Nobody here gets it – RouteBuddy Atlas - GPS Nav App for US and Worldwide Topo Maps Review

Most of the reviewers here don't get what this incredible app is all about. The scores are low because people think RouteBuddy Atlas is like a regular GPS app. Wrong. Even the developer doesn't know how to talk about it. They say that Atlas is the only app that let's you use the same maps on your laptop and iOS devise. Who cares? I'm never going to use a laptop again for navigation. The iPad is the only why to go. The thing that sets RouteBuddy Atlas apart is that it is THE ONLY app I know of that let's you access, quickly and fluidly (the rendering speed is impressive, even on an iPad 1) an ENTIRE STATE'S WORTH OF USGS TOPOS ON ONE SCREEN. USGS maps set the gold standard for detail in the USA and show every goat trail and bump. They are useless and probably out of date in urban and suburban areas (that's what Garmin Nuvi or TomTom is for). Here's what you need to know (at least for US users) 1) Atlas is free, the maps cost about US$29 per state, more for big states. 2) The best way to get the maps is download them to your computer and use a nice little free utility to get them on your iOS device via USB cable. 3) The maps are high quality scans and nice looking but are BIG; California is sold as 2 chunks and is over 6 Gigs. 4) The maps are scans, not vectors. Still, some features and places on some maps are searchable. 5) Atlas is not for auto-routing or finding a gas station or estimating your time to get home. It is about knowing where you are and how to get out. I just returned from a trip to some very remote parts of the Mojave desert including the backcountry of Death Valley National Park. I had the iPad mounted on the center console running Atlas and my fancy new Nuvi on the other side with Garman's expensive Topo maps for California and Nevada loaded (they cost more than the maps from Atlas and are not as good). Atlas allowed me to know exacly where I was, where to go and how to get back out. The Garmin was almost useless because it does not let you easily zoom in and out to see where you want to go. If you have room on your iPhone or iPad and are heading out to the US or English hinterlands, this app is incredible.
Review by RemoteDriver on RouteBuddy Atlas - GPS Nav App for US and Worldwide Topo Maps.