Huh? I thought Navigon has no maps for Malaysia? Did I miss anything? It worked well in Europe...

Nokia Drive is downloading the map now... I wonder if I can get a map for Malaysia and Singapore. Though if it still needs data that's... bad.

@evilpuppy: Seems like Nokia has tweeted they will release a paid version. Hope it won't be too expensive.

HD7 for 600+? Mhhh... I've got a Optimus 7, but officially that belongs to my mother, even if I tend to use it (my Android is awful nowadays... 2.3 is really too much for that old device). 600 is very reasonable...

Oh ok. That I have tried, wasn't too impressed (Navigon once they got out of version 1 was sweeeet though).

I think WP7 can sell here too, at least not much worse than in other countries.

Having a proper marketplace should help though... how about paid apps? Can you get them here?

http://www.wpcentral.com/nokia-drive-and-m...lumians-updated
I see, didn't read the update. Too bad, well, then I have to be a pirate.

Oh I see, that's good to know.

Yeah, you are right, but don't believe it's different in other countries. From what I have heard in the US for example you could go to a SA to buy a WP7 device. You tell them, you want one. Not an iPhone, not an Android. And they will try to push you towards one of those anyway, laugh at you for wanting to buy a WP7 phone etc. etc.

It is slightly better in Germany, but there the main thing that finally moved lots of WP7 phones was dropping the price, for a while some were around RM 700 without contract, so many bought them. For that price you can only get an entry level Android, and they are useless, slow, awful.

I thought part of the MS/Nokia deal was to give MS access to the maps...? Why are we supposed to pay for it then? And... why should we? There is already Bing Maps, also an inofficial Google Maps app, ... all for free. Am I missing something?

Drive yes, but Maps? That's what they want to sell to non-Nokia owners, right? So I wonder what the advantage is... why I should pay. Drive I'll gladly pay for (given it's not too expensive, I also have a Garmin so I don't necessarily need it).

Google had to map all the roads in the world themselves in order to offer Google Maps Navigation (part of the job of the StreetView cars must have been to collect the necessary data), otherwise they would have to enter a licensing agreement Navteq or TeleAtlas which allows turn by turn navigation. Microsoft obviously couldn't be bothered/it makes more sense for them to enter an agreement with Navteq (Nokia) to get the data. I suppose. Or perhaps it's just an agreement to use the data as they currently use maps in Bing Maps, that would mean no turn by turn navigation.

I think Nokia could at least get a slightly basic version with lots of branding into WP7 itself (the full Nokia exclusive version could have 3D buildings etc.), and get paid for it by MS. I mean, you turn on your Samsung phone, and there is a huge NOKIA branding when you start the Drive app, also while you use it. Free ads basically, maybe the next phone then will be a Nokia? Of course the manufacturers could chose not to include Drive then, but who wants a phone without a good free satnav?