[Gogi]

Is there any GPS out there for the Bold that has voice navigation ? I'm currently using Google maps, and while I like it, the addition of voice guidance would be nice.

[FF22]

I think that I read that the newest Garmin may work on the Bold. But I think that I also read, if Canadian, you may have to purchase from a 3rd party and no Garmin. Garmin does have 800 number support/sales

Good luck

[lmschless]

I use sprint navigation, usually 10 bucks a month but I get it free with my BIS plan. If you don't have Sprint I would highly recommend Telenav, but once again they charge a fee.

[jeffh]

Nav4All has voice directions and is free, so it can't hurt to try it. I'm using it on my 8830. Google Nav4All for the link.

[YvilKittyInSpace]

I would try for Garmin if I were you. Today I downloaded the Garmin GPS app and it is really amazing. It has a 3 day trial to start but after that it's like $9.95 a month. It has traffic, weather and a few other things. Very easy to use for a phone GPS and accurate as well.

I already have two Garmin GPS units, a 680 and a 880 but this will be convenient at times when I don't want to bring my regular GPS.

[BruceRTL]

I'm seeing that Garmin product for a one time $99.99 and a 7 day free trial at:
Garmin | Garmin Mobile for BlackBerry - Turn your BlackBerry into a savvy navigator with Garmin Mobile

I just don't know if I should pull the trigger and purchase it yet. It's got audio directions, that's nice but is it really that much better then Google Maps? I'm just not convinced yet. This coming from a guy that has used a lot of Gramin products and really likes the company.

[eds817]

You can also try amAze. It is also free.

Supported Devices - Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Motorola, Samsung and others || amAzeGPS.com

[cigarman]

Nav4All has voice directions and is free, so it can't hurt to try it. I'm using it on my 8830. Google Nav4All for the link.

Jeff, the problem with it is the lack of a manual or directions for it's use. What keys work the Nav4all? Does it only give directions as you get to the turn or change? What does the F6 mean on the screen?

The lat & long are great but it is so hard to figure out w/o documentation. I have been searching for someone who uses it to get me started.

Thanks

[jeffh]

I agree, the UI is very different than what we're accustomed to. F6 is your selected "Driving Style." Your choices range from F1-Easy Rider to F9-White++. Does that mean you drive like an old white guy? hmmm. It took me four tries to get my home address in. And trying to end the program? The way it puts labels at the left and right makes it appear it wants you to use the phone and end keys, but apparently that's not the case. They do have a FAQ on their website, which I've only looked at, so I can't criticize them too much. As for their directions, I tried it on my route home from work and it completely ignored a necessary right turn.

All the BlackBery GPS apps are interesting to play with, but for serious cross-country driving, I use my laptop running Delorme Street Atlas with a GPS puck plugged into a USB port.

[YvilKittyInSpace]

Early this morning I decided to buy the $99 Garmin for BlackBerry. tried it out yesterday and decided it was well worth the price since it is for the lifetime of my phone.

Installation was very easy. After my purchases, I was immediately given the unlock code which the Garmin app accepted with no problems.

I've been a user of Garmin GPS for about 1.5 years now. I started out with the Nuvi 680 and back in September, purchased the 880 with speech recognition. I also purchased the one year sub of MSN Direct which provides either GPS listed above with updated weather data, traffic, movie listings and times, gas prices and stock prices and news.

On my Garmin for BlackBerry installation, I pretty much have all the same things minus the movie listings and the stock prices. I can search for gas stations near me allong with current prices. It will take me there if I select navigate or I can call the store directly on the phone.

Weather is automatically shown by what city I am currently in. I can also see the forecast for a few days in advance.

There is also the usual options to find food, places, intersections, cities, attractions, all the usual stuff that my $800 Nuvi 880 can do above minus the voice recognition and bigger screen.

The voice prompts can be a bit low while in the car but if you have an aux input on your stereo, that won't be a problem.

Another cool feature is logging into the Garmin Mobile website which is free to use. There you can find and save any number of places you would like to go. You then select favorites / Mobile Manager on the Garmin Blackberry app. Login and you then see your areas that you have saved and you can select any of them and be taken there. It also shows you how far you are away from the locations.

Flight times is another nice addition. This feature is not available on my Nuvi GPS units above. You can find flights by city, airport or airline. Selecting one will of course take you there.

For long trips however, I will be using my Nuvi 880 just because it has the large screen and I can speak to find any location as well as any place, motel or rest area. Much safer without having to handle a phone to get somewhere.

The GPS on the phone is more of a convenience for findings things araound town or at least that's what I will use it for.

Hope this helps some in making a decision.

[cigarman]

Well Jeff, it sounds like even users are still trying to figure out the niceities of these free programs. I briefly tried both od thes programs and Amazegps didn't lock onto my location and the maps were cartoonish to me. I like the way Nav4 all worked but the documentation is not up to snuff. I guess I'll have to use the FAQ page a bit.

As for GPS, I have two Etrex legends and older one and an HCx and both work great for my purposes. Up til now I have been using Googleearth with good results from my phone.

To each his own...

[cgrey000]

Early this morning I decided to buy the $99 Garmin for BlackBerry. tried it out yesterday and decided it was well worth the price since it is for the lifetime of my phone.

Installation was very easy. After my purchases, I was immediately given the unlock code which the Garmin app accepted with no problems.

I've been a user of Garmin GPS for about 1.5 years now. I started out with the Nuvi 680 and back in September, purchased the 880 with speech recognition. I also purchased the one year sub of MSN Direct which provides either GPS listed above with updated weather data, traffic, movie listings and times, gas prices and stock prices and news.

On my Garmin for BlackBerry installation, I pretty much have all the same things minus the movie listings and the stock prices. I can search for gas stations near me allong with current prices. It will take me there if I select navigate or I can call the store directly on the phone.

Weather is automatically shown by what city I am currently in. I can also see the forecast for a few days in advance.

There is also the usual options to find food, places, intersections, cities, attractions, all the usual stuff that my $800 Nuvi 880 can do above minus the voice recognition and bigger screen.

The voice prompts can be a bit low while in the car but if you have an aux input on your stereo, that won't be a problem.

Another cool feature is logging into the Garmin Mobile website which is free to use. There you can find and save any number of places you would like to go. You then select favorites / Mobile Manager on the Garmin Blackberry app. Login and you then see your areas that you have saved and you can select any of them and be taken there. It also shows you how far you are away from the locations.

Flight times is another nice addition. This feature is not available on my Nuvi GPS units above. You can find flights by city, airport or airline. Selecting one will of course take you there.

For long trips however, I will be using my Nuvi 880 just because it has the large screen and I can speak to find any location as well as any place, motel or rest area. Much safer without having to handle a phone to get somewhere.

The GPS on the phone is more of a convenience for findings things araound town or at least that's what I will use it for.

Hope this helps some in making a decision.

I really like the newest Garmin Mobile for BB, too. The one thing that stopped me from buying it when my demo expired (and I confirmed this yesterday by telephone to Garmin's tech support) is that it doesn't regularly check/update traffic during a journey. When you first create your journey, it will route based on traffic conditions (if you choose to avoid traffic in the settings), however, once underway on your trip, it never re-checks traffic to adjust for changing conditions.

Given the traffic in my area, and the multiple routes that can be taken to avoid the hot-spots, this was a deal killer for me. In the 15-minutes it takes to get from my office to the primary highway I take home from work, traffic can go from 65mph to 20mph. There are several options to take alternate routes, with the last chance being about mile before entering. It would be nice if Garmin could check every few minutes (Telenav does this, but I have other issues with it that keep it off my BB), and still be able to get me around the jam if it built up since I started my trip.

The guy I spoke to at Garmin said they have had requests for this functionality, but he's not aware of any plans to implement it. Aside from this, I agree with everything you said regarding features, ease-of-use, etc. I've tried every GPS app I could find for my BB (free and paid), and if not for this, Garmin would far and away be my choice. Mapquest Navigator runs a close second for me.

[trucky]

All the BlackBery GPS apps are interesting to play with, but for serious cross-country driving, I use my laptop running Delorme Street Atlas with a GPS puck plugged into a USB port.

I had to laugh when I read that... The GPS programs on the BB are fun, some better than others, but the DeLorme on the laptop model whups em all. Of course, it's not a fair fight but I do the same on any long trip and setup my laptop with DeLorme running. Sometimes I'll switch over to Topo just to get a better look at the terrain when I don't need directions.

now if the bb had a 14 inch screen....

[jeffh]

I lived in Arlington, VA for nine months and didn't have a car. I rode the DC Metro and walked everywhere I went. The BlackBerry with Google Maps was terrific for that. But for route planning and navigating, especially when driving alone, the PC is just a better solution for me. The screen is much easier to see and the mapping tools much more powerful.

[FF22]

For similar reasons, my TomTom out performs the BB in maping and legibility of the screen and the info it provides BUT....

I used Verizon Navigator today to supplement the TomTom on the way back from the Canadian border area I knew I would run into traffic and Navigator does get traffic info. I have not paid for Tomtom's traffic and I would need to tether the BB (more expense) to use it.

But upon approaching home (where I no longer really needed any gps), TomTom recalculated the routes almost instantaneously, whereas the BB with Navigator missed two blocks at a time falling behind my location since obviously, data had to be exchanged and while data may be quick it takes time to give/get that info for processing on the BB.

[cigarman]

I had both Nav4all and Google Maps on my 8310 and was heading from Pgh to Hershey on the PA turnpike on last Thursday night late. There eas a bad accident and the turnpike was closed, so we had to exit. Nav4all kept trying to get me back on the turnpike, even when I was 30 miles away and on Rte 70 in MD.

Google maps mapped out 70 to 81N to 581 immediately.

Nav4all is now off the BB (Amaze was deleted a few weeks ago,)

[GadgetingAintEasy]

Which of these GPS programs can be used without a data connection? i.e. can you load the maps on the sd card to use with data connection off (like when roaming internationally)?

[jeffh]

Which of these GPS programs can be used without a data connection? i.e. can you load the maps on the sd card to use with data connection off (like when roaming internationally)?

Neither Nav4All nor Google Maps can be used with maps on an sd card. Both require a data connection. TrekBuddy is one app that can use maps that you load on a SD. It's intended for use in areas where you don't have cell coverage, and may meet your needs.

[WisLady]

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

Ok, I have to admit to being technically challenged...

Can the Garmin Mobile be directly purchased and downloaded to the BB curve 8330?

Thank you for any assist

Wislady

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[jeffh]

I just checked the Garmin website, and the only USCellular phone they state they support is the 8830. They have a compatibility guide, so you can check it for yourself. They also have a 7-day free trial, so there's no risk in trying it on your 8330.

[WisLady]

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

Do you download the program to computer, and transfer it? Or can you purchase online with the BB and download directly?
Thanks again, I did load the free trial and it is working.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[jeffh]

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

Do you download the program to computer, and transfer it? Or can you purchase online with the BB and download directly?
Thanks again, I did load the free trial and it is working.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

If you downloaded and installed the free trial software, then that's probably all you need to download. Typically when you purchase software that has a trial version, all you are purchasing is the key to unlock the program. Somewhere in the program, probably on a screen that comes up when you start the program, will be a prompt to enter the unlock code or registration key or whatever Garmin calls it. When you purchase the software, Garmin will email you that code, you'll enter it, and be good to go. That's typically how it's done. I don't have the Garmin software, so I can't speak for them specifically.

Be sure to note that the Garmin software is licensed for the one specific phone on which you first install it. If you buy another BlackBerry, you can't move the software to it.