Organic Maps impressed me with its elegant UI, effective routing, and good ethics.

cross-posted from: https://psychedelia.ink/post/526072

My impression of Organic Maps immediately improved when I started driving. It talks! It knows exit numbers! It can tell you which lanes to use! Sure, it isn’t as polished as Google Maps, but all of the functionality is present. The UI is high-contrast and easy to read, although I wish the text showing exit numbers/street names was a little bigger. When you’re simply on the road and following directions, Organic Maps feels every bit as intuitive as Google Maps.

As my fiancee and I prepared to set off into the boonies, I plugged in the address of our hotel. About 45 seconds later, Organic Maps returned the 300-mile route to our destination. It can take a lot longer to calculate longer routes using your phone’s processor instead of a huge cloud server. It didn’t really bother me though; 45 seconds is nothing compared to the 6-hour trip ahead. If that’s the cost of using a maps app that doesn’t spray your personal data all over the internet, I’ll pay it.

  • ExLisper@linux.communityEnglish
    41·
    1 year ago

    So you just follow the voice commands? In my experience it’s simply impossible. Most common issues are:

    • google says “at the roundabout take the 3rd exit” but the roundabout has an exit to a short service road leading nowhere or a one way road that’s not really an exit. Do I count those two? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Depends how those are mapped. Impossible to know without looking

    • “In 50 meters turn right” but there two streets, one maybe 10 meters after the first one. Which one does it mean? If you’re driving 40km/h it’s impossible to tell without looking. It will say ‘turn right’ in almost exactly the same moment for both streets

    • “take the exit” but the road splits right after exiting. which way do I go after exiting? Sometimes it will say “exit and keep right”, sometimes no. depends on how those roads are mapped.

    I prefer to just look at the screen from time to time. With a good map a quick glance clarifies everything. With google maps trying to figure out what’s going on when it’s suddenly not clear where to go is much harder. But I probably depends on the town you’re driving in and how used to it you are.

    • RBG@discuss.tchncs.de
      1·
      1 year ago

      If its somewhere new sure, can be an issue. If its somewhere where I have been and just don’t remember the way 100%, not an issue really.

      Cannot say anything about google maps, I use Osmand+ on my phone. That also has been pretty consistent for example with your problem off counting roundabout exits. Anything you could go out is an exit. Doesn’t matter if its a small road or whatever.

      But honestly I fond this in general less of a problem, because I don’t look at my phone at all I am looking at signs as well. So if my phone says second exit, I already see on a sign where that exit is as I drive up to the roundabout.

      Maybe you are fine just taking a glance and I certainly don’t want to judge you on this, but it just takes one time that you are “just taking a glance” where you miss something going on on the street and well, thats all it takes, one time. Then its too late. Please reconsider that and maybe try and get more used to listening again.

      • ExLisper@linux.communityEnglish
        21·
        1 year ago

        I don’t know how you imagine this but I have a map on the infotainment screen and looking at it is no more distracting than looking at your dashboard or operating your radio. It’s normal part of driving. No one looks at the road 100% of the time.