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Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2004 6:52 pm Post subject: CoPilot Live 5 - First Impressions
Just received CoPilot Live 5 today in the mail (well, actually via UPS).
Installation went fine. I was a little disappointed in the PC software included (initial perceived quality), but found my way through address searching and making a trip.
Started to transfer the map data to my Pocket PC (iPAQ H5550 with SanDisk 512MB SD card), which seemed to take an exceptionally long time. I don't have a card reader here at work so I had to transfer the data using ActiveSync - this is probably the reason. CoPilot becomes unresponsive (appears to lock up) at this point - P4 3.2GHz, 1GB RAM, etc...
I'm in Cleveland, Ohio at the moment, so I search for a nearby gas station for directions from the parking lot I'm in. CoPilot routes me through a neighborhood right next to work and gets me to BP after becoming slightly confused. I quickly realize the main road I normally take isn't on the CoPilot map, or rather, it's not COMPLETE on CoPilot's map. Hmm... As I was driving toward my destination (going the way I always go) CoPilot seemed to reroute me almost instantly, which was nice!
A quick search of my home address in Norton, Ohio reveals nothing. In fact, my entire development isn't there. Our street is fairly new - only three years old. The rest of the neighborhood is five plus years old. Disappointing...
In contrast, the Mapopolis map set for my area (both home and work) are complete (even the new part) with the exception of assigned road names on my street. This was a great surprise to me, since I initially expected to NOT see my street. I guess Mapopolis set my expections high in regards to map completeness.
The Text-to-Speech isn't impressive either. I've been using Mapopolis for a few weeks, and I think the TTS engine / software in Mapopolis is much better. I'll reload my trip / map with the real / true speech engine - from what I hear it's fantastic!
This is only the second navigation package I've used, and since ALK offers a 30-day guarantee, I'll be using it for a few weeks yet. Hopefully I'll start to find some fantastic features I can't live without...
Additionally, if anyone has tips / advice for a Mapopolis user attempting to convert to CoPilot, it would be much appreciated!
I got a chance to play with CoPilot on the way home today. After configuring my starting point in Cleveland and my ending point in Norton, I jumped on the expressway.
During the course of my fourty minute (fourty mile) commute, CoPilot got confused and seemed to lose my position about five times. My hardware placement is the same when using Mapopolis for navigation, so the only other thing affecting this would have been cloud cover. The thing is, my GPS signal was fine - CoPilot for whatever reason would think I was on a street parallel to the highway or on an intersecting road (bridge). This has happened to me using Mapopolis only once, and I was not on the highway at the time.
I like having a PC based mapping solution that easily selects map data and exports to my Pocket PC, but at this point, I'll gladly sacrifice that for more accurate maps. The interface of CoPilot is definitely nice - especially compared to the seemingly 'geek only' GUI of Mapopolis. CoPilot very easily found and connected to my BT GPS receiver - something that Mapopolis troubles me for every time I turn on my iPAQ. Oh - and the .WAV voice option in CoPilot is absolutely incredible! You lose road names and specific instructions (only receiving turn right, bear left, etc.), but wow - it's clear and loud!
Wish I could use the Mapopolis maps with CoPilot!
Question: How are TomTom's maps compared to CoPilot and Mapopolis?
Joined: 12/02/2003 20:01:02 Posts: 74 Location: United Kingdom
Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2004 10:19 am Post subject:
I haven’t experienced any map issues in the UK and Europe. My colleague in the USA have been using the software for a while and haven’t encountered in maping problems in the USA even when going from one state to another. CP5 maps are newer version than the Mapopolis maps in the USA map data are provided by NavTech for both products.
I will inform you as soon as I get the feedback from other people over the Europe and the USA
sgt-spam: Check your GPS device as the problem may be to do with the hardware. The software CP5 does not seem to have any major problems within – this is TomTom’s expertises.
CoPilot's map data does not seem to be up to date when compared to Mapopolis, at least in my area. This site lists the map provider for CoPilot to be ALK rather than NavTeq, although I suppose ALK could be buying their maps from NavTeq and advertising them as their own.
I am EXTREMELY satisfied with the map data in Mapopolis, and because I'm outside of the return policy for that software, I've decided to try to use CoPilot exclusively until I MUST make a decision about returning it.
I like CoPilot's interface a lot. I like that CoPilot has an accompanying PC product for map download. I realize I've saidi that before ;-) Where CoPilot is lacking in my opinion, is that I have to have a GPS active to get directions (or at least I haven't found a way to work around that). I also think it's odd that saving trips on the PC seems to be independent of saving trips on the Pocket PC (again, possibly my lack of experience with the product?).
I'm still struggling with map completeness and accuracy. Last night my wife and I took a six or seven mile drive to a friends house. About half way there (85% of the trip was on one road going one direction) CP instructed us to make a quick left then right turn in a place where the left turn existed, but the right turn did not. Also, lack of new roads (new roads that are three+ years old) is somewhat frustrating.
Regarding GPS hardware: CP getting lost that day on the highway has turned out to possibly just be a fluke thing. I've not had it bouncing around between streets since then. Mapopolis has exhibited no trouble with it at all either. I hate to keep bringing them up, but they're my only point of reference.
The navigation voices in CP5 are fairly poor IMHO. Over the past couple days using this software exclusively, I've almost just turned off the volume all together as I just can't understand it. I switched up from the female to the male voice and that cleared things up a little for me, but the TTS engine needs some help. Obviously the .WAV files are very clean but not as personal.
My hardware is listed in another thread, but just for reference, here goes:
Emtac Trine
iPAQ H5550
External antenna mounted on back of rearview mirror
Joined: 11/07/2002 14:36:40 Posts: 23848 Location: Hampshire, UK
Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2004 1:30 pm Post subject:
TheGoodMan wrote:
CP5 maps are newer version than the Mapopolis maps in the USA map data are provided by NavTech for both products.
That's not quite correct, Alk's EU product uses map data sourced from Navteq whereas for the US ALK are unique in using their own geodata as they have done in all their previous US product versions. _________________ Darren Griffin
Joined: 12/02/2003 20:01:02 Posts: 74 Location: United Kingdom
Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2004 2:28 pm Post subject:
Darren wrote:
TheGoodMan wrote:
CP5 maps are newer version than the Mapopolis maps in the USA map data are provided by NavTech for both products.
That's not quite correct, Alk's EU product uses map data sourced from Navteq whereas for the US ALK are unique in using their own geodata as they have done in all their previous US product versions.
Posted: Mon Aug 02, 2004 1:59 pm Post subject: Getting used to CoPilot Live...
I'm still 'testing' CP5.
The TTS engine (after switching to the male voice) is finally starting to make some sense to me. I suppose it's me getting used to the pronunciation, etc.
While conversing with ALK tech support regarding missing map data, I figured out how to get into a point-to-point directions only mode. This saved me from complaining to them about a feature that already existed... Frankly, I'm a little embarrased about it. One major gripe I had was that I had to have my GPS connected to get directions - well, I don't. After selecting Mode > Planning, I'm able to enter two points and see the route taken and read instructions. Guess I need to RTFM.
The other day I composed what I thought was a friendly email to ALK inquiring about map updates, etc. Here's the response I received:
Quote:
Thank you for your interest in our CoPilot products. The version we shipped you was just released. Our updates are released once a year and typically are $99 for the new version. We do not have downloadable map updates. We update based on the government information and over 10,000 other resources of what is reported to us. We also keep a schedule based on county population. Unfortunately, we can’t guarantee that every single area and address is available. Feel free to return the software to us:
I was surprised my contact was not interested in where the map data could be updated, etc., as it could only have made the product better. I was also surprised to see how quickly ALK would suggest returning the product... I've completed the tech support form on their web site inquiring about a couple specifics, and so far it appears normal response time is about five days.
Probably I'll go ahead and return the product. I'm a little torn about the decision. I've grown to like the interface, and it's very usable while driving, but if the software can't find a specific address or has incomplete map data, it kind of defeats the purpose of using it.
On the flip side, Mapopolis - the software I originally purchased, has been able to locate every address I've thrown at it, reroutes very quickly, and generally seems to perform very well. Of course the interface is quite a bit more cumbersome.
I anticipate a response fairly soon regarding locating specific addresses (thread here) and will make my decision to return based on that response since I can fumble my way through missing map data but not through missing addresses.
Joined: Mar 01, 2004 Posts: 290 Location: Northampton
Posted: Mon Aug 16, 2004 11:50 am Post subject:
I have just received CoPilot5 Uk version having decided to move away from TomTom3.
I have spent this weekend testing it out whilst towing a caravan. The RV mode is excellent and has managed to route me to my destinations with ease much more logical than TomTom.
The text to voice is also so much better as it is giving us the road names that you are about to turn onto.
The startup is also much quicker and cleaner.
Well worth the money to change. _________________ Please follow me on twitter @mdyson1968
I’ve just got my Copilot 5 and so far I’m impressed
Good points
The routing so far is very good and I like the TTS way it says the street names it’s really like having a drivers mate sat next to you instead of a monkey like in some others, the POI alert is good to I only used it for the cameras but it worked very well and it needs to be with the double camera scam, the address look up also works well
Bad Points
Most of these are minor the CD’s are printed wrong the map data CD is the install one, the speed camera icons looks like a car with a plane on top but I’m sure this could easily be changed with a custom import, the auto day/night mode doesn’t remember the last setting when you exit Copilot as it’s always enabled even if you disable it but night mode looks good anyway and quite often when I start Copilot it freezes and I have to do a soft reset I don’t know if this is a bug or it’s because my PPC is only 400Mhz maybe someone could help me on this one
It would have been nice if you had the choice to show road names in 3D view while on a route to but overall this is an excellent navigation software and even though I haven’t tried every nav software it wouldn’t surprise me if this was one of the best well done ALK
Most of these are minor the CD?s are printed wrong the map data CD is the install one
I think this is why a few people are still waiting for their CD's, I haven't heard direct from ALK, but a few people have said they're waiting for the batch to be re-printed due to some problems, so that might be why.
HellFire wrote:
I start Copilot it freezes and I have to do a soft reset I don?t know if this is a bug or it?s because my PPC is only 400Mhz maybe someone could help me on this one
Which PPC are you using ? I aven't seen this on the iPAQ 2210, but I have seen the odd MAlloc error if Main Memory is getting a little low. You will find CoPilot a little more hungry for RAM compared to TomTom and some other apps, but only by a couple of meg.
HellFire wrote:
It would have been nice if you had the choice to show road names in 3D view while on a route to but overall this is an excellent navigation software and even though I haven?t tried every nav software it wouldn?t surprise me if this was one of the best well done ALK
This was a feature I did request under Beta, and they were going to look into doing this, but it never made it to the release. The 3D view was quite of a technical challenge to do, so I'm not sure if it was more of a technical problem, or just a logistics problem in getting it into the release. ALK did delay the US release by a month because the UK version was near completion and they wanted to try and release the two together, so I would guess adding anything more in would have delayed both EU and US versions for quite a while.
I’m using an IPAQ 4150 with 24 MB of free space when Copilot is running, I’m not sure if this was the problem but I used to start it by a button I assigned it to so when I pressed it the PPC would automatically come on and start Copilot but now I’ve tried switching my PPC on first and waiting for everything to start before I start Copilot and so far it hasn’t crashed it’s a bit of a hassle as now I have to press like 3 buttons instead of 1 but so far so good
I’ve just got my Copilot 5 and so far I’m impressed
Good points
The routing so far is very good and I like the TTS way it says the street names it’s really like having a drivers mate sat next to you instead of a monkey like in some others, the POI alert is good to I only used it for the cameras but it worked very well and it needs to be with the double camera scam, the address look up also works well
Bad Points
Most of these are minor the CD’s are printed wrong the map data CD is the install one, the speed camera icons looks like a car with a plane on top but I’m sure this could easily be changed with a custom import, the auto day/night mode doesn’t remember the last setting when you exit Copilot as it’s always enabled even if you disable it but night mode looks good anyway and quite often when I start Copilot it freezes and I have to do a soft reset I don’t know if this is a bug or it’s because my PPC is only 400Mhz maybe someone could help me on this one
It would have been nice if you had the choice to show road names in 3D view while on a route to but overall this is an excellent navigation software and even though I haven’t tried every nav software it wouldn’t surprise me if this was one of the best well done ALK
yeah, road names seem to be pretty much missing on ALL views now, which is a downer
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