Google Navigation: Why Only In Certain Countries?
Android 2.0
5 MP dual flash LED
3.7” multitouch capacitive screen
GPS
Android Turn by Turn
and many other features.
However, will the European courts view Google’s apps as a good thing or implementation of software that will create a monopoly and diminish competition?
Novell and Sun Microsytems complained a few years back that Microsoft controlled the market through anti-competitive practices. European courts deemed Microsoft‘s Internet Explorer (IE), Windows Media Player (WMP), as added on software that failed to create fair competition.
In short, a multi-million dollar Anti-Trust lawsuit ensued. Microsoft had to pay $794 Million dollars and create a separate version of Windows without IE and WMP.
This might be the reason why the Motorola Sholes, Droid, Milestone (am I forgetting one?) is running with MotoNav in Europe rather than Google Turn by Turn.
Google has stated Google apps are subject to the carrier’s discretion. It would be interesting to see how MotoNav will differ from Google Turn by Turn…and I’m not talking about the user interface (UI), but what’s powering it.
It would also be interesting to see what TomTom and Garmin LTD.’s next step will be. Especially since the Google navigation system is free and incorporated into a multifunction device.
Below is an example of what MotoNav looks like on a GPS device and a Phone Display
