CoPilot Live GPS Navigation System Review
Apr 20, 2006 bluetooth, gps navigation, reviews, software
Many new cars come with GPS navigation systems. But what if you don’t have one? Adding it might not be practical-perhaps you drive more than one vehicle, travel and rent often, or just don’t want an expensive piece of electronics permanently and visibly stuck to your dash. Today’s smartphones and PDAs are powerful enough to do the same job, with a little help from software and a pocketable GPS receiver. CoPilot Live by ALK Technologies is a complete GPS navigation system for Bluetooth-ready handhelds, which provides on-the-go routing with voice prompts.
Package Contents
The CoPilot Live system is available in a variety of different configurations, with versions tailored for Windows Mobile Smartphones, Pocket PCs, laptops, and the Treo 700W. The software is available by itself or with a Bluetooth GPS receiver, and bundles are available that also include a 1GB memory card for map storage. The package I evaluated is the Smartphone version with GPS receiver; I used it with an iMate SP5m Windows Mobile 5 Smartphone.
Software
The CoPilot Live software for handhelds has two parts: an application for your PDA or smartphone that handles in-car navigation, and a map downloader for your Windows desktop. The handheld software is the most important part of this package, so I’ll cover it first. Please note that I only reviewed the Windows Mobile Smartphone version; the others should have the same features but a somewhat different user interface.
The CoPilot smartphone application is a complete navigation system; the only thing you have to use the desktop for is downloading maps, and if you have a large enough memory card (1GB or more) you probably only need to do that once. On a smartphone it is somewhat cumbersome to enter addresses to search for (it’s much easier on a Pocket PC, I’m sure) but you can bookmark your favorite locations and use addresses from your contacts as well. Once you’ve entered a destination, CoPilot will figure out a route.
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July 21st, 2008 at 8:44 am
Which GPS System? named Garmin the best and top-ranked brand of GPS System products after extensive product testing of Garmin and competitor offerings.
Some of Garmin’s best products include:
Garmin nüvi 200
Garmin nüvi 260W
Garmin nüvi 350
Garmin nüvi 360
Garmin nüvi 650
However, the top 5 overall GPS Systems include:
Garmin nüvi 660
HP iPAQ RX5915
Magellan Maestro 4250
Mio C520
TomTom GO 930
April 17th, 2009 at 11:58 am
CoPilot for truckers is little, if any, better than other much less expensive GPS laptop programs. Plus, the developer, ALK, is very difficult to deal with should you have a problem. Telephone tech support generally places callers on hold for 45-minutes or longer, and doesn’t answer e-mail questions (at leasst not for me). After you have bought software from ALK and have problems with it, then decide that you wouold rather have something else that actually works more to your liking, you must rely on the retailer for a refund – and the box is marked “no refunds/exchanges.” If you buy this stuff I wish you better luck than I had.