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Who was the Idiot that design the GPS

T

tttexxan

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jun 25, 2007
698
0
Ok this is crazy....Over the last couple of days the GPS is getting on my nerves when driving...Could the not have the screen orient to the way your heading...I was heading south today and the blue dot is going in the opposite direction...It follows the road but I have to turn the phone to orient it correctly. However then the writing is upside down...

I have to say I enjoy when the blue dot goes off screen also when zoomed in...

COME ON APPLE
 
The Google Maps app is not really designed for giving driving directions. I believe there is at least one navigation system due out later this year
 
Hey, if you want true GPS functionality, get a dedicated GPS unit or wait for the now confirmed Telenav app that's coming out. I sure hope you didn't buy this phone for it's GPS capabilities. I see it as a bonus but certainly not a necessity.
 
BobboZR2 said:
Hey, if you want true GPS functionality, get a dedicated GPS unit or wait for the now confirmed Telenav app that's coming out. I sure hope you didn't buy this phone for it's GPS capabilities. I see it as a bonus but certainly not a necessity.
Click to expand...

Yeah buying a phone for full gps guidance needs is akin to buying a cell phone because of a camera. Neither makes a lot of sense.

I hope ultimately there will be tools to make the GPS a bit more useful than it is now, but if I had to rely or depend on a system of navigation, I would look for a dedicated system.
 
Actually there is one phone that has perfect GPS that works in the car...the Sprint Instinct. This is the only function of the phone that works though. It is using the telenav software...that is comming to the iphone later this year. It does turnby voice guidance and has perfect visuals while driving. I had a friend use it going from San Antonio to Houstion. And he used it perfect all around houston.

The Iphone will get this later this year.

Do not buy the instinct because it has a broke OS.
 
Aiphanes said:
Actually there is one phone that has perfect GPS that works in the car...the Sprint Instinct. This is the only function of the phone that works though. It is using the telenav software...that is comming to the iphone later this year. It does turnby voice guidance and has perfect visuals while driving. I had a friend use it going from San Antonio to Houstion. And he used it perfect all around houston.

The Iphone will get this later this year.

Do not buy the instinct because it has a broke OS.
Click to expand...

My blackberry also has the same turn by turn GPS that the instinct has and it does work IMO flawlessly. I look forward to telenav coming to the IPhone 3G.
 
wow. I take it you hit the little blue circle on in the lower left corner? That should keep you centered on the map. And if you really can't orient yourself using a top down display you hve other issues. The gps mapping wash' t meant for driving.
 
marksman said:
Yeah buying a phone for full gps guidance needs is akin to buying a cell phone because of a camera. Neither makes a lot of sense.
.
Click to expand...

people like you irritate me. Are you saying that you bought the iphone simply because it is a cell phone? NO! Of course not! You got it because of it's flawless internet capabilities, music playing capabilities, movie playing capabilities, in addition to all of the "cool little features" such as the photo pinch, accelerometer, etc.

So DON'T try to give me the BS about "it's a phone, you don't by it for xyz" When that is exactly what you are doing. It's just that it DOES have the features that you want. And I want those features too, but in addition to that I would also like to have a decent 3.2mp camera with autofocus and digital zoom!! So SUE me!
 
I'll be happy if my phone could ever locate me instead of just spinning for 10 minutes.
 
tttexxan said:
Ok this is crazy....Over the last couple of days the GPS is getting on my nerves when driving...Could the not have the screen orient to the way your heading...I was heading south today and the blue dot is going in the opposite direction...It follows the road but I have to turn the phone to orient it correctly. However then the writing is upside down...

I have to say I enjoy when the blue dot goes off screen also when zoomed in...

COME ON APPLE
Click to expand...

They made a statement about this somewhere. The antenna is too small to provide sufficient data for 'turn by turn' GPS, so it would make sense that the software isn't designed for driving.

The GPS is intended for Geo-tagging, and using Google Maps for find local services. Something my 1st gen iPhone does real well without draining the battery with GPS.
 
Im not asking for turn by turn directions..Im asking for the dot/streets to be oriented in the right direction...If Im going N the map should be aligned for going north.
The user should not have to flip the phone to orient N, S, E, W..

GPS locations can become confusing if your in a new city and the maps are not oriented in the way your moving.

Has nothing to do with Turn by Turn..

Apple is known for releasing products half A$$ done for us beta testers...I consider this one of them...Its all about the hype...

For the record I love the Iphone and ALL its apps...I was first in line last year and will cont to Love even though the GPS is weak
 
tttexxan said:
Im not asking for turn by turn directions..Im asking for the dot/streets to be oriented in the right direction...If Im going N the map should be aligned for going north.
The user should not have to flip the phone to orient N, S, E, W..

GPS locations can become confusing if your in a new city and the maps are not oriented in the way your moving.

Has nothing to do with Turn by Turn..

Apple is known for releasing products half A$$ done for us beta testers...I consider this one of them...Its all about the hype...

For the record I love the Iphone and ALL its apps...I was first in line last year and will cont to Love even though the GPS is weak
Click to expand...

Just note you are complaining about Google Maps, not Apple. What you are really asking for is Google Earth, because Google Maps doesn't change orientation on the screen.
 
It's obvious that the Maps application was not designed for use as a moving maps display, nor was it ever advertised as such.

The Google map and GPS seem to work just fine for geolocation.

Some other company who buys the map rights and the liability insurance (for when someone sues them for following the map directions and drives directly into a tree or something) will do a turn-by-turn navigation app.
 
marksman said:
Yeah buying a phone for full gps guidance needs is akin to buying a cell phone because of a camera. Neither makes a lot of sense.

I hope ultimately there will be tools to make the GPS a bit more useful than it is now, but if I had to rely or depend on a system of navigation, I would look for a dedicated system.
Click to expand...

Really? So, you bought the iphone JUST because it's a phone? If you're stupid enough to spend 2k over 2 years JUST because it's a phone, you're a fool. Go to best buy, you can get JUST a phone for $1.00.

We're buying the iphone because of all of it's features, and that it happens to be able to make calls. Am i getting one JUST because it has GPS? no, but it's high on the list. If the GPS is weak, then he/we have a right to be pissed about it. This is supposedly the most advanced phone out there, and they can't provide turn by turn navigation? Don't tell me the app store will have it, because you don't know if it will. Why even have GPS in your phone if you're not going to provide navigation? lame.
 
Again Im not asking for turn by turn just the correct orientation of the map...
The dot should not be moving in the opposite direction. Apple did advertise about using the GPS to follower your location...I guess they never stated about the map facing in the right direction..That would be asking to much

firewood said:
It's obvious that the Maps application was not designed for use as a moving maps display, nor was it ever advertised as such.

The Google map and GPS seem to work just fine for geolocation.

Some other company who buys the map rights and the liability insurance (for when someone sues them for following the map directions and drives directly into a tree or something) will do a turn-by-turn navigation app.
Click to expand...
 
tttexxan said:
Again Im not asking for turn by turn just the correct orientation of the map...
The dot should not be moving in the opposite direction. Apple did advertise about using the GPS to follower your location...I guess they never stated about the map facing in the right direction..That would be asking to much
Click to expand...
Google Maps IS facing the corret direction (NORTH). This is the way Google Maps works and has nothing to do with Apple or the iPhone (look at Google Maps on your computer to check and see North is ALWAYS up). If you want to use as an in car GPS with direction orientation (and I do also) you must wait on a 3ed party app. Or you could contact Google and have them redesign Google Maps.:confused:
 
tttexxan said:
Again Im not asking for turn by turn just the correct orientation of the map...
The dot should not be moving in the opposite direction. Apple did advertise about using the GPS to follower your location...I guess they never stated about the map facing in the right direction..That would be asking to much
Click to expand...

You do realize that what you're asking for is for google to modify google maps to illustrate 360 possible degrees of orientation for every location on earth, right?

Wait for TomTom to release their software. Or better yet, buy yourself a GPS navigation system (they cost less than the phone). Or, just travel north from now on.
 
mustang_dvs said:
You do realize that what you're asking for is for google to modify google maps to illustrate 360 possible degrees of orientation for every location on earth, right?

Wait for TomTom to release their software. Or better yet, buy yourself a GPS navigation system (they cost less than the phone). Or, just travel north from now on.
Click to expand...

Rotating an image was about the first thing I learned when I once glanced at programming OpenGL apps for Windows... it's not that hard.
You could just calculate direction by making a vector out of two points(locations), then rotate the image accordingly.

The maps function is actually crap when navigating or doing anything. I tried sending a location through SMS to my father so he could look it up on his GPS but the coordinates were nowhere to be found. Not even the images I took at the location contained the correct longtitude/latitude... I ended up outside Iceland when looking them up through google maps on my computer(through Preview.app on my Mac).
 
True this is something between Google and Apple and hopefully one day there is another work around.

I already have GPS built into my Tahoe so no worries...

Just would have been nice
 
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