New Golf Guru 4

[Erniem]

I still have not heard about my order of my GG4, is there still anyone else who has not received an e-mail confirmation of there order.

[rcncgolf]

I still have not heard about my order of my GG4, is there still anyone else who has not received an e-mail confirmation of there order.

Yep...

[dougsmithsr]

Have mine in hand, but can't get it to connect with the computer. Waiting for a phone call.

 

 

There is a special utility on the GG website just for the Guru4 that you must use to connect...

[kmdmb]

Got it. Since I was logged into the website, and I already have a Guru 3, it didn't even show me the Guru 4 utility. When I logged out it was there to download.

[colonel]

Still waiting for a confirmation email here as well.

[rcncgolf]

Still waiting for a confirmation email here as well.

just got confirmed!

[Ruisy]

Just curious rcncgolf, when did you order your unit? I ordered mine on June 25th and am also awaiting a confirmation e-mail.

 

For those that have their new unit in hand, please post your 1st impressions etc..

 

I never jump on the pre-sale of items as I like others to do that while they iron out all the bugs but based on my experience with my GG from the start (have had it since it first came out up here in Ontario) I just had to jump on it.

 

Thanks.

[Darren71]

Just got my confermation email this morning. I ordered mine on the 20th of june. No tracking info on the usps web site yet. Glad to see them starting to get caught up.

[colonel]

Just received my shipping confirmation. No tracking info yet, but I should be enjoying it before the weekend gets here!

[kmdmb]

Looks like it will be very similar to the old models with the standard courses. They need to make an aervu for my course, so don't know what they look like. The touch screen is sensitive, colors are ok, menus are responsive. Think it will be better when they get more apps working. Can't comment on the aervu yet, which is why I bought it. With standard maps it's not much of an upgrade yet. Could be in the future.

[dougsmithsr]

Keep us posted. I'm looking forward to hear an actual user review. You're suppose to hit em' STRAIGHT? LOL

 

Got my unit today, loaded about 30 courses onto it and played with the 3 AeroView courses that mine came loaded with. Augusta, Pebble Beach and South Wales. First impressions are.

1. Unit seems to be well built, with a sturdy black case that appears to be covered with some type of cloth or rubber.

2. Screen is huge, bright and easy to see for me. That is one of the main reasons that I bought it.

3. Touch screen is sensitive but easy to use and I noticed you could adjust the sensitivy as you like.

4. Size of unit is large but not so large that you could not put it in your pocket.

5. Menu system seems very logical based on where you are on the touch screen.

6. Speaker is plenty loud, so much so I had to find the setting and turn it down.

7. AeroView courses are great, The hole is laid out pretty good and the ability to move the landing zone around and get distances is great.

8. Haven't had time to go and play with it, but as soon as I do I will come back with my futher thoughts.

 

For now I give it 8 out of 10 stars

and there Tech Support 10 out of 10 based on a problem that I had early on that turned out to be a bum usb port. Tech support stayed on the phone with me for 1 hr. until I got things figured out.

[corosario]

Any chance on getting some pictures posted of the unit? Thanks!

[Rickochet]

Keep us posted. I'm looking forward to hear an actual user review. You're suppose to hit em' STRAIGHT? LOL

 

Got my unit today, loaded about 30 courses onto it and played with the 3 AeroView courses that mine came loaded with. Augusta, Pebble Beach and South Wales. First impressions are.

1. Unit seems to be well built, with a sturdy black case that appears to be covered with some type of cloth or rubber.

2. Screen is huge, bright and easy to see for me. That is one of the main reasons that I bought it.

3. Touch screen is sensitive but easy to use and I noticed you could adjust the sensitivy as you like.

4. Size of unit is large but not so large that you could not put it in your pocket.

5. Menu system seems very logical based on where you are on the touch screen.

6. Speaker is plenty loud, so much so I had to find the setting and turn it down.

7. AeroView courses are great, The hole is laid out pretty good and the ability to move the landing zone around and get distances is great.

8. Haven't had time to go and play with it, but as soon as I do I will come back with my futher thoughts.

 

For now I give it 8 out of 10 stars

and there Tech Support 10 out of 10 based on a problem that I had early on that turned out to be a bum usb port. Tech support stayed on the phone with me for 1 hr. until I got things figured out.

 

Good info. I just looked at the GG website and they are now showing pictures of the GG4 in the "Accessories for the GG4". I knew it was 4" x 3" but I expected it to be taller than wide but that is not the case which kind of dorks the mount I made for it.

[kmdmb]

DOH!! Didn't realize the preloaded courses were aervu. Yes, they are nice. What I expected. A picture of the hole, and touching the screen gets your distance to that spot. So far, I still think if you want aervu maps, it'll be a good unit. If you want the free standard maps, the old one is just as good. Unless you want the other features. MP3 player, video player, all that stuff. If the nav software is as good as a Garmin, that'll be a big plus.

[kmdmb]

See if these pics come through.

[dmartin1976]

Haven't gotten my confirmation, but based on your comments I probably will be on the end, since I preordered mine on 7/08/09. I can't wait though!! I ordered the case they added for it, how did some of you get more than one aervu courses added, i was only given an option of 1, or does it comes with three plus the free one?

[dmartin1976]

great pics! man I can't wait!!!

[corosario]

Thank you kmdmb for posting pictures! I ordered mine on the 23rd June (afternoon) and received the shipping confirmation this morning.

 

Carlos

[GTakacs]

Mine came today as well. Here is my instant feedback so far.

 

The unit is a Windows CE 5.0 based device sourced from some Chinese manufacturing plant that probably builds the same units for other OEM applications as well. The unit even has a stylus in the back side which is not quite the requirement for a golf GPS. The case has custom GURU4 and OGEO logos embedded in it.

 

The base app is definitely not written by the guru people. The Music Player, Photo Viewer, Movie Player and "e-book" reader are all apps that come from China. They all support 22 different languages. There is an "Application Guru" which is basically a shortcut menu of some sort that you can set to run any Windows CE 5.0 executable. This was probably tailored for the Golf Guru guys but it's still part of the generic application. There is one for "Golf" one for "Navigation" one for "Sports" and one for "Other". The only one that does anything right now is the "Golf" one. The others will scare the poop out of you if you click them with a super annoying beep and a warning message that you have clicked something that is not implemented.

 

The only part that is from the guru people is the software that runs when you click "Golf". It is basically a port of the original Guru G002 software from the Atmel processor used in the original Guru to Windows CE 5.0 with the addition of AverVuew and more stats. The software, the GUI is identical. I'd think porting back the extra stats to the G002 should not be that complicated.

 

The fact that the software is a straight port from the G002 has its drawbacks. Since there are no buttons, entering scores and stats is a pain. I never know when I'll go up or down on the score. The yes/no fields such as GIR, FIR, auto advance and it takes a bit of time to remember whether left is yes and right is no or vica versa on the "soft arrow buttons" that you can bring up to the left or right of the screen. And if you got it wrong you have to click back, change it again and hope for the best. The biggest problem I have found is that all the stats simply won't fit on a single screen so there has to be scrolling. The scrolling just plain sucks. It's more like page flipping with which you never know where you'll end up. all the info fits on 3 pages but for some reason the page flipper flips between 4 distinct displays.

 

Basically the GUI was clearly written for a button based device and it was hacked to work on a touch screen device. Forget about iPhone style scrolling or tactile button push feedback, it's just simply isn't there. The GUI while (mostly) functional looks dated the day it comes out from the gates running. I can't comment on AverVue features yet as I have just blown my 2 credits on getting one of the courses I play mapped. I'll have to get back to you on that one but I think it's basically an additional view option that shows you the hole layout and you can point anywhere on the course and it'll give you both distances to the green and to the ball.

 

The same issues that exist on the G002 such as the inability to select your set of clubs (they still don't support hybrids but have 5 and 7 woods, they have no lob wedge or gap wedge which some might carry) and the fact that the markers only store GPS coordinates which require the unit to be on and synced with GPS before you can look at your marker distances is just assinine.

 

I can't comment on GPS accuracy yet, I haven't taken it anywhere. The unit did pick up signal inside of my house which is quite impressive as my Garmin Forerunner 305 has issues with that. Golf Guru claims 20 channel GPS, however the GPS status screen only shows 12 channels. They either hide 8 or there is just no more than 12, I don't know.

 

It seems like the golf guru folks are trying to market this unit for other uses too under the OGEO name. But they have not been able to put that website together yet even though their address www.ogeo.com is prominently displayed on the box, the back of the unit and on the boot up screen. All you get is a basic Joomla install page that has no content.

 

All in all I think this unit is not a whole lot better than a G002 in terms of Golf use. Sure it added the extra stats and AverVuew but I'm not overly impressed with the GUI. This GUI looked and worked fine for the button based G002 but it just looks dated on the touch screen.

 

I have put an SD card in the unit with a DVDrip that was xvid AVI with mp3 audio stream and the unit played it flawlessly. It also played videos from my Optio W60 camera, however it balked at the 10megapixel JPEGS when I asked to play those back in the image viewer. The mp3 player is not going to replace your iPod either. It plays mp3 files just like Media Player Classic plays them on your computer. However don't expect ID3 tagging or anything else other than the filename being displayed. It will not resume play after you turn it off or exit from the audio playing application. It will also keep the LCD on for the entire time which is totally useless. It is typical of cheap Chinese engineering and their software. The unit is not unlike this: http://www.lightinthebox.com/3-5-inch-Port...5--_p23010.html . The only difference is the fact that the Guru folks decided to get theirs in a custom plastic box with a nice tactile rubberized feel and embedded logo on the back.

 

If the Guru ppl would actually promise me that they will indeed update the software on the G002 unit to keep the same stats as this Guru 4 unit does I'd be very hesitant to keep the new unit. As it stands right now I'm still sitting on the fence. I'm not surprised that the Guru folks went and bought an OEM Windows CE 5.0 core unit and ported their app onto it instead of doing their own R&D for a fancy touch screen unit. It is unfortunate that the OEM unit they bought comes with mediocre software that barely meets the minimum standards (I'd venture to say it doesn't) and the Guru software port just simply looks dated.

 

If I sound too negative or bitter about the unit, I'm really not. I'm just simply stating that I think the unit was rushed and it will definitely not blow the other units that are out there away in this price range unlike the G002, which was probably the best bang for the buck in its price range. However, with feirce competition coming and already here, I'm eager to see how this one plays out.

 

P.S. The Golf Guru folks threw in a free screen protector due to the delay and the hat and the charger were in the box too. And I am still 100% positive that regardless of which unit I end up keeping, Golf Guru will have no problem refunding my money on the other one.

[tlputer]

Outstanding post and very accurate. Just received mine today and after figuring out that I needed a new version of software, was able to sync it up. Two brief "Quick Start" flyers, no manual on the web that was referred to by the thin documentation. I'm sure this will follow shortly.

 

A little surprised by the ported version of the G002 interface. Completely agree with GTakacs. Almost broke a couple of fingernails trying to get the stylus out of the holder. Even with the large screen , my XL-Cadet digits will require a golf tee to use the touch screen to not hamfist any entry, especially the AerVu screens. Maybe if I can figure out how to calibrate it, it will be better. I already miss the G002 joystick.

 

No Colorado courses had ready AerVu maps, although I am sure they woud serve them up quickly. Case is made of a nice soft material - a bit brick like, but still easy to carry in a pocket, but it has a curious, potentially problematic (flimsy?) power switch. Sleep switch on top could have been used for power. Large SD slot will no doubt collect stuff from your pocket. Also agree with GTakcs about the Chinese GUI - off the shelf, but hopefuly the CE platform will adapt to other applications. Probably worth the upgrade as a safe place to show off photos of your girlfriend safely from your wife finding them. (just kidding, babe)

 

My initial analysis is the for $200 as an upgrade from my G002, it is probably worth it for the super-bright higher res screen, but on the other hand, I am used to the buttons and function of my grey scale and will have to wait to see if the touch screen isn't too frustrating to use. Also, on the AerVu, unless they drop the pricing dramatically, they are going to be tough to justify. For two or three bucks, I would buy them for courses I play a lot. But thinking about it, I already know a ton about them. The real value would be for tournament or vacation courses you don't play often. So for 7 bucks, I may never use them at all. uPro may still get my business considering I could sell my G002 and get one for $150. Or wait until Verizon gets the iPhone.

 

More confused? Well, so am I for now. Right now it's a bright, color, larger and potentially harder to use G002. Potentially cool device if GolfGuru gets proactive with the AerVu pricing and the offering of free and lower cost applications. Having said that, if anyone waiting for one wants mine, you can have it - "Out of my cold, dead hands...."

[hacker1]

I have an ipod touch and played a round with an app the other day before I got m v300, and the scrolling and shifting pages was rather troublesome. Almost drove my cart into a tree at one point. I do like the toggle buttons versus touch screen if the gg4 is as similar as it sounds. Still sounds pretty neat tho.

[Howie]

Great initial reviews. Sounds like it is not ready for primetime. Hopefully for those who purchase, a future software revision will improve the many deficiencies with this unit.

[Rickochet]

Great initial reviews. Sounds like it is not ready for primetime. Hopefully for those who purchase, a future software revision will improve the many deficiencies with this unit.

 

If it has a screen large enough that my 60 year old eyes can read without reading glasses that will be a major plus for me.

[ramsey_steve]

Just got mine, and agree totally with GTakacs and tlputer's comments.

 

Part of me is excited by the touch screen and promise of the Aervu maps, and part of me will miss the simplicity of the original G002.

 

GPS sensitivity, one the G002's strong points, looks as good as the G002, at least as measured unscientifically by the number of signal bars from inside my house. Better than my Garvin Nuvi 760, incidentally.

 

Size and shape of the unit is fine, the rubber-ised case is comfortable to hold (interesting to see how durable it is though), weight wise it's a little heavier that the G002, but to be fair, it's slightly smaller and lighter than my diminutive Nikon 500g laser.

 

As a Mac and iPhone user I find the Windows CE platform ghastly, and agree that the ported G003 software is kludgy at best. On the other hand so were the early versions on the G002, but given their development pattern with the G002, I'm not so concerned about that, at this stage. I view the secondary apps (music, movies, pictures, car navigation) as virtually irrelevant, and frankly I'd prefer the Guru programmers to focus 100% on the getting the golf app's feature set sorted out.

 

Mac users should be aware that the updated for G0004 Guru Sync utility program (2.404 I think) is only available at this stage for Windows, so you'll need an Intel based mac to run it via VMWare or Wine, or whatever. As they'd already ported the earlier version for the Mac I'm sure they'll get that updated soon enough.

 

I ended up with a Golf Guru after years of disillusionment with SkyCaddy's customer service. Despite a slow start with the G002 software GG haven't disappointed me yet, so with the trade in deal and money back trial period, I'll certainly give the GG04 a decent workout.

 

Steve

[odieaxp]

I have been trying to decide between the G-2 and the G-4. The initail reviews do not look promising for the G-4. Please continue to post your impressions and your opinions on witch is the better unit. By the way what is up with no G-2's available new??? Is this unit going away??? :black eye:

[GTakacs]

GPS sensitivity, one the G002's strong points, looks as good as the G002, at least as measured unscientifically by the number of signal bars from inside my house. Better than my Garvin Nuvi 760, incidentally.

 

I can actually say that the accuracy of the two units in outdoor situations is very similar with a slight edge to the Guru 4. Dilution of Precision (DOP) values were almost identical between the two units and always very close to 1 which is pretty much as good as it gets. They both used very similar number of satellites (10-11) and locked on solid. While the G002 shows you the WAAS points that are being used, Guru 4 does not but it certainly uses WAAS as it locks into DGPS mode. ON my office desk G002 will lose all contacts with the outdoors while Guru 4 still manages to lock onto 4 or 5 satellites. This is pretty impressive. I'm assuming on course accuracy will be identical. Another drawback of using third party hardware and software is that the Guru4 does not even sync its internal clock with the GPS provided time any more as Windows CE does not require GPS yet it provides a real time clock. The G002 was built with GPS in mind from the ground up so it syncs its real time clock to the GPS time all the time.

 

The rubber-ised case is comfortable to hold (interesting to see how durable it is though)

I think it will wear pretty quickly and it will be full of scuff marks and dings, at least with the way I manage to use these things. The G002 case looked and felt like a soap box and while it looked spartan it was actually a very nicely engineered case with machine screws that screwed into implanted nuts, none of the cheap direct to plastic screws that we find on the Guru 4 and most consumer electronics. The G002 is definitely a nicely engineered unit made in the USA while the Guru 4 is a mass produced Chinese unit. It feels that way and I'm sure a Garmin unit has a much nicer, more robust feel to it.

 

I view the secondary apps (music, movies, pictures, car navigation) as virtually irrelevant, and frankly I'd prefer the Guru programmers to focus 100% on the getting the golf app's feature set sorted out.

I agree and you should not need to worry. The only thing the Guru guys will concentrate on will be their app only as that is the only part they wrote. The rest of the code is basically an off the shelf Windows CE shell not unlike this one: http://www.aidem.com.tw/English/software_wincenet.htm . The customized the boot screen but the rest is not something they would touch, they probably don't even have the source code for it.

[Rickochet]

I got mine this morning. Compared to the iGolf Neo I had this is quite an improvement. The included instructions were minimal and with no online manual I had to fumble around with stuff but finally got some courses downloaded. For someone with no GPS experience this could be a bit frustrating. I really like how easy it is to download the courses you want. And my 60 year old eyes can see everything without reading glasses which was not the case with the Neo.

 

I guess I misunderstood what the Aervu actually was. I thought it was an actual photo image. The picture you see on the GG website of the entire hole is the Aervu graphic. Without the Aervu you get three screens - Target view which shows distances to the green and to any other mapped points such as creeks or bunkers - Smart green view shows the green and allows you to move the pin around and it adjusts the distances. There is a little red square and a blue triangle on the green which I guess is related to the Far and Near distances but they also move around as you move the pin. Some explanation in a manual would really help here. The third screen it Big Text View which gives huge fonts for Far, Center and Near green points.

 

So, first impression is good. It is a definite improvent over my Neo. I wish I had a GG02 to compare it to. But comparing it to a bud's Golf Buddy Pro it is easier to see, much easier to use and is cheaper.

 

I have never owned a touch screen device before and know nothing about durability. GG offers and extended warranty for $59. Anyone have any thoughts on this?

 

Rick

 

I am off to a local course to see how it pans out. Film at a 11:00... (cool)

 

Oh a question for someone. Does the unit charge when the USB is plugged in or do you have to use the wall charger? The sparse paperwork says nothing about charging.

 

Also GG offers and extended warranty for $59 for an additional two years. Anyone have any thoughts on this?

 

Rick

[Howie]

... The G002 is definitely a nicely engineered unit made in the USA while the Guru 4 is a mass produced Chinese unit. It feels that way and I'm sure a Garmin unit has a much nicer, more robust feel to it...

 

 

The business case on the Guru 4 must be rather attractive...

[tlputer]

Oh a question for someone. Does the unit charge when the USB is plugged in or do you have to use the wall charger? The sparse paperwork says nothing about charging.

 

Yes - the wall charger is a great addition. Considering that you get a car charger and a 110v wall charger, you'll never be at a loss for keeping the thing going. The USB cable definately charges the unit and is the preferred way to connect it since you can then sync to upload scores and download courses.

[tlputer]

BTW - the AerVu maps could be entertaining to use during a PGA telecast. The preloaded Augusta layout allows a free armchair bonus for next year Tiger-TV event. Shame Turnberry wasn't provided.... ;)