funny how open source seems to get 80-120% of the features of the very expensive enterprise payed version of a given software most of the time. Meaning usually i'll get about 85%-95% of payed functionality out of SOME free / or foss [free and open source] application that accomplishes the same type of thing. Sometimes, however, the 'free' or 'foss' version has much more than any available payed version!! GO GO FOSS

The writing's there now for all to see. Arguing the current limitations of mobile internet/GPS, is like saying that the whole country will never have electricity, it will happen, and you can't stop it, period. This is simply another move by Google which gives people a glimpse of their power to dominate through superior technology and the supporting infrastructure. People whining about Microsoft not being able to do this forget that with IE, Microsoft were leveraging one monopoly to create another, Google certainly do not have a monopoly in smart phones, or anything else that I can think of.

Oh come on, not withstanding the quota you'll suck up by the 10th in month, the google maps are grosely innacurate for routing and are community editied (which btw is the reason its free, with non-cloud navigation someone actually has to do discovery work to make accurate quality maps).
As with any Web2.0 system it will work properly just for high frequency areas where errors would be quickly discovered and receive enough "popularity" to be corrected quickly, everything else will be inaccurate for a good time in the future, starting from position, turn restrictions to traffic rules. But hey, its free and its beta so you dont get to complain alas you are an ungrateful worm.

I am sticking with my WM HTC and NavNGo, I did pay for the maps I use but it all works and will work even if I take out the GSM, even if WM dies I will still use NavNGo on symbian. Autonomy is the key to freedom, not dependency on monetary free but service binding stuff.

Real GPS usage with GMaps is non-existent, it is sutable only for walking, but for driving is unergonomic to the max.

The new GPS app may be better, but there is still the problem of downloading data from the net, and that costs money.

Maybe in the US there will be some point, but in the rest of the world classic GPS gadgets and/or software with offline maps and specifically made UI-s are stil going to rule.

Except if you think GPS is for finding your groceries or movie tickets. Real on-road/of-road tracking, usage for long periods, especially in areas with no signal... that is something else.

@Amadeus: I'll miss it :(

but i think i'll be the only one :(

Truth be known though, if Microsoft tried to push a "free" application into a market where people pay, the US gov would be all over them quicker than WinMo's downfall...

Happened with IE, would happen no matter what else they do...

Google seems to have free reign to do whatever they want...

It will be too late before anybody stops Google...

At least the government is on track to milk another big cash cow...

Global ‘droid domination is correct. The mobile phone space will be owned mainly by Android, with iPhone keeping its niche.

The others will be wiped out. Microsoft's Windows Mobile phone OS will be the first to suffer. WinMo is already 3 years behind the competition, and waiting for system-wide multi-touch to come next year, unless there are further delays.

This announcement from Google of free turn-by-turn navigation for Android phone users will be the end of Windows Mobile (not that anyone will miss it).