First impressions of Navigon MN7 trial...

OK, initial impressions now that I've got it installed and working on my TP2 PPC/Phone...

The maps, both 2D and 3D, do not zoom into what I call a nice large size- this is not good for at-a-glance usage.

Routing is patchy, but then from what I've seen, most satnav routing has good and bad days. The better packages have less bad days than good ones, of course.

Navigation, both visual (map based) and verbal (spoken routing instructions) is damned good. Best I've seen so far. I'm particularly impressed with the "text-to-speech" or "TTS" feature, although is does tend to bite off the beginnings of road names more often than not. Still, the turn indications are spot on - and it not only coped with the previously spotted failures of CoPilot, but added lane guidance as well for the same stretch of road - VERY impressive!

However.

I'm not sure it'll be able to handle the speed camera database I subscribe to over at PGPSW - there seems to be some confusion over that, and I'm awaiting clarification from a number of sources on this issue.

So the deal breaker is this: If it cannot handle the PGPSW speed camera files, then I won't be carrying on the trial of MN7, as excellent features and performance thus far or not, it'll be no use to me.

More when I know it.

UPDATE

Looks like my trial of MN7 is due to come to nothing, as I'm unlikely to buy it, even if it's a favourable trial. From what I've been able to piece together, MN7 can see speed camera files, but only if you subscribe to Navigon's own service. Since I already subscribe to Pocket GPS World's more effective and informative service, that's not only an expense I won't take, it's an added expense I don't need from Navigon. In addition, while yes, you can fudge it to take the PGPSW files, you apparently need a third party add-on called (confusingly) POI-Warner marketed by navigating.de in order to do this.

Now, remember that the specs I set for the replacement SatNav package included the ability to accept the PGPSW files, this inability to accept the PGPSW cam files off the shelf is a BIG deal-breaker as far as I'm concerned. Pity, as (aside from the map zoom issue mentioned earlier) the rest of that package is the dogs' smelly bits, as far as I can see.

Oh well.

Looks like an email to NavMii for a trial activation key is on the cards. Would happen over the blasted weekend, wouldn't it?

That's Sods' Law, I suppose *sigh*