On rides i take my ipod AND a gps, can the touch do both?

no the touch can’t, unless there is free wifi where you ride 🙂

I believe an iphone can, then you could leave your phone at home too.

Not sure if the Touch has Bluetooth or not, but you might be able to use a BT GPS receiver if so. The iPhone’s BT set-up is somewhat restricted at the mo’, but OS3 will bring A2DP stereo BT, and that might help. ‘course, you still need access to maps, and without a phone network to access Google Maps…
When are we gonna get OS maps on the iPhone? C’mon somebody, there’s over three million of the damn things in the UK, there’s a market there.

Nokia it is then – is the n95 ok?

CountZero: ever looked at the licensing costs for an OS map? I have.
It would be difficult to make that money back on a 50p iphone app for a niche market.

I use a windows phone and run Memory Map. I have an HTC phone, it will play your MP3s, films, take piccys, access the web, make calls, it has an FM radio, will run Memory Map and it runs TomTom too.
All in one handy, phone sized package.

However, as you probably know, these phones aren’t as tough as say a garmin and I wouldn’t strap my phone to the bars for continuous guidance.

I guess that if you know roughly where you’re going, but want to stop and check occassionally during the ride, then a phone running MM will be fine, just keep it in a pocket or your back pack and dig it out for a look at where you are, as and when.

If you’re looking for something you want to look at while riding, in order to follow a route, then something like the Garmin Edge is fine. I’ve a 305 Edge. Once I’ve laid in a route/course, its simple, no brains riding, just follow the line on the display.

Solo.

CountZero – try searching the app store for iosmaps. Not used it myself but it appears to be exactly what you are wishing for.

rob not sure what mapping you have but memory map will only work on a windows based phone not the symbian ones. If you get a symbian run one landranger mapping looks great but costs too.im using a garmin 705 i plan rides on memory map and send to the unit. As above said too id not want my phone out in the elements or on the bike either

looking at the egde 205 and 305 in halfords later 🙂

Take a look at the Nokia E 71,
Just got one and it seems OK, built in maps, GPS etc
and reputation of the E series is better than that of N series

there’s loads of mapping applications for the iphone/itouch. as above, iOsmaps works pretty well when you have a wireless connection or will work anywhere on the iphone.

One thing to be wary off when using mapping on a iPhone is battery usage. I used iMapmyride once and it drained a fully charged battery in less than 3 hours!

I have written to my MP about O/S monopoly on digital and copyright of a public company… You see, they are good earners, is basically the MP’s reply.

Considering you accept the copyright after you have made the purchase is a fallacy on what is the law on contract. But then that’s why the world is in the state it is with finance, because the Government spins (lies) Says something and does something else… Business looks at this, and Say’s if they can get away with it? SO CAN WE. Hences the Greedy Crunch.

I have also written to Garmin saying I’m considering an Edge 705, but they want more money for me to use the topo map I already have? I already own 4 GPS and a couple of maps? It shouldn’t make any difference if I owned 10 units. They said I should argue this with their legal department in the States… But offered No money to do the research or to help with my costs.. basically they were taking a walk on the other side of the road, implying they would help!

iOSMaps doesn’t seem to offer any route options or anything useful though.

I used iMapmyride once and it drained a fully charged battery in less than 3 hours!

May I commend a Kensington Battery Pack (£34 from Amazon)

Seems like the OS3 release is gonna see the introduction of more GPS based maps and apps, including sat nav style apps. Think some of the existing GPS co.’s are gonna be involved, so seems likely that there’ll be something of interest for us lot by the end of the year…

Ohh and best app ive found so far for the iphone is Trailguru. Allows you to upload routes onto Google maps, you can tag, take pics, etc and share your routes with other usersin your area. Works well and doesn’t seem to drain the battery too much.

Nokia Sports tracker is supposed to be pretty good.

Seen as I have a brand spanking new E71 with it on I’ll be doing a test ride this afternoon.

Racingralph, the N95 is brilliant with tom tom 6 and works awesomely!
It would mean buying a tiny bluetooth gps set for around £20-£30 or go on the internet and unlock the N95’s chipset and use the Garmin Mobile XT software 🙂
Simples 🙂

GrahamS, I am actually aware that OS licensing is expensive, but an app doesn’t have to cost 59p. There’s no reason why the provider can’t charge full price. The Oxford English Dictionary from the app store is over twenty quid. TomTom have had their mapping ‘ware ready since last June, waiting for the GPS to be opened up for turn-by-turn guiding, and that for sure isn’t going to be 59p! Nobody expects OS Mapping to be cheap, I certainly expect to pay the same as I paid for View Ranger.

Fair enough CountZero.

Thing is – if OS pricing was better structured* then I’d be quite up for writing a iPhone app to display mapping and route planning. The actual code isn’t rocket science, it’s mainly the licensing costs and commitment that holds independent developers back.

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* e.g. why do developers have to license the data and sell it on. Why can’t I write a mapping app that comes with no maps and you pay OS directly for access to the maps you need?

As nicedays rants about above, a customer should be able to buy a single map license directly from OS and then that map would be usable on any TomTom, Garmin, iPhone app, Windows Mobile app, whatever that he owned.

iGPS 360 might do the trick, I’m trying to decide whether or not to bite the bullet and buy one.

You’ll need to jailbreak your touch & there’s software you can download through Cydia.

Or something…

GrahamS, the whole pricing issue with OS map licensing needs to be investigated, but sadly, I’m pretty sure that the current government’s obsession with every department making as much money as possible from the taxpayer means we’ll not see much interest, plus I think that minds are somewhat distracted at the moment…
Anyway, as long as we’re required to pay for licencing of the maps, then pay we must, and I’m pretty sure that paying the same for a self-contained OS Mapping app on the iPhone as on a Symbian or Windows Mobile would be acceptable to iPhone owners. I know I would happily pay for Tracklogs, Anquet, MemoryMap or ViewRanger on my iPhone. I already have ViewRanger on an N95, but I really want an app that will allow me to print hardcopies with my routes on as a back-up to carry with me, and to be able to update as nessessary. Is that TOO much to ask? 😆