Originally Posted by
HobbesOnTour
I used the terminology that Wahoo used with me. To me it suggested a definite, yet insubstantial, contact between the app and server it uses to process requests.
Interesting.
There is no reason or value to program an "insubstantial, contact between the app and server".
Generally, the programming for iOS/iPhone and Android is very different. It's basically two programs to write and maintain. Different phones and versions of operating systems make that even more complicated.
The approach Wahoo is very probably using (other companies use the same approach) is to do most of the work (dealing with map data and routing) on shared servers and have the phone-app to do just what they need to do (and act as an interface to the programs on the server). This lets them use the same routing/map code on computers that don't run their app (one program supports iOS/every version of Android (even on cheap slow phone's), and every version of Windows, MacOS, and Linux).
Originally Posted by
HobbesOnTour
To my non-technological mind, it would seem similar to the way my mobile phone "pings" mobile phone towers - I'm not making a call, both tower and phone are communicating with each other.
This is different because it is basic to how cellphones work. They need to keep track of were you are so the can connect incoming calls to you.
Originally Posted by
HobbesOnTour
In this case, everything can be done on the phone. However, the Wahoo app will not process this (new) gpx file until it can "ping" the cloud - data/wifi is necessary.
It's not "pinging". It's almost certain that a lot of the processing is occurring in the server.
As far as I understand, the gpx file has to be uploaded to Wahoo's servers before it can be loaded to the Wahoo unit.
Wahoo would want to support uploading gpx files from any computer (not just from smartphones with their app). Setting things up that everything has to be uploaded to the server means writing code once (rather than having to write and maintain 3 or 4 different programs).
I have no idea what sort of the is actually loaded to the unit (it might not be a good file).
Originally Posted by
HobbesOnTour
The Garmin Touring device has the ability to select a destination on the fly, but my experience with the unit overall was that it was totally unreliable. It crashed regularly, lost routes regularly and totally undermined my confidence in its ability to guide me in an emergency.
The Touring wasn't very reliable. The ancient 800 worked much better. Other units likely work better too. I suspect the standard Garmin units get better attention to fixing bugs.
Originally Posted by
HobbesOnTour
I'm in Holland and a phone signal is not an issue here, a bit more erratic in some parts of Europe. I'd imagine it's a bigger deal for people on the other side of the pond where there's more open space and less cell phone towers.
When I travel to Europe, I don't have a cell plan. Internet access isn't always a given either. One time, I was on a boat that capped internet access. Doing routes in RWGPS was enough to exceed the cap.
Originally Posted by
HobbesOnTour
Online route planning on a phone or tablet is not the most pleasant of tasks!
but it can be done.
There isn't any reason it should be such a pain. At least on a tablet (phone screens are kind of too small). It's not too bad using a Windows tablet (using a mouse makes it easier).