[Crackaces]

Originally Posted by Red_Roller

Um, why? I have an optical USB mouse that stretches over to my seat, if I miss my turn I click "Go" and MS streets and trips recalculates an alternate route to my destination.

And while tooling along at 60 MPH there is a bus stopped on a two lane highway .. a one second distraction maneuvering a mouse .... bang .. 7 lives are ended, -- your life and a family is forever changed.

After using the Laptop 4 Co-Pilot for Truck for four months I decided that an ergonomic screen touch (Street Pilot) is enough distraction let alone the horrible UI desgin of Co-Pilot.

[tim.enright]

Originally Posted by Crackaces

And while tooling along at 60 MPH there is a bus stopped on a two lane highway .. a one second distraction maneuvering a mouse .... bang .. 7 lives are ended, -- your life and a family is forever changed.

After using the Laptop 4 Co-Pilot for Truck for four months I decided that an ergonomic screen touch (Street Pilot) is enough distraction let alone the horrible UI desgin of Co-Pilot.

I do plan to use the navigation products from the drivers seat but DO NOT plan on taking my eyes off the road while moving. I was planning on using voice navigation while in the drivers seat. Did you attempt this when you used the product? I know the voice thing can get a bit clunky.

[Crackaces]

Originally Posted by tim.enright

I do plan to use the navigation products from the drivers seat but DO NOT plan on taking my eyes off the road while moving. I was planning on using voice navigation while in the drivers seat. Did you attempt this when you used the product? I know the voice thing can get a bit clunky.

The voice thing vs. glancing at a screen was not the problem. The problem was maneuvering around the screen and changing the scale while in motion.

Let me set up a scenario.

Directions from the Qualcom are totally incorrect. They go to a place that has been burned down for 5 years. Call the number for the consignee and they do not know what you are talking about. (Let us say you have been given a central number to call that does not know about this plant. Not so far fetched as it might seem look at my journal..) You put the address into Co-Pilot -- let's say 1265 Main St and you get [100 - 9000] meaning that the software has no clue about 1265 Main St Yourtown USA. What it does know is that Main street has an address range of 100 - 9000. That could include addresses where Main Street starts and stops.

The first thing I would like to do is quickly expand range to see what streets are around me . does Main St dead end? Ok I would like to set the range for more detail quickly. An easy task with a Street Pilot .. not so easy task with Co-Pilot.

OK I am tooling down Main st and I would like to build my confidence and look ahead. Maybe stay at the same detail level but just move the map ahead a mile or two. Again, not easy with Co-pilot while moving down the road. One quirk is that the scale always returns to a default level while moving. Now this task is really really easy with my Street Pilot.

BTW) The routing portion of Co-Pilot adds very little real value. For example at least Pro-Miles will let you easily find a truck stop or rest area to take a break and adjust the itenerary accordingly. Co-Pilot requires you to set a mandatory break time and assumes a fixed time for that break. Pretty hokey for $300 software.

So I did not get a good value from the routing software and the GPS software is just too hard use. In fact, since I have been bitten by the trucking bug .. I am looking at the Street Pilot 7200. It has integrated XM radio and GPS with a 7 inch screen and really big lettering. (OK $1499 retail .. but it will come down)

[tim.enright]

Originally Posted by Crackaces

BTW) The routing portion of Co-Pilot adds very little real value.

Well that is a disappointment for certain. The product is on it way and I will have 30 days to evaluate it. From what I could read from the documentation, it looks like the product will do all the things that you needed with voice commands and responses except the look ahead functionality. They only way you will be able to look ahead is by zooming out. Oh and it looks like you need to setup your route ahead of time to get past the exact match on the address.

I am curious to see how the voice stuff is going to work. I have played with this a bit over the years and have mostly been disappointed. However, when I purchased a Tablet PC and a noise canceling mic things got a lot better. I have a notebook and a tablet and would like to use the tablet for navigation and communications.

The goal here is both hands on the wheel and eyes on the road.

Thank you Crackaces! the information you have shared has been most helpful. Oh, what did you do before you were "bitten" by the bug?

[apollo]

Does anyone use the Garmin that has the XM traffic feature? Does it really work and re route you around traffic jams? Does it overall save you time and help avoid getting lost go to deliveries or pick ups?

[tcurr]

I use the Garman 2720 and love it.

What I like most is it gives you the choice of shortest or fastest, also you can out in that your driving a truck so it routes accordingly.

It will also reroute and you can touch the screen to pull up a large scale of the area, It really is loaded with features that are extremely helpfull.

The 2730 has the XM traffic feature but read up on it I do not think it auto routes you just gives you a seperate screen with traffic info. I havent researched it much so thats what I could tell about it. Go to www.gpscity.com they have forumns there I am sure you can find the info you need.

[apollo]

Thanks tcurr. I have read your post on TMC. A little off topic here, but do they have refrigerators and microwaves in the trucks?

[Toothpick]

Originally Posted by Crackaces

The voice thing vs. glancing at a screen was not the problem. The problem was maneuvering around the screen and changing the scale while in motion.

Let me set up a scenario.

Directions from the Qualcom are totally incorrect. They go to a place that has been burned down for 5 years. Call the number for the consignee and they do not know what you are talking about. (Let us say you have been given a central number to call that does not know about this plant. Not so far fetched as it might seem look at my journal..) You put the address into Co-Pilot -- let's say 1265 Main St and you get [100 - 9000] meaning that the software has no clue about 1265 Main St Yourtown USA. What it does know is that Main street has an address range of 100 - 9000. That could include addresses where Main Street starts and stops.

The first thing I would like to do is quickly expand range to see what streets are around me . does Main St dead end? Ok I would like to set the range for more detail quickly. An easy task with a Street Pilot .. not so easy task with Co-Pilot.

OK I am tooling down Main st and I would like to build my confidence and look ahead. Maybe stay at the same detail level but just move the map ahead a mile or two. Again, not easy with Co-pilot while moving down the road. One quirk is that the scale always returns to a default level while moving. Now this task is really really easy with my Street Pilot.

BTW) The routing portion of Co-Pilot adds very little real value. For example at least Pro-Miles will let you easily find a truck stop or rest area to take a break and adjust the itenerary accordingly. Co-Pilot requires you to set a mandatory break time and assumes a fixed time for that break. Pretty hokey for $300 software.

So I did not get a good value from the routing software and the GPS software is just too hard use. In fact, since I have been bitten by the trucking bug .. I am looking at the Street Pilot 7200. It has integrated XM radio and GPS with a 7 inch screen and really big lettering. (OK $1499 retail .. but it will come down)

Personally, for my money, I think you are much better off spending your hard-earned cash on an inexpensive laptop computer and then installing navigation software with a GPS receiver on it for a small fraction of the cost you will spend for a stand-alone portable GPS unit. With a laptop, you can use it as your DVD player, check your email, chat live with friends and family, cruise the net, burn DVDs and CDs, listen to your favorite music, download and play pod-casts, play games, and do a whole host of other things with it besides having a big screen navigation unit. Also, you can save your trips as you drive them for later reference. You can?t do any of those things with any portable GPS unit I?ve seen, no matter how much easier and simpler its search capabilities are.

Moreover, your scenario above is really nonsensical, because most people would do all the zooming in and zooming out required long before they ever departed to find the shipper or departed to make delivery to a consignee, and most definitely not on the fly. At least not me, I like to plan beforehand to know where the hell it is I?m going. When you?re driving a 70? something vehicle, I don?t like to leave room for error, if you know what I mean. I believe there is only one kind of planning and that is very meticulous planning. If it isn?t meticulous, you?re only wasting your time.

[Crackaces]

Originally Posted by Toothpick

Moreover, your scenario above is really nonsensical, because most people would do all the zooming in and zooming out required long before they ever departed to find the shipper or departed to make delivery to a consignee, and most definitely not on the fly. At least not me, I like to plan beforehand to know where the hell it is I?m going. When you?re driving a 70? something vehicle, I don?t like to leave room for error, if you know what I mean. I believe there is only one kind of planning and that is very meticulous planning. If it isn?t meticulous, you?re only wasting your time.

Well that scenrario is not so nonsensical ... I bought Co-Pilot and a Durabook and found those problems in the software. I now own a Garmin 7200 and I do not find those problems in the software. It is a heck of lot easier to use.

To each his own ...

BTW) You can plan all day long, but if things are not as planned I would much rather have a system that I can rapidly acertain my next move rather than software where I have to stop in order to do any sort of analysis.

That is what makes the world go around Toothpick ..

[tcurr]

No refridges or micros in the truck but you can use the plug in coolers and any 12 volt product you want. They do not allow inverters.