2. Google Maps

Google Maps is specifically a navigation application; like the name says, it shows maps, lets you search for places, businesses and people in your address book, see traffic and get directions - but not much else. If you’ve got GPS in your smartphone (or attached by Bluetooth) you can ask it to track your location rather than having to type in where you are, but this doesn’t step you through directions automatically.

The interface is focused almost exclusively on the map view, which is good for seeing where things are but not always clear when you want to see all the turns you’re going to make in a route - that involves stepping through the whole route on the map. You have to use the number keys to do this smoothly; scroll away to see other roads and you lose the directions. If there are two businesses that match what you’re searching for, you have to click through to the details to see the street address; that’s easier if you’re looking for something nearby, less helpful if you’re trying to find a specific place in a strange city.

Most searches find useful results, but you’ll sometimes find extraneous businesses that have no obvious relevance to what you’re looking for; Google Maps is much better at finding post offices than Live Search, though. When you find a business, you’ll see its phone number and Web site, but you have to navigate through a menu to phone them - it’s simpler in the other applications.