[General Topics] eng3:
I am planning to install an 8in tablet in my car primarily for Navigation.

Thus I also needed to figure out if I wanted to use Google Maps or Waze.

Also, if I want to use Portrait or Landscape.

I normally use Google Maps on my phone and I tried out Waze this week so I'll give the Pro's and Con's to switch to Waze

= Accuracy of directions is about the same but Google Maps seems slightly better so far.

+ Shows police, speed traps, hazards

+ Speed limit icon (kinda useful)

+ Looks nicer in landscape mode with route to the right

- New UI to learn, but its not that confusing

- No Google integration (doesnt pull up google maps search results from your laptop)

- Waze has "ads", pins for places you dont care about

- Generally more cluttered

- No Android Auto integration YET (Does integrate with a headset)

- Smart zoom in Google Maps is better (zooms in more on intersection)

- Does not show next next turn. (If I have two turns one right after another coming, Google Maps tells me so I know what lane to get into.)

- Does not show which lane for exits

- Does not show traffic clearly on map or in alternate routes

- Takes two button presses to show alternate routes or exit

- No easy way to zoom out (see below)

If I don't have a turn for an hour or 60mi or so, the screen becomes pretty useless. Especially when I'm out in the country, it is basically just a vertical line. My old GPS unit had smart zoom based on how far your next turn was. It would zoom all the way out to a North up top down view showing either your entire route or to the next turn. That way it gives you a quick indicator of where you are and how far along you are. If you were zoomed in, that you have no quick way of knowing that. When you approach a turn, it automatically would zoom back in. In google maps, the fastest way is for me to hit the alternate routes button. It still retails to top banner telling me how far my next turn is. It also shows how duration, distance, and time of arrival. Alternatively, I can hit some buttons and zoom out manually. In Waze, I can also hit Routes. It gives me the zoomed out map but the next turn info is gone. It does show distance and duration left, but it doesnt update if you stay on the screen. I also lose indication of police activity which is the main draw of the app for me. In waze, I can manually zoom out, but after a few seconds, it automatically zooms back in. As you can see, this is a big annoyance of mine

Portrait vs Landscape:

- With Landscape you can typically see more map than Portrait because you can see the sides. Helpful for multi-turns

- With portrait you can see ahead more clearly. The same amount is shown in landscape but since the screen height is physically smaller, everything will appear smaller.

- Landscape "fits" in my car better. Portrait would cause it to stick up above my dash slightly.

- More room for info in portrait mode (if put on the sides) For alt. routes, Waze shows map on left and options on right. Maps/Android Auto does this on some cars but not on phone.

So overall, I'm leaning towards google maps. Maybe because I'm just use to it, maybe because I use it for public transit too. It just seems cleaner and more mature. If Google Maps added the police/speed trap/construction alerts, then there would be no question.