The "New Toys" Thread

The "New Toys" Thread

The "New Toys" Thread

Did you know they can work as a navigation system? :p

Of course I know but as I tried to explain, it is locked in a protective case. I have no means of putting it on my windscreen or elsewhere to make it useful as a sat nav. Holding it in my hand is of course out of the question. And then there is the problem with speed and connection.

I rather have a device that was specifically designed to do a certain job than having a jack of all trades device where satellite navigation is just an app.
 
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Needed to clear space across all the PCs in the house and I don't want to burn any DVDs or struggle with USB sticks.
 
Of course I know but as I tried to explain, it is locked in a protective case. I have no means of putting it on my windscreen or elsewhere to make it useful as a sat nav. Holding it in my hand is of course out of the question. And then there is the problem with speed and connection.
In my experience phones are much faster at both acquiring satellite lock and rerouting than standalone GPS.

As for mounting:
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I rather have a device that was specifically designed to do a certain job than having a jack of all trades device where satellite navigation is just an app.
That describes standalone GPS pretty well too, only difference is that it only runs one app (though likely can be hacked to run multiple), additionally you basically describe a computer, universal device which functionality is realized via different types of software.
 
Sorry but that thing is fugly and taking up way too much room.

Apparently your experiences are different from mine regarding speed and connectivity.

Anyway, this discussion is rather fruitless. I bought a sat nav, I had my reasons and I see no need to justify it ;)
 
I completely understand, I miss my old satnav and would have gotten a new one if I needed satnav more than a couple of times a year. Its just so convenient to have it in the car at all time, no mounting or connecting needed just enter destination and go
 
The "New Toys" Thread

The "New Toys" Thread

I only bought it because if was reduced in price and got excellent reviews. Do I need it? No. But what do you need anyway? This is the "new toys" thread and not the "new things I needed" thread ;)
 
So why do you keep trying to justify the purchase if you don't need to? :tease:
 
Mac,
You must submit a 1000 word essay on "why I bought a stand alone GPS", we expect technical specs and details, compare and contrast between the one you got and competing products, in-depth analysis of the current GPS market along with future predictions :p
 
Sorry but that thing is fugly and taking up way too much room.

And a GPS unit is better?

I'd be all for built in GPS systems but currently, they all suck and are not updated constantly like Waze or Google Maps is. Every auto manufacture sucks at GUI and should contract it to tech company's that live and breathe GUI and operating systems on small portable electronics.

Why the fuck hasn't anyone done that? If Apple or Microsoft were given full control on what the systems should look like and operate, it would be so much better. Cram a Microsoft surface or iPad in the car. Why not have your car automatically connect to a wifi network at a dealer's service department so that the systems can be updated without any human intervention? Whatever computers they use currently in cars suck ass. Why are they all so slow? Apple makes smaller devices that aren't hard wired to power and have room to store powerful, responsive computers (iPhones) and they're SO much better.

I don't want my car to tell me the weather and where I can get movie tickets. That's what your laptop computer at home connected to wifi are for. If you can get weather updates and movie tickets locally, you can let me have OTA data connection at no extra charge for a data plan to operate my GPS.

Even Garmin and Tom Tom units suck. It's the same problem as auto manufactures have, slow shitty interfaces. My free, FREE, FUCKING FREE app loads faster and looks better.
 
The mounts do look like your windshield has a weird growth from the outside. :dunno:
 
And a GPS unit is better?

I'd be all for built in GPS systems but currently, they all suck and are not updated constantly like Waze or Google Maps is. Every auto manufacture sucks at GUI and should contract it to tech company's that live and breathe GUI and operating systems on small portable electronics.

Why the fuck hasn't anyone done that? If Apple or Microsoft were given full control on what the systems should look like and operate, it would be so much better. Cram a Microsoft surface or iPad in the car. Why not have your car automatically connect to a wifi network at a dealer's service department so that the systems can be updated without any human intervention? Whatever computers they use currently in cars suck ass. Why are they all so slow? Apple makes smaller devices that aren't hard wired to power and have room to store powerful, responsive computers (iPhones) and they're SO much better.

I don't want my car to tell me the weather and where I can get movie tickets. That's what your laptop computer at home connected to wifi are for. If you can get weather updates and movie tickets locally, you can let me have OTA data connection at no extra charge for a data plan to operate my GPS.

Even Garmin and Tom Tom units suck. It's the same problem as auto manufactures have, slow shitty interfaces. My free, FREE, FUCKING FREE app loads faster and looks better.

No. I don't want one tech company to have full control over the ICE. - Sure, these days, Microsoft (who already powers several automaker ICE systems) would likely let you use whatever device you want but Apple? lol, no. No thanks.

I also hate the geek "wet dream" that is "I want a gaping hole in the dash for my tablet of choice." It's dumb on so many levels, especially aesthetics. But the circle jerk for it continues to occur. Not everyone has a tablet or wants a tablet. Imagine being told that, to use the fucking radio, you have to buy another gadget besides the 30K rolling gadget you just bought. Or you'll do without and have this gigantic blank space with clips and shit to hold said tablet just there in your dash.

Worst. Button. Blank. Ever.

I'll also disagree that all OEM system UI's are slow and terrible. Sure the most egregious examples come from the US (MFT, CUE, My/IntelliLink - not slow, per se, but ugly as sin) but have you used UConnect Touch? Both the 8.4 and 4.3 inch systems are fast, intuitive, and aesthetically pleasing.

Hyundai and Kia also do really good UI's IMO.

I think the current solution (Android Auto and CarPlay) is good - if you don't want to use it, you can still use the carmaker's solution. If you do, plug in your phone and there ya go.
 
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My current mount, to lazy to snap a pic in car but you can extrapolate, the phone in the picture is iPhone 6 and everything is to scale.
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- - - Updated - - -

I think the current solution (Android Auto and CarPlay) is good - if you don't want to use it, you can still use the carmaker's solution. If you do, plug in your phone and there ya go.

Pretty much what I want in every car. It can have the basic radio controls and such that all cars should have but otherwise offload all the processing to a smartphone and simply act as external screen and I/O device.
 
That looks better but I still think I'm better off with my tomtom. I have no idea why some people consider it slow. Compared to the built-in stuff I know from rentals it works at lightspeed. The only thing I could criticize that the accu will only hold for about 90 minutes before it runs out of juice. So for longer trips you have to plug it into the figher lighter - with a cable that conveniently came with the tomtom.

And one thing is for sure: Nobody is able to trace me in return, if I use it instead of the smartphone :wicked:
 
Doesn't that magnet mount require a case to hold an opposing magnetic plate?

You have a metal plate you can stick on a case or directly on the phone, in case of some androids you might be able to put inside on top of the battery.

Here is an in car pic btw
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1432500937.149039.jpg
 
That looks better but I still think I'm better off with my tomtom. I have no idea why some people consider it slow. Compared to the built-in stuff I know from rentals it works at lightspeed. The only thing I could criticize that the accu will only hold for about 90 minutes before it runs out of juice. So for longer trips you have to plug it into the figher lighter - with a cable that conveniently came with the tomtom.

And one thing is for sure: Nobody is able to trace me in return, if I use it instead of the smartphone :wicked:

Well... that makes it objectively worse than my phone's solid 4hour navigation time :/. Oh, and I have a choice of 3 navigation apps on my phone to boot, in case I want offline maps or one has incomplete coverage.
 
I'm always torn because my phone's navigation software is far superior to my older Tomtom in performance and accuracy (Galaxy Note 3 so even the screen size kills it), but it's a huge pain to have to juggle music/audiobook apps, phone calls, and navigation on the same device. In the end my phone usually wins.

Oh, and both are way better than a built-in unit would be in my 5 year old car. Modern ones have caught up but once in the car they're static, manufacturers are terrible at providing updates, and when they do, the prices render them pointless.
 
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The only thing I could criticize that the accu will only hold for about 90 minutes before it runs out of juice. So for longer trips you have to plug it into the figher lighter - with a cable that conveniently came with the tomtom.

I don't really understand why satnavs have batteries to begin with. They're supposed to be plugged in, that's how it works.
 
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