Location Frustration

[ChemCat]

There is no such thing as the location bug. The surface does not have a gps. It gets the location from the internet provider. If the server for your internet is in the town 10 miles over, then your tablet will think you are there.


If your life depends on your tablet telling you where you are, then I highly recommend getting one that does have a gps.

 

[ctitanic]

There is no such thing as the location bug. The surface does not have a gps. It gets the location from the internet provider. If the server for your internet is in the town 10 miles over, then your tablet will think you are there.


If your life depends on your tablet telling you where you are, then I highly recommend getting one that does have a gps.

How do you explain that I have been getting my location right in my Surface RT within less than 10 yards? How do you explain that I get the same result in my iPad 2? And unless Santa Claus came and put a GPS on them without me noticing, the last time I checked both of them did not have GPS. I recognize that if you live in a farm you may see what you have described but if you live in a mega city like South Florida, the result that I'm showing is unacceptable.

 

[ctitanic]

There is no such thing as the location bug. The surface does not have a gps. It gets the location from the internet provider. If the server for your internet is in the town 10 miles over, then your tablet will think you are there.


If your life depends on your tablet telling you where you are, then I highly recommend getting one that does have a gps.

Here is a site that will tell your location based in the IP assigned to you by your provider

IP Address Locator - Enter an IP address to find its location - Lookup Country Region City etc

 

[ChemCat]

I don't know. In fact, I've no idea how the surface finds where you are. But the issue seems kinda... pointless to me. But if you think this is important, by all means go on.

 

[oion]

I don't know. In fact, I've no idea how the surface finds where you are. But the issue seems kinda... pointless to me. But if you think this is important, by all means go on.

Windows Location Provider (Windows)

Wi-fi triangulation and IP address data.

Sooo... If you have both a Surface RT and Surface 2 and they're both 8.1 and they get different results at the same time, I have no idea what that might mean. iPad's method might be different, who knows.

On the other hand, if you're comparing known results not in tandem, like having gotten rid of RT before getting a S2, that could either mean a software bug or, just as likely, something else going on at external wi-fi/IP network sources (wi-fi unavailable somewhere so triangulation is messed up? etc.).

 

[ctitanic]

I did a little more of research and in Surface both versions the location is done by the provider IP and WiFi triangulation

Wi-Fi positioning system - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[ctitanic]

Windows Location Provider (Windows)


On the other hand, if you're comparing known results not in tandem, like having gotten rid of RT before getting a S2, that could either mean a software bug or, just as likely, something else going on at external wi-fi/IP network sources (wi-fi unavailable somewhere so triangulation is messed up? etc.).

Exactly, and it's useful when you went to know what's near you in any of the maps applications, like hotels restaurants etc.

 

[ctitanic]

I don't know. In fact, I've no idea how the surface finds where you are. But the issue seems kinda... pointless to me. But if you think this is important, by all means go on.

My friend, the fact that doesn't mean anything to you, doesn't mean that isn't important for others. I have used that service in the past in my ex Surface RT and it's irritating that doesn't work the same in Surface 2 taking in consideration that both are using the same system.

 

[oion]

My friend, the fact that doesn't mean anything to you, doesn't mean that isn't important for others. I have used that service in the past in my ex Surface RT and it's irritating that doesn't work the same in Surface 2 taking in consideration that both are using the same system.

Was your RT updated to 8.1 as well so you can say it's an 8.1 bug? Do you have both devices to test at the same time? Is the level of inaccuracy the same across different test locations, like across the city?

 

[ctitanic]

Was your RT updated to 8.1 as well so you can say it's an 8.1 bug? Do you have both devices to test at the same time? Is the level of inaccuracy the same across different test locations, like across the city?

I don't have my RT now but I used the location feature a lot, I remember what they call the fluctuations in the WiFi triangulation, what means that my location was jumping around my house within a circumference with a 20 yards being the center in my house. With Surface 2, the initial location is 2.35 miles from my house and some time after a while it's being update it closer to my house.

 

[ctitanic]

I think that the problem is in how often and quick the triangulation is executed. I tried again and it took around 3 minutes for the location to be moved within 30 yards radio from my house, after another 3 minutes it moved to within a 10 yards radio.

 

[CrippsCorner]

I wonder why, whenever I open Maps, I get a different result. Sometimes it locates where I am, and sometimes it doesn't have a clue... any idea why it does this? Nothing ever changes!