Windows Phone Thoughts: DIRECTIONS on-the-go Reviewed

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Thursday, July 28, 2005

DIRECTIONS on-the-go Reviewed

Posted by Philip Colmer in "SOFTWARE" @ 09:00 AM


There is also a bug in the code that handles the options screen where clicking on the Type of Route drop-down menu creates a very long menu to be displayed with only car listed!


Figure 6: Setting the route options.

Once the software has calculated the route, it displays it as step-by-step instructions, as you can see from Figure 7. Once again, the developers have put quite a bit of thought into what can be done. As with the search results, you can step through the list by clicking on the forward & backward arrows. Across the top, the software shows a series of bars. As you go through the instructions, they change to red, showing how far through the journey you've gotten. The length of the bars is an indication of the relative distance between each step.


Figure 7: Getting from here to there.

Clicking on the map tab has fairly obvious results :D. What is interesting about being in map mode is that when the software wants to move from one location to the next, it zooms out of the map until both points are visible and then zooms back into the map to get to that next point. It is quite effective and can be useful to a degree to provide some context of how the two locations are positioned relative to each other.


Figure 8: Moving along the route.

We now get to a few more "missing" features compared to the bigger products. As I mentioned at the start of the review, the software will connect to a GPS unit in order to display your current location. However, it will not automatically step through the planned route as you yourself move.

This coupled with the fact that there is no speech for the instructions means that you cannot safely use this product while driving if you are on your own. You either have to keep on pulling over so that you can refer back to the instructions, or you need a human navigator to control the PDA.

The Maps in Detail
The software supports an orthogonal view of the map, as shown in Figure 9. This is a development that has become very popular in routing products because it provides a more useful view of the map when you are driving along.


Figure 9: Orthogonal mode.

The slider on the right-hand side of the map allows you to vary the zoom factor of the map, as you can see from Figures 10 to 12. The software is very responsive in redrawing the map as you drag the slider. It is also possible to drag the magnifying glass over the map and the software will zoom into where you keep the stylus. Zooming stops when you take the stylus off the screen.


Figure 10: Zoomed out.


Figure 11: A bit more detail.


Figure 12: Zoomed in even more.

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