[RogersToronto]

I ordered the BB 8800 hearing it has GPS and a qwerty keypad. But after reading reviews, i found out that the GPS uses data charges. This is dissapointing as i thought GPS was free as it is with my Dell PDA, no montly fee.

Is tere any software or way i can use GPS for free without any data plans that will cost me money?

Can I use the Blackberry Map for free?

[jloverg]

wlecome to stack henry8888

[mcgowan08]

Why wouldn't you want a data plan w/ a BB?

~via BB (wap.pinstack.com)~

[RogersToronto]

Of course i do, i just cant afford it now, i wanted it mainly for phone calls, mp3, SMS TXT MSG(THE KEYBOARD), and the other utilities that it offers and of courrse GPS, but i cant believe the GPS is suppose to cost me money, i already am paying 60 bucks a month on my phone, cant afford another $45! So is there any way to use the gps for free? any sugestion would be great!

[EvolutionCSR]

The GPS itself will actually locate you and you can refresh it without any data or sim card in the device, although you would need a program that already has all the maps installed so there is nothing new to download, I do not know of any program like that.

[ljbyar]

Problem is that the program would be too large to fit on a Blackberry (based upon current memory restrictions to load adequate map software. Hopefully, that will change in the not too distant future (maybe a 4 or 8 gb micro)?

[RogersToronto]

Would buying a 2gb micro sd card help. i heard thats their maximum specification!!!
They I can probably load the gps map software onto there. But using blackberry map, does it cost money, just to view your location! Nothine complicated like searching a location. Its my first Blackberry, im a newbie, any comments would be great!

[ljbyar]

Originally Posted by henry8888

Would buying a 2gb micro sd card help. i heard thats their maximum specification!!!
They I can probably load the gps map software onto there. But using blackberry map, does it cost money, just to view your location! Nothine complicated like searching a location. Its my first Blackberry, im a newbie, any comments would be great!

Henry, I don't think a 2gb card would do the trick. When you pull up BB maps, even to get to your current location, it will download the map location for where you are, sorry.

[RogersToronto]

in that case... can the gps work on a pay-per-use basis. Rogers min data plan is $45 which is too much for me, I dont want to pay that, I probably will only use it once a while if I am ever really lost, lol. Thanks for responding.

[ljbyar]

Unfortunately, BB maps uses data only which gets billed through your carrier. I see Rogers cheapest plan is $45/month for 150 minutes and 0.5 mb. Wow, that is expensive.

[canmandad]

Actually you can download Blackberry Maps. But in order to get it to work,you have to purchase the blackberry GPS device for about $100.00 from the blackberry website. Then it will work with the blackberry Maps software without having to pay additional data charges.

[oufc_gav]

Originally Posted by canmandad

Actually you can download Blackberry Maps. But in order to get it to work,you have to purchase the blackberry GPS device for about $100.00 from the blackberry website. Then it will work with the blackberry Maps software without having to pay additional data charges.

He wouldn't have to buy a seperate GPS unit as the 8800 has one built in. The cost is not actually the GPS, it's the download of map data in BB maps (or similar programs)
Blackberry Maps will always use data as it doesn't have a data store locally on the BB for maps...it downloads them on the fly.

[takeshi]

Originally Posted by henry8888

I ordered the BB 8800 hearing it has GPS and a qwerty keypad. But after reading reviews, i found out that the GPS uses data charges. This is dissapointing as i thought GPS was free as it is with my Dell PDA, no montly fee.

Is tere any software or way i can use GPS for free without any data plans that will cost me money?

Can I use the Blackberry Map for free?

The GPS doesn't cost anything. However, maps have to be downloaded on an as-needed basis until a GPS app vendor comes up with a microSD solution (if that's possible).

Currently the only way to avoid the need for a data plan is to carry some maps with you. You can get your lat and lon from the 8800's GPS receiver but that's obviously of limited use.

Originally Posted by henry8888

in that case... can the gps work on a pay-per-use basis. Rogers min data plan is $45 which is too much for me, I dont want to pay that, I probably will only use it once a while if I am ever really lost, lol. Thanks for responding.

Only if Rogers offers a pay-per-use BB data plan. AFAIK no carrier offers PPU BB data.

Originally Posted by canmandad

Actually you can download Blackberry Maps. But in order to get it to work,you have to purchase the blackberry GPS device for about $100.00 from the blackberry website. Then it will work with the blackberry Maps software without having to pay additional data charges.

You have to have a data plan even with BBmaps (re-read the OP) unless you want to just see a bunch of slashed lines.

[lineus]

Originally Posted by canmandad

Actually you can download Blackberry Maps.

Does anybody know the sourse of BB or Google maps for PC download?
I have BT GPS ($65 off eBay, new and nice) which is universal and works perfect with TomTom on my Palm Life Drive and MS Map Point on laptop. I can easily pair it with BB and BB Maps and Point recognize it with no problem but I do not have actual maps and do not want to pay extra for downloading OTA.
There is more than enough memory for GPS software in Pearl but carriers just want to get more money charging us for data plans....

[sq25394]

Hi all - new user here, great forum (have a 7290 but getting a 8800 tomorrow, but already seen the 8820 w/wi-fi ;( wish I hadn't now).

The best solution I can see that's coming is the co-pilot GPS software. I use CP6 with my T-mobile MDA with UK & EU maps and it takes around 1GB all on a micro SD card.

The new version for BB will be v.7 but will cost between £80 and £150. Check out the rumour or google Blackberry 8800 and copilot.

(can't post a link until I've done 2 posts, sorry).

Of course it's not available yet but soon will be.......I hope, as it's a great bit of software but watch your battery drain before your very eyes.