I travel a lot and I have very good orientation in my nature. Besides that, I often took a map and check different approaches to some destination, watch roads and relief on map, check where I can drive… So living with retro maps isn’t hard for me. In some situations I really love it.
- My unit came with iGo maps pre-installed which I do like/use and want to retain it after the update. To my surprise, I can't really find any info online about how to copy the maps to SD card. I actually created an account here just to ask this question since I can't manage to find it on the interwebz.
- IGo primoMap Update Procedure Note:The SoftTouch™Navigation System’sSD card, which contains the map files, must first be activated by installing the complete system into a vehicle, powering on the system, and letting the software connect to a GPS satellite at least once.
Personally I don’t have a dedicated GPS navigation device. I use my Android phone with navigation maps. Phone isn't the best solution, because screen can be too small, you can get a phone call or some other termination between navigation… But I can live with this. It is still better for me than having another device with its own cables and accessories.
Igo my way version iGo Primo 9.6.29.636868 is the most famous navigation system in the whole world. We all like this GPS software because it has all we need. Simplicity, easy to use, fabulous maps and many other features what we all need in our daily basis journeys. IGo primo Map Update Procedure Note: The SoftTouch™ Navigation System’s SD card, which contains the map files, must first be activated by installing the complete system into a vehicle, powering on the system, and letting the software connect to a GPS satellite at least once.
My characteristic is using navigation without guided voices. I don’t want to listen electronic women talking all over and over. Generally I know where to go and I don’t need those annoying voices. If I’m in trouble, I throw my eyes on screen and it is enough to check next (two) actions.
Enough for introduction.
I tested almost all what can be found for Android, but here are my favorite four applications. Some of applications isn’t bad, but have maybe limitation that isn’t suitable for me. So try it for yourself if you think, that one of listed below isn’t good for you. On the other hand, testing is very time consuming and you can believe to my choice because it was tested over months (or years) in different situations.What follows isn’t classic review of road GPS navigation systems. You can find many of that type of reviews on the web. This is just my point of view for some of best road navigation applications. Review will be short and you will find just observations from really driving. You won’t find and features listings and descriptions.
So, let’s go in alphabetical order.
Google Maps
+ Very good maps – as expected from Google.
+ Google Maps can show satellite view (good for orientation sometimes).
+ POIs are labeled on maps with names (e.g., Hotel Sonnenblick, Airport Bovec…).
+ Route alternatives are shown on the map while driving with time difference.
+ Free!
- Only important roads have different colors. All others looks the same and this isn’t good.
- Navigation shows too many not necessary actions. For example: if you don’t need to turn, there is no need to repeat that you have to drive straight on. To make things even worse, there is a name of place written near arrows. And this place is sometimes with the same name as location out of our way (when settlement is a little away from road).
- Very few settings
- If you want to avoid highways (or toll roads), it is important that you use Route options at the beginning. You can’t change that while on the road.
- Google Maps is online navigation. You can download some parts of map and use it. But if navigation will need recalculation, it won’t be able to do it without internet connection. In my latest test, Google Maps eaten 24 MB of data for two hours of navigation.
- No speedcams and speed limits.
- When I come to highway junction, navigation didn’t navigate me even if I have two different ways to go. It is very embarrassed, because driver can miss direction on highway!
Rating: 6/10 (check whole ratings table)
IGO Primo
+ Very good navigation in practice.
+ Extremely adjustable with skins and changes in SYS.TXT
+ Maps from different providers for many countries.
+ Two next actions on the screen.
- You can buy Android version only in some countries. This pushes users to illegal market. For example – it is available in Turkey for 15 EUR, and in Israel for 48 EUR.
- Clumsy work with maps when you are just watching a map.
- Slow behavior in settings.
- Speedcams warning has very annoying behavior (beeping many times) and users have a lot to do, to make it acceptable.
Rating: 8/10 (check whole ratings table)
Sygic
+ Very good business model (full free trial, limited free, addons, download only desired countries, many discounts…). For example - at the moment, the price is 25 EUR for all European countries.
+ Nice user interface (especially Settings part).
- Slow reactions when car changes direction. If there is many actions nearby, this can lead to confusion.
- Line assist is shown very late.
- Uncomfortable arrow display – it shows that you drive 5 km without any additional information. Then (one kilometer before action) arrow is suddenly changed and show next action. Why a hell can’t be this action on display from 5 km before?
- Location on screen is always a little before real location.
- Almost all road are the same colors and wide. This is annoying.
Igo Primo Gps Maps Free Download
- Arrow for your car position is too big.
- Sygic offers Speedcam addon. This is nice, but it is available just in some countries. In other countries you have to add speedcams as a POI. This isn’t very comfortable way of working with speedcams.
- If you change your mind and go on alternate route, Sygic long insist to go back to his suggestion. It takes quite a bit to understand that driver took another road.
- In areas where the road is transversely on the hill, Sygic display this very ugly.
- In some tunnels happens that navigation loses idea where it is. It can jump to the end of the route, or show roads over the hill…
- Arrival times are often inaccurate. I get an ETA (estimation time of arrival) some minutes, but I have more than 60 kilometers before me. Besides this, I also found a bug if I start early in the morning and go to other country. It shows UTC time, then in the middle of route it jumps to UTC+1 time (what was right).
- Buildings are usually far away from real situation.
- Sygic has small arrow on the edge of the screen which shows direction where your final destination is. But, this doesn’t work for me. I don’t know how it works (maybe tries to use magnetic compass in car :-)), but it simply doesn’t work.
UPDATE (30. 8. 2015): Check also my newer Sygic review.
Rating: 6/10 (check whole ratings table)
TomTom Europe GPS navigation
+ Works quick and reliable.
Igo Primo Maps Torrent
- Expensive - 43 EUR for Europe. Bad variation of available maps collection. I don’t need Europe, and it eats almost 5 GB on my phone. Individual countries can’t be deleted, so we can’t release some space.- Minimalistic view. This can be a plus sometimes, but it is so minimalistic, that it doesn’t show tables on highway. Just a small word or two for exit.
- For my feeling view is set to high. I would like to see, if it can be set more naturally – this means that view should be more similar like drivers view. Now it looks like driver looks on a road from a plane.
- Car location is late and this can lead to problems when there are many roads and turns.
- It would be nice when application has more settings.
- I miss line assist. Maybe it exists, but isn’t very good implemented.
- Roundabout doesn’t have marked right exit. It is just displayed, but without numbers. It is helpful to know, that you have to exit on third exit. Much better than just see a pictogram of roundabout.
- There is a bug if you prepare route at night and then start over the day. I have dark view (night view) some kilometers before TomTom change it.
Rating: 7/10 (check whole ratings table)
Conclusion
My suggestion for road navigation is IGO Primo. It offers a lot, has a very good navigation, plenty of settings, it is clear and can uses maps from different providers. TomTom follows with big setback. I would set Google Maps on third and Sygic on fourth (last) place. Sygic has a lot of fans, but this is mainly consequence of good marketing. They have a lot to do, to catch IGO Primo in terms of good guiding.
| Developer(s) | NNG LLC |
|---|---|
| Stable release | iGO My way 2009 / August 3, 2009; 11 years ago |
| Operating system | Android, iOS, Windows CE, Windows Mobile |
| Type | GPS navigation software |
| Website | www.igonavigation.com |
The iGO Navigation Engine, developed by Hungary-based NNG LLC (formerly Nav N Go) is a GPS navigation software package. NNG sells some versions of the software directly to users, as well as to device manufacturers, auto makers, network operators and professional transport specialists. Products based on iGO are available in brands including Becker, Clarion, Pioneer, Samsung and Vodafone.[1]
Product history[edit]
iGO My way 2006 was the first GPS navigation software package by Nav N Go (now NNG) for PDA/PNA devices, introduced in 2005 at CeBIT, Hannover.[2] Due to the new map compression technology, the product fits on a 1GB SD card. An improved version was iGO My way 2006 Plus, announced in 2006.
NNG's iGO 8 (for PDA/PNA devices) was released in April 2008. It offered high-definition 3D navigation maps of terrain, road elevation, landmarks and 3D buildings.[3]
iGO amigo (for PNDs) was launched at CeBIT 2009 in Hannover.[4] iGO amigo was the first in a new software series, and employed changes aimed at simplifying the user interface. Since iGO amigo was a streamlined release, it had fewer features than its predecessor iGO 8.[5]
iGO My Way 2009 (for iOS devices) was released for North America and Western Europe and was then rolled out to all of Europe in 2010.[6]
iGO Primo (for Apple iOS, PND/PNA devices), introduced in 2010, is as of 2015 the primary product of the iGO Navigation range.[7] Version 6 was introduced at the end of 2012, with Google Local search, green routing,[clarification needed] extras through in-app purchase, real-time traffic monitoring, TTS Pro speech synthesis, and 3D display of junctions.[8]
iGO Primo app for iOS devices was introduced at CeBIT Hannover, 2011. Running on the iGO primo software engine, the refreshed application covers 115 countries with location-based search, green routing and improved junction views. Android and Windows Mobile versions are available to smartphone manufacturers and network providers, but not for retail sale.
iGO Primo Nextgen was introduced in 2015.
Naviextras[edit]
Gps Igo Primo Sd Maps
Naviextras.com, NNG's map and content update portal, provides updates for iGO 8, iGO amigo and iGO primo. The portal typically releases map updates four times a year. Maps and updates are available for over 90 countries and regions, including countries from Europe, North America, South America, Africa, Middle East, Asia, and Oceania. In 2013, the portal supports 5.200 devices and counts close to 1.8 million registered users globally.[9]
As NNG is an independent map provider, it works with several map suppliers in different geographical regions. There are different versions of maps running on the iGO Navigation software for the same country or region made by different map suppliers, including TomTom, HERE, Sensis and regional providers.
Partnerships[edit]
Igo Primo Gps Maps
In 2013, NNG partnered with Logicom, with an intention to provide the iGO navigation software services to the latter's mappy PNDs.[10][11]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^'References'. Nng.com. Archived from the original on 2013-12-14. Retrieved 2013-12-14.
- ^'The NNG Story'. Nng.com. Archived from the original on 2013-12-14. Retrieved 2013-12-14.
- ^'Nav N Go iGO 8 available for Windows smartphones in Europe'. Gpsbusinessnews.com. 2008-05-21. Retrieved 2013-12-14.
- ^'iGO amigo Launched at CeBIT 2009'. Cedailynews.com. 2009-03-05. Archived from the original on 2013-12-14. Retrieved 2013-12-14.
- ^Matthew Morley. 'Nav N Go iGO Amigo Review'. Pocketgpsworld.com. Retrieved 2013-12-14.
- ^iGO My way for iPhoneArchived January 3, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
- ^'Nav N Go Launches Premium Navigation Software: iGO primo'. 1 March 2010. Archived from the original on 3 March 2010. Retrieved 2010-06-23.
- ^'iGO primo Key Features'. Archived from the original on 2013-04-11.
- ^'naviextras.com'. naviextras.com. Retrieved 2013-12-14.
- ^'Logicom Reunites with NNG - Automotive World'. www.automotiveworld.com. Retrieved 2017-09-22.
- ^'NNG to supply iGO navigation software for Logicom Mappy units'. Telematics News. 2013-06-26. Retrieved 2017-09-22.
External links[edit]
- Official website