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Laptop Sat Nav


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Does anyone have experience of either or both current editions of 'PC Navigator 7' and/or 'Auto TRute 2007 + GPS' please?

 

Both appear to work with a laptop 'straight from the box' with nothing extra needed and as they both cost more or less the same and seem similarly specced I wonder if one works better than the other?

 

Thanks.

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Many thanks Don - why the bl##dy hell can't these firms be honest and up front and explain these requirements as surely not every potential buyer knows his USB from his GPS, and this little gismo seems to add about £60 to the price.

 

Still not bad value if it does what it says

 

Maplins do a package deal at £99.99 which DOES include the usb gps thingy - has anyone tried that one?

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I've only used the older versions of both but I hope this helps:

 

Navigator is the more sophisticated of the 2 but I actually like Autoroute (I have 2006) Either work well.

 

But the biggest problem is mounting the laptop. In my A Class it's not too bad as it has a large dash shelf but people have found ingenious sytems that they use on other types of van.

 

In the end I bought a conventional sat nav (I have a Navman but I wouldn't recommend them) as they are just so much more convenient. I still use Autoroute, however to check the route as it's so much easier to see and use.

 

 

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Thanks Ralph. I too have a 2 year old Navman but I wouldn't buy another mainly due to the poor and unfriendly way you have to do a postcode search. Also their website is/was hard work and downloads are a pain. But then maybe newer ones are better?

 

I really only wanted to use the laptop as a mobile map for route planning and seeing what's around us wherever we happen to be but at a larger scale and in greater detail than a 4m:1" road map.

 

I have an older edition of Autoroute on my desktop and it does do what it does quite well in my view - but then I have nothing else to compare it with as yet!

 

I don't mount my sat nav on the window - instead I made up a bracket that fits over the instrument cowl and just clips on with an elastic loop. Quick to take on and off, leaves no sucker marks and much easier to see as it is a bit closer.

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In that case, Richard, you just need an up to date copy of Autoroute and stick to the Navman for telling you where you are. That's pretty much the way I use it.

The Navman is OK but I'm blowed if I'm going to pay them another hundred quid just for newer maps.

Buy a new atlas for under a fiver!

 

 

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Hi, We use Autoroute 2006 with the laptop as our GPS system it covers the whole of Europe well certainly France, Germany , Spain, Holland, Belgium and I think a few others without the need to buy additional maps and the route planning as said above is very good.

 

We did just purchase Microsoft Autoroute 2006 with GPS and yes we could just use it straight from the box as the GPS sensor was included it cost £99 from PC World last year. I have searched teh web using Google and found the following link where thay are offering what appears to be the same package but contains the 2007 edition for £66, I am sure there are other suppliers ?

 

http://www.kikatek.com/product_info.php?products_id=22603&source=froogle

 

hope that helps

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Thanks to you all.

 

It does seem that Autoroute 2007 + gps should work straight from the box but much of the system requirements seems a bit vague?

 

As my current A/R is 4 years old and not very good for Spain, where so much is new since 2003, it might be worth getting it to update and have both machines singing from the same hymn sheet!

 

We often find ourselves somewhere totally unexpected due to a tendency to 'just see where that lane goes' and I find a map good for looking at what is around us and planning ahead which is something a sat nav can't do, but it does make it a bit easier if you know where you are and where you are starting from!

 

Although it is a good route planner, I can't say I'm over impressed with the 'zoomed in' detail on my current A/R and the samples I've seen of PC Navigator's maps look better and seem to have more detail? Maybe A/R 2007 is better at this than A/R 2003?

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I've got Autoroute 2007 + USB GPS reciever, works straight out of the box. It's very good and has voice instructions as well. I think the whole package was about £70. You can also download loads of POI's from the net. I find it brilliant for passage planning as well.
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We have the Autoroute 2007 which came with the gps receiver too. Used it with great results in Italy this year - it was particularly useful as we don't speak Italian very well (yet) and the instructions at the bottom of the "page" actually tell you what signs will say for the exits eg Milano / Verona. We also like the fact that it is just like reading a map - with your actual position on it. Works well even on a really old laptop (just a bit slower than newer ones but adequate).

 

Great value for money! B-)

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I use it on a Compaq Armada M300 @ 600Mhz and its perfectly o/k, but I have fitted a 20Gb HDD and 328 Mb of memory because Win' XP is a bit hungry for space. But I guws lesser machines will work. I chose this old machine because it's as tough as old boots, with its magnesium case and it's small and very light, less than an inch thick and a 12" screen. The Floppy and DVD drives are in a seperate docking unit that is the same size as the main bit and locks on underneath. So you dont have to cart them about with you when you don't need them.
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