Absolutely indispensable
I cannot understand any less than glowing reviews for this indispensable App. Brilliant maps that always tell you where you are. Stuck in motorway traffic, I know if I can navigate around. Lost in an unfamiliar town, I can instantly get my bearings. Walking in the countryside, I know just where the footpaths are. I'm not one for paying for apps unless I have to but this one I have not regretted for one minute. Getting the map onto the iPhone is a mite fiddly the first time but if you follow the instructions properly it's easy. Any problems, though, and the customer service from these guys is absolutely first class.
I also use it for geocaching, both on an iPhone and even my iPod touch (despite no GPS). Wonderfully useful, especially as you can load the results of pocket queries onto the map. With flags showing for every cache, it makes it a doddle to organise great caching walks.
I also use it for geocaching, both on an iPhone and even my iPod touch (despite no GPS). Wonderfully useful, especially as you can load the results of pocket queries onto the map. With flags showing for every cache, it makes it a doddle to organise great caching walks.
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the traveler
too hard to figure out how to get more maps ... i want to travel not figure out...
Nolongerlost
Excellent app. Map quality is superb and the interface is far easier to use than a lot of similar apps. As to the map prices they are not expensive if you compare like for like. Those reviewers comparing paper map prices to this should look at other digital map prices and will see these represent good value. As to getting maps into the app this can be a bit tricky if you don't read the RouteBuddy online manual. Using the recommended free 14 day trial software (PC, not sure about Mac) makes it very easy, just drag and drop. Using this software you can also add routes that you have created or downloaded and once in the app these can be given meaningful names and descriptions added. All in all an excellent app.
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GPS Works When Others Don't
The thing is about this application is that it let's you download maps for offline viewing. Especially useful if you have an iPad without 3G as most all other programs require you to have Internet access as you move around on a map it needs to download the map tiles dependent on where you are moving, or if you have changed the zoom level on the map. Where in this program it downloads the entire map back at home via wifi and you take the map data with you.
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Not even mediocre
Buggy, limited features, might have more features than what I saw but the UI was too convoluted to find them. Save your 99 cents for something more useful. This thing has such a low rating for a reason.
Maps and route logging made easy (and free)
I downloaded this app to plan some walks and cycles around my local area. I had expected to have to buy some maps, but the built-in support for OpenStreet/CycleMap is seamless. The cacheing of the tiles for offline use is icing on the cake.
Logging routes using GPS is trivial, as is adding waypoints. All in all you get a huge amount for free here.
There are some shortcomings though:
1) I can't see any way to plan a route. It looks like you can upload them, but not create them. Using a long string of waypoints is just about possible, but far from ideal.
2) whilst you can rename a waypoint, you don't seem to be able to rename logged tracks. I now have "track 1", "track 2" etc but the only way to tell what they are is by selecting them and viewing them.
3) it would be nice to get some distance and elevation stats for tracks rather than just the number of logged points.
4) uploading/downloading data requires wifi and manually connecting your desktop to a mini http server on the phone. Other apps make this easier by providing desktop companion apps that automatically discover the server and automate the data transfer. RouteBuddy's own Mac app doesn't (as far as I can see).
Even with these issues, this is an outstanding app and it's free!
Logging routes using GPS is trivial, as is adding waypoints. All in all you get a huge amount for free here.
There are some shortcomings though:
1) I can't see any way to plan a route. It looks like you can upload them, but not create them. Using a long string of waypoints is just about possible, but far from ideal.
2) whilst you can rename a waypoint, you don't seem to be able to rename logged tracks. I now have "track 1", "track 2" etc but the only way to tell what they are is by selecting them and viewing them.
3) it would be nice to get some distance and elevation stats for tracks rather than just the number of logged points.
4) uploading/downloading data requires wifi and manually connecting your desktop to a mini http server on the phone. Other apps make this easier by providing desktop companion apps that automatically discover the server and automate the data transfer. RouteBuddy's own Mac app doesn't (as far as I can see).
Even with these issues, this is an outstanding app and it's free!
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RouteBuddy is fantastic
I have just returned from a walking holiday in Scotland and RouteBuddy Atlas was superb. For someone like me who's directionally challenged (in every direction) it was absolutely fantastic! I was able to find out where I was at any given time and importantly, as it was often heavy cloud, which way I was facing. We had the OS hardcopy map but I find that unwieldy in windy conditions and without glasses, so being able to zoom the map is a real plus. Also, zooming in you can really see where a path starts/leads to/turns, which is often difficult on the hardcopy map. This happened a couple of times when Sarah thought there was a path but I could see that it had ended and we needed to veer off to connect to another one. I will definitely be buying more off-line maps. You can get GPS almost anywhere but you must have the map offline on the iPhone - the more remote the less phone signal - so the more important it is. Can't praise RouteBuddy enough!!
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Useless
Useless App. I purchased the N. California Topo map from the developers website and wasted my money.
Completely useless. Provides zero useful information for hiking or anything else for that matter.
Gave it one star becuase I had to place some rating in order to post.
Completely useless. Provides zero useful information for hiking or anything else for that matter.
Gave it one star becuase I had to place some rating in order to post.
Lame
As a GPS user and geocacher I would expect more from a company that specializes in maps and topos. The application is unwieldy and doesn't function well. The lame demo maps take up space - seriously who lives there? They don't even have the app set up to directly sell maps from the iPhone. Get with it folks!!
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Better Description would avoid many of the single star reviews
If the developers were to fully disclose the fact that the included maps are for demonstration (unless you visit those areas), and that all other maps must be bought ($30-40 if I recall correctly). Also the downloadable maps also take up a tremendous amount of space, i.e. 500MB to 3GB! I know I downloaded this app thinking it was chalk full of maps, after reading the current descriptions. I did not pay attention to the file size of the app and so was disappointed. For those of you used to using a GPS handheld and downloading (and purchasing) maps for it, then this is for you. The app itself, from what I looked at, seemed easy to use, nicely put together, easy to access the maps, and stable( only used it for about 5 min). Did not test offline speed or any GPS abilities.
Change the description for the sake of full disclosure, and I'd give it 3-4 stars.
Change the description for the sake of full disclosure, and I'd give it 3-4 stars.
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