[mayvi9]

i am looking for a new navigator and i came across MapQuest� Navigator 5.0 I know is not free but is cheap and sound good but i will like to know some reviews before i buy.

[principal]

I've had it installed for about a week on my 8120. The site says it is coming soon for 8120, but I used the 8110 option. Anyway, it works as promised (and is pretty cool) - I just can't get it to speak through my BT headset. Thinking that may be because I have to use BT for the GPS puck. Anybody have ideas on that problem? (I've e-mailed MapQuest, but no response so far.)

[kyle6279]

I have mapquest navigator on my 8310 and its great! It has lots of features and its pretty easy to use. I have had it for about 7 months and its saved my life too many times. I can't find my way around the Dallas area without using it.

I'll admit though, in my 7 months of using it, it has directed me to a location other than what I asked for about 4 times. Its frustrating but I've heard that many GPS systems do this. (I use mapquest about once a week too)

Since getting it, my fiance, brother, and dad all bought it too after seeing how great it is. I think it is well worth the money.

[alorriman]

Does anyone know if this is available on Rogers with the Bold?

[Snoopster J]

I might be wrong, but I went onto the download site via mobile.blackberry.com just today, and it didn't show any option for the Bold. I'm waiting for my data plan to be activated so I can try out amAze for free.

[Bob G]

I've had MapQuest 5 on my curve for almost a year.

On the bad side, it is cumbersome to use. It often fails to launch due to bogus network or GPS errors. It *never* finds addresses from my contacts (it says it doesn't recognize the country). And the search engine is just lame. It consistently fails to find businesses, even when I spell the names exactly. I've learned that if I want to go somewhere, it is best to set it up in advance. I use Google Maps to find the address (It can find *anything*, but it doesn't do navigation.), I enter that address into MapQuest, and then I save it as a favorite. That way, MapQuest is ready to go when I am.

On the bright side, after I suffer through getting the destination set, it does a great job of navigating. It consistently takes me to my destination on the best route and even avoids traffic problems. It has good voice directions, clear maps, night mode, etc. And it is half the price of the competition (TeleNav and Garmin).

If you are price conscious, I think MapQuest is a good choice (far superior to the free ones like Nav4All). But if you can afford $10/month (and it is available for your carrier), I think TeleNav is noticeably superior in almost all respects.

[Bob G]

I have been getting so frustrated with MapQuest's lame search engine that I downloaded TeleNav and Garmin. They have both been updated and improved since I last tried them a year ago, so I wanted to see how they compare now.

But after trying them out, I have decided to stick with MapQuest. This is mainly because MapQuest downloads all the maps when you set the route (so it doesn't need data along the way), and it does this at half the price of the competition. I sure wish they would fix their search engine though. It couldn't even find the Santa Barbara airport! Arrrrghhh!!

Anyway, if anyone is interested, here are my notes (Pros = "+", Cons = "-"):


TeleNav / ATT Navigator (version 1.6.0.1029):

+ Good search. Seems to be able to find things.
- Big delay to "sync" contacts before you can navigate to an address.
+ Green bar indicates clearly when a turn is imminent.
- Crippled without data. After setting a route, I turned off reception. It continued to navigate, but reverted to "turn mode," just showing turns, but no maps. This pales in comparison to MapQuest, but at least it doesn't leave you stranded like Garmin.
- Poor map layout. Navigation information is beside the map (instead of above and below like others) making the map small and lacking detail.
- STREET NAMES ARE ALL CAPITALIZED - very annoying
- Expensive at $10 / month.
+ Can "navigate to" from contacts.
+ Automatic night mode
+ Volume button controls speech volume while navigating.
- Shows *most* pertinent information on the man navigation screen, including ETA, total distance, and distance to next turn. Speed was not available, not even on a sub-screen.
- Difficult to exit application; you have to confirm multiple times. There should be an option for "confirm on exit." But at least clicking the trackball defaults to "confirm."
+ Full voice navigation functionality, including traffic re-routing.
+ Can set routes on the web site, then they are available on the BlackBerry.


Garmin Mobile (version 5.0.2):

+ Good search. Seems to be able to find things.
- Strange looking 3-D map - as if you were looking down on the road from an airplane, not a car.
- STREET NAMES ARE ALL CAPITALIZED - very annoying
- Will not navigate to a contact unless you agree to let it add "Geo-Location" information to that contact's record.
- Does not work at all without data. After setting a route, I turned off reception. It worked for a few miles, then the screen went blank. No maps, no arrows, just stranded in the middle of nowhere. This is totally unacceptable, especially when MapQuest retains full navigation without data (including maps) at half the price!
- Expensive at $100.
- Cannot "navigate to" from contacts.
+ Selectable night mode (off, on, automatic)
+ Volume button controls speech volume while navigating.
+ Shows all pertinent information on the man navigation screen, including ETA, total distance, distance to next turn, and speed.
+ Multiple zoom levels on 3D navigation map.
- Difficult to exit application; you have to confirm multiple times. There should be an option for "confirm on exit." This is the worst of the three, as each confirmation is in a different place, so it requires multiple steps.
+ Full voice navigation functionality, including traffic re-routing.
+ Can set routes on the web site, then they are available on the BlackBerry.


MapQuest (version 5.0 / 4.03?):

- Useless, horrible, frustrating search engine! Need to find address in another application (Google Maps), then paste it in.
+ Simple, easy to follow maps.
- Cannot "navigate to" from contacts.
- Cannot change settings while navigating.
+ Manual night mode
+ Shows *most* pertinent information on the man navigation screen, total distance and distance to next turn. Speed and ETA are available on sub-screens.
+ Half the price of the competition!
+ Downloads a corridor of maps when you set the route, so if you lose data coverage on the way, it keeps working seamlessly. This is huge! The competition dies without constant data.
- Volume control buttons do not control volume.
- Difficult to exit application; you have to confirm multiple times. There should be an option for "confirm on exit." But this is the least difficult of the three; at least clicking the trackball defaults to "confirm."
+ Full voice navigation functionality, including traffic re-routing.

[pete1118]

Nice summary Bob, thanks!!

[kevstl]

I've been using Mapquest for about 9 months, and have found it to be better than the Garmin Mobile I used on my old phone.

I like that I can search my contacts for destinations, and agree the search engine sucks.

The big plus over my old garmin mobile is how fast it updates for wrong turns.

Another plus for the phone based programs is the traffic updates - I've gone to the same place and gotten different directions based on traffic - very nice.

I call the voice Susie.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[cigarjockey]

I bought it 2 weeks ago, and the price is good and it works well, the only thing I have found with all the gps's (Mapquest/ Telenav/ Nav4all) is they cut off mid sentence while it is saying a direction on my 8330.

[dandoty]

I purchased the Mapquest Navigator for my Curve 8310 and it worked fine. I then purchased a Bold and MQ didn't support the Bold at the time.

Now their website says you can use it on your Bold. However, every time I try to go to their mobile download site, I get an HTTP Error 403.

Anyone try to move the MQ Nav from a Curve to a Bold successfully?

[VoltaicShock]

There are plenty of free ones to use. I like TelMap the best:

http://forums.crackberry.com/f41/tel...gation-117031/

[Calm before the Storm]

Anyone here of a MQ version for the Storm 9500/9530/9550 yet? You would think that with the best display out there, it would be one of the first that would be developed. The screen size is very close to the same size of the TOMTOM One which would make it much easier to see especially while driving. Please post if anyone hears anything! Thanks.

[Wangta]

Hey guys - reviving this thread.

Not sure if any of you still use this, but I love this application and have been a heavy user for the past two years. Suddenly it stopped working a month or so ago, not really sure why. It just stalls at "getting traffic information".

Is anybody else still using this?