With Toyota'S New Smart G-Book - Should I Finally Buy A Smart Phone?

[Lopburi99]

I'm wondering if I should finally break down and buy a smart phone of some sort (iPhone, Android, etc). The new Altis we are taking delivery of next week comes with a pretty cool 800x400 resolution touch-screen DVD. Also, Toyota is promoting their relatively new Smart G-Book capability (similar to GM's On-Star I think).

I already have a Garmin 3750 and was planning to buy the ESRI Thailand map soon, but now I am thinking maybe it makes sense to go the smart phone/G-Book route and get navigation directly on my DVD player from G-Book. It could be about the only time I would use a iPhone (or whatever) though because I have no need for a phone at all much less a smart one.

Any thoughts?

[USNret]

FWIW, I use my iPhone in Japan as a GPS/navigation device. It works great, both for walking & driving directions. If it works equally well in Thailand, I would say it's worth is just for that. But then I also use it as an eBook reader, music player, camera, web browser & gaming device. If none of those uses hold any appeal for you, then maybe it's not worth it.

[Lopburi99]

FWIW, I use my iPhone in Japan as a GPS/navigation device. It works great, both for walking & driving directions. If it works equally well in Thailand, I would say it's worth is just for that. But then I also use it as an eBook reader, music player, camera, web browser & gaming device. If none of those uses hold any appeal for you, then maybe it's not worth it.

The web browser part would be of interest. Believe it or not, I'm not always sitting at my pc at home . I assume I buy minutes for web browsing and GPS as I need them just like gab minutes without a monthly contract? I'm a novice at anything beyond a dumb True Move mobile.

[nikster]

You get a True-H prepaid plan, it's 350 baht / GB... 1 GB is plenty if you're just using it for maps and surfing, valid for 1 month. If you use more True-H postpaid unlimited data is 599/month, plus you get minutes and texts...

[Dork]

FWIW, I use my iPhone in Japan as a GPS/navigation device. It works great, both for walking & driving directions. If it works equally well in Thailand, I would say it's worth is just for that. But then I also use it as an eBook reader, music player, camera, web browser & gaming device. If none of those uses hold any appeal for you, then maybe it's not worth it.

The web browser part would be of interest. Believe it or not, I'm not always sitting at my pc at home . I assume I buy minutes for web browsing and GPS as I need them just like gab minutes without a monthly contract? I'm a novice at anything beyond a dumb True Move mobile.

GPS reception is free courtesy of the US Government.

[Lopburi99]

Now I'm reading it is possible a Garmin can feed this, as supposedly Tomcat and others can. I'll be checking that out first, wouldn't even need a smart phone then. I'll email Garmin in the unlikely event maybe they could confirm one way or another.

[USNret]

The web browser part would be of interest. Believe it or not, I'm not always sitting at my pc at home . I assume I buy minutes for web browsing and GPS as I need them just like gab minutes without a monthly contract? I'm a novice at anything beyond a dumb True Move mobile.

GPS reception is free courtesy of the US Government.

The GPS is free, but the maps are downloaded over the air so they do use up your data allowance. In each country, Apple has to arrange a provider of map data. I'm assuming they've got this in Thailand, but I can't say from first-hand experience. In Japan, the driving directions are in English (turn right, turn left, etc) but the names of streets are all in Japanese. So what I do, at each turn set the odometer of my car to zero and the GPS tells me how far to each turn. My wife acts as navigator so we are a good team driving around Japan.

Also in Japan, the GPS gives great directions using public transit. It will give me directions to walk to the nearest train station, tells me when the next train is departing & the fare to my destination, then where to walk once I get off. I don't know how or if it will work with BTS/MRT but it's great in Japan.

[wgdanson]

Just got a Vigo 50th Anniversary with G-Book, so went out and bought a Samsung Galaxy Ace 2. The two wil NOT talk with each other. Man at Toyota tried to tell me that G-Book only works with iPhone to which I replied Bu...hit, my old Nokia would talk to it. Anybody else have this problem, or how to get it to work please. Bluetooth connection works fine.

[lomatopo]

Did you install this Android app. on your SGA2?

https://play.google....19USDEyMzEiXQ..

There are a lot of Youtube videos.

[bendejo]

> GPS reception is free courtesy of the US Government.

Do you know if the GPS made available for consumer use (as opposed to military etc) is still deliberately inaccurate?

When GPS was first made available it was said to be off by about 30 meters or so.

[Dork]

> GPS reception is free courtesy of the US Government.

Do you know if the GPS made available for consumer use (as opposed to military etc) is still deliberately inaccurate?

When GPS was first made available it was said to be off by about 30 meters or so.

No, not any more. That (Selective Availability) was switched off by Clinton when he was in office.

[ThailandBert]

Judging by the amount of people, mainly Russians I may add, driving into my driveway up the mountain looking for a restaurant around 8km away using their I phone GPS I wouldn't say it was very accurate at all.

[wgdanson]

Did you install this Android app. on your SGA2?

https://play.google....19USDEyMzEiXQ..

There are a lot of Youtube videos.

Thanks, but yes they downloaded this at the Toyota shop, tried for 2 hours THEN discovered it only works with an iPhone, confirmed by the CG-Book Call Centre, or am I missing something?

[JUDAS]

Judging by the amount of people, mainly Russians I may add, driving into my driveway up the mountain looking for a restaurant around 8km away using their I phone GPS I wouldn't say it was very accurate at all.

Let me give you a tip. Open a restaurant