Droid GPS question....help!

[cowboys40]

I'm stumped. On traditional GPS units, even without a destination entered, the unit is in what I call "virtual mode". The screen shows your location, always facing "up", almost video-game like. In other words, it's just like navigation mode, only without navigating to a destination, and has the view on the screen "from your car". I like the way that works. It shows cross streets as you come up to them, follows your turns, etc.

However, on the Droid, I can't seem to get it to operate that way, unless I have a destination entered in. I know of the arial view, as well as satellite view, but that's not what I'm looking for.

Does this make any sense? In a nutshell, I'm looking to find out if the Droid can operate just like a traditional GPS unit, and display the view of a traditional GPS unit, even without entering a destination.

Thanks in advance for anyone's help!

 

[hookbill]

I'm stumped. On traditional GPS units, even without a destination entered, the unit is in what I call "virtual mode". The screen shows your location, always facing "up", almost video-game like. In other words, it's just like navigation mode, only without navigating to a destination, and has the view on the screen "from your car". I like the way that works. It shows cross streets as you come up to them, follows your turns, etc.

However, on the Droid, I can't seem to get it to operate that way, unless I have a destination entered in. I know of the arial view, as well as satellite view, but that's not what I'm looking for.

Does this make any sense? In a nutshell, I'm looking to find out if the Droid can operate just like a traditional GPS unit, and display the view of a traditional GPS unit, even without entering a destination.

Thanks in advance for anyone's help!

Droid does navigation, but Droid don't do that.

It be a nice feature to have, no doubt. I don't know if VZW's own GPS Navigator does that. It is after all a phone.

 

[eTiMaGo]

mine (Milestone) comes with a MotoNav GPS program which is quite full-featured and works much better than my old Garmin. But, it's a 60-day trial after which I should buy it.

 

[jsh1120]

I'm stumped. On traditional GPS units, even without a destination entered, the unit is in what I call "virtual mode". The screen shows your location, always facing "up", almost video-game like. In other words, it's just like navigation mode, only without navigating to a destination, and has the view on the screen "from your car". I like the way that works. It shows cross streets as you come up to them, follows your turns, etc.

However, on the Droid, I can't seem to get it to operate that way, unless I have a destination entered in. I know of the arial view, as well as satellite view, but that's not what I'm looking for.

Does this make any sense? In a nutshell, I'm looking to find out if the Droid can operate just like a traditional GPS unit, and display the view of a traditional GPS unit, even without entering a destination.

Thanks in advance for anyone's help!

Apologies if I don't understand your question. But here goes. When I open maps with my location enabled, it shows me what you call the "virtual mode," i.e. my current location identified with a little blue dot. As I drive, the dot moves and the display changes. Isn't that what you're looking for?

Perhaps the problem is that you're looking in "navigation" when the function you want is in "maps."

 

[uflraptor]

I have not seen an option to make it do that. I used VZnavigator or over 2 years and it could not do it either.

 

[Newps]

What you are talking about is North Up vs Track Up. The Droid is the only nav device I've had that forces you to be North Up when you are not having the phone take you somewhere. It's just another shortcoming of the software, like the night feature only working while it is navigating. A simple line of code and they left it out.

 

[cowboys40]

What you are talking about is North Up vs Track Up. The Droid is the only nav device I've had that forces you to be North Up when you are not having the phone take you somewhere. It's just another shortcoming of the software, like the night feature only working while it is navigating. A simple line of code and they left it out.

Thanks to everyone for the help, I think my answer is clear: The Droid doesn't yet do what I'm looking for. "Newps", you hit the nail on the head. I wasn't aware of North Up vs. Track Up. I guess I'll wait until there's an update, and The Droid can run Nav in Track Up. Till then...ah, well....

Thanks again!

 

[skeeter]

i think if you start navigation then exit navigation it will leave a blue arrow in the middle of map then map will move showing roads and cross streets

 

[therock]

Your looking for 3D mode. Not yet available. I'm looking for night mode in map mode also. Its nice in navigating but the whole shooting match needs a night mode.

 

[takeshi]

The Droid is the only nav device I've had that forces you to be North Up when you are not having the phone take you somewhere.

It's not the Droid. It's Google Maps/Nav.