[futballaholic]

Hi, I'm a Japanese guy recently bought wifi PB overseas.
I have an annoying problem about the map apps which is their seem not compatible for the location service like iPod touch or other mobile devices have.

I've tried on Bing Maps, MapApp and Map search for Google so far and none of them can locate my current place on the map.

Is this because the apps that I've downloaded aren't compatible to location service or PB itself doesn't have the function to locate places by detecting the wifi wave from mobile routers in the first place?

If latter is the answer, I will lose one of the main reasons to posses PB and would be depressed.....

[albadea]

Hi There! Having purchased the PB overseas it probably has to do with the geographical location you are trying to use this tablet.

All the mapping software I tried works well. You might want to try paying for one program to see if that works, but I think you will be waisting you money. Magellan Compass is what I use, and other than voice directions, it has it all.

Good luck finding a solution, and please write back if you find one.

[hackerguy]

Magellan Compass is the best one that I have found too.

[FF22]

First, try using the playbook in a wide open area with few trees or buildings. Give to 15-20 minutes to find your location.

Also, try using the FREE Compass app. It will generally work although it does not do much other than find your latitude and longitude but it can help test your pb's gps.

[futballaholic]

Thanks for your reply guys...
I've tried Compass and Magellan Compass, but neither were able to locate me on map.

First, try using the playbook in a wide open area with few trees or buildings. Give to 15-20 minutes to find your location.

Also, try using the FREE Compass app. It will generally work although it does not do much other than find your latitude and longitude but it can help test your pb's gps.

Thanks for your advice F2. I would like to ask you a question from what you mentioned.
Does Playbook usually need 15-20 minutes to locate your place? That's too long for me...
Searching process of Magellan Compass ends after 5 minutes so I'm not even given a chance to wait 15 minutes anyways though...

[lotuslanderz]

Just re-start Magellan Compass.
Initially, it took about 10 min for the PlayBook's GPS to work for me (Magellan Compass really helped), but since then it usually finds me within a few seconds. I use Bing Maps now and occasionally, Google Maps. Google Maps is quite sluggish for me.
The PlayBook's GPS is a real GPS. I dont think it uses cellular towers to locate where it is (I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong).

[Superfly_FR]

Thanks for your advice F2. I would like to ask you a question from what you mentioned.Does Playbook usually need 15-20 minutes to locate your place? That's too long for me... Searching process of Magellan Compass ends after 5 minutes so I'm not even given a chance to wait 15 minutes anyways though...

15-20 minutes is the FIRST location hangup (like when you buy a car GPS). Then it should work within 10th of seconds.

[FF22]

futballaholic (great name by the way).

As Superfly mentioned - a gps usually works faster after it has "located itself the initial time." A gps needs to acquire what is called an almanac - basically a table of data of where satellites are located and where they will be for some time in the future. Once it has that data, it can use it to find them quicker the next times it is turned on. Now, that also means that that data can get old if you do not turn the gps on for a few weeks (days?) or if you move it a long distance. Say you travel from Japan where it acquired the almanac to Calif or Europe. The almanac expects the satellites to be somewhere over Japan but now it is far away. It will try with the almanac but eventually it realizes that does not work, so it takes time to recapture a new almanac at its new position.

So generally it should work quicker if you use it two hours or even two days later.

And as mentioned, phones use both cell towers and satellites. The pb only has the ability to use satellites which takes longer.

[PatrickMJS]

good explanation, F2.

[futballaholic]

Hey, guys I have an update on my situation.
The GPS....worked!(On Magallen )

I had to restart the app several times till the GPS gets my location though as Superfly and F2 mentioned,
once it locates my place its doing good later all.

Thank you all for your advices.