Google Maps Now Works on WM5

[Jerry Raia]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.smartphonethoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=13498&highlight' target='_blank'>http://www.smartphonethoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=13498&highlight</a><br /><br /></div>Thanks, jhalsey205, for the heads up on this. I have never been a big fan of any software Google makes but this is quite good. I have it working on my BlackJack and my 8525. It is quick and slick!<br /><br /> <img src="http://www.smartphonethoughts.com/images/Jerry-GMaps.jpg" alt="User submitted image" title="User submitted image"/> <br /><br />Just point your mobile browser to <a href="http://www.google.com/gmm/winm">http://www.google.com/gmm/winm</a> and it will download a cab file to you device for installation. On both of my devices I installed it on the storage card. Works perfectly from there. :)

[scottb]

Yes, it works quite nicely on my Q also. The only thing I would like to see added is a full-screen mode like the MS Live Search has.

[Mike Temporale]

Is this really any better or different than Windows Live Search? I've really enjoyed using WLS and unless there's some amazing new feature, I can't see switching.

[Jerry Raia]

It seems quicker to me.

[oomcas]

I like the google maps better for one reason. when doing directions, they appear on the map then you press 1 or 3 to go forward and back through the points. google maps then updates the maps to the next point chosen.
WLS shows a text list of turn by turn directions that you must map then go back to the list pick the next turn then map it. It is for me too unnecesary. Google stays on the map and just updates the turns, very simple.

craig

[Foxbat121]

UI wise, google map is better and easy to use. Try zoom out a map on Live Search, especially on full screen mode and you know what I mean by clumsy UI.

Also, Google map displays status on screen instead of blank screen on Live Search. It is quick to load and display map too.

I'll keep both on my phone.

The one thing weired is that even though I told Google map to install to storage card, it still installed itself to device. Open up File Explorer and you know what I mean.

[scottb]

...
The one thing weired is that even though I told Google map to install to storage card, it still installed itself to device. Open up File Explorer and you know what I mean.
Hmm... Same here. That's almost enough to make me remove it ;)

[Jerry Raia]

Didn't even think to look but alas, it didn't install on my storage card either. :?

[WorksForTurkeys]

It works fine on my Q but there must be some default parameters to modify how many results it returns: I'm pretty certain there are more than 9 pizza parlors in NYC.

;)

[Jerry Raia]

:rotfl:

[LHBALESJR]

Is this really any better or different than Windows Live Search? I've really enjoyed using WLS and unless there's some amazing new feature, I can't see switching.

I've only had it installed for a few hours but here are some things I've noticed:

1) On my Cingular 2125, it runs much faster and either WLS or Virtual Earth Mobile.

2) The map data seems to download quite a bit faster

3) For some reason, the satellite images look as if they are in a higher resolution. I think the data for these maps comes from the same place, but it just looks better.

4) With WLS and Virtual Earth Mobile, you could only access US maps. With Google, you get the entire world.

5) One feature I liked on Virtual Earth Mobile was the ability to look up a contact and it would go to that address on the map. WLS ran better than Virual Earth Mobile, but it didn't seem to have this feature. Google has this feature.

6) I had frequent crashes with VEM and a couple with WLS where I had to restart my phone. None yet on Google, but it's only been a few hours

On the down side,

As with others, mine also installed to internal memory instead of my miniSD, as I specified during the install. I also can't find where it's storing the map cache. With VEM and WLS you could go to options and choose the location and size limit of the map cache. WLS limited you to a maximum of 8 MB and I don't remember a limit in VEM. Can anyone else tell where the map cache is being stored? Would it be possible to move the entire Google Maps directory to the storage card and run it there. I know you would have to change the short cut.

[jrjordan]

I do not access the internet on my cell phone when the cell is not hooked up to the computer (I do not pay for wireless internet access for the cell), so is there any way I can save maps or driving directions to the storage card to use while driving?

thanks,
jrjordan

[LHBALESJR]

It looks like the map cache is stored in a sub-directory under Application Data/GoogleMaps. It also appears that the program allows you to clear the map data. On VEM and WLS, I tried to set the map cache number as high as I could because I end up viewing a lot of the same maps over and over and it didn't really matter since on those programs, it was storing them on my 1 GB miniSD.

Overall this looked like a really good program, but if it can't be stored on a storage card, it will have to come off my phone. The 2125 doesn't have a lot of free memory to begin with and this kind of data would fill it up real quick.

I could handle having the main program stored on the internal memory, but this map data can really build up fast. I've only used it for a short period of time and this GoogleMaps directory is already at almost 2 MB. Hopefully this is just a bug that they can fix, otherwise, why would they give you the option of installing to a memory card if it can't be done?

[LHBALESJR]

I do not access the internet on my cell phone when the cell is not hooked up to the computer (I do not pay for wireless internet access for the cell), so is there any way I can save maps or driving directions to the storage card to use while driving?

thanks,
jrjordan

You might try it while connnected to your PC via activesync. I can connect my Dell Axim and can access the web through activesync. This may work, but you would have to try it and see. One thing you might need to check is to look at connection setting in ActiveSync and make sure that drop-down box says

"This computer is connected to: The Internet"

[zx6guy]

Has anybody figured out the install location problem?

[kiwi]

anyone try on tMobile DASH or s620?

thanks

[Bittermormon]

Works great on my Dash. Also someone over at XDA figured out how to make GPS work on the smartphone version too. Its awesome.

LINK (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=293018)

[eliteramen]

Works great on my Dash. Also someone over at XDA figured out how to make GPS work on the smartphone version too. Its awesome.

LINK (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=293018)

Sweet. Can I ask which bluetooth GPS receiver you use? I'm looking to convert my Dash into a GPS navigator but I don't know where to do research on such devices.

[eR]

[StefanScoon]

Did anyone else notice that if you attempt to send a contact as vCard this in turn launches Gmaps to the address of that contact? Whats with that?