Gpx View Vs. Gpx Sonar

[+webwidejosh]

I see that both these programs have a great following and support.

 

I installed them briefly and they look very similar. Are they competing or complimentary programs?

 

I noticed they both open GPX files which I have been unable to get, but I tried some of the demos. I see that the programs allow you to view a webpage type interface of the information. The largest difference I've seen is one views inside the program and the other calls IE (which I don't particularly like).

 

Without getting into a war... I'm wondering if the experience users can outline which program they use, and what features they utilize the most. Does anyone use both, which features do they feel are stronger in each?

 

Thanks!

[+dino_hunters]

I end up using GPXview most of the time. The menus are easier to use for my wife, who is not a PPC person. I like GPX sonar better, just because its a lot more powerful.

[+Jim W]

webwidejosh, I have both loaded on my iPAQ 4155, and I think they compliment each other, but I do use GPXSonar about 95% of the time, as it does a lot more, cache found, and notes just for starters. I use GPXView in the field if I want to see the cache hints automatically, GPXSonar will show the cache hints, but you must highlight the hint area to see them, sometimes in the field it's easier for me to read GPXView Cache Detail (as my eyes aren't what they used to be) GPXSonar Cache Detail puts the text right against the left side of the screen, no margin, but this is just a personal thing, if I had to choose one over the other, it would be GPXSonar 100%

Hope this helps

Jim W

[+-=(GEO)=-]

webwidejosh...

 

I wrote GpxSonar because I wanted a program like Watcher on my PPC and the ability to keep notes and personal cache info in one place and be able to generate reports. Since I'm a MeriPlat user, I also wanted to be able to send waypoints to my GPSr using its SD card in the field.

 

Many people install both on their PPCs. You should do the same and see for yourself.

 

Regards,

Fabien.

[+Renegade Knight]

Sonar is more customizable and does more. GPXView is meat and potatoes.

 

I use GPXview because it does almost exactly what I want and because it exports Streets and Trips pushpin files which I do use on my PDA. GPX sonar lets me mark caches as found which I like and I'd probably use it if Geo ever modified it to did export pushpin files.

 

both programs are installed on my PDA.

 

It's worth adding that I can hang GPXview if I flip between maps and leave a cache page up instead of going back to the cache list. It's not a consistant problem but happens often enough to where I know it's a bug.

Edited February 5, 2004 by Renegade Knight

[+Rosco Bookbinder]

GPXSonar will show the cache hints, but you must highlight the hint area to see them

Actually there is another way and you don't even have to load the page. Just tap hold any of the caches in the list, tap file, tools, ROT13 helper and there you are. A few strokes but it brings up a nice window with the hints decoded. Tap the text and the highlight will go away and it's very easy to read (with my reading glasses)

 

And having never seen GPXView I don't know anything about it. Never will. Way to happy with GPXSonar

Edited February 6, 2004 by Rosco Bookbinder

[+Volwrath]

GPXView is the easiest to use, but you can't enter data GPXsonar's menu system is unintuitive which slows it down, but it allows you to enter data and generate reports. I use GPXsonar because you can get used to it. My installation of the program has a small bug that the author believes doesn't exist, but I can live with it. Thanks for a cool program Geo

Edited February 6, 2004 by Volwrath

[+-=(GEO)=-]

Somebody once said: "You can't make all the people happy all of the time..." He was soooooo right!

 

About showing the hint, you can do it in 3 ways:

 

1. highlight the section of the cache page where it lives (or select the whole page)

2. Cache Options -> Show Hints

3. File \ Tools \ ROT13 Helper

 

Fabien.

[+Jim W]

Thanks, Rosco Bookbinder, and GEO for correcting me and setting me on the right course again, you guys are great, and GEO you made me happy with GPXSonar, it just keeps getting better.

Jim W

[+Gorak]

I have both installed. I primarily use GPXview to export Pocket Streets waypoints as it does a nicer job than GPSbabel or GSAK. I recently started using GPX Sonar to replace the ultra-buggy CacheDragon I had been using. After using both Sonar and View, I find I prefer using Sonar for viewing cache pages in the field.

 

I actually preferred CacheDragon to both of them, but it is extremely buggy and the author has not been forthcoming with the promised updates and bugs, some of which hang the PDA and require a reboot. Even though I paid for it, I've finally given up trying to keep it working.

 

I use GSAK on my PC to create custom GPX files for both View and Sonar.

 

______________

Gorak

[+Jeeters]

I have both since each has pros & cons.

 

GpxViewer loads my 3MB gpx file more slowly (very slight speed differece, though; nothing drastic).

 

GpxSonar lets you enter the notes, which may be it's biggest & best feature.

 

GpxView uses a larger font.: Easier to see perhaps, but less data fits so more scrolling required.

 

GpxSonar, when installed to a storage card, can take a 2 or 3 seconds to jump to a cache description. This is likely because it has to first render the description to a temporary html file and that takes time since it's writing to a storage card and not main memory.

 

If you use something like PIEPlus that allows multiple PIE windows, GpxSonar will let you have multiple cache descriptions open simultaneously. You open up a cache description with GpxSonar, then tell PIEPlus to open a new browser window. If you then go back to Sonar and tell it to show a different cache, it will use the new browser window and leave the old cache window alone. So you end up with 2 cache descriptions available at once. Or more if you opt to open up even more new browser windows.

[+-=(GEO)=-]

About GpxSonar and speed...

 

As a rule of thumb, you will always get better performance out of the app if you install it in the main memory. Unless your memory card is a high-speed one, this will always be true.

 

On my iPAQ 1945 running @ 266Mhz with a regular 128Meg SD card, generating an average cache page is intantaneous. PIE actually takes a second to load it. It's only when the page is very heavy (with big logs and large descriptions) that the page generation will take a second or more.

 

Regards,

Fabien.

[+Renegade Knight]

One thing I've noticed is that while Geo isn't going to make that S&T Export option any time soon he pays attention to comments and responds much more quickly than GPXViews author.

[+Volwrath]

Somebody once said: "You can't make all the people happy all of the time..." He was soooooo right!

 

If you were referring to me you are incorrect. I AM happy with gpxsonar. I was giving the pros and cons of each program.

[+Rosco Bookbinder]

I'm using GPXSonar on a Dell Axim X5 with a 300MHz processor, 32MB ROM and 32MB RAM, a 128MB CF card and 256MB SD card (the X5 has both slots). I have Sonar installed on the SD card and a gpx file on the CF card of around 2 megs and it takes 10 seconds to load and another 2-3 seconds to load a page from it in IE. I have no idea how that compares with others people's systems but I can certainly live with 15 seconds to get all the information that can take me to a cache.

[+Jim W]

Speed is no problem, I have an iPAQ 4155 400MHz 32MB ROM and 32MB RAM, and a 128mb SD card, and I run GPXSonar from the SD card, from the time I turn on the iPAQ to the cache page is less than 5 seconds.

 

Jim W

Edited February 6, 2004 by Jim W