Comments on: My love/hate relationship with the N95 GPS http://mrblog.org/2007/08/22/my-lovehate-relationship-with-the-n95-gps/ Mr Blog. Very technical, or silly, sometimes absurd. Sat, 21 Jan 2012 19:31:53 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Tuis http://mrblog.org/2007/08/22/my-lovehate-relationship-with-the-n95-gps/comment-page-1/#comment-728 Tuis Tue, 08 Jan 2008 05:50:44 +0000 http://mrblog.televolution.net/?p=333#comment-728 I agree with Keith, mine only takes about 10 seconds, at worst, 20. So besides the resistance to accept the fact that you missed your turn and want an alt. route, I really have no complaints. I agree with Keith, mine only takes about 10 seconds, at worst, 20. So besides the resistance to accept the fact that you missed your turn and want an alt. route, I really have no complaints.

]]> By: Keith http://mrblog.org/2007/08/22/my-lovehate-relationship-with-the-n95-gps/comment-page-1/#comment-727 Keith Fri, 28 Sep 2007 09:44:10 +0000 http://mrblog.televolution.net/?p=333#comment-727 I'd just like to point out that you get A-GPS now with the latest firmware upgrade. I've been using the new version a while now and it's got the fix time down from 5-10 minutes to under 10 seconds. And you get three days free trial for the navigation, which works pretty well provided you stay on the suggested route as it gets a bit confused when you deviate and takes a while to recalculate. To be honest, I wasn't at all impressed with the GPS out the box, but the latest upgrades have really made it sing. I’d just like to point out that you get A-GPS now with the latest firmware upgrade. I’ve been using the new version a while now and it’s got the fix time down from 5-10 minutes to under 10 seconds. And you get three days free trial for the navigation, which works pretty well provided you stay on the suggested route as it gets a bit confused when you deviate and takes a while to recalculate. To be honest, I wasn’t at all impressed with the GPS out the box, but the latest upgrades have really made it sing.

]]> By: Robin Sz http://mrblog.org/2007/08/22/my-lovehate-relationship-with-the-n95-gps/comment-page-1/#comment-726 Robin Sz Tue, 28 Aug 2007 01:27:42 +0000 http://mrblog.televolution.net/?p=333#comment-726 Actually, if you search onthe Nokia site, there is a "map loader" application, where you can preload your N95 with as many maps as you want. I just loaded it with all of the UK, it took up about 30M of my 2GB SD card, so no worries there. And yes, its free.<br /> <br /> No, you don't have to subscribe to the service, that is only needed if yuo want the voice commands "turn left now" etc, just do options->plan route, show route, show on map, start tracking. All of that is free as far as I can make out anyway.<br /> <br /> Downside? oh its painfully slow to find a fix and you MUST be stationary while it gets a fix it will never find a fix on the move. On your way to a sudden urgent meeting, not had time to plan exactly where to go? No problem .. turn on the N95 in the car, set off ... err, no it never found a fix, I dorve for 90 minutes and actually, arrived, it still hadn't found a fix. I went to the meeting, and when I came out, well THEN it had found a fix, but thats a bit late, right?<br /> <br /> With GPS on, battery life is about 2 and a bit hours. I drove to Wales on a fully and freshly charged battery, tracking all the way. we arrived 2 hours, 10 minutes later, the phone was bleating about low battery already. Turned it off, walked up a hill, turned it on, took 5 photos, battery died. <br /> <br /> Yes its kewl tool, but frankly, it can't live for long enough without power to be classed as a mobile device. <br /> <br /> As a phone, its close to useless. A phoen with a battery life of a day really is not worht having. Sorry.<br /> <br /> Yes I love all the feaures, yes it does do *EVERYTHING* it simly doesnt do them well enough or for long enough to be acutally useful.<br /> <br /> I love the concept, but I hate (with a passion!) the implementation. I no longer have a sim card in mine (after 2 weeks of trying) .. I use my trusty 6230i as a phone, the N95 will be a camera/gps/thing when its turned on, which will be as neeeded, not all day.<br /> <br /> 3/10 overall. Actually, if you search onthe Nokia site, there is a "map loader" application, where you can preload your N95 with as many maps as you want. I just loaded it with all of the UK, it took up about 30M of my 2GB SD card, so no worries there. And yes, its free.

No, you don’t have to subscribe to the service, that is only needed if yuo want the voice commands "turn left now" etc, just do options->plan route, show route, show on map, start tracking. All of that is free as far as I can make out anyway.

Downside? oh its painfully slow to find a fix and you MUST be stationary while it gets a fix it will never find a fix on the move. On your way to a sudden urgent meeting, not had time to plan exactly where to go? No problem .. turn on the N95 in the car, set off … err, no it never found a fix, I dorve for 90 minutes and actually, arrived, it still hadn’t found a fix. I went to the meeting, and when I came out, well THEN it had found a fix, but thats a bit late, right?

With GPS on, battery life is about 2 and a bit hours. I drove to Wales on a fully and freshly charged battery, tracking all the way. we arrived 2 hours, 10 minutes later, the phone was bleating about low battery already. Turned it off, walked up a hill, turned it on, took 5 photos, battery died.

Yes its kewl tool, but frankly, it can’t live for long enough without power to be classed as a mobile device.

As a phone, its close to useless. A phoen with a battery life of a day really is not worht having. Sorry.

Yes I love all the feaures, yes it does do *EVERYTHING* it simly doesnt do them well enough or for long enough to be acutally useful.

I love the concept, but I hate (with a passion!) the implementation. I no longer have a sim card in mine (after 2 weeks of trying) .. I use my trusty 6230i as a phone, the N95 will be a camera/gps/thing when its turned on, which will be as neeeded, not all day.

3/10 overall.

]]> By: MrBlog http://mrblog.org/2007/08/22/my-lovehate-relationship-with-the-n95-gps/comment-page-1/#comment-725 MrBlog Sat, 25 Aug 2007 17:26:21 +0000 http://mrblog.televolution.net/?p=333#comment-725 Daryl, I tried to say as much in my post when I said, as a phone "it is a pretty nifty GPS device."<br /> <br /> How likely is one to have WLAN access point when using a GPS (say in a car on the freeway)?<br /> <br /> Copying maps to an SD is an interesting approach. The fact that I wasn't even aware that was possible says something about the interface and usability of these N-series phones. In fact, your statement "It's really a mini computer" kind of sums it up. Sometimes people don't want a computer. Daryl, I tried to say as much in my post when I said, as a phone "it is a pretty nifty GPS device."

How likely is one to have WLAN access point when using a GPS (say in a car on the freeway)?

Copying maps to an SD is an interesting approach. The fact that I wasn’t even aware that was possible says something about the interface and usability of these N-series phones. In fact, your statement "It’s really a mini computer" kind of sums it up. Sometimes people don’t want a computer.

]]> By: Daryl http://mrblog.org/2007/08/22/my-lovehate-relationship-with-the-n95-gps/comment-page-1/#comment-724 Daryl Thu, 23 Aug 2007 14:28:29 +0000 http://mrblog.televolution.net/?p=333#comment-724 It never ceased to amaze me when people miss the forest for the trees. <br /> <br /> True, the GPS does with v12 of the firmware take 10-30 minutes to establish a fix, but it's also a feature packed phone, FM radio, WLAN, MP3 player, 5 Meg camera with DVD quality video, THAT FITS IN YOUR POCKET. Try that with your GPS. <br /> <br /> As far as a data connection for map updates goes, you *can* use a cell data connection, or as I do, use the WLAN at an access point, and/or use my laptop to copy maps with the maps application to the micro SD. Voila. It's really a mini computer, there's not much that can't be done with it. It never ceased to amaze me when people miss the forest for the trees.

True, the GPS does with v12 of the firmware take 10-30 minutes to establish a fix, but it’s also a feature packed phone, FM radio, WLAN, MP3 player, 5 Meg camera with DVD quality video, THAT FITS IN YOUR POCKET. Try that with your GPS.

As far as a data connection for map updates goes, you *can* use a cell data connection, or as I do, use the WLAN at an access point, and/or use my laptop to copy maps with the maps application to the micro SD. Voila. It’s really a mini computer, there’s not much that can’t be done with it.

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