Commendable Idea. Bad Implementation.
Last week the first, Mac-only vector-based GPS application was released to the public; Routebuddy.
The Carbon/OpenGL application fits in with OS X’s look and feel although it failed to impress me with its bog-standard aqua interface and mediocre icons/layout (see Usability). The developers advertise its support for TeleAtlas vector maps, one of the two largest developers of vector-based maps for road navigation (the other being Navteq), a first for a Mac product. As such it includes the large database of POI (Points of Interest) that come with these maps as well as comprehensive coverage of U.S. and Western Europe road networks. The maps are sold separately from the developers’ site.
In addition to its support for vector maps, it supports the typical waypoint-tracking-topological features that most GPS applications on the Mac support. As far as GPS units are concerned, the product claims support for Garmin units, USGlobalsat USB and Bluetooth units (huh? they are all NMEA compliant anyway. Does this mean they just parse the device ID?) as well as NMEA support for all other units that support it.
The application was a disappointment, although I hope that, like countless applications before it, it will rapidly improve to meet the quality expected from a Mac application.
Usability
The program is mediocre in this respect. While it beats all other Mac GPS programs that I am aware of, they were not really of enviable engineering and æsthetics quality. Specifically, I found navigating on the map quite frustrating, with lacking and unintuitive use of the mouse wheel (zooming). I also did not like the toolbar — it reeks of a Windows application, ironic as the application is being designed and built on and for the Mac from the ground up.
Now for the positive: I liked the rendering of the map, the searching functionality — I hope this is improved upon though and the speed/responsiveness of the application.
I think the following are essential from a Usability perspective (in no particular order):
- Better icons
- Better mouse-based navigation of the map. Use option, cmd and the wheel more intuitively
- Use Inspectors or overlay semi-transparent/fade information on the map display, ala Google Earth and some Apple apps.
- Provide a panel (or inspector) with additional device and technical information, such as the Satellites/Signal view etc.
- Replace the icon with a proper one that doesn’t look like a Safari ripoff
- Replace and/or reorganise the toolbar. It is ugly and very far from the average Mac experience.
- Add a ‘night-mode’ that darkens the map display
Features
The program advertises several features such as waypoint support, including sync’ing such data between GPS and Mac, Teleatlas vector-map support, including points of interest (but lacks a proper routing algorithm), as well as a plethora of import/export minor features, such as automatic invocation of Google Maps/Earth, automatic parsing of geotagged URLs etc.
The software supports Garmin’s units pretty well, although with the proliferation of cheaper SiRF based units out there I am not sure this is a very important feature nowadays.
I found its lack of routing annoying and thought it kind of defeats the purpose of the application — I am certain that part of the $99 is due to Teleatlas-related costs and as such I would like to be able to make use of the maps, rather than just stare at them while driving or planning a trip.
The program also advertises a FastSearch functionality for map locations, although this feature did not work as I expected it to: I couldn’t search for street names in the included Santa Fe map; it seems that the feature only worked for user-provided information.
Conclusion
I was initially thrilled to hear that someone was finally writing a decent Mac GPS navigation application. Sadly Routebuddy disappointed me. While it seems that they are on the right track with vector map support, updateable, modular maps that leverage Teleatlas work on local points of interest, support for waypoints and OpenGL technology, I find the application hastily designed and released. It looks like an alpha version of something Apple would create. Specifically, I found the interface lacking in most ways with bad icons, a Windows feel, and bog-standard Carbon look that reminds me of tutorial programs for novice programmers. The usability features, æsthetics and attention to detail commonly found in Mac applications is definitely missing from Routebuddy. I was also frustrated to realise that, while the Teleatlas maps are an excellent choice for road navigation, the application does not support proper vector-based routing (apparently this is a work in progress). In other words you cannot use Routebuddy in the same way you can use products such as Tomtom Navigator, Destinator, Navigon, etc. There is no re-routing functionality, no voice prompts, no real-routing based on the vector data. This is annoying considering the Routebuddy web site implies that you could use the application in in-car Macs.
Finally, I found the relatively high price of the product, US$99 + the cost of maps, unacceptably high for an application at this very very early stage of development with so many missing features. While this situation may be remedied in the future with the release of free 1.x updates for registered users with more functionality and better usability, I feel that such a promise is insufficient in return for the ~ US$150 that the application and some maps would cost.
While Routebuddy is definitely the most exciting GPS application in the Mac-verse, I feel it is still not prime for release, expensive and..ugly. Typically 1.0 applications on the Mac are lacking on features, but not on polish. This program lacks both. I am hopeful that its developers will quickly improve on many of the issues identified above as well as those others may identify and present an application offering an excellent Mac GPS navigation experience.
[Update: Version 1.1 has added a (better) routing algorithm that makes use of the street data in Teleatlas maps. Sadly proper routing using street names etc. doesn’t seem to be included yet.]