Hi - I use TomTom's iPhone navigation app together with the iPhone CarKit and I am quite happy with the routing. Here are some suggestions I would live to see in a (free) update. The number of stars indicates the importance to me.
***** The iPhone with TomTom's navigation app is not a "classical" GPS system - it is an iPod/phone with navigation capabilities !
**** This is probably the most disturbing feat: Instead of pausing the music during turn announcements, only lower the volume of the music (by a user selectable level, say by 0,1, 3, 5, 10, 25 dB or pause playing (for podcasts)).
*** Volume control: from my perspective, I like to set the volume of the car stereo so that the iPod's music is comfortably loud. Then it would be nice to set the volume for the turn announcements with the buttons on the CarKit - which doesn't work. This seems to be a bug, since the app claims that the buttons on the CarKit should change it.
**** While navigating, why do I have to tap the screen, scroll down, choose "Karte rollen (roll/move map)" to be able to move the map to look ahead? Especially since to exit this mode, I have to hit the (tiny) menu button before hitting the (tiny) Cancel button.
Just let me move the map from the standard navigation screen. After having not touched the screen for, say, 5 seconds the app can take over again and return to normal operation.
**** Save routes, not endpoints: On certain routes I don't like the suggested route, but avoid certain roads. It would be really helpful to be able to store such routes. Now I have to remember for each route which streets I like to avoid, and manually enter it each time. Not very advanced nor user-friendly.
*** Allow planning (and saving) routes with multiple stops - or did I miss how to do this properly?
*** Upon selecting to navigate to a POI, the shown map cannot be moved nor zoomed. This is pretty useless unless you already know exactly where you want to go - which I usually don't, or else I don't need GPS navigation. Also the little frame around the map looks nice, but screen space is valuable, and I want to see as much of the map as possible (show the address and phone number upon taping on the icon, not instead of a bigger map (copy google maps app)).
*** The iPhone 3GS has a built in compass, so using it would help, especially when in walking mode! Otherwise one has to walk in one direction about 50 meters before the app realizes which direction one is moving.
** The list of POIs is not accurate. Since the last update, not even Walmart (in Gaithersburg MD) is listed any more. It would be really great to be able to use iPhone's built in Map application (with 3G Internet access) to find POIs and take their address directly into TomTom's app. That way the POIs would always be up to date.
** The "Cancel" button on some menus is tiny since it seems to be the standard "cancel" button. Please make it bigger, that's a button I use very often! It would also make operating the app more safe.
** Having a folder hierarchy for the favorite points (and routes) would be helpful.
** The icons in the menus are rather larger, and I am not quite convinced that the text is necessary. That way one could save space and see all options on the first screen.
I know that one should not make changes to the GPS app while steering a car, but I guess most people do, so at least make it easy (big buttons, no text, everything on one page).
I can sort of understand that you like to advertise your CarKit, but to do so, send me an eMail or remind me the first time I start the app, but please remove the option from the menu - screen space is valuable. Especially since I already bought the CarKit.
** Please add a live-search for the POIs!
* Since the recent update to v1.2, the iPod does not stop playing when I remove the iPhone from the CarKit - which makes no sense to me. It did before the update, and if in doubt, you can make it a user selectable option.
* Living in the US with huge parking lots, I am missing a "Take me to my car" button in TomTom's app. Yes, there are other freeware app's that do this, but why not making it easier for the user. TomTom's app already knows the location where I stopped.
* The order in the menu is somehow strange: I would expect the options for "Favoriten verwalten (manage favorits)" and "Karte rollen (roll/move map)" to be more important than "3D maps" or "night colors". For me it's a one time decision to use 2D or 3D maps, and I expect the app to switch to "night coors" on it's own (either by using the build in light sensor, or the built in clock - if in doubt, make it user selecteable).
* Since the last update the keyboard is shown by default when entering e.g. an address and, unfortunately, hides the "back" button.
* Implement a second "navigation mode" with only minimal turn announcements for occasions where I sort of know the way and only need minimal guidance not to miss the turn while enjoying the music.
Please feel free to contact me if you like to discuss some of the points in more detail or if you want me to become a beta tester for the updates you will hopefully implement soon.
Best,
Kurt
***** The iPhone with TomTom's navigation app is not a "classical" GPS system - it is an iPod/phone with navigation capabilities !
**** This is probably the most disturbing feat: Instead of pausing the music during turn announcements, only lower the volume of the music (by a user selectable level, say by 0,1, 3, 5, 10, 25 dB or pause playing (for podcasts)).
*** Volume control: from my perspective, I like to set the volume of the car stereo so that the iPod's music is comfortably loud. Then it would be nice to set the volume for the turn announcements with the buttons on the CarKit - which doesn't work. This seems to be a bug, since the app claims that the buttons on the CarKit should change it.
**** While navigating, why do I have to tap the screen, scroll down, choose "Karte rollen (roll/move map)" to be able to move the map to look ahead? Especially since to exit this mode, I have to hit the (tiny) menu button before hitting the (tiny) Cancel button.
Just let me move the map from the standard navigation screen. After having not touched the screen for, say, 5 seconds the app can take over again and return to normal operation.
**** Save routes, not endpoints: On certain routes I don't like the suggested route, but avoid certain roads. It would be really helpful to be able to store such routes. Now I have to remember for each route which streets I like to avoid, and manually enter it each time. Not very advanced nor user-friendly.
*** Allow planning (and saving) routes with multiple stops - or did I miss how to do this properly?
*** Upon selecting to navigate to a POI, the shown map cannot be moved nor zoomed. This is pretty useless unless you already know exactly where you want to go - which I usually don't, or else I don't need GPS navigation. Also the little frame around the map looks nice, but screen space is valuable, and I want to see as much of the map as possible (show the address and phone number upon taping on the icon, not instead of a bigger map (copy google maps app)).
*** The iPhone 3GS has a built in compass, so using it would help, especially when in walking mode! Otherwise one has to walk in one direction about 50 meters before the app realizes which direction one is moving.
** The list of POIs is not accurate. Since the last update, not even Walmart (in Gaithersburg MD) is listed any more. It would be really great to be able to use iPhone's built in Map application (with 3G Internet access) to find POIs and take their address directly into TomTom's app. That way the POIs would always be up to date.
** The "Cancel" button on some menus is tiny since it seems to be the standard "cancel" button. Please make it bigger, that's a button I use very often! It would also make operating the app more safe.
** Having a folder hierarchy for the favorite points (and routes) would be helpful.
** The icons in the menus are rather larger, and I am not quite convinced that the text is necessary. That way one could save space and see all options on the first screen.
I know that one should not make changes to the GPS app while steering a car, but I guess most people do, so at least make it easy (big buttons, no text, everything on one page).
I can sort of understand that you like to advertise your CarKit, but to do so, send me an eMail or remind me the first time I start the app, but please remove the option from the menu - screen space is valuable. Especially since I already bought the CarKit.
** Please add a live-search for the POIs!
* Since the recent update to v1.2, the iPod does not stop playing when I remove the iPhone from the CarKit - which makes no sense to me. It did before the update, and if in doubt, you can make it a user selectable option.
* Living in the US with huge parking lots, I am missing a "Take me to my car" button in TomTom's app. Yes, there are other freeware app's that do this, but why not making it easier for the user. TomTom's app already knows the location where I stopped.
* The order in the menu is somehow strange: I would expect the options for "Favoriten verwalten (manage favorits)" and "Karte rollen (roll/move map)" to be more important than "3D maps" or "night colors". For me it's a one time decision to use 2D or 3D maps, and I expect the app to switch to "night coors" on it's own (either by using the build in light sensor, or the built in clock - if in doubt, make it user selecteable).
* Since the last update the keyboard is shown by default when entering e.g. an address and, unfortunately, hides the "back" button.
* Implement a second "navigation mode" with only minimal turn announcements for occasions where I sort of know the way and only need minimal guidance not to miss the turn while enjoying the music.
Please feel free to contact me if you like to discuss some of the points in more detail or if you want me to become a beta tester for the updates you will hopefully implement soon.
Best,
Kurt
