And another thing... Navigation > Directions

[ShowTime]

For the first few weeks after I got my phone I honestly used the navigator every single place I went. Never had the navigation lead me completely astray. The addresses/ending locations seem to regularly be between 2 houses and 1 block off, but assuming you are able to see out your car windows as you drive, that isn't a problem. One time it did advise me to turn the wrong way up a one way access road (I believe it used to be 2-way but went one way after a relatively recent road project). Other than that, it's been an awesome tool.

 

[KZIWarrior]

I had an opportunity to use the Navigation over the past week.

First, I got lost in Kentucky trying to find a specific hotel. Chalked this up to the hotel moving and the address never got updated.
Second, it got me to the client I was visiting (1 for 2)
Third, you have to be REALLY specific to where you are going, as it kind of directed me to the wrong airport (Cincinnati - Lunken Field vs. Cincinnati International Airport). In the phone's defense, my wife was riding shotgun and wasn't paying attention to the map.
It had trouble finding businesses also.

I think it's neat from a "toy" perspective, but still has a little ways to go before it passes for a true GPS tool.

Thus the reason it is a "Beta" and not a final product. As for finding the correct destinations I've not had a problem with it. Given your examples above I would say it was 3/3 (2/3 at worse)... the fact someone didn't confirm the (correct) airport is not the programs fault. Try starting from the "maps" app first though, this way you can see what your returned search options are for the instances when there are multiple choices.

 

[texasPI]

It seems to me that the people that complain about inaccurate navigation have never used a dedicated GPS unit before. I've owned several PNDs over the last 10 years of various brands and they all have inaccuracies or incomplete map data. Its nothing new to me. I rely on the nav to get me in the general vicinity and I'll take it from there...

 

[crspang]

It seems to me that the people that complain about inaccurate navigation have never used a dedicated GPS unit before. I've owned several PNDs over the last 10 years of various brands and they all have inaccuracies or incomplete map data. Its nothing new to me. I rely on the nav to get me in the general vicinity and I'll take it from there...

I'll 2nd that!

 

[jbernard703]

for a living i make deliveries to businesses throughout the d.c metro area and i will say google navigations is amazing. as long as your GPS is turned on its great.

 

[therock]

It seems to me that the people that complain about inaccurate navigation have never used a dedicated GPS unit before. I've owned several PNDs over the last 10 years of various brands and they all have inaccuracies or incomplete map data. Its nothing new to me. I rely on the nav to get me in the general vicinity and I'll take it from there...

I have to agree with texasPI.
Also I have been comparing the Droids navigation to a Garmin 765T (Borrowed) and my Mio c520 side by side. The Mio c520 is always on my dash and I will say the if the Droid's GPS had a night mode where the background is black it would be my only in car GPS.
The Garmin and Mio seem to be haphazard routing wise in comparison.
It's also nice not to have to worry about remembering to check for and load map updates.

One trip was a 240 mile round trip that took me through Atlanta both ways and the Traffic layer was uncannily accurate. The distance to turn was more accurate on the Droid.

I use a visor mounted Motorola T-505 bluetooth unit to get the voice closer to my head.

 

[mjs31]

For those with address or guidance issues I recommend comparing the address to the marker. Google has all of our local addresses correct but the marker is way off on many of them and this is what guidance goes by. I have written Google several times about the issues, which actually includes our emergency room, but nothing has been fixed yet.

 

[mjs31]

See, I actually find my Garmin more reliable. It is the newest one and does have Google on it, but I find many more guidance issues with Google. I think they hired the new kid just coming in from a night of partying to match the guidance markers to the addresses.

 

[KZIWarrior]

For those with address or guidance issues I recommend comparing the address to the marker. Google has all of our local addresses correct but the marker is way off on many of them and this is what guidance goes by. I have written Google several times about the issues, which actually includes our emergency room, but nothing has been fixed yet.

Yeah, they are off in a lot of areas in and around Nashville and outlining areas.

See, I actually find my Garmin more reliable. It is the newest one and does have Google on it, but I find many more guidance issues with Google. I think they hired the new kid just coming in from a night of partying to match the guidance markers to the addresses.

Well Garmin and TomTom both have hyper detailed maps provided by various sources (i.e. they pay for it $$$). Google just ended (Q4 last year) their contract(s) with TeleAtlas and another provide and now have to rely solely on their own maps, those provided by the Census Bureau and whatever else than can get for free (i.e. all cheap maps which SUCK in all but the most densely populated areas)...

Here in my local area the maps have actually regressed about 2 years (i.e. things that located correctly before the change are no longer correct and several routes have changed from what they were).

 

[Shad0w325]

I found a nifty little control in Settings - won't actually change the voice itself but will alter how it sounds (accent and speed):

Settings> Text-to-Speech
-select "Always Use My Settings"
-Speech Rate (changes how fast/slow it speaks)
-Language (just for kicks, I have mine on "British English"; it's not perfect, but a nice change form the droning default voice)

One caveat- I'm not sure if setting "Language" to an actual different language would translate the directions into said language, or if it would just read the English words with the pronunciation/accent of the selected language. I'm too much of a chicken to try it for fear it might mess up my Driod!

I was messing with this tonight and it actually translates the directions into German, French, Spanish, etc.

 

[Slighter]

I'm actually hoping to get a language pack for either Snoop Dogg or Flavor Flav. Yo..turn rizzle fo shizzle...

:rofl3:..............

 

[jsh1120]

...I think it's neat from a "toy" perspective, but still has a little ways to go before it passes for a true GPS tool.

I've had a "true GPS tool" direct me to a vacant lot in Long Beach when I was trying to get to a hotel in downtown LA. I've had a "true GPS tool" take me to the right address in the wrong city in an LA suburb. They're not infallible.

As it happens, the Google navigation system on my Droid has the wrong name for my street. (Place rather than Ave) and as a result consistently makes a slight error when I'm leaving or returning home. On the other hand, it tells me my address is an odd number, which it should be, rather than an even number, which it is. (Not sure why but my house number is on the wrong side of the street.) And when I arrive home, Google navigation displays a photograph taken by Google a year or so ago with the car I'm driving in the driveway.

All in all, it's pretty impressive.

 

[drew]

Perhaps I was a little harsh with my criticism, however "lost in Kentucky" is not a phrase I'd like to use very often. My wife who isn't a big fan of technology (or anything that takes attention away from her) was giving me all kinds of grief when we were looking for a Marriott and followed the Droid, only to find nothing on this backwoods country road.

For the most part, the turn by turn has been spot on. For each nav session, I used the voice search, and sometimes it couldn't find the name of the business/road.

It's a good tool, a neat toy, and I'm sure it will save my bacon a few times.

Is that a good enough mea culpa?

 

[RW-1]

Well, I have my Garmin 496 (Heli flying and road mode), wife has a Garmin Nuvi 660 and I have the Droid.

Differences in each database having an address varies. Garmin products get their data from Navteq, google from (?).

I've found that it just varies. I had several addresses that I have to go on-site for (in my computer job) that I check with google maps on the PC (which tells me if the Droid will get it).

If not in GM, then I hit my mapsource on the PC (Garmin).

I also check on Mapquest, which on occasion had an address where both the Garmin and Google did not.

Most of the time it has been that I'm going to a new construction area, recently Google didnt have the street name, but the street was shown. In that scenario I just hit that area and nav to it.

 

[Flomaster]

my house is not on google maps at all and I have contacted the people who google use for the satellite images about it, but I guess they don't care its been 2 years now I have been trying to get my house or even my STREETS on the map.

Mapquest at least has my neighborhood on the map, but no satellite image yet.

I think Google needs to step up their game BIG TIME on the map/navagation side of things.
I guess if you live in the city its not a problem, but living out in BFE 100 miles from Phoenix the maps are pretty sketchy at best.

-=Jason=-