All of the doubters should try papago first.. after installing the latest version.. do update the map from malfreemaps forum.. go google it.. if combine together its the perfect GPS for me at least.. others cant beat it.. and im talking on iphone since this is an iphone thread rite? lol

Garmin streetpilot have arrived on IOS platform.. we just need to wait a bit longer for it to reach Malaysia (Malaysia version).. only if they interested to do it in the first place.. lol

That's why I say "MOST" app doesn't require you to use data. And if you have better & cheaper alternatives, why using google maps that is expensive when roaming.

Yes I'm not a traveller. But to go to new places I rather spend a few hundred bucks to get the best map database rather than stuck with half-baked google maps or nokia maps. The current nokia maps still showing my current housing area as bushes. And it has been what? close to 10 years old of housing area

haha.. ur housing area marks as bushes? damn.. thats cool.. but hey.. papago do have the latest updates for maps..

even my kg. very rural one also got in the map.. which is actually quite nice la... if compared to shitty tomtom n others..

You may find it hard to believe but I have seen housing estate that has been in existence for past 20 years that is still not being shown on Malfreemaps but was shown on Nokia Maps. So there are flaws in all maps.

Generally speaking, the bigger cities you go to, the better the maps so unless you want to Long Lama, Nokia Maps are useable.




This post has been edited by Optiplex330: Nov 10 2011, 11:45 AM

can i know which free gps i can use offline ?

I could be wrong here but almost every other GPS navigation apps (Garmin, Papago, TomTom, Nokia Maps etc) can be used offline and there is no need for Internet connection except Google Maps. And reason why I see so many iphone user looking for alternatives.

Another thing you should be aware is, without the maps, all are useless. Unless you can get free community maps like Mapfreemaps (can be used offline) etc run by community or Google Maps (but can't be used without data connection) for free, almost every apps requires you to buy their expensive maps. Like I said, Nokia give you free apps (no need for hanky-panky pirated software) PLUS free worldwide maps (that many people don't realize until they went overseas) and that is why I said Nokia is unique when it comes to GPS navigation.

yes, you are correct regarding about that GPS can be use while offline, and GPS is useless without maps. even when using google maps without data, it will still locate where are you, and when you move, the blue dot will be moving. Just that like you say, without the map, its useless because you can only see the blue dot moving with a grid background

anyway, i found it really really really hard to believe that housing estate that has been in existence for past 20 years that is still not being shown on Malfreemaps. may i know around which area it is?

it would be interesting to let the malfree/malsing community know about it

anyway, to me, GPS is not only about maps. it's also about the POI. reasons why i love malfree and malsing so much is because of their POI, even in small places, there are so many POI of finding food petrol stations and such. hence, google maps is irrelevant to me even if they got offline maps inside the iphone. even if apple design their own GPS software with build in maps, it will be useless too since i really doubt it will be better than malfree/malsing since the ppl working on it are malaysians.

PS: if can like papago, integrated with malfree/malsing then it's diff story

This post has been edited by samlee860407: Nov 11 2011, 09:29 AM

I have only ever used Nokia Maps and Garmin (running Malfreemaps) so I know the later had surprised me when part of a 20+ yrs old housing estate road was missing but shown on Nokia map.

On POIs. Yes, Malfreemaps has a much more comprehensive database but on a phone with slow processor like the typical Nokia, the redrawing is so slow as to be a pain in the back side. Nokia's problem, not Malfreemap's. Nokia Maps saving grace is free worldwide maps ranging from Argentina to Zimbabwe and all for free.

On the other hand, Nokia's maps are so much easier clearer to read. All those colors on the Malfreemaps give me headache.

by the way.. malfreemaps is free.. just sayin'

maps is as important as the system(or app or software or whatever you called)on a phone

and since you need to pay for the system...so well...

Can I know how GPS works ? Do we need 3G or Data in order for the system to detect our location ?

You needed 3 things:

1. GPS receiver. Practically all smartphone have it to receive free signal from satellite owned by the USA government. By itself, it may take a few second to a few minutes or forever to find the satellite up in the sky. To assist the phone finding the satellite faster, your phone will have a Assisted GPS (AGSP) setting that requires either EDGE/2G/3G connection and data involves is about 10KB or 10sen.

2. Maps. There are free community maps around and the most famous here is Malfreemaps but not all navigation software can read Malfreemaps (Garmin and I think Papago can also). If you can't find free community maps, then you have to pay to buy and they can be very expensive. For example, Garmin wanted USD100 for the USA maps. If you want to update your existing map, they wanted USD30 per update. After you bought a few maps, the total cost will be even more expensive than your phone. Except Google Maps and (most)Blackberry maps, others can be downloaded and stored inside your phone for offline usage (very important for overseas travel) and one reason iphone user looking for alternative to Google Maps.

3. Navigation software. To do route calculation and give you voice turn-by-turn instruction. Google Maps does not give voice instruction in Malaysia and another reason why iphone user are looking for alternatives.

No.2 and 3 are reasons why I decided against getting the iphone myself. Otherwise, I am impressed with the ease of use for iphone.


This post has been edited by Optiplex330: Nov 11 2011, 11:46 AM

short answer NO.

you can try as so

1) take out sim card, off wifi.
2) open google map
3) drive around and you will see the blue dot moving as you drive. But since no data and no offline map built into it, you can only see the dot moving in a blank space

it's my personal experience lol.

when i first get the iphone3g, since i was also always wondering how gps works in the past


i am driving at NKVE, driving around 60kmh or so, and it's locked under 1 minute


it just shows how GPS works, which means no need data, it will still show where's ur location are, nothing else

This post has been edited by samlee860407: Nov 11 2011, 12:54 PM

That depends on:
1. how fast was the car moving
2. Whether it's set to AGPS
3. When was your last lock because phone has previous satellite position kept in memory.

and your point is? lol

victorian asked about how gps works and does it need data or not....so i still don't get whats your point is now

LOL. You make GPS working sounded so easy and that is misleading. It's not so easy as you described unless you fulfilled a few conditions, namely:
1. how fast was the car moving
2. Whether it's set to AGPS
3. When was your last lock because phone has previous satellite position kept in memory. If you got lock, switch off GPS and switch on GPS again standing in same location, sure fast lock because it remembers.


Real life scenario:
1. Without data (very small, about 10KB), your A-GPS will not work.
2. Without A-GPS, it is very difficult to get satellite lock in a moving car. Practically impossible if car is moving fast on highway. Unless you got lucky while stuck (stationary or crawling speed) at the toll booth for a few minutes, long enough for the integrated GPS to acquire locks.

So to answer Victorian question, what you describe in a moving car is unlikely to happen unless you get satellite lock FIRST (under clear sky and stationary at toll booth) before starting journey or you driving super slow. Get the point now?

BTW, you are basically right to say you do not need data for GPS to work. Just need to be aware of a few conditions.


This post has been edited by Optiplex330: Nov 11 2011, 02:19 PM

i notice that my 3GS locking sometimes are incorrect. For Eg: i am at SS24 but it shows i am at Sunway area. Is it my phone GPS got problem ?

Civilian use GPS accuracy is 10 meter. But in practice it can be much more (I have noticed 20 to 30 meters difference), when there are tall building around.

And since Smartphone are basically computer running software that does unexplainable things sometime, my Nokia has once been off by hundreds of kilometer. Just switch off and switch on and it's normal again.