Kurviger vs. Google Maps (et al.)

[Uli LH]

As I am testing and comparing several software offers for navigatiing and cruising, specially for smartphone, here a short intermediate report, just for telling it and perhaps giving one or another hint, maybe interwsting for the Kurviger crew (who do an extremely great job!! - and never ment as critics!!):

I notice that in the last weeks I updated my habits using those apps:

a) Calimoto I don't use anymore (and will perhaps remove it from my smarty, if storage place becomes too small):
for me it has lost the competition clearly, and Kurviger replace it completely at the present - and is much better!

b) HEREWeGo I have still installed, even I did not use it for a longer time:
For me it has still the function as an "emergency navigator" (for whole Europe), if mobile data connection is lost completely and I have to find out (as Kurviger still needs this connection, if it is started again, see belowe).

c) I noticed also, that I prefer Kurviger vor cruising - or planning cruising routes -
BUT:
I still use Google Maps, if pure navigation is the aim, specially to get somewhere or back home as quickly as possible, and usually when I am using the Autobahn -
for three reasons:

1. It works completely offline (IF prepared before) - see comment below.
2. It takes in consideration traffic situation on the whole planned route and shows problems, traffic jams and roadworks.
3. It always shows the calculated arrival time on the screen too (again taking in consideration the traffic situation!), which I like to have in sight, specially when I have an arrangement at a precise time and want to know, wether I have to hurry or may allow me to have a coffee break. ;)

A comment to (1.):

This is still a small disadvantage of Kurviger in my view:
When we had the pass cruising last weekend which I mentioned elsewhere, it happens two or three times, that I touched the screen on the smartphone wrongly
(while driving or riding, it's not always easy to find the right button, and you don't want to stop, specially when you are in a group)
and the actual route was stopped, or Kurviger was even closed by accident.
Then of course I had to reload the route, but as it happens in the mountains in these cases there was no data connection any more in this region, and Kurviger refused to start the navigation again.
In those (few!) situations I used the offline navigation which Google Maps offers, until mobile data connection was given again and I could hand over navigation to Kurviger again to get back on the originally planned route.

Therefore when I go for longer distances, since some time I use to start navigation by Kurviger and Maps parallelly (which is not a prob for my Galaxy S5 fortunately). On the Autobahn I then have Maps on the screen, and when I leave the Autobahn for cruising I just switch the screen to Kurviger.

(By the way: I manage this switching usually by Ulysses Speedometer as "central app", which offers big buttons to switch between apps even while driving or riding, beside many other advantages - as I report on my Barchetta-Blog.de website, see "Navigations-Apps", if interested.)

Any comments or hints are welcome - as always! ;)
Uli

[Emux]

Hi Uli,

Thanks for the detailed report!

> 1. It works completely offline (IF prepared before) - see comment below.

Kurviger uses powerful GraphHopper inside and moving completely to offline routing is definitely doable and in our plans.
Mobile limited specs don't allow easily country (or continent!) sized routing, so some technicalities are to be solved.

What I can offer in the meantime is an enhanced save / load route feature that will NOT require any internet at load route and can start navigation immediately completely offline!

> 3. It always shows the calculated arrival time on the screen too

Hint: if you tap the 'remaining time' panel at top-right, then it switches to 'arrival time'.
(we'll improve those calculations based on real time route conditions).

If think it's needed, I could add an extra panel there for permanent 'arrival time' appearance.

--

Emux

[Uli LH]

Am Sonntag, 9. Juli 2017 14:36:59 UTC+2 schrieb Emux:

What I can offer in the meantime is an enhanced save / load route feature that will NOT require any internet at load route and can start navigation immediately completely offline!

 

Yes, I guess this would be a big step forward. :)

Hint: if you tap the 'remaining time' panel at top-right, then it switches to 'arrival time'.
(we'll improve those calculations based on real time route conditions).

If think it's needed, I could add an extra panel there for permanent 'arrival time' appearance.

"Needed" and "useful" depends on personal view -
on the one side every additional panel reduces the map and the overview -
on the other side every additional tapping is a risk
so let's see what other users suggest?
(Anyway thx to the hint! I see I have still to learn about the app! ;) )


Supplement:
There is another reason I still use Maps addiotionally, I have to admit:
Maps seems to calculate shorter routes compared to Kurviger in some situations:

Have a look to an example, my trip yesterday from my place near Mainz to meet my brother in Baden-Baden (where we then started our cruising through the Black Forest) - I took 2 screenshots at the same time, because I was really suprised:
Kurviger says (option "Schnellste Route!": 191,1 km, 2 h 24 min,
Maps say (exactly same start and end): 188 km (which is not a big difference, BUT:) 1 h 57 min.
A difference of about 30 minutes! :(
In this case I KNEW the route very well, so I could decide not to follow Kurviger, but my own knowledge - but what if I would have trusted it in a region I am not familiar with?
It's not a critism at all - but in this case Kurviger planned a strange detour in the south at the end of 30 minutes (what Maps did not) - what could be the explanation? (Did Kurviger indeed already look into future ;) and take in account the traffic jams that occured later on the A5???)

[Manfred Frommel]

What I can offer in the meantime is an enhanced save / load route feature that will NOT require any internet at load route and can start navigation immediately completely offline!

 

Yes, I guess this would be a big step forward. :)

+1
 

Hint: if you tap the 'remaining time' panel at top-right, then it switches to 'arrival time'.
(we'll improve those calculations based on real time route conditions).

That's is great.
I didn't know of that feature.

> on the one side every additional panel reduces the map and the overview -

Indeed, I love it the way it is.
Too much Info can be a risk as well. 
 
Manfred

[Robin]

Hi Uli,

> It's not a critism at all - but in this case Kurviger planned a strange detour in the south at the end of 30 minutes (what Maps did not) - what could be the explanation? (Did Kurviger indeed already look into future ;) and take in account the traffic jams that occured later on the A5???)

Don't put too much trust into the ETAs of Kurviger on motorways. If you are riding fast, you can easily beat the motorway ETA. Google maps uses statistical data and might use a higher average speed than Kurviger.

The strange detour however is a feature, not a bug :). The fastest option of Kurviger is not a true fastest option, but it calculates a reasonably fast route, including highways, but takes a detour if there is a nice curvy road around. The detour looks not too bad IMHO :). Even though I am from the south-west of Germany I usually end up riding on the swabian jura, instead of the black forest, just because it's better accessible from where I live, so I cannot judge that route from local knowledge.

Best,

Robin

[Uli LH]

Ok, I accept that it was not a detour, but an enrichement of the tour! ;)

But as I wanted to meet my brother as quickly as possible to start only THEN a nice and curvy trip, the route provided by Maps was the better option.

And, by the way, I got to know the ETA's by Maps as very accurate and reliable.
So I will go on combining Kurviger and Maps - because "auf zwei Beinen steht sich bessser"! :)

[Robin]

Hi Uli,

> And, by the way, I got to know the ETA's by Maps as very accurate and reliable. 

That's true. We are always trying to improve our ETA's. I think the ETA's for regular curvy roads are quite good, whereas Kurviger might be a bit "too fast" in passes and a bit "too slow" on the motorway. It's just hard to make it realistic for every situation.

> But as I wanted to meet my brother as quickly as possible to start only THEN a nice and curvy trip, the route provided by Maps was the better option.

I understand that :). I also don't use Kurviger if I am in a hurry, simply because it doesn't work that way. In this case I also prefer Google Maps, simply because of the live traffic.

Best,

Robin

[Uli LH]

Hi Robin,

Am Montag, 10. Juli 2017 17:54:14 UTC+2 schrieb Robin:

I understand that :). I also don't use Kurviger if I am in a hurry, simply because it doesn't work that way. In this case I also prefer Google Maps, simply because of the live traffic.

Then I am calmed!!! ;)
:)))
Uli