Google Maps on iPhone verses Nokia Drive

Onager1286

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No, I'm not forgetting that. I'm just not being clear. ;-)

I didn't want to suggest that ND (Nokia Drive) should look more like iOS or Google maps. I likely appreciate the simplistic and minimalistic approach just as much as you do. I'd also be completely against ND receiving more chrome. My point is, that minimalism and design aren't mutually exclusive, yet to my eyes, ND wasn't explicitly designed at all. I'd bet that ND was designed by programmers, not designers. I think a designer could do better. That is all I'm saying.

Despite appreciating simplicity, I also feel that the graphical rendering is sometimes too simple. For example, in night mode at large intersections, all the crossing roads can easily melt into a large and unidentifiable grey blob. This doesn't happen often in U.S. cities, as they tend to follow a geometric layout, but in European cities I see it quite often. All you can do is guess on which of those lanes that blue line actually lies. This is too simple. This is so minimal it compromises functionality.

And then there is the lack of polish. ND lunges from frame to frame at an unseemly 3 FPS. That is one of the issues I'd place in this category. Together with the lack of anti-aliasing.



Yes, agree. Yet this thread was made out to be all about the looks, not about functionality.

+10000

And this gets me back to the original intent of this thread - shouldn't Microsoft have made its own app? I don't care if they use Nokia's data, and I don't care if Nokia wants to develop Drive+ if they feel it offers something special. But with them basically relying on Nokia to supply this app, we have situations like non-Lumia users having zero decent options for navigation until Nokia got around to releasing it to them. And even then, like I and a few others here feel, they get an app that's good overall but has much less polish and lacks important features like rerouting based on traffic conditions. That's unacceptable if Microsoft wants to play with the big boys.
 

Onager1286

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If a had to choose between those 2 images, I'd pick the one from Here Drive, simple and straightforward. The other one has too much eye candy and... old? I would go for offline navigation functionality than "cute design" anytime.

How about this then? That's great design.

google-maps-ios-1024x643.jpg
 

spaulagain

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I disagree that Nokia Drive adheres to the metro style guidelines... anywhere. As far as I can tell, Nokia Drive is actually based on the Symbian navigation app more than it is based on metro. If I have the time, I think I might try and design an alternative that does conform to the metro design language.

No, Metro is about flat design which Here Drive is. While there are standard types of navigation and UI elements in Metro that Here Drive does not follow, Here Drive is still very authentic to the Metro language. Some types off apps like navigation would not work with classic Metro navigation methods.

Here Drive is a beautiful app, and feels like it belongs on a Windows Phone.
 

biboyflip

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How about this then? That's great design.

View attachment 32669

Again, at least for me, OFFLINE functionality trumps great ("graphic") design. With Here Drive (or Here Maps), you rely on nothing else but your phone. It's built-in and that gives you confidence wherever you may be. I can't say the same for Google/Apple maps which both heavily depend on good data connection.
 

Onager1286

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No, Metro is about flat design which Here Drive is. While there are standard types of navigation and UI elements in Metro that Here Drive does not follow, Here Drive is still very authentic to the Metro language. Some types off apps like navigation would not work with classic Metro navigation methods.

Here Drive is a beautiful app, and feels like it belongs on a Windows Phone.

While I don't think Drive is ugly, there is Metro done well, and then there is Metro done not so well. Drive falls into the latter for me.
 

rockstarzzz

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+10000

And this gets me back to the original intent of this thread - shouldn't Microsoft have made its own app? I don't care if they use Nokia's data, and I don't care if Nokia wants to develop Drive+ if they feel it offers something special. But with them basically relying on Nokia to supply this app, we have situations like non-Lumia users having zero decent options for navigation until Nokia got around to releasing it to them. And even then, like I and a few others here feel, they get an app that's good overall but has much less polish and lacks important features like rerouting based on traffic conditions. That's unacceptable if Microsoft wants to play with the big boys.
This essentially is Microsofts app anyway now as all WPs come with HERE Maps and not Bing Maps! Microsoft gave Bing Maps but then found way superior alternative from one of their partners so decided not to waste resources on that element of OS.
 

bmaclean1

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I don't like Google as a company and switched from an Android phone to WP8 (HTX 8x). Even with my biases, I have to agree that the Android navigation experience is far superior.

With my Android phone, I would touch the little mic on my home screen, speak "Navigate to 4052 S 49th Street", and the phone would find the address and start the navigation app. It was easy to see a complete list of directions at any time.

With WP8, I have to:
1. Start Bing maps
2. Hit the "search" button
2. Try to find the address by voice, but MSFT voice recognition isn't good. It will put "4052 S Forty Ninth Street" in the search bar and not find the addresss.
3. Type in address by hand
4. (If more than one possibility) touch the stupid little icon on the screen to expand to an address, and then touch again to open
5. Choose to drive using app
6. Start the app

HERE by Nokia has the potential to be great, but I find it unusable right now. I do not have a good sense of direction and need directions like "Turn right on Walker", not "Turn Right". I also need to bee the whole set of direction lists.

WP8 is really nice, but it's navigation options are bad.
 

cckgz4

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While I don't like the look of Here Drive/Nokia Drive, I really like some of the features it does bring. I don't have to open apps, there's offline navigation, you can change the voice, and it shows your speed limit
 

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