Questions about CoPilot

[BestInGalaxy]

Before I buy this app (Premium version, not the Standard version), I have a couple concerns:

- Does the app come pre-loaded with maps? If it doesn't come pre-loaded with maps, where would I go to get them? Are the maps free or do you have to purchase them?

- Does it come with turn-by-turn voice navigation like Google Navigator?

- Are the maps up-to-date? How often do the maps get updated?

- Would you recommend this app to a friend/ family member?

I am also open to any other GPS navigation apps that work offline (no data usage, no GPS signal)

 

[ShinySide]

Maps come with it. US and Canada. They are stored on your phone so you never use or waste data with them.

CoPilot is actually a pretty big app developer. They make apps for Iphone, Ipad, Android, Windows Mobile and Windows laptops. They have a website also. I dont know if the "personal" one has voice navigation (Their website doesnt say) but their "Truck" one does. So i would guess the "personal" one would too

Heres their website: CoPilot Live for Android Devices

 

[3waygeek]

All maps for whatever region you're buying are included in the download and are stored on your device (usually on the sd card). It does have voice turn-by-turn nav, and supports dynamic re-routing to avoid traffic delays, etc. (this, of course, requires a live data connection to get traffic info).

Full map updates are quarterly, with monthly errata updates in US/Canada. If you report a map error to them, they guarantee a 45-day turnaround (US market only).

I've been using CoPilot on WinMo & Android for several years -- I've tried all the others, but CoPilot is the one I always come back to. For my needs, it's simply the best combination of features/price/map accuracy.

BTW, CoPilot is up to 50% off (depending on which package you buy) through Sunday at the Android Market.

 

[blackdog709]

There are a LOT of bad reviews of Copilot Live on the App Market.
Seems that there's a significant amount of work they need to do.
$10 on the market now. Used to be $20???

I'm hoping someday Google decides to sell maps for offline use (more than the 10 grids they allow you to cache temporarily now).
That would be just perfect. I'd pay $20 for GoogleMaps USA.

 

[itsallgood]

I have used CoPilot Live Premium V9 since last year and love it. (Google Maps is my favorite.) It works really well and wants you learn how it works and all it can do, you will see that it is just as good as a Garmin or TomTom stand alone GPS. The turn by turn works well, but if you want it to pronounce street and exits, you will need to add in the voice app. (Which I believe is $5.) Well worth it as it sounds just like the voice in Google Maps. They do updates often and it doesn't cost you anything. I say go for it.

 

[BestInGalaxy]

Thanks, I'm still looking for more input from different people before the sale ends, which is Sunday I believe.

 

[tcat007]

I'm happy with Navfree. If I were to buy anything it would be Sygic (I believe the USA is about $16)... I haven't tried Copilot, so I can't say if Sygic is $6 better.

+1 I'd pay $20 for Google USA (or $5 for Google Texas)... as long as Nav also worked offline.

 

[BestInGalaxy]

Alright thanks guys, I decided to make the purchase!

 

[blackdog709]

Alright thanks guys, I decided to make the purchase!

Alright. don't forget to report back after some use and let us know how you like CoPilot.

I've been running Google Maps and Navigation on my Samsung Galaxy Player (micro-tab) with wifi-only and GPS. If you load directions from home on wifi before you leave, and hit Navigate, it locks it all in and then when you lose the wifi signal the navigation stays active. Pretty good. Every once in a while, and I can't exactly figure out why, if Navigation goes to the background, when I make it active again, the directions are gone and smart navigation is therefore gone...I still get my GPS location on standard Google Maps but no more navigation. Certainly if I shut the device off, it will lose the directions/route cache. If I hit the master Navigate button at the top right, it goes and tries to find new navigation driving directions. Without data, it can't do this and I'm pooched. Can't get back to the driving directions that it should have cached already...so I have to be wary of not making that mistake.

Several times when I have lost the directions "cache" I have managed to find a coffee shop, Panera, Starbucks, etc...picked up wifi, and got my route back. Bit of a hassle but if I really need the route, it's not too hard to find wifi. And for some reason Navigation will not hold the route and let you reverse steps for the return trip. I'll need to go grab wifi somewhere for that. Even driving around on some surburban streets you'll find unsecured wifi all over the place. (Try Wifi Analyser app. Free. Very cool. Displays a real-time graph of all wifi hotspots in your vicinity, with signal strength, with an asterisk next to those that are unsecured.)

Anyway, this system is ALMOST OK for me. Would be best to have offline Google Maps/Nav package! Lacking that, I'm going to wait a while and see if it's worth buying CoPilot or Sygic.

By the way, it is surprising to come across zones where no GPS satellites are visible whatsoever...sometimes up in NH, VT, MA, it's quite a few miles. (Try the app GPS Test. Free. Analyses available GPS satellites, strength of each, day/dark zones on earth, speedometer, altimeter, and accuracy readout. Very cool app, again, for free.) Typically there are 7-10 running. Sometimes fewer, sometimes as many as 14 or so. Sometimes most of them will be weak signals, sometimes most of them are strong. Lot's of variability. Obviously the more satellite signals you are locked onto, and the greater their strength, the higher the accuracy you are obtaining from the system. (it varies widely)

Cheers.

 

[BestInGalaxy]

Alright. don't forget to report back after some use and let us know how you like CoPilot.

I've been running Google Maps and Navigation on my Samsung Galaxy Player (micro-tab) with wifi-only and GPS. If you load directions from home on wifi before you leave, and hit Navigate, it locks it all in and then when you lose the wifi signal the navigation stays active. Pretty good. Every once in a while, and I can't exactly figure out why, if Navigation goes to the background, when I make it active again, the directions are gone and smart navigation is therefore gone...I still get my GPS location on standard Google Maps but no more navigation. Certainly if I shut the device off, it will lose the directions/route cache. If I hit the master Navigate button at the top right, it goes and tries to find new navigation driving directions. Without data, it can't do this and I'm pooched. Can't get back to the driving directions that it should have cached already...so I have to be wary of not making that mistake.

Several times when I have lost the directions "cache" I have managed to find a coffee shop, Panera, Starbucks, etc...picked up wifi, and got my route back. Bit of a hassle but if I really need the route, it's not too hard to find wifi. And for some reason Navigation will not hold the route and let you reverse steps for the return trip. I'll need to go grab wifi somewhere for that. Even driving around on some surburban streets you'll find unsecured wifi all over the place. (Try Wifi Analyser app. Free. Very cool. Displays a real-time graph of all wifi hotspots in your vicinity, with signal strength, with an asterisk next to those that are unsecured.)

Anyway, this system is ALMOST OK for me. Would be best to have offline Google Maps/Nav package! Lacking that, I'm going to wait a while and see if it's worth buying CoPilot or Sygic.

By the way, it is surprising to come across zones where no GPS satellites are visible whatsoever...sometimes up in NH, VT, MA, it's quite a few miles. (Try the app GPS Test. Free. Analyses available GPS satellites, strength of each, day/dark zones on earth, speedometer, altimeter, and accuracy readout. Very cool app, again, for free.) Typically there are 7-10 running. Sometimes fewer, sometimes as many as 14 or so. Sometimes most of them will be weak signals, sometimes most of them are strong. Lot's of variability. Obviously the more satellite signals you are locked onto, and the greater their strength, the higher the accuracy you are obtaining from the system. (it varies widely)

Cheers.

Thanks for the helpful tips! I've used it once today when I went to pick up my brother from school and it worked great! Aside from taking a longer route than usual, it was perfect. But keep in mind, this is only a first-look and not an actual review. And yeah, I've lost GPS reception before on my Garmin GPS system when I was driving to Boston, that's what made me look for an offline app in the first place. I'll try to drive to Boston again, but this time using Co-Pilot and see if it loses reception like my Garmin did.

 

[paker]

Someone please explain the differences between CoPilot Live ($9.99), CoPilot Live Premium ($19.99) and CoPilot Live Standard ($3.99). Thanks.

 

[rodrigt]

Someone please explain the differences between CoPilot Live ($9.99), CoPilot Live Premium ($19.99) and CoPilot Live Standard ($3.99). Thanks.

On the Home | ALK Technologies Inc. website I saw a comparison table for all three, but I couldn't readily find it to post the link. (The manual is at User Guide). I've just upgraded from Live to Premium in order to get the multiple/adjustable routing feature - well worth the extra $10.

Why? Because in my metro area (Boston), while being near a highway (Rt 128) that circles around far from the city, the "quickest" setting going to a polar opposite point on the same highway it would direct me going right through the city. Instead, with the Premium you can go into the menu to find three route choices and likewise you can edit the route according to your preferences.

I'm a pure novice at this, thus I would appreciate comments from others.

 

[rodrigt]

If you load directions from home on wifi before you leave, and hit Navigate, it locks it all in and then when you lose the wifi signal the navigation stays active. Pretty good.

Several times when I have lost the directions "cache" I have managed to find a coffee shop, Panera, Starbucks, etc...picked up wifi, and got my route back. Bit of a hassle but if I really need the route, it's not too hard to find wifi... Even driving around on some surburban streets you'll find unsecured wifi all over the place. (Try Wifi Analyser app. Free. Very cool. Displays a real-time graph of all wifi hotspots in your vicinity, with signal strength, with an asterisk next to those that are unsecured.)

By the way, it is surprising to come across zones where no GPS satellites are visible whatsoever...sometimes up in NH, VT, MA, it's quite a few miles. (Try the app GPS Test. Free. Analyses available GPS satellites, strength of each...

Blackdog thank you! Your explanation of loading directions and hitting Navigate before leaving a WiFi hotspot sure cleared up a lot of mysteries for me.

The WiFi Analyzer is a gem, wow. First, at Market it offers a great tutorial before even downloading the app. I haven't yet tried it out in the public area but walking around my own apartment I could readily see how switching channels will allow me to optimize the signal for streaming video to my HDTV.

I look forward to reviewing your other postings

 

[rodrigt]

Could someone please help answer three questions when using Copilot?

1- Where are the maps stored, is it possible to get them onto the memory card instead of loading up the phone/tablet system memory?

2- Is it possible to simply see the map without having to set a destination? On my car's Garmin I can simply select "View Map" and cruise along, but in my first testing of Copilot it seems to require setting it to go somewhere. (Of course I can turn off the volume to avoid the voice giving me unwanted directions to my last selected destination, but there must be a better way.)

3- Is it possible to use the Copilot App on multiple devices? Clearly within the Menu it states requiring Disabling (or such) before using on another device, but I don't know whether that is simply for transferring over from an obsolete device. For using Copilot I want to be able to alternate between a tablet and a phone; ideally I would be able to download maps onto both devices and swap the license from one to another. Any suggestions?

Thanks!

 

[TimCastle]

1-On the SD Card (or specified media space as with my Atrix)
2-Yes
3-I think you need a license for each device.

 

[nymusicman]

1. They are stored on the SD card.
2. @Tim: Can you expound on your answer here. I'd like to know how to use it driving around town as well. With Garmin I'd get street names coming up and my speed as well as speed limit just in this view. If CoPilot has something like this, please explain how to access it, cause all I see is a big button I can push for my next destination.
3. According to a faq I read on their website, you do need a license per device. If you get a new device with the same OS (Android, Windows, IOS) you can transfer the license.

I just bought this app and so far I think it is really nice. Much better than Sygic (at least for me) mostly because CoPilot can do alternate routes like Google, which is always nice, especially when your trying to plan a long trip and work around what tolls are acceptable to pay and which ones are not. Also since Sygic is very European centered I found their knowledge about US addresses a bit lacking. Maybe in Europe they have the same problem with CoPilot, but here in the US CoPilot can stand up with Garmin or TomTom any day. Of course, this is my one day mostly map study experience. I did a little driving with it, but nothing like I'll do when I take a trip later this year.

I have a couple questions about the app myself though. Do they make their own maps? I'm assuming by promising a 45 day turn around they do. Where to they collect their data? How have others found their maps comparing with Navteq, TeleAtlas or Google?