My review of Google Navigation after 3000 miles

[griz8791]

In lieu of having it display my current speed, I'd settle for having it be aware of how fast I'm driving and update my ETA to reflect this. As others have noted, it is inconvenient to be told to use a route that makes absolutely no sense, simply because the engineers who designed this product have an irrational fear of two-lane roads. And I don't really expect it to know that the posted speed on a two-lane road in my rural state is almost as fast as the interstate. But what seems to be happening is that once I override its foolish preference for the interstate, it then adds time to my ETA and the ETA is so outlandish that I can only assume it thinks I will be driving 55 mph on these two-lane roads instead of the posted 70 mph. Isn't it already updating my ETA based on my GPS position? Would it be that much harder to calculate my average speed at the same time?

 

[Dan.Droid]

In lieu of having it display my current speed, I'd settle for having it be aware of how fast I'm driving and update my ETA to reflect this. As others have noted, it is inconvenient to be told to use a route that makes absolutely no sense, simply because the engineers who designed this product have an irrational fear of two-lane roads.

After having just driven through a snow storm with points where Google Nav was my only way of knowing where I was (wind chill was so low that it completely over-rode our defrost and windows kept freezing over), I can completely agree with your first point, but slightly disagree with your second point.

You can tell it to look for alternative routes, and it will. It showed me another route that was 2-lane highway the entire way. However, knowing that the program generally avoids non-major roads unless told otherwise did give us a sense of ease, since the major roads are far more likely to be maintained in bad weather.

So, in good weather, you simply tell it you want alternate routes, and in bad weather, you just follow the default route. It seems decent enough for me. But then, outside of playing around with it, I have never used it in decent weather.

 

[griz8791]

Sure, you can override its preference for the interstate, but unless I am missing something you don't get any alternative routes unless you are moving. I certainly agree that this is at most an irritation rather than an unsolvable problem.

 

[Dan.Droid]

I did. I was sitting at a gas station waiting for my windshield to defrost (again) when I started playing around more with the program. It showed me a couple alternate routes I could take from where I was currently parked. I opted to stay on the main one, though, because it was likely to be the best maintained.

 

[darreno1]

You folks actually put faith in the ETA calculation? There are way too many variables for this to be depended upon. Sometimes it's impressively close and sometimes it's way off. IMO it should be taken with a trailer full of salt.

This is just like the MPG computer found in cars. Using the old tried and true method of filling up and dividing by the pump readout is almost always more accurate.

 

[Dan.Droid]

That's the point. The ETA doesn't change based on how fast you're driving, but on what the 'official' travel time is 'supposed' to be.

 

[darreno1]

^^Well speed is just one factor, what about traffic, or accidents or rain, or dufus doing 20mph in the left lane, or rubberneckers? Too many things to consider. Even if it accounted for speed, the numbers would be constantly changing to the point that it couldn't be trusted.

 

[Dan.Droid]

Which still essentially comes down to: "How fast am I driving?" Once they can fix that part, then the rest will come. Sure, it still doesn't warn you of weather changes or traffic issues that you haven't hit yet, but the speed would go a long way towards making the ETA less of a joke.

That said, I don't ever expect it to warn me about the dufus driving too slow or about weather changes. I would be happy if Weatherbug actually updated as I drove, rather than making me pull up the main Weatherbug window to get it to update my location and weather.

 

[bennyj]

Which still essentially comes down to: "How fast am I driving?" Once they can fix that part, then the rest will come. Sure, it still doesn't warn you of weather changes or traffic issues that you haven't hit yet, but the speed would go a long way towards making the ETA less of a joke.

That said, I don't ever expect it to warn me about the dufus driving too slow or about weather changes. I would be happy if Weatherbug actually updated as I drove, rather than making me pull up the main Weatherbug window to get it to update my location and weather.

Do you have "Track me in the background" checked under preferences in weatherbug? if so it will follow you and should update your home screen widget or notification bar with the current location.

 

[Dan.Droid]

I just looked. It seems I didn't, but I do now. I will test it in a few days when I head for home.

 

[bennyj]

I just looked. It seems I didn't, but I do now. I will test it in a few days when I head for home.

that should do what your looking for.Just remember it does effect battery life.