the advertising will be as inhibiting as all other Google products (barely at all).

Disclaimer: I don't work for Google nor am I affiliated with them in anyway. I'm commenting strictly on my own personal speculation.

[ToddP0530]

Google will make money from ads. Say you have a pizza shop in East BFE and Google can show that there are 100,000 searches for Pizza in East BFE last year. If Ali's Pizza wants to be the first shop that comes up on a google search for pizza in East BFE, Ali is gonna have to pony up.

[New2u]

They won't hell their maps app is already free, all they did was add an easy turn by turn direction.

[wuyanks]

just think for a laugh: apple's Garmin app is $99

:lol:

[PetrolHead]

PLUS >$100 for the dock!!! Craziness.

[godanigo]

good question. i hope not.

i find it amazing, i don't miss my Garmin one bit

one gripe though, i can't figure out how to choose alternate routes (shortest distance vs shortest time for example)...

The only way I know of to find alternate routes is hit menu from the main navigation page, then there is a on screen button next to the list button that you can select and it will show you alternate routes. It doesn't seem to have a choice between the options you were talking about, but hey, it's better than not having the option at all.

[gardobus]

Highly unlikely. Like everyone else said, Google makes money via ads. The text ads you see at the top of every Google page gets them money, apps submitted in the Market get them money, even some TV commercials are google ads. You know how when you search Google, there are a few results at the top that are bold and highlighted? They pay for that.

Google is very proud of how they do business. They like for their services to be free and people love that about them. Garmin and TomTom probably don't like that way of business much but I sure do and so does Google.

I think Google may keep Google Nav on the Android platform exclusively though (or at least for a while) to help make Android a bit more popular.