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Automapping Software


hawk4hire

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I use MapSend. From what I've read, the Garmin product is much more flexible. MapSend Direct Route will only give you what it thinks is the quickest route. There are workarounds to modify the route to something you may prefer better, but they are clunky at best. I believe (no direct experience myself) that both on the PC and in the GPSr that the Garmin autorouting gives you lots of customiztion options (e.g., via waypoints, avoid specific roads, and probably others).

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As a user of the Magellan software I like it, but it is far from perfect. I do not know the source of the data/directions for the Garmin software, but Magellan is using NavTech, the same company that powers Mapquest(I think).

 

The driving directions are about as good(or bad).

 

I have used it quite a bit, and I have only once had the directions lead me to a dead end road where the software believed the road continued. Rerouting on the fly produced a workable route for me. I believe any software is subject to this problem.

 

My other complaints are that on occasion an obvious route (to me) is not obvious to the software. As an example I was trying to get to a friend's house about 40 miles north from me. There was a highway that was basically a straight shot, but the routing software told me to get off that highway, make a few turns and get back on that highway and continue on. Very odd.

 

As a rule I do trust the software to route me from a to b, but I do not trust it to choose the best route for me to take in all cases. It definitely seems to prefer interstates to highways and higways to roads even when the "lesser" road is quicker.

 

These criticisms of the Magellan software should not be taken as meaning the Garmin software is superior, I have no experience with the Garmin software at all so I can't say.

 

I am happy with the Magellan software, but it has room for improvement.

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I've seen both, and use the Mapsource software, as well as a built-in Nav system in our Expedition...

 

NONE of them give you perfect directions, in fact they'll frequently leaving you scratching your head going "WHY?".

 

Personally, I find the Mapsource, and Garmin units -- more user friendly. Magellan makes good stuff, but I don't find it as easy to use.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Bozz

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Ive seen several Broken Connections in the Mapsource City Select 5.0 software on the GPS. Couple days ago I noticed a missing ramp from one freeway to another, and I been noticing alot of broken connections between some roads, where as im driving toward the broken connection, on the road that goes straight through, the GPS units will try to route me around the broken connections.

 

In many cases, I could not see the broken connection on the computer or on the GPS 60C screen. The roads can either cross through each other or over and under each other, or just having ramps connecting the roads together.

 

Pretty frustrating, the broken connections in Detroit, but since I live here I have a general feel of how to get around, I would still need a recently made paper map for areas im not famular with.

 

I compare this with Electrical Circuits, where in electrical wiring, you may have broken wires in places. If you apply a voltage between a point in Detroit and a point in Tampa Florida, it would be interesting what the electrical flow would be. The lesser roads would be like very thin wires and the major roads would be like very heavy cables. It would be interesting if they can take these AutoRouting databases and apply them to electrical testing software, to see where the breaks are in the roads, or were you would have overvoltage or burnouts in the wires(streets) This type of testing should be done to find the errors in AutoRouting maps.

Edited by GOT GPS?
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