A New Option for Your GPS Needs, With No Subscription

[Jeff Campbell]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://appadvice.com/appnn/2009/07/dont-want-to-pay-a-subscription-fee-for-turn-by-turn-gps-try-mobilenavigator-north-america/' target='_blank'>http://appadvice.com/appnn/2009/07/...-north-america/</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"Navigon has finally released their full-featured turn-by-turn GPS iPhone app, MobileNavigator North America. This app may turn out to be a great option for those of you looking for non-subscription-based turn-by-turn GPS app for your iPhone."</em></p><p><em><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/at/auto/1248354183.usr105634.jpg" style="border: 1px solid #d2d2bb;" /></em></p><p>AT&amp;T debuted their turn-by-turn <a href="http://forums.thoughtsmedia.com/f387/t-debuts-turn-turn-navigation-app-94217.html" target="_blank">Navigator software</a> in June of this year, but it requires a monthly subscription of $9.95 USD. This app, by <a href="http://www.navigon.com/iphone" target="_blank">Navigon</a>, requires no such subscription, and includes all of the United States and Canada, &nbsp;as well as Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=321506742&amp;mt=8" target="_blank">app</a> is a large one, due to the large coverage area, and comes in at 1.29 GB. The price: $69.95 USD. However this price is only good until August 15th, then the price goes up to $99.95 USD.</p><p>I would like to get a good GPS, however I'm still wondering how the Tom Tom app is going to turn out and how much they are going to charge (I thought $99.95 USD but can't find any evidence of this, perhaps I dreamt it). Perhaps we will see a GPS price war on iTunes? I can only hope!&nbsp;</p>

[Sven Johannsen]

posted some thouhts on this last night
http://forums.thoughtsmedia.com/f384/navigon-mobilenavigator-94578.html

[ptyork]

posted some thouhts on this last night
http://forums.thoughtsmedia.com/f384/navigon-mobilenavigator-94578.html

Thanks for your thoughts on this, Sven. I've been debating this, hoping that perhaps TomTom would come out with something soon. You sound like an experienced PPC Nav user. Did you buy/use TT for PPC? Any comparative thoughts with regard to usability?

[Jeff Campbell]

Great info, especially on the types of car mounting devices you have found that work well! :)

[Sven Johannsen]

Thanks for your thoughts on this, Sven. I've been debating this, hoping that perhaps TomTom would come out with something soon. You sound like an experienced PPC Nav user. Did you buy/use TT for PPC? Any comparative thoughts with regard to usability? You know, TomTom is one of the systems I've never tried, either their dedicated units, or the software versions they had for WinMobile. The software always seemed a bit pricey. My absolute favorite for WiMo was a product called Mapopolis which unfortunately was discontinued.

I tried to stay away from the products that were delivered on a memory card of some sort as I never really trusted that. Did get OnCourse Navigator that way, and had/have no end of issues. Since it is the only flash card in the device, you wind up loading apps to it and storing stuff on it. More than once the OCN card has lost random apps and files. They provide the ability to restore the card the way it came, but it has to be on that physical card.

Obviously TomTom can't use that approach with the iPhone, and I notice they are going to offer a downloadable version for WinMo. If it is reasonably priced, I will probably be compelled to give it a shot. I'm not entirely convinced at this point that using the iPhone as your main PND is the greatest idea. Dedicated ones are pretty darn cheap and effective these days.