Dear Google please update your Navigation.

[SFBayArea]

Ok, this weekend I went camping in the mountains, I knew that the cellphone connection is worse to none to total nonexistent there, however, since I started driving from SF it must have loaded all my road into the phone virtual memory and I had no problem seeing map even in the low phone signal areas. However, when I started coming home I could not have GPS capability based off of gmaps for almost 80 miles. The phone connection was just not strong enough to provide 3G speed to load my road directions or maps, it kept telling me that it is loading road directions for more than one hour. If I would not know the road I would be lost, Google Nav was USELESS.
Don't get me wrong, I think google Nav is very good, but they can make it better with some simple additions. I would even pay for it:

1. Make maps available offline and full GPS guidance available without data connection.
2. Make an option for auto avoiding traffic. I mean what good is it for me knowing that traffic is ahead of me if I don't know how to avoid it?
3. Able to save favorite places without going through the hoops of "starring" items.

 

[BY724]

Ok, this weekend I went camping in the mountains, I knew that the cellphone connection is worse to none to total nonexistent there, however, since I started driving from SF it must have loaded all my road into the phone virtual memory and I had no problem seeing map even in the low phone signal areas. However, when I started coming home I could not have GPS capability based off of gmaps for almost 80 miles. The phone connection was just not strong enough to provide 3G speed to load my road directions or maps, it kept telling me that it is loading road directions for more than one hour. If I would not know the road I would be lost, Google Nav was USELESS.
Don't get me wrong, I think google Nav is very good, but they can make it better with some simple additions. I would even pay for it:

1. Make maps available offline and full GPS guidance available without data connection.
2. Make an option for auto avoiding traffic. I mean what good is it for me knowing that traffic is ahead of me if I don't know how to avoid it?
3. Able to save favorite places without going through the hoops of "starring" items.

Well, it is still technically in beta...so I assume we'll be seeing some significant updates at some point. It has been about 7 months though (more really) since this has existed, so I'd imagine sooner or later the 1.0 (or 2.0 I guess) version would come out.

That should add a lot of new features.

 

[nightfishing]

I would think that 2&3 are likely to be added at some point, but #1 is a lot to ask of a free phone app.

If you need such a device, there are plenty available.

 

[Tre Lawrence]

Google betas tend to stretch out, too. They could have it in beta for years...

 

[jev]

1. Make maps available offline and full GPS guidance available without data connection.

Probably won't happen. It takes a lot of data that need to be updated often. It is against the idea of google maps to begin with.

2. Make an option for auto avoiding traffic. I mean what good is it for me knowing that traffic is ahead of me if I don't know how to avoid it?

There are many theories on why this should or should not be done. I do not think it will be there any time soon (if ever).

3. Able to save favorite places without going through the hoops of "starring" items.

It can't do that? I use footprints for that but it's not ideal either.

 

[takeshi]

1. Make maps available offline and full GPS guidance available without data connection.

If you need this then find a GPS app that offers it. I doubt Google will ever do this (though I wouldn't mind being proven wrong).

Why are you posting here instead of on Google's site for this kind of stuff? Don't assume that they read everything on this site. If you really want the changes you're asking for them submit them to Google directly.