[Fuzzballz]

The bottom line for me is,
Is there is, or is there aint, plans to sell us off-line maps so that those of us who do not own, or will ever own a BB phone, can eventually use the PB's built-in GPS for anything other than looking at a satelite picture of our own house with an arrow showing what room we are standing in?

I highly doubt it. I sometimes use a standalone Garmin for geocaching and the size of the files needed to even show a part of the US are enormous. And that doesn't include routing. You'd have gigs and gigs of files on your phone or PB.

Also maps are really quite expensive. RIM and other companies may license them for their servers but selling them to consumers is a whole 'nother thing. Companies charge hundreds of bucks for just a sliver of a map.

[Unsure2]

I really don't get how a wifi gps device is in any way useful. Do you get lost on your way to the bathroom?

It sure isn't as useful as it should be. But, if lost, you can still stop at a Starbucks or other Wifi spot for a data "fix."

Now, on my Samsung 10.1 (Android), I have full maps for the U.S. and don't need Wifi. It really is a shame the Playbook, with its smaller size, does not also have that kind of functionality.

This is another area in which RIM just didn't make the extra effort that's needed if one wants to introduce a new OS. Well, it's not too late. RIM should pay whatever bribes are necessary to get some of those mapmakers to bring their wares to the Playbook.

[JAGWIRE]

id imagine when BB10 is released and is ported over to the PB as well we will have it via BB Traffic. i hope that they will port the main RIM apps when they do it.

[triplefan]

While reading this post, I have a frown on my face wondering the same thing. How handy would a wifi device actually be for GPS . Not unless cars now come equipped with wifi. Can someone please help my ignorance

Audi A1 + A8 both have wifi hotspots

" the stylish A1 is available with a host of technologies previously reserved for high-end executive cars, including HDD based satellite navigation and ‘Online services’, allowing an A1 to act as a mobile hotspot"

[tebore]

The people who say the device doesn't need off-line maps just won't get it.

This is QNX in car nav systems already use it. In Car entertainment systems already use it.

OS2.0 gave us A2DP.

Tomtom for the iPhone and iPad is <2gigs. You can't tell me an offline map + GPS package can't be made

If I can offline the maps or get Tomtom on the Playbook, Done. My $150 playbook plus $12 mount is now my in-car infotainment system that's better than then $2000 nav package I would have otherwise needed to pay.

The Playbook's digital compass, 6 axis accelerometer and gyros and excellent GPS unit actually makes the playbook able to perform like MB's COMAND system. You would need an app that would be able to use all these features and allow for a hard mounted calibration and you'd have one of an in-car Nav system.

The playbook is 7 inches, most Double DINs are 7 inches.

Google Maps works on and off. It'll work for 10 mins then go in to searching for GPS. I need me a solid built for Playbook GPS. Yes I'll pay good money for it like I did for Tomtom on the iPhone.

[Chaddface]

Instead of $2000 for a navigation package why not pay for a hot spot or add tether to your data plan. You will have maps that are always up to date.

[Ittles]

Use Magellan to track your progress (sort of ) and BB Traffic to give you turn by turn.

[Angus_CB]

The bottom line for me is,
Is there is, or is there aint, plans to sell us off-line maps so that those of us who do not own, or will ever own a BB phone, can eventually use the PB's built-in GPS for anything other than looking at a satelite picture of our own house with an arrow showing what room we are standing in?

You would have to ask the mapping software developers.
Garmin, TomTom, Magellan, Navigon...

Garmin and TomTom have both done it for hardware vendors in the past. I had an HP iPAQ that ran TomTom. Garmin has an app for smartphones, including some Blackberrys.

[FF22]

I highly doubt it. I sometimes use a standalone Garmin for geocaching and the size of the files needed to even show a part of the US are enormous. And that doesn't include routing. You'd have gigs and gigs of files on your phone or PB.

Also maps are really quite expensive. RIM and other companies may license them for their servers but selling them to consumers is a whole 'nother thing. Companies charge hundreds of bucks for just a sliver of a map.

I believe my tomtom has all of the US/Canada and Western Europe, including maps and routing and points-of-interest in about 4gigs. I'd be willing to dedicate 4-6gigs of the pb's storage for the ability to do offline maps/routing.

[FF22]

Now, on my Samsung 10.1 (Android), I have full maps for the U.S. and don't need Wifi. It really is a shame the Playbook, with its smaller size, does not also have that kind of functionality.

What android app does that? While I did download Mapdroid, it does not work as a gps but merely allows offline maps.

And at the moment, I guess we can hope that the Magellan folks come up with the solution they have been touting.

[cleveland216]

don't know if anyone mentioned this yet, but from a practical standpoint mounting the Playbook makes a HUGE blindspot. I mounted it in the middle of my window where I typically mount my GPS devices, and I'm telling you I couldn't see anything!

I hope you all are planning on mounting it in a better place.

Also after giving up the fight for true GPS app on the Playbook I've found Telenav on my Sprint 9930 is more than sufficient.

[Chaddface]

A little off topic but does anyone use maps anymore?
We have a driver that left without the navigation and was truly lost even though the truck had maps that would guide him easily to his destination.
I have northeast map and maps of the counties in my area that never leave the car.
The more I use navigation the less I like it. The turn by turn text gives too much information and the voice is distracting.
I'm not saying navigation isn't useful, I use it often but I find looking at maps gives you better idea of where you are.

[FF22]

A little off topic but does anyone use maps anymore?
We have a driver that left without the navigation and was truly lost even though the truck had maps that would guide him easily to his destination.
I have northeast map and maps of the counties in my area that never leave the car.
The more I use navigation the less I like it. The turn by turn text gives too much information and the voice is distracting.
I'm not saying navigation isn't useful, I use it often but I find looking at maps gives you better idea of where you are.

Can folks still do basic math with pencil and paper? I regularly use PAPER maps when I'm navigator. Three trips last summer, Colorado from Denver to Ridgway and Rocky Mt National Park, Reno to Yosemite and vicinity and then driving home to the NW and finally Salt Lake to Moab and around and about and back to Salt Lake. Always had paper mapSSSSS. Always looking at them. And you do get a wider or narrower scope more easily but those darn creases always wear thin at the folds! Bless AAA! But the TomTom was alone on two of those trips and also proved quite worthy and helpful.

[Willard814]

Rroyy's Blackberry Traffic does a good enough job with voice turn by turn.

[OttawaGabe]

I highly doubt it. I sometimes use a standalone Garmin for geocaching and the size of the files needed to even show a part of the US are enormous. And that doesn't include routing. You'd have gigs and gigs of files on your phone or PB.

Also maps are really quite expensive. RIM and other companies may license them for their servers but selling them to consumers is a whole 'nother thing. Companies charge hundreds of bucks for just a sliver of a map.

I have several gps systems from several vendors. The maps and poi for all of North America runs just under 1 gig.

I know people hate the iOS comparisons, but there are several gps apps for iOS with offline maps, including TomTom. It's quite nice to plan out a route on a larger screen, I use my iPad2 that way on trips.

[diegonei]

So, is the update out already?

[robsteve]

This is QNX in car nav systems already use it. In Car entertainment systems already use it.

If I can offline the maps or get Tomtom on the Playbook, Done. My $150 playbook plus $12 mount is now my in-car infotainment system that's better than then $2000 nav package I would have otherwise needed to pay.

You may have answered the question. Since RIM owns QNX, their entertainment system vendors would probably not want a $162 RIM hardware solution competing with them. The holdup may be from RIM.

[OttawaGabe]

You may have answered the question. Since RIM owns QNX, their entertainment system vendors would probably not want a $162 RIM hardware solution competing with them. The holdup may be from RIM.

Not likely an issue. Integrated automotive systems are _way_ more robust and complex than a Playbook. The requirement of being able to withstand operating temps of -30C to +50C alone is already far beyond most consumer electronics.

[pacoman03]

I guess I've got good news and bad news. What seems to be what some people are looking for, a GPS navigation system with downloadable maps and voice turn by turn directions for the playbook, already exists. It's called google maps which is out there and is available for sideloading. Specifically, there seems to be several google map applications floating around, but the bar file I'm referring was titled (I think) Google_Maps_v5.9.0 and installs on the PB as "Latitude". Where I downloaded it from, I'm not sure, since I've been downloading bar files from all over the place.
The bad news is that the navigation portion of the app is quirky and is only in beta mode. This means that it doesn't always work. For one, if it loses the GPS signal it has problems getting it back without restarting the app. The other is that it seems that to originally map out a route, you need to be on wifi- though I'm not absolutely sure of this. Anyhow, as I said, the app navigation portion of the app is still in beta mode, so hopefully when the final version is released, the quirks will be ironed out.

[tebore]

There's a problem with using something like google maps on the go. I have a iPhone 4 I can tether to. I live in Canada. I like to roadtrip to the US.

I have a nice dataplan in Canada. I know about T-Mo and their plans. I don't always stay more than 3 days T-Mo recently added a minimum of $10 before they'll do activation of a new $2 a day unlimited plan.

I can understand Vendor's ties to QNX and thus not want to steal from Automotive margins. However people who will buy the nav system WILL BUY THE NAV system. People who use stand alone GPS' units will still with not opt'ing for the nav. Also I hate to say it people who can afford to get a Porsche with the QNX based nav option will not get the Playbook but will opt for an iPad for each of the family members.

The argument that an in-car system being better than the Playbook is moot besides having better antenna in the car the Playbook system is almost on par with the Merc COMAND system which can function without GPS reception.

[Herve5]

There seems to be an open-source port of Navit(?) which is a turn-by-turn software using the (open and free) maps from Openstreetmap.
But I can't say more since I still don't have a Playbook (ordered today!)
H.

(any further details welcome!)

[jrohland]

I will be testing Magellan Compass today on a short trip.

[FF22]

I will be testing Magellan Compass today on a short trip.

Turn Right out of driveway. In 500 feet turn right. In 1000 feet turn right. In another 1000 feet turn right. In 500 feet you have reached your destination. Turn right into driveway!

[djenkins6]

Use Magellan to track your progress (sort of ) and BB Traffic to give you turn by turn.

This is what I do, Magellan with traffic overlay gives a wide view, and BB traffic on the phone. I also use BBM music in background shuffling music and played through bluetooth to the car. I can also make phone calls at same time using steering wheel controls, and the music/traffic go into background on the phone while I'm talking and start up where they left off when I hang up.

[Herve5]

I correct myself: the software I was thinking about is Osmand, Free OsmAnd for BlackBerry PlayBook - Download OsmAnd for BlackBerry PlayBook - Free Apps from BlackBerry App World
turn-by-turn, openstreetmap-based, offline, free... and still to be tested on my side