On Mon, Aug 20, 2012 at 10:22:39AM +0000, d wrote:
On 20 Aug 2012 09:59:13 GMT
Neil Williams wrote:
Perhaps borrow one for a bit. I said a while ago that journey planners
were the best thing that ever happened to public transport. Add a
smartphone, and it truly is a "killer app". Try it before you reject the
idea totally.
I'm not buying a smartphone just to read a map. Navigating a metro system
is hardly rocket science. A map on a wall is all anyone needs unless they're
terminally stupid and need to be spoon fed even the simplest information.

If you'd actually used a journey planner, you would know that you are
talking about something completely different. A mere map can't include
all the buses, or know how frequent they are, and how frequent all the
trains are, or which lines are open, and so be able to find the best
route for you across all modes of transport and tell you how long it'll
take (kinda important for when you have to get from your hotel to the
station to get your train home), taking into account your preferences
for number of changes, how far to walk etc.

Add to that travelling in a foreign country, where you might not be able
to read things like "this station is closed at weekends" or "北京地�",
and you will see that an application running on your phone in your
language is clearly better than a map.

I recommend this one http://metro.nanika.net/.

--
David Cantrell | Reality Engineer, Ministry of Information

Your call is important to me. To see if it's important to
you I'm going to make you wait on hold for five minutes.
All calls are recorded for blackmail and amusement purposes.

On Tue, 21 Aug 2012 11:57:15 +0100
David Cantrell wrote:
If you'd actually used a journey planner, you would know that you are
talking about something completely different. A mere map can't include
all the buses, or know how frequent they are, and how frequent all the
trains are, or which lines are open, and so be able to find the best
route for you across all modes of transport and tell you how long it'll
take (kinda important for when you have to get from your hotel to the
station to get your train home), taking into account your preferences
for number of changes, how far to walk etc.

You're assuming any information you'll get on your phone will be up to date.
Having used travel websites myself I suspect the chances of that always
being the case are slim.

Add to that travelling in a foreign country, where you might not be able
to read things like "this station is closed at weekends" or "北京地�",
and you will see that an application running on your phone in your
language is clearly better than a map.

Fine, but that means you're relying on a device that could be lost, stolen,
have no connection or a flat battery. Then what? Pidgin english with the
nearest local who looks like he might know when the next bus shows?

B2003

On Tue, Aug 21, 2012 at 11:21:55AM +0000, d wrote:
On Tue, 21 Aug 2012 11:57:15 +0100
David Cantrell wrote:
If you'd actually used a journey planner, you would know that you are
talking about something completely different. A mere map can't include
all the buses, or know how frequent they are, and how frequent all the
trains are, or which lines are open, and so be able to find the best
route for you across all modes of transport and tell you how long it'll
take (kinda important for when you have to get from your hotel to the
station to get your train home), taking into account your preferences
for number of changes, how far to walk etc.
You're assuming any information you'll get on your phone will be up to date.

It has been every time I've used the application I recommended, and if
it turns out that, for example, the Northern line is closed, then I can
just tell the application to not use it.

Add to that travelling in a foreign country, where you might not be able
to read things like "this station is closed at weekends" or "北京地�",
and you will see that an application running on your phone in your
language is clearly better than a map.
Fine, but that means you're relying on a device that could be lost

That's your own stupid fault

stolen,

As is that, usually.

have no connection

Not likely in any place with a significant transport network.

or a flat battery.

I forget when was the last time I was foolish enough to let my phone's
battery run out when I needed it. Years ago, at any rate.

Then what? Pidgin english with the
nearest local who looks like he might know when the next bus shows?

Sure. That might even work when *you* are lost abroad and don't speak
the local language, because so many people speak English to some
degree. It won't work when a Chinese tourist who doesn't speak English
is lost in London, where no-one (yeah, yeah) speaks Chinese.

--
David Cantrell | Reality Engineer, Ministry of Information

Compromise: n: lowering my standards so you can meet them

On Wed, 22 Aug 2012 11:30:13 +0100
David Cantrell wrote:
Fine, but that means you're relying on a device that could be lost

That's your own stupid fault

stolen,

As is that, usually.

Thats as maybe, but given that the original suggestion was to replace maps
etc with apps on a smartphone then this has to be taken into account.

have no connection

Not likely in any place with a significant transport network.

It might not be down to lack of a network but lack of a roaming agreement
with your phone company. Also if they only offer 2G then good luck with
using anything web based and assuming free wifi will always be available as
an alternative is assuming rather a lot.

I forget when was the last time I was foolish enough to let my phone's
battery run out when I needed it. Years ago, at any rate.

If you use smartphones a lot the battery can go within a day which isn't much
use if you're spending the day away from the hotel. Unless you carry the
charger and adaptor everywhere you go and hope you can find a socket somewhere.

degree. It won't work when a Chinese tourist who doesn't speak English
is lost in London, where no-one (yeah, yeah) speaks Chinese.

If someone visits a country that doesn't speak a language they know and they
don't even bother to learn basic emergency phrases in the local lingo then
more fool them.

B2003

wrote:

If you use smartphones a lot the battery can go within a day which isn't much
use if you're spending the day away from the hotel.

I charge mine every night, but it rarely if ever needs more.

Neil
--
Neil Williams in Milton Keynes, UK. Put first name before the at to reply

On 22 Aug 2012 11:15:55 GMT, Neil Williams wrote:

wrote:

If you use smartphones a lot the battery can go within a day which isn't much
use if you're spending the day away from the hotel.

I charge mine every night, but it rarely if ever needs more.

I need about two and half charges a day on my Samsung Galaxy S II, so I
carry extra batteries and have a separate battery charger. Problem solved.

--
jhk

On Wed, 22 Aug 2012 15:57:10 +0200
Jarle H Knudsen wrote:
On 22 Aug 2012 11:15:55 GMT, Neil Williams wrote:

wrote:

If you use smartphones a lot the battery can go within a day which isn't
much
use if you're spending the day away from the hotel.

I charge mine every night, but it rarely if ever needs more.

I need about two and half charges a day on my Samsung Galaxy S II, so I
carry extra batteries and have a separate battery charger. Problem solved.

Meanwhile my Nokia dumbphone will go a week on a single charge in normal use.

B2003

Jarle H Knudsen wrote:

On 22 Aug 2012 11:15:55 GMT, Neil Williams wrote:

wrote:

If you use smartphones a lot the battery can go within a day which isn't much
use if you're spending the day away from the hotel.

I charge mine every night, but it rarely if ever needs more.

I need about two and half charges a day on my Samsung Galaxy S II, so I
carry extra batteries and have a separate battery charger. Problem solved.


I found my HTC smartphone needed more than one charge a day so I
bought an aftermarket battery with 50% more capacity which, although
slightly bigger, still just fits in the battery compartment. It gave
the phone the extra time needed so I only charged it once a day.

But what made the biggest difference was upgrading the Google OS to
4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Power management is much better and I can get
two days out of one charge as long as I avoid a couple of apps that
are particularly power hungry.