Has anybody tried installing GPS car navigation on this phone? I'm looking into which one to get. In particular, I would like to get a version that is platform-independent in the sense that it runs both on a smartphone and PocketPC (my fiance has the 820, I have an XV6600 PPCphone), or a bundle that has both versions. I have been using iGuidance by iNav (which is great!). It runs both on my laptop and on my PPC, but not on the 820...

Also, can anybody comment on standalone GPS vs. Verizon's VZnav? It seems that stand-alone GPS programs are (a) more powerful (at least the top tier), (b) there's one-time payment instead of a monthly charge, (c) works even when you have no phone signal, and, (d) since all the maps are stored locally, I assume route computation is faster. My impression is that VZnav is really designed to offer navigation capability for phones not powerful enough to run the top tier of standalone GPS SW. If there are experts in this forum, do you agree?

thanks

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Standalone GPS is SOOOOOOO much better, especially from Garmin, is all you need. They work so much better than the smartphone or PocketPC and the new versions integrate with the bluetooth phone, so for example, if you find a mcdonalds and need to call them, the phone number is on the screen, you push dial and your phone dials it. This works with the PN820 and the Garmin 550. Much better than the VZ service. And the maps work all across the us and bigger screen.

Thanks, but actually by "standalone", I meant standalone SW that you run from your phone with a separate GPS receiver w/o any dependency on the cell network such as the case with VZNav. Such SW is on the order of $100. On the other hand, the true standalones (i.e., SW+HW, such as garmin 550) are on the order of $500, which is way outside what I'm willing to spend. Plus, I may not get features such as integration with my address book, internet for weather and traffic, ability to switch GPS SW if I so choose, and, since I still want to keep my phone on my dash for other things, having a fully separate system for GPS is just too much clutter.

There is no question in my mind that SW+phone is better for me than a "true standalone" like garmin 550. The question is, what SW can run both on a PPC (XV6600) and smartphone (PN-820), and whether there is a consensus that standalone SW is better than VZnav, for those who've tried both.

thanks!

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I am using TomTom 5.21 for Smartphone. It works exactly like the version I had on my i730. All I had to do was get the smartphone version and I was able to use all my map data from my PocketPC version. I didn't have to buy any more maps. I haven't found anybody that packages both a PocketPC and Smartphone program for one price. In fact, all my favorite programs that I wanted to run on my PN-820 from my i730 needed to be purchased, usually at a special crossgrade price. I think there is also coPilot available for smartphone gps navigation. I am VERY happy with TomTom on the 820 - The only thing sacrificed between the two version was the on screen touch keyboard. If you are thinking of this route and sharing maps between two devices, double check if it is still an option. My maps are from 5.0 and not protected. The newer 6.0 maps may only be allowed to be unlocked on one device per license/reg code.

Thanks, rpalermo!! That's exactly what I was looking for. Furthermore, not only is a single purchase of TomTom compatible for both a smartphone and a PDA, but apparently the license allows installation on 2 devices. It is a bit pricey though at $149 for SW only (iguidance cost me about half that after a discount!). Anobody know of something cheaper that can run on both devices?

Copilot also supports both PDA and smartphone, but you have to buy both versions separately. For $149 each!

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Are either of you guys able to use the GPS that is built in to the PN-820 or are you using an additional GPS? I can't seem to get access to the built in GPS.

Thanks

My question as well...

Our phones do not have built in GPS. So you will need an add-on unit. At which point I am with sanjonny here -- while you may not want a 2nd piece of hardware, you'll need one anyhow. Get a garmin nuvi, nothing compares. Anything else is a waste of time and money, trust me.

Garmin Nuvi... I looked on amazon.com and I found a few different models. Which one do you recommend? (The newest and the best I take it...) Prices look to be around 400usd if I'm looking at the right unit.

I have been using Garmin Mobile 10 on my PN-820, Laptop, and Toshiba PDA (PPC2003). The GPS receiver is especially small and light and has fantastic battery life (20+hours). I have had no problems and the combination of the 820 and the receiver are the ultimate in portability. The receiver is very sensitive and generally holds an accurate fix even when in my pocket.

We have a Nuvi 350 but it was replaced by the 360. The interface appears to be pretty much the same on all of them across the board. I'd go with whatever one fits your needs. I don't know how well their bluetooth features work, so I cannot comment on that. But for being a "attach to the windshield and drive-off" kind of unit, its as user friendly and plug-and-play as it gets anymore!