iPad 3G As In Car GPS

Lotus Esprit · 05-01-2010, 09:49 AM

How feasible would it be to use an iPad as a GPS in your car?
A regular portable GPS just needs the windshield to locate the satellites while the iPad requires AT&T 3G.
I am wondering how accurate it would be and how often you would hit dead spots in AT&T service.

Any thoughts?

volwrath · 05-01-2010, 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lotus Esprit

How feasible would it be to use an iPad as a GPS in your car?
A regular portable GPS just needs the windshield to locate the satellites while the iPad requires AT&T 3G.
I am wondering how accurate it would be and how often you would hit dead spots in AT&T service.

Any thoughts?

You don't need AT&T if you dowload the app such as nabigon beforehand.

Lotus Esprit · 05-01-2010, 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by volwrath

You don't need AT&T if you dowload the app such as nabigon beforehand.

It needs something to triangulate your position. What does it use for a signal? Does the 3G have built in GPS hardware?

scottjl · 05-01-2010, 10:40 AM

Yes. the 3G model has GPS hardware, the wi-fi only version does not, but it can use Skyhook.

DixieGal · 05-01-2010, 10:45 AM

What is skyhook, and where do i get it?

scottjl · 05-01-2010, 10:52 AM

You don't get Skyhook, it's built in to the iPad OS. If your iPad is on and an application is looking for your location it will query the Location Service Manager which will use the GPS hardware (if present), cell tower triangulation (if you have cell phone hardware) or Wi-Fi (Skyhook) if you have a connection. If all 3 are not available and/or fail then you're just stuck out in the great unknown.

DixieGal · 05-01-2010, 11:00 AM

I went to their website, but it did not answer my main question: Does it give nice loud turn directions like with Tomtom?

scottjl · 05-01-2010, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DixieGal

I went to their website, but it did not answer my main question: Does it give nice loud turn directions like with Tomtom?

Skyhook? No. You misunderstand. Skyhook is not a direction application, it simply tells your iPad (or any computer) where you are located. Instead of using signals from a satellite (like GPS) it guesses your location based on the WiFi access point you are connected to. Typically useless when driving down the highway, but good when you're sitting at Starbucks.

The Wi-fi only version of the iPad does not have GPS capabilities, that is it can not get its location from orbiting satellites. If it is connected to a Wifi base station it can attempt to find its current location using the Skyhook service. It then feeds that location to whatever application asked for it (you know, when you start an App and get the box saying that it is asking for your current location, permit, deny).

The 3G iPad can use Skyhook (which is fast, free and doesn't consume a lot of resources), it can use cell tower triangulation (using Skyhook or a method called AGPS and requires a cell subscription), or it can get signals from orbiting satellites (traditional GPS, requires receiving a signal from space and can be very power hungry). It then feeds these coordinates into whatever application asked for it.

Blame the market for calling turn-by-turn navigation units "GPS" when they are really are "Turn-by-turn navigational units that use GPS for geolocation". It mixes what is a consumer product with what is a geolocating technology. Tomtom, Navigon, and all the other Apps for the iPhone/iPad that give you turn-by-turn directions really shouldn't be called "GPS" either.

Hope this clears things up a little.

DixieGal · 05-01-2010, 11:24 AM

Thanks!

dmaul1114 · 05-01-2010, 12:43 PM

I think the bigger issue is the size. If you just need audio directions, then I assume it would work fine.

If you're like me with a GPS and spend as much time glancing at the path on the screen as you do listening to the voice direction, then it would be harder to find a place where you could easily sit the iPad and have it visible as it's too big to mount on the windshield or dash board obviously.

05-01-2010, 09:49 AM	#1
Lotus Esprit Addict Posts: 214 Karma: 646 Join Date: Apr 2010 Device: iPad	iPad 3G As In Car GPS How feasible would it be to use an iPad as a GPS in your car? A regular portable GPS just needs the windshield to locate the satellites while the iPad requires AT&T 3G. I am wondering how accurate it would be and how often you would hit dead spots in AT&T service. Any thoughts?

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05-01-2010, 10:40 AM	#4
scottjl Reader of Books Posts: 1,632 Karma: 2697 Join Date: Oct 2009 Device: none	Yes. the 3G model has GPS hardware, the wi-fi only version does not, but it can use Skyhook.

05-01-2010, 10:45 AM	#5
DixieGal Hi There! Posts: 7,473 Karma: 2930523 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Ft Lauderdale Device: iPad	What is skyhook, and where do i get it?

05-01-2010, 10:52 AM	#6
scottjl Reader of Books Posts: 1,632 Karma: 2697 Join Date: Oct 2009 Device: none	You don't get Skyhook, it's built in to the iPad OS. If your iPad is on and an application is looking for your location it will query the Location Service Manager which will use the GPS hardware (if present), cell tower triangulation (if you have cell phone hardware) or Wi-Fi (Skyhook) if you have a connection. If all 3 are not available and/or fail then you're just stuck out in the great unknown.

05-01-2010, 11:00 AM	#7
DixieGal Hi There! Posts: 7,473 Karma: 2930523 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Ft Lauderdale Device: iPad	I went to their website, but it did not answer my main question: Does it give nice loud turn directions like with Tomtom?

05-01-2010, 11:24 AM	#9
DixieGal Hi There! Posts: 7,473 Karma: 2930523 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Ft Lauderdale Device: iPad	Thanks!

05-01-2010, 12:43 PM	#10
dmaul1114 Wizard Posts: 2,300 Karma: 1121709 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: Amazon Kindle 1	I think the bigger issue is the size. If you just need audio directions, then I assume it would work fine. If you're like me with a GPS and spend as much time glancing at the path on the screen as you do listening to the voice direction, then it would be harder to find a place where you could easily sit the iPad and have it visible as it's too big to mount on the windshield or dash board obviously.

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