Re: Paid apps

Frank Slootweg wrote on 2 Oct 2024 13:43:28 GMT :

  I mainly use OsmAnd+. For serious navigation, especially in remote
areas (in our case rural/outback/remote Australia), there's really no
feasible alternative.

For anywhere other than the USA, I'm sure what Frank says is correct, but
for the USA, you cannot get better offline maps for backcountry hiking than
the USGS geoPDFs, which plenty of map programs (e.g., Avenza, PaperMaps,
etc.) treat just like the OSM database is treated by OSMAnd(whatever).
Specifically the isocline lines in the offline OSM maps are atrociously
inaccurate, but if you're only following a trail, they'll work fine.
Conversely, the smaller creeks (the kind you can hop over) are MUCH BETTER
shown in the OSM database than in the USGS geoPDF 1:24000 quadrangles.
Hence, when I'm backcountry hiking, I have to use *both* to navigate.
Also the spoken navigation for walking in the OSMAnd~ program is excellent.

  But for most people, in 'civilized' areas, Google Maps and HERE WeGo
are perfectly fine as well. (I used Google Maps in urban areas of
Australia, to find certain shops, Maccas :-), etc.).

I agree with Frank that in the civilized areas, Google Maps is as good as
it gets, although you have to be careful to create one-tap shortcuts to
turn off all the location tracking that Google Maps forces you to turn on
(which upload even when your wifi is turned off - which is sneaky of them).
In one case the offline OSMAnd~ program is BETTER than Google, and that is
when you're walking between buildings - such as apartment complexes or
shopping malls - where I find the offline OSMAnd~ does a much better job of
directing a pedestrian than does even the online Google Maps tools.
The main reason not to use Google Maps is that you have to turn on precise
location (even though it's not needed) and you often end up turning on
Wi-Fi Scanning for Google (which doesn't help you - it uploads to Google).