Michal Marek In today's review, we'll look at the Zúbek Czech application PrimaPoint, which focuses on finding points of interest. The map materials of all well-known providers are gradually being improved and made more precise, so that even the maps from Apple will serve decently and reliably for navigation and exploration of the surroundings. However, it is precisely in the overview of points of interest that the map application noticeably loses. Maps from Apple will show you at most a few of the most famous restaurants in the city center. Maps from Google and domestic Seznam do much better, at least in this field.
However, in addition to map applications, there are also special applications such as PrimaPoint, which concentrate directly on searching for points of interest and providing information about them. They thus become a kind of complement to map applications and try to erase their shortcomings.
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There are already a few well-established applications that enjoy some popularity. When looking for fast food, a restaurant or a club for evening entertainment, many users turn to the service Yelp. In principle, a successful social network will serve the same purpose foursquare, which also focuses on points of interest, and its main advantage is a wide user base. In Czech conditions, the catalog can also be used Firmy.cz from List or application ZlatéStránky.cz.
When you open the PrimaPoint application, you are greeted by a splash screen with two columns of icons. Thanks to them, you can immediately start searching by category. The first icon allows access to all points in the vicinity, and thanks to the others you can search for places to shop, ATMs, gas stations, restaurants and pubs, accommodation or various cultural facilities, for example. There is also an icon to reveal other less used categories and all places can be displayed on the map.
If you select one of the categories, you will immediately see a list of nearby points that fall into it. Some categories also have their own subcategories, so if you click for example Shopping, you can further choose what type of store you are actually looking for. A very handy function is that you can see directly on the list of stores whether the given store is currently open. There is a small dot on the label of the given store in the list, which is either green when it is open, or orange when the store already has after-hours.
Several important pieces of information can be found in the details of the given company. In the overview, we always find its name, opening hours, address, distance from the current position, a short description and a phone number with the possibility of immediate dialing with a single tap. Furthermore, the object can be displayed on the map or navigated to it. When selecting an option Navigate the application will ask you if you want to use the system Apple Maps or prefer an alternative in the form of Google Maps. At the bottom of the screen you will find the user rating (five star and percentage system) and at the very bottom also the option to suggest modifications.
It is also possible to search for individual points manually using the loot box located in the upper right corner. If the user is logged in (the option to log in is located in the left pull-out panel and you can also register using Facebook), other options will open up. You can add photos to individual businesses, add them to your favorites and view them on the main screen, and you can also rate points of interest using the aforementioned star system.
The application is very clear, modern and fast. There is enough relevant information for all businesses and stores, and the ability to display on the map and navigate via Apple or Google maps is well handled. However, the database of places, which is still quite narrow, is faltering. I tried searching in České Budějovice and often couldn't find what I needed. For example, the application found the nearest Potrefená Husa restaurant in Prague, even though there are two businesses of this chain right in Budějovice. I couldn't even find an AirBank branch and ATM, which has also been here for quite a long time.
On the other hand, PrimaPoint is only a two-month-old app. So let's hope that the points of interest will increase quickly and the user base will grow, so that there will be more user evaluations and correctors of possible errors and incompleteness in the database.
[app url=”https://itunes.apple.com/cz/app/prima-point/id737292451?mt=8″]
