Review: CoPilot Live7 North America Bluetooth Edition

If you’re like me, the whole concept of a GPS fascinates you. The fact that I can find my exact location on the planet with a minimal amount of hardware (and software) is amazing to me. The only thing that’s better, is the fact that I can do it using my Phone.

I remember my first experience with a GPS. I was driving with some friends to an event in the Los Angeles area. We drove from the city where I live (about an hour away) to the destination that was given to the GPS. Once we got to the address that had been input, we discovered that the address was wrong. Typically this would have been in issue, but using the GPS we were able be at the correct location within 30 minutes or so.

CoPilot Live is developed by ALK Technologies and comes in two packages. The first includes the software on cd and a 2gb MicroSD card (the MicroSD also has converters for MiniSD and Standard SD). The second package bundles a Bluetooth GPS receiver (along with a frightening number of charging cables and a mounting system for the receiver). Both options are available from the WMExperts store for $99.95 and $199.95 respectively.

Keep reading for more juicy details.

For the purposes of this review, I will be taking a look at the version with the Bluetooth GPS bundled. Keep in mind that if you want to utilize a third party GPS receiver that you should verify that it works before you purchase the software (I would recommend that you make use of the trial version anyway, just to make sure you’re not allergic to the color scheme or something).

Usability - Finding/Adding a destination

One of the things that I was most impressed about with this application is the myriad of ways that a destination can be added to your route. (The use of the word “route” is significant in that you can add up to 10 destinations to your path. New destinations can be added to any point in your route, or you can let CoPilot determine the most optimal route for all of the points that you have to hit.)

Destinations can be added through a number of different methods. Addresses can be input through CoPilot’s wizard-like interface, or can be imported from your contacts. “Points of Interest” are a strong feature in CoPilot, with everything from grocery stores to small local airports being available in a searchable database. Destinations such as home and work are given a place on the default destination menu, as they tend to be used frequently. The coolest way to add a destination (in my ever-so-humble opinion) is done through CoPilot’s LiveWeb website. LiveWeb gives you the ability to invite people to track your location as well as send destinations directly to your handheld (this feature requires an active internet connection on your device).

Usability - Driving

GPS systems have been knocked for “being a distraction to the driver”. CoPilot features spoken turn-by-turn directions that utilize one of a number of voices (some more annoying than others, if you really want to customize it you can even record someone speaking the different commands and use the voice of your choosing). The driving view is very customizable as well, allowing you to choose between day and night (preserving your night vision), as well as giving you the option of a “Driver Safety Mode” which shows you only the basic information on the next turn that you need to make, enabling for you to keep your eyes on the road.

CoPilot will also correct your mistakes for you. If you miss your turn, your route will be recalculated within seconds of your mistake.

Look and Feel

The driving view features 4 main options. A 2d view allows you to see a top-down version of the map with either your destination, next turn, or current location centered on the map. A 3d view shows you a view from your perspective, giving you the added benefit of seeing exactly which exit you should be taking in complicated freeway scenarios. The driver safety view features the distance to your next turn as well as an arrow indicating the direction of your turn and can be customized to switch to a map view when nearing the turn. The last major option for the driving view is an Itinerary view, showing you each individual turn in a very “Google Maps like” structure.

The right softkey is dedicated to the “Info Bar”. The Info Bar gives you quick access to information such as your current speed and Distance to your destination or your ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival) and distance to your destination, or even your current altitude and heading.

Value Added

In addition to all of the standard features that are found in most GPS navigation systems, Copilot offers several options that are worth mentioning. The ability to view current traffic incidents on your route and choose whether or not to avoid them on an individual basis is downright impressive (this is another feature that requires an active internet connection). You can also manually choose to take a detour to avoid a particular section of road in your path.

For the RV crowd, CoPilot will allow you to calculate your routes based on 12’6” or 13’ height clearance. Obviously, as with any mapping solution, use your best judgment to avoid property damage or injury.

CoPilot comes bundled with CoPilot Central. This desktop software allows you to plan trips without having to enter in each destination on your handheld. Any software or map updates must be done through CoPilot Central.

Conclusion

The only thing that I can knock with this software is that there is no OTA updating of either the maps or the software. There were a couple of times that I couldn’t find Point of Interest from within CoPilot. My workaround was to go into Google Maps or Microsoft Live Search, find the destination, save it as a contact, and then import it into CoPilot from there. It just would’ve been nice if I didn’t have to go through all those steps.

Honestly, this bundle blew my mind. The software couldn’t be easier to install (simply put in the SD card and the Installer runs automatically). The Bluetooth GPS worked flawlessly with CoPilot on my BlackJack (unlike with Google Maps, which requires some hacking on my device), although I have to say that it was absolute perfection on the VGA touchscreen of my Axim X51v. The fact that my wife can send me a new destination OTA while I’m in transit is just the icing on the cake for me.