[LazyStarGazer]

From RIM's website:

GPS on the Tour:
"Assisted, Autonomous and Simultaneous GPS enabled with preloaded BlackBerry Maps application and for e911 capabilities."

Assisted - Means that it uses cell towers to more quickly identify its location. This is a byproduct of the e911 requirements.

Autonomous - Doesn't need the carrier for the GPS to function. This means it's unlocked.

Simultaneous - GPS and phone radios can operate at the same time.

By these definitions, would bb maps be assissted or simultaneous?

How about google maps? (I've never used it).

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[LazyStarGazer]

BBMaps uses SATs to find your location, just like the other GPS apps for BB do. It just finds it quicker in certain scenarios because of aGPS usability.

Again, accuracy of location is not dependant upon the "a" in aGPS.

Thanks civic. So, without that cell tower rough estimate as a headstart, your device would send out a signal in a 360 degree horizon, hitting say 100 sats. The extra lock time is the sats or device first determing which sats are closest, and then determining your location? Just playing with this to make sure I understand it.

Also, I probably missed it: What does the a in aGPS stand for? Assisted (which this seems to be) or Autonomous? Wait. I think I just asked jonlong the same question.

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[jonlong724]

lazystargazer,

To ask whether bbmaps is assisted or simultaneous is a bit of a misstep. Those classifications refer to the physical gps technology, not to the software that uses it. I believe that both BBmaps and googlemaps make use of the assisted gps functionality. That is to say that, where cell towers are present, they will be able to more quickly get a lock on the satellites.

The a in aGPS stands for assisted. But it is autonomous as well.

[JRSCCivic98]

lazystargazer,

To ask whether bbmaps is assisted or simultaneous is a bit of a misstep. Those classifications refer to the physical gps technology, not to the software that uses it. I believe that both BBmaps and googlemaps make use of the assisted gps functionality. That is to say that, where cell towers are present, they will be able to more quickly get a lock on the satellites.

The a in aGPS stands for assisted. But it is autonomous as well.

PDE access is granted only to VZNav and BBMaps on Verizon Wireless. No other 3rd party app (currently) has access to the PDE for aGPS location polling.