WINDOWS 10 MAPS

[HuskerTrev]

So I was playing around on my ThinkPad 10 tablet last night, trying to figure out why the video playback was so choppy. I didn't realize that with Windows 10 you can now download maps for offline use. I started to download them, but then decided I would try and put them on a usb drive, so they didn't eat up too much of the internal memory. I was curious as to how here has used or is using this feature and if they are worth messing with or if I should stick with my dedicate Garmin?

 

[kojackJKU]

I never knew that. I am going to try that now! HMMMM....just using maps? I know with maps pro app you can do it.

 

[Pilat]

I just got a Lumia 950 where I downloaded offline maps to. My thinking is to use it as a backup to my dedicated gps, or at least so I don't have to carry my Garmin around (with its abysmal battery life), or perhaps just for the bigger screen. As to the quality of the maps, I am not sure, as it was news to me too a week ago when I got the phone. But since I am bringing the phone regardless, and I so far like my Garmin, I can't see why I couldn't use both.

I very much doubt that the Garmin will be completely replaced. It works with gloves are quite waterproof and so on, meaning I can hide away the phone from the worst of weather. I'd hate to get my phone wet and then have lost both my means of communication and navigation.

 

[Nomad1]

mind handing out some info like what programs work and do this maybe even some links right now its just talk no meat...

 

[Pilat]

Well, the program we're talking about here is called "Maps". It's a Microsoft program - standard to WIn 10 PCs, Win 10 tablets, and Win 10 phones.

 

[HuskerTrev]

I am going to download a few states onto my tablet tonight. When I get home from the gym, I will try and take a couple of screenshots and share them.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[kojackJKU]

I knew the phone app downloaded the mapping you needed. I never knew about the other apps. That's pretty awesome!

 

[Pilat]

I knew the phone app downloaded the mapping you needed. I never knew about the other apps. That's pretty awesome!

It is. What is even better is that if you use the same account for them all, your favorites (POIs) will sync accros them all (I just tried it). That means that one can "favorite" spots, name them/type notes (the text fields expands as you write) and then have it sync to your phone - and vice versa, obviously.

 

[kojackJKU]

Awesome. My surface and phone sync with my wifes surface and phone so we have all our information on everything. Works awesome!

 

[HuskerTrev]

I downloaded a couple of maps last night, killed the wifi and I have to say I am impressed with the versatility of this app. I am thinking this may replace my 15 year old atlas in the back seat pocket!


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[kojackJKU]

Oh yea, for that its awesome for sure. I am not sure if my surface has a gps module built in. No matter, I have a BT version and can link into that and use it as a full blown nav.

 

[AFBronco235]

Unless there's been an update I don't know about, Maps, while good for planning, lacks any sort of GPS capability. Also, your kinda stuck with either a road map or a terrain map, which limits your options. You may want to keep your atlas in case the batteries go dead. Now, if its on your cell phone, then it might be using cell tower triangulation, but that's not really useful outside a service area, or in a dead zone, which tends to be where most overlanders want to be anyways.

That's why I prefer MapsPro. It gives all the bells and whistles, lets you download maps, including a complete roadmap of the US and other countries, as well as just about any other style of map you may prefer, including USGS maps. It can also pair with GPS units for keeping track of and determining your position on a map.

 

[Pilat]

The Maps app in my phone utilises the GPS in it, not triangulation. It also does route planning. It's a Lumia 950. I think you're confusing the cost-cutting first iPhones that did not have a GPS antenna with proper phones and newer iPhones.

You can also download off-line maps for the Maps app - in fact, that was the very reason for this thread.

 

[kojackJKU]

How do you like the 950? I am getting one of those for my wife and I am getting the XL....The new maps app is quite awesome as it is for nav, normal mapping etc. Microsoft combined apps to make one great maps app.

 

[Pilat]

It's a very nice phone. I got the non-XL because of it being more pocketable, and for not looking quite like a tool when putting it up to my ears. I really, really like it. It of course runs win 10, which is great, and although it is quite disappointing that it only have 32GB in-built storage (64GB would have been nice, coming from a 930 with "only" 32gigs), but I have bought a 200Gb Sandisk card, so all up I have 230 gigs or so.
I tried continuum, as I "ordered" the freebie Continuum dock. It works very well, and integrates really well with my other stuff.

I only have a couple of beefs with it: From a design standpoint I liked the smaller radius (radii?) corners of the 930 better, and I liked the way the glass on the 930 looks more. Also, as with any phone, I wish the transfer rate was faster - especially when copying stuff to and from the microsd. That latter part is always a problem in phones.

Another thing I love is that it has USB OTG, so with an adaptor, I can plug in a thumb drive if necessary.

As for software, I wish Edge had adblock - but the same is true of the desktop version. Edge is so much faster than Firefox on the laptop, and so much faster than UC browser on the phone.

Btw, with this phone (unlike the still-on-8.1 930) I have finally bought into actually using onedrive, setting calendar, notes, and so on to sync through it, and it is very nice.