[jtegen]

ETA? Good question. Bunch of little things to clear up. At this point, probably within the next month.

[mhinc]

ETA? Good question. Bunch of little things to clear up. At this point, probably within the next month.

Looking forward to this. Purchased the current version and can't wait for an update!

[clowrym]

Looking forward to this as well!!

[padamssm]

The turn by turn does not require the Internet access. Getting the route does require the Internet, but it can be saved on the device. Map data initially does require the Internet, but map tiles can be cached on the device as well. Not 100% non-Internet, but pretty close.

I've been using Magellan Compass since it hit the PlayBook's App World and have enjoyed the updates. Over Christmas I used it to guide us all over Hawaii bridged to my phone. We could pinch out to get the big picture of where we were on the island and then pinch back down to navigate. Very cool! Looking forward to turn-by-turn. For me, this app is a great cross between a physical map and a standalone GPS.

[mhinc]

Version 3 of Magellan Compass will have off-line maps and turn by turn routing. 3D view not in any close releases. Most user's would not want to pay for that.

Okay, let me get this 100% clear jtegen. Once Version 3 is out, I will have the option to download say map paks? So that I can use Turn by Turn on the road with voice navigation with no internet.

Second. When is Ver 3 coming out. I have already purchased Magellan and am very eager to get my hands on 3 as I am dying for Voice Turn by Turn.

Third. Need any more Beta testing? Happy to do so, please let m know.

Cheers

[jtegen]

There are no "map paks". Map data is cached automatically as you pan and zoom around. There will be an option for routes to auto-retrieve this data along the route for a range of levels. This assumes the user-defined cache limit is not reached.

Turn by turn is not constrained to stored map data. They are independent to each other. You can use turn by turn while connected to the Internet/WiFi.

We're still pondering beta testing. RIM does not make this easy.

Thank you for your support.

[mhinc]

Turn by turn is not constrained to stored map data. They are independent to each other. You can use turn by turn while connected to the Internet/WiFi.
Thank you for your support.

Okay this still confuses me. Are you saying turn by turn will ONLY be able to be used if you are connected to the internet or on Wifi?

[jtegen]

No, either. Everything is still service/web based. Routes, map data, Yelp, weather, traffic, etc. are all accessible from the Internet. For routes and map data, that information can be saved to the local device for later use (e.g. not connected to the Internet). So you plan your route, save it, go to your car, and open it. For map data, a lot of it may already exist on your device because it automatically downloads current map data as you pan and zoom. If you are creating a route, instead of panning and zooming along the route, there will be an option to do that automatically and download the needed map data (up to the user-defined limit). Then when you go to your car, all the map data will be there without the need for Internet connection.

The voice, turn by turn is all in the application. Independent to on or off-line connection.

It is not a 100% off-line capability. It is a hybrid solution constrained by cost, disk space, time and license agreements.

Hope that clears it up.

[mhinc]

Yes clear. Thanks for the prompt reply. Now, let's talk release. I sent an email to O2 back in December when I got my Playbook, maybe early January. Asking about turn by turn and was told it would be in Ver 3 and should be out next month ( which would be January, tops February ) So when can we expect a release for all those paying customers that want Turn by Turn. I also have several people lines up to purchase once Ver 3 is released as well. Can we get at least a speculated date?

Thanks!

[jtegen]

We hoped to release it back then, but we are being held up by the service provider for needed enhancements that slipped in schedule. This includes the ability to run the app without being connected to the Internet (avoid key verification) and along route map caching. In the mean time, we are adding some new features while we wait, but we would rather slip the schedule then get angry users saying they cannot run the app off-line.

[rkennedy01]

We hoped to release it back then, but we are being held up by the service provider for needed enhancements that slipped in schedule. This includes the ability to run the app without being connected to the Internet (avoid key verification) and along route map caching. In the mean time, we are adding some new features while we wait, but we would rather slip the schedule then get angry users saying they cannot run the app off-line.

I say take your time and get it right. If you deliver on the features you've mentioned, you'll quickly sew-up the PB navigation market and also help prove once and for all that RIM's tablet is a viable GPS solution.

In other words, you'll be legendary...

RCK

[mhinc]

I say take your time and get it right. If you deliver on the features you've mentioned, you'll quickly sew-up the PB navigation market and also help prove once and for all that RIM's tablet is a viable GPS solution.

In other words, you'll be legendary...

RCK

Agree, currently sideloading Google Navigator and it works maybe 10% of the time, needed something in the mean time though. I just ordered a Car Mount from Hong Kong. Should take about 2 weeks to get here. Hope to see an update by then

[rickgainsmith]

Car Mounts ordered! Please release software! :-)

Edit: Car Mounts Shipped. We run a few trucks and I thinking this will be fantastic. At the price of a normal gps unit, linked to their work BlackBerry Bold's it will give large screen Calendar, Emails, Pdf instruction manuals for assembly of product, and of course GPS navigation.

Great!

Can anyone recommend a cigarette lighter charger that will work with the PlayBook? Prefer it to be the Magnetic attachment as they will likely wear out the micro usb port.

[westronic]

...

Can anyone recommend a cigarette lighter charger that will work with the PlayBook? Prefer it to be the Magnetic attachment as they will likely wear out the micro usb port.

I recommend an inexpensive inverter such as Amazon.com: BESTEK 75w charger dc ac power inverter car dc 12v to 110v car adapter usb charger car samsung adapter pda car charger htc adapter car lg charger mp3 car adapter iphone charger car motolora adapter ipad car charger blackberry car adapter or, for a permanent installation, Amazon.com: Cobra CPI 480 400-Watt 12-Volt DC to 120-Volt AC Power Inverter with 5-Volt USB Output: Car Electronics

You can then get and use the Blackberry rapid charger.

[deanrw1]

Any updates on when version 3 will be available? Hoping to get it soon.

[cavemen]

It's definitely exiting... But the videos don't suggest if it rerouted if say I would miss the turn...
It would be exiting to know if it does...

[westronic]

There are some hints that routing requires an internet connection, but then the route s saved off-line. That would imply no-re-routing unless on-line, which would not be very good.

In any case, re-routing is definitively a requirement. As is on-line functionality through Blackberry Bridge - I hope that works.

This has enormous potential - I just hope that potential is realized in this app. I look forward to it!

[mhinc]

Getting a little impatient with the wait on the update. Considering it was supposed to be released WAY earlier, and I purchased it specifcally so I would have turn by turn. So I have 2.0, I have the current Magellan Compass app, I have my car mount. And now I have no turn by turn that was supposed to be released in January. It's almost April......

[jtegen]

Sorry for the delay. We are waiting for a couple of bug fixes from the map provider. If we release it as-is, we will get a lot of hate emails and reviews. Right now, the SDK phones home to verify a key and it wont run if the key is bad or if it cannot phone home. Obviously in an off-line mode, this would make the app unusable. This, and a few other issues are still being worked on. Obviously, we wanted to release it when we thought it would be ready, but we hit a few show stoppers.

[jtegen]

Re-routing when you are off route is available, but routing is a web service. It you are bridged, this function works fine.

[westronic]

Re-routing when you are off route is available, but routing is a web service. It you are bridged, this function works fine.

Nice. Very nice.

[lavaine70]

Why does this app require internet for routing? My el-cheapo Nokia phone has built-in GPS, and does not require an internet connection for routing (neither does my $50 Garmin GPS unit). This strikes me as laziness on the part of developers. Is there a good reason that routing can't be done offline on the PlayBook?

[mhinc]

Starting to seem that everything with Magellan Compass is based on an internet connection on a tablet that is only Wifi unless you tether. So basically for those that don't have a Blackberry and can't bridge or tether, they have to go on their wifi at home, cache the maps of where they are going from and to and then route it from home before getting in the car and loosing their wifi?
Heaven forbid the driver makes a wrong turn and that sucker has to try and RECALCULATE a route.
This is starting to sound like more of a hassle that anything. And it's getting complicated for those that don't need or can't handle added complication.
I talked my parents into a Playbook, got them a car mount and told them to get Magellan Compass because when 3.0 comes out they will be able to use it just like a Garmin or TomTom.
Guess I have some explaining to do!

[cavemen]

Re-routing when you are off route is available, but routing is a web service. It you are bridged, this function works fine.

It's great to hear that. I currently use nokia maps for navigation... They are simply amazing.
What I think lacks in. Google maps is the ability to show coordinates, they are visible in Google Earth but not in the maps. Please let me know if I am wrong..

[kjm2010]

Hey guys, take it easy on the messenger, Playbook needs more developers of native apps, and if you want a full blown GPS, buy a full blown GPS.

Suggestions are great, let's just keep it positive.

As someone on the road regularly for fly and drive, hauling one less device on an airplane is great for me, I can live with the limitations of a Magellan Playbook turn by turn GPS.

One request would be that there be an option for increasing the turn by turn text size.

The PB has the biggest screen of any non OEM GPS, so even if you used 50% of the screen area for the street names, that's good by me.

Also, does it make a difference price wise upgrading to V3 vs buying for the first time once v3 is out?