trail location app

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Comments

  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    (again...) Strava seems to serve a completely different purpose to what he was suggesting though!
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  • Chunkers1980
    Chunkers1980 Posts: 8,035
    Try Bike Hub.

    Seems pretty good to me and you can download your routes Map rather than 3Ging it.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    YeehaaMcgee wrote:
    it really annoys me when people dismiss it offhand because it's not "the trendy thing" right now.
    My facetiousness mode was on. As it often is. ;)

    Really I'm rarely pro or anti a particular platform, mobile or PC (unless it's Apple* :twisted: :lol: ). As a developer they're all tools for the job and interesting in their own ways.

    * - even there I'm looking to get more involved with Apple dev. (Reluctantly. Nothing to do with the platform, just the ideology behind it).
    YeehaaMcgee wrote:
    Software isn't a zero-sum market. You can have two almost identical pieces of software that can coexist happily.
    You can, if there isn't scope for lawyers to get involved. And even if you are okay at first, if it gets big then the lawyers may turn up.

    But first to market is also a lot about grabbing the consumer's attention. There are plenty of examples of this where there are perfectly adequate, if not superior alternatives but with the right launch and marketing, and getting there first, one dominates massively and the rest will struggle to gain ground.
    YeehaaMcgee wrote:
    (again...) Strava seems to serve a completely different purpose to what he was suggesting though!
    On the web - it does what he's suggesting. You can use it to explore routes around the UK.
    On the phone, not really. It's still just a tracking app at present.

    But again, the reason I mentioned it, is Strava is ideally placed and would take little work to turn it into exactly that, and would be a hell of an app to feature singletrack around the country (many of which is somewhat dodgy!). The important thing is not the app, but the user generated segment data Strava has collected. If I was looking to invest in something like that, I'd be keeping an eye on Strava.

    But enough of Strava, there are others. If we're not talking specifically about singletrack, but just cycle routes around the country there are more options. ViewRanger indeed has this exact feature (has thousands of UK cycle routes in their database). No Windows Phone version though so in with a chance, but then almost guaranteed they'll release one to replace the Symbian one for Nokia phones.
  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    So your advice to the OP is to give up, and become an investor rather than write software.
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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    He's asking if it's worth it doing. Have provided some input to weigh up whether it's worth doing. Not saying it isn't, just bear in mind the factors especially the existing market and apps beyond just "will you use it".

    Though I'll admit I look at development from a professional point of view where effort is a cost and I'd like to get paid! ;)

    As I've said already, if you're looking to do this as a project to get some experience and pick up skills, then that's a factor that may make it worth doing, even if the idea isn't entirely original.

    And yes in software investment and legal is the big money maker. Let the Indians write the code ;), or better just buy up patents (sorry, I'm being facetious again :D).
  • SPARTdAN
    SPARTdAN Posts: 26
    I'd use it and I could help if I get some spare time. << Frontend web developer.
  • Too old for this
    Too old for this Posts: 128
    If you look on Tom Tom home thre is a list of trail poi's.
  • milko9000
    milko9000 Posts: 533
    Since you're looking to build portfolio, I'd say it's a fine project. And if you manage to do it better than the rest, it could turn into something actually good, but that probably won't matter anyway.

    This sort of thing would perhaps be better suited to Android - the built in proper satnav means it would be more straightforward to set it all up with really nice links to trail info through the web, easy contact links and then a 'direct me here' which gives you options for walk/cycle/bus/train/drive to the trailhead and turn by turn directions. This paragraph more for the people who went off on a little format flamewar more than the original poster!
  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    milko9000 wrote:
    Since you're looking to build portfolio, I'd say it's a fine project. And if you manage to do it better than the rest, it could turn into something actually good, but that probably won't matter anyway.

    This sort of thing would perhaps be better suited to Android - the built in proper satnav means it would be more straightforward to set it all up with really nice links to trail info through the web, easy contact links and then a 'direct me here' which gives you options for walk/cycle/bus/train/drive to the trailhead and turn by turn directions. This paragraph more for the people who went off on a little format flamewar more than the original poster!
    WinPhone also includes all the navigation stuff, and better written APIs.
    I really wish MS would pull their finger out and enable OS maps view on the mobile as well as the Bing maps website though.
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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Actually, just noticed on Strava (sorry :D) on Android, you can browse the segments by going to the map tab. Not available whilst tracking, just for browsing in advance and it will show you all the segments nearby and as you scroll around the map. Basically that gives me a map of most of the main trails around Surrey Hills now for example. All dependent on volunteer information.

    But that's segments/trails, and still Strava is not on Win Phone. Is the OP looking to do more of an app that gives you a complete bike route? (again - View Ranger does this... but it's not on Win Phone ;) ).
  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    milko9000 wrote:
    Since you're looking to build portfolio, I'd say it's a fine project.
    This guy seems to be the only other one to understand the main point of this
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  • wobbem
    wobbem Posts: 283
    YeehaaMcgee wrote:
    milko9000 wrote:
    Since you're looking to build portfolio, I'd say it's a fine project.
    This guy seems to be the only other one to understand the main point of this

    Yawn.
    Don't think, BE:
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Once we got to the portfolio requirement further down the thread ;), building for portfolio and the experience of doing it is fine as I've already said. But if you expect people to use it as well ("will you use it?") and that's they key point of the original post to justify doing it, then you still have to look at what other people will ask, is there "an app for that" already?

    Anyway, done and dusted. Platform is Win Phone only, there is no app for that presently it seems. Go for it. Will anyone here use it? Who here has a Windows Phone? !!
  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    deadkenny wrote:
    Once we got to the portfolio requirement further down the thread ;), building for portfolio and the experience of doing it is fine as I've already said. But if you expect people to use it as well ("will you use it?") and that's they key point of the original post to justify doing it, then you still have to look at what other people will ask, is there "an app for that" already?

    Anyway, done and dusted. Platform is Win Phone only, there is no app for that presently it seems. Go for it. Will anyone here use it? Who here has a Windows Phone? !!
    Yawn.
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