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View Full Version : Mini Review of CoPilot Live 8


Richard76
03-22-2010, 08:10 PM
CoPilot Live for the iPhone has recently been updated to version 8.0.0.659. I downloaded and installed it yesterday for primary use in Canada. I have previously used many stand-alone units and 3 different flavours for Windows Mobile. Currently running Garmin Mobile XT on an HTC Fuze.

Once I have had a chance to play around a bit with CoPilot Live I will post my impressions and try to answer any questions you might have. My initial impression is good so far as it is perhaps one of the most customizable nav programs I have used. Because of this, I have heard there are some that believe the menu system is too complicated. Personally, I prefer that it is highly customizable and once you learn the menu system, it should be no problem.

What I like so far:
1) program starts and obtains signal lock quickly (approx. 10 seconds)
2) menu and interface is fast (no lag)
3) more customization then anything else I have used to date
4) built-in ipod interface is very good
5) music volume lowers when directions spoken then increases again
6) program auto re-starts and resumes after a phone call
7) routing appears to be pretty good (where I have tried it so far)
8) shows route list that you can manipulate if necessary
9) auto-calculate route with more than 3 stops
10) detour complete route or individual roads
11) live search and weather included in base program
12) live traffic and gas prices available for $20/yr
13) base price for US & Canada is very good ($35 CAD)
14) when destination is reached, option to save or return to origin
15) TTS advises if destination is on right or left
16) shows next 2 turns on screen
17) very fast re-routing when missing a turn
18) routing via contacts is excellent

What I dislike so far:
1) screen is a little busy (but has a full-screen button)
2) only one TTS voice (Frank)
3) voice hard to hear from iPhone speaker if you have music on (but good if you plug it in to your car stereo with 3.5 mm cable)
4) accuracy sometimes jumps around a bit (more to do with GPS chip than the software)
5) due to above, sometimes when you reach your destination, it does not automatically "reset" or cancel that route (but I'm sure it's something I'm missing in the menu)
6) Quick Stop feature doesn't seem to work (see below)

Anyway, I will continue to experiment with it and update this when I learn more. In the meantime, I will try to answer any questions you might have.

Also, as a side note, the primary reason I bought this program is to use in rental cars when I travel. And for this reason I will most likely be ordering the Magellen Car Kit sometime in the near future. Therefore, I would expect that any issues to due with accuracy will improve when using the car kit.

Update: Tried a couple more things while I was out at lunch. Routing via Contacts on your iPhone appears to be excellent. I only tried about 10 while I was out but it is fast. When you click on the Contacts icon, a new window opens with a text box at the top, a partial list of your first 4-5 contacts and a keyboard in the bottom 2/3 of the screen. You can either scroll through the list on the right with your finger or start typing letters into the text box. As you type, the list on the right changes based on the letters you type. Once your contact is located, just click on it and a new screen opens with the contact details (name, address, phone number). Then just click the Go button and the route is calculated.

Note: The manual says, "You may need to enter the city, street name and house number of your contact if CoPilot Live doesn not recognize the address).

However, the first 10 I tried worked without a problem. I have heard of others having problems but I suspect it may be the way the information is formatted. I have over 3,000 contacts on my iPhone and they are all synced from Outlook to MobileMe and then to my phone.

On the downside, I tried the Quick Stop feature and it did not want to work. The Quick Stop feature is used when you already have a route programmed in but want to stop en route for gas or food etc. You tap the Quick Stop button then select what you are looking for and the app is supposed to do a local live search of say all the gas stations near you. You can then view it as a list or in a map view to select which one you want. Unfortunately, once I had selected Gas Stations, the list screen appeared but there was nothing in the list but a rotating set of dots which appeared to be searching. Sometimes if I left it long enough, a window would pop up and say "Nothing Was Found" and another time it actually crashed the application altogether. I will check with support on this.

You can add another stop though by clicking on the Plan or Edit Trip Button, then Add Stop, then select POI etc. but this is a few more steps.

UPDATE:

The Quick Stop feature is now working for me. I'm not sure what happened but when I tried it this morning, it worked fine. I did use Live Local Search before trying it again so perhaps that cleared the cobwebs.

I am still wrestling with the completed route situation though. Once you have arrived at your destination and the voice announces this, a window pops up and gives you 2 options. The first is to return to your original starting point and the second is to enter a new destination. However, if you do not want to do either of these and just close the window, your original destination stays programmed in and as you drive away it tries to get you to go back to the point you just left. The only way I have found to eliminate this is to physically go into Menu -> Plan/Edit Trip -> Clear.

I am not sure if this is another affect of the not so stable GPS signal though because once you have arrived at your destination and even after the voice announces it, your vehicle location appears to be several feet away from the destination flag. Perhaps this is the reason the the route is not automatically cleared.

On the positive side, and perhaps one of the more compelling reasons I decided to purchase this program, is frequent map/program updates...for free. Here is an excerpt from the app store description:

"Our exclusive MapSure™ service provides free monthly map improvement downloads directly to your iPhone and free quarterly full map updates of the US and Canada (Details on how to report a map update below)"

"*****REPORT A MAP UPDATE: We are continuously working to enhance ALK’s Digital Maps™ to provide the best possible navigation experience. You can help us improve specific areas more quickly by reporting changes and recommending updates here: Redirecting... (http://www.alk.com/mapsure)
We commit to verify reported map improvements and add them to your map within 45 days."

I realize there has been a lot of criticism from people saying that they shouldn't have to assist the company in providing a better product...it should already be there when they buy it, however, these are usually the same people that complain that companies don't listen to their customers. Personally, I think MapSure is a great part of ALK's company service and I welcome the opportunity to participate in providing new information for a better product.

And lastly, here are the items that have been rolled out in the latest CoPilot Live for iPhone update:

What's New in Version 8.0.0.618

► Local Search as standard. With integrated local Internet search you can easily find the nearest product, service, brand, store or just about anything you need.

► Full updated street maps of the US and Canada.

► Lane Assist & ClearTurn™ for improved guidance and a more realistic display at complex intersections.

► Update your Facebook status. Now you can share your journey with your friends with in-app Facebook status updates, including where you are, where you are going and even what you’re listening to.

► Adjustable volume settings. One of our most requested features, now you can choose to mute or dim music during voice directions.