Cheap Sat Nav: NaviCat

[rendez2k]

Just seen this on the App Store which came out yesterday, NaviCat. Looks like a very cheap (£3.49) alternative to the big boys and this uses google maps and POIs and simple left/right voice commands. Two reviews I have seen say its excellent! Any here tested it?

http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=326644662&mt=8

[severe]

Any here tested it?

I haven't, but the maps look clean.

I want its POI in Navigon. :o

[aerowave]

I'll try this out on my way home today, I like the interface (red section of the ring points to north, destination is blue) and for £4 it's not too much of a disappointment if it doesn't work

[dugbee]

Just took a chance on this, if only out of curiosity. I'll try it on the way to work today. But - it looks like this is using Google Maps. And it does turn-by-turn. Umm - isn't that against the Google Maps terms of service?

[lemonademaker]

Just took a chance on this, if only out of curiosity. I'll try it on the way to work today. But - it looks like this is using Google Maps. And it does turn-by-turn. Umm - isn't that against the Google Maps terms of service?

ya for $6 looks like an interesting option... keep us posted how it works...

thanks

[fredf]

it uses Google Maps which are NOT downloadable so it is NOT an alternative.
It may be good in your local town but it would be useless for travelling where the roaming charges would may this app seem VERY expensive!

[mattpreston11]

bought it because i thought it might get pulled from the app store for using gmaps. will try it out next time i go somewhere.

[Pika]

Made in North Korea.

[dugbee]

No, I certainly wouldn't equate it with any app that had its own map stored locally. Anyway, I tested it going from home to work. It's about an 18 mile commute, a mix of highway and a few side streets. I can only give some notes since I haven't used it that much, and haven't owned a GPS before.

- The speech consists of simple directions, such as "turn left" and "continue" and "turn left and merge" etc. There is no TTS and it does not say "in 500 feet, turn left."

- If playing iPod music, the music fades out when it's time for spoken directions. The music *does not* come back. Of course if you mute the speech in the app, the music is not interrupted.

- There are essentially 3 display "modes." One is the google maps, showing you where you are. It does not show a route.

- The second mode is the apps own map view. It's very simple; no street names, and only a representation of the route, with no connecting streets. Imagine if you use google maps to draw a route, and just took the purple line. This is essentially what you are seeing.

- At the top of this second view are the written directions and an arrow, akin to what the written directions are on a Google maps route.

- The third view is simply a list of written directions. It does highlight what step you are on, and changes as you drive.

- Rerouting works, although when I tested it, the app had a hard time recalculating the route. It displayed a question mark and repeatedly showed "recalculating." In all fairness this was on a middle-of-nowhere side street. Once I went to the next street it recalculated properly.

- When you leave the app and re-launch, it asks you if you want to continue on the previous route.

Whether it's worth it or not - well, that's up to you. I certainly would not say "oooh, I'm getting a Navigon/TomTom substitute for only $6!"

It's more along the lines of having a printed list of directions on your iPhone, with re-routing. Sorry for the noncommittal review, but it will need more testing, and I think it should be reviewed within a "scope of intent" - meaning, not meant to compete with a full-fledged GPS that has a local map database.

[Pika]

Is this better than Roadee ?

[knoxtown]

Is this better than Roadee ?

Being lost is better then Roadee.

[return7]

Being lost is better then Roadee.

i LOL'd. Yep, I'm pretty sure TBT w/ gmaps does break the gmaps tos.