[starman]

I was thinking about getting one of these. It's not like I get lost all the time. Anyone have one and really get some good use out of it?

Mike

[von Wrangell]

Originally Posted by starman

I was thinking about getting one of these. It's not like I get lost all the time. Anyone have one and really get some good use out of it?

Mike

What are you going to use it for?

[Mediaman_12]

A GPS system as long as it's has acurate maps and simple display/UI (my dad has a Tom Tom one for going on foreign trips) can be very useful if you take medium to long trips to places you have never been before. Sod all that journey preplanning off, just enter the final location in to GPS (Zipcode for good acuracy) and go.
I can see GPS systems being the final deathnail for peoples sense of direction and mapreading skills.

[Diggory Laycock]

Originally Posted by Mediaman_12

I can see GPS systems being the final deathnail for peoples sense of direction and mapreading skills.

What?

By the same logic the web would by now be full of idiots who won't / can't spell - thanks to spell-checking....

Oh... it is.

[jlfspook]

I have a MINI with dash-mounted GPS and I have to say it is the best feature I have ever had in a car. It makes going anywhere easy. I live in Chicago and before that I lived in DC. Getting around Washington is a pain in the ass as the streets make no sense. Without my GPS I would've never gotten anywhere.

I find that it improved my sense of direction and map skills, especially in Chicago where the grid system is more uniform.

I would get it. It's awesome, useful and if you use it carefully (looking where you're going instead of following directions like a drone) it will familiarize you with your surroundings.

[von Wrangell]

You guys use GPS to navigate in cities? What a waste of money........

[Randman]

When I back to the States to visit the folks in April, the rental had GPS in it and it did come in handy. We drove all around New Mexico and parts of Texas (including a sidetrip to Juarez) and the GPS was a nice feature.

[analogika]

Originally Posted by Mediaman_12

I can see GPS systems being the final deathnail for peoples sense of direction and mapreading skills.

I can see people holding maps on their steering wheels and straining to read them while driving to their deaths.

[jlfspook]

von Wrangell: You guys use GPS to navigate in cities? What a waste of money........

It's definitely more exact when used during long-distance trips. I've used it many times on road trips, especially when I drove from DC to IL.

I still think that if you're new to a city it's a very helpful gadget to have. When I first got to DC in 2000, the NeverLost feature in my Hertz rental was a godsend. Not having to worry about getting lost at 2AM coming from Dulles Airport is one less thing.

Also, most of them have an information feature that can help you find the banks, stores, shopping malls, etc... that are closest. No need to figure out where you are and call 411.

Sorry that not everyone can have your wonderful sense of direction and your expert navigational skills...

[mdc]

i have my first car in this country, and i'm fairly new to driving around here. i know how to get to work, back home, and to friend's houses. i've gotten lost when i am driving alone and i have to meet my friends somewhere (for example).

i'm going to buy a garmin streetpilot c330 next week.

[yakkiebah]

Originally Posted by analogika

I can see people holding maps on their steering wheels and straining to read them while driving to their deaths.

Not necessarily...

ah, someone already mentioned it... my bad.

[mdc]

i've been reading about garmin and the fact that their mac support isn't great.

due to this i'm going to get the tom tom go 700 instead. it seems to compare really well to the garmin c330. the go 700 has bluetooth cellphone control; which is pretty darn cool. only thing is that it is $200 more. oh well.

[von Wrangell]

Originally Posted by jlfspook

It's definitely more exact when used during long-distance trips. I've used it many times on road trips, especially when I drove from DC to IL.

I still think that if you're new to a city it's a very helpful gadget to have. When I first got to DC in 2000, the NeverLost feature in my Hertz rental was a godsend. Not having to worry about getting lost at 2AM coming from Dulles Airport is one less thing.

Also, most of them have an information feature that can help you find the banks, stores, shopping malls, etc... that are closest. No need to figure out where you are and call 411.

Sorry that not everyone can have your wonderful sense of direction and your expert navigational skills...

It has nothing to do with having a "wonderful sense of direction and expert navigational skills". It only has to do with being able to read a map. That's the reason I think buying a GPS, when the location for using it will be a city, is a waste of money. Just keep a map in your car if that's the case and find out the route before you start driving. Saves a lot of money and works just as well.

Buying a GPS when you (IMO) don't need it is just a waste of money and sounds just like the usual quest for having more cool gadgets.

The only use for GPS (again IMO) is when driving or walking in areas with no useful landmarks(glaciers, deserts, forests) or when driving or walking in diminished visual conditions (blizzard, sandstorms etc).

[waxcrash]

A handheld GPS can be an invaluable tool if you are into hiking, camping, or fishing. When I go up to Canada every year, a handheld GPS tells you how to get back to your base camp after spending the whole day on the lake. Before GPS, we would memorize geographical markers and use the sun's position to find your way back. With GPS, you can go anywhere on the lake and explore. Where I go up north (northwestern Ontario), there are no maps for the GPS, but just setting way-points to find your way back is all you need.

[Goldfinger]

Originally Posted by von Wrangell

You guys use GPS to navigate in cities? What a waste of money........

That is THE reason I have a GPS, when you're in a city you don't know it's hella easy with sat nav. If you can't drive on the highway without GPS something is wrong with you.

[jlfspook]

Originally Posted by Goldfinger

That is THE reason I have a GPS, when you're in a city you don't know it's hella easy with sat nav. If you can't drive on the highway without GPS something is wrong with you.

Amen, Goldfinger, Amen.

Should I have said that in my best Sean Connery voice?

[Goldfinger]

Originally Posted by jlfspook

Amen, Goldfinger, Amen.

Should I have said that in my best Sean Connery voice?

Yesh

[Stradlater]

GPS is not a necessity, yet, but it'll likely be one in the future. One step closer to cars that drive themselves.

[IceEnclosure]

sitting on the roadside in a real city while reading a big goofy map is enough to get you stabbed in the neck by a shadowy figure. Oh, and he'll probably take your car and wallet too.

GPS>paper maps.

[typoon]

Originally Posted by mdc

i've been reading about garmin and the fact that their mac support isn't great.

due to this i'm going to get the tom tom go 700 instead. it seems to compare really well to the garmin c330. the go 700 has bluetooth cellphone control; which is pretty darn cool. only thing is that it is $200 more. oh well.

I got the Garmin C330. After doing much research and reading all the reviews I decided on that little GPS. I LOVE it. I've had to drive to places that I've not been to before and that Nav system has been the best thing I've ever bought for my car. Also the other reason I chose the Garmin is because it has 5 million Points of Interest the others have around 2-2.5 million. Not that I'd probably use them all but still.

The Garmin also gives you phone numbers to resturants and other places that you are looking up.

While their Mac support isn't great I do know that my C330 charged it's internal better while plugged into the USB of my Mac. I also do know that it works under Virtual PC. So you will be able to transfer maps and do updates to it from there.

Too bad no one has done a head to head with all the Portable car Nav systems. I would love to see how they all perform and the pros and cons of all of them.

People who think you don't need one in the city are nuts. Well it depends on what city you live in. I live in NJ and if you've ever driven in Hoboken or Jersey City you definitely need one. I also hate driving places I've never been to so with the NAV it gives me a little more freedom to explore and possibly find new and quicker ways to work.

I've also used the Magellan roadmate 700 as well. mdc if you have any questions or would like to know more about the C330 let me know.

Just one thing you might want to be aware of mdc is that the TOM TOM Go doesn't use Navteq Maps. They decided to go with something else.

[von Wrangell]

Originally Posted by typoon

People who think you don't need one in the city are nuts.

Here's a crazy idea. Maybe they just have a different opinion. Nah, can't be.........

[BigBadWolf]

I have the Magellan RoadMate 700. It really is an invaluable tool for me. I recently moved to the Boston area and work as a freelance musician so I have to drive all around the New England area. With the haphazardly placed roads and one way streets everywhere, I don't know what I would do without it.

[SVass]

Those who need GPS to navigate also need calculators to add, watches to tell time, etc. Actually, I can think of one real positive use. Genealogists discover old gravesites and homesites and give quaint directions to reach them in such out of the way places as rural Tennessee and Virginia. Now they can tell you the exact coordinates along with minimal directions which allows one to reach them. The military has a similar use for these devices. sam

[olePigeon]

If you have an iBook or laptop, GPS PCMCIA cards are cheap. The software, on the other hand...

[typoon]

Originally Posted by von Wrangell

Here's a crazy idea. Maybe they just have a different opinion. Nah, can't be.........

Like I said it depends on what city you are in and how long you have been there.

[typoon]

Originally Posted by SVass

Those who need GPS to navigate also need calculators to add, watches to tell time, etc. Actually, I can think of one real positive use. Genealogists discover old gravesites and homesites and give quaint directions to reach them in such out of the way places as rural Tennessee and Virginia. Now they can tell you the exact coordinates along with minimal directions which allows one to reach them. The military has a similar use for these devices. sam

Like you've never gotten lost in a place you've never been to.

[typoon]

Originally Posted by olePigeon

If you have an iBook or laptop, GPS PCMCIA cards are cheap. The software, on the other hand...

I was actually thinking about that but I do have a bit of difficulty find a mounting spot for my Laptop and all the cables and things that need to go with it.

[typoon]

Originally Posted by BigBadWolf

I have the Magellan RoadMate 700. It really is an invaluable tool for me. I recently moved to the Boston area and work as a freelance musician so I have to drive all around the New England area. With the haphazardly placed roads and one way streets everywhere, I don't know what I would do without it.

The Roadmate is a great system too. There were a couple of things I didn't like about it. I know they fixed several of them with the newer firmware. How long does it typically take to aquire satellites when you cold start it? I know with the older firmware it took forever. Haven't used it with the newest 4.6.x firmware though.

[BigBadWolf]

Originally Posted by typoon

The Roadmate is a great system too. There were a couple of things I didn't like about it. I know they fixed several of them with the newer firmware. How long does it typically take to aquire satellites when you cold start it? I know with the older firmware it took forever. Haven't used it with the newest 4.6.x firmware though.

If I haven't used it in a while, it takes several minutes to find a sat, but if I used it recently, sometimes it will pick it right up. The bad thing for us Mac users is that it is very hard to update the firmware. I still have the firmware that came with it. I suppose I could find someone with a wintel machine, but I haven't really needed to.

[iLikebeer]

Originally Posted by Mediaman_12

I can see GPS systems being the final deathnail for peoples sense of direction and mapreading skills.

That is already happening with a lot of new pilots. Instead of learning to read and use aviation charts during their training, some are cheating themselves and relying on the GPS to do their navigation. No problem until something happens to their GPS or electrical system and they don't know where they are.

Originally Posted by von Wrangell

It has nothing to do with having a "wonderful sense of direction and expert navigational skills". It only has to do with being able to read a map. That's the reason I think buying a GPS, when the location for using it will be a city, is a waste of money. Just keep a map in your car if that's the case and find out the route before you start driving. Saves a lot of money and works just as well.

Buying a GPS when you (IMO) don't need it is just a waste of money and sounds just like the usual quest for having more cool gadgets.

The only use for GPS (again IMO) is when driving or walking in areas with no useful landmarks(glaciers, deserts, forests) or when driving or walking in diminished visual conditions (blizzard, sandstorms etc).

That may be true in Iceland where you only have 1 city with 68 people, 3 streets, 1 mall, 1 grocery store, and 1 gas station, but GPS comes in handy in the dozens of major cities in the US. I would much rather have GPS than a paper map when driving around the LA area or any major city I'm not familiar with.

I seriously hope you wouldn't use a GPS to drive around in a sandstorm or blizzard. If you get in a sandstorm, pull over and turn your lights off.

[olePigeon]

Originally Posted by typoon

I was actually thinking about that but I do have a bit of difficulty find a mounting spot for my Laptop and all the cables and things that need to go with it.

I've seen numerous doohickies. For one, you just need a car adapter. Those are common enough.

A few things I've seen for the laptop (depending on your car) are straps and trays that hook up to the glove compartment, or, if you have the room under your radio, brackets that connect there.

[loki74]

I think GPS systems are handy. I've used a GPS unit called the "tomtomGO" and it was pretty cool. Only problem is losing the satellite signal, and if weird sh!t is happening on the road. So I would say its conveneient to have, but shouldnt be 100% relied upon. AAA TripTiks... now THOSE are handy!!

[RobOnTheCape]

I have the roadmate too. I'm on the road all day from job to job, and I think it is the most important recent job purchase by far. Sure it saves time by notr having to repeatedly look up a street on the map, but moreover it has taken so much stress away from the daily driving. Punch in an address and off I go until I pull up to the address and the machine says "You have arrived". The feature which automatically recalculates the route should you decide to go off the given route is a great feature.

I just did the firmware update the other day. Not sure what the difference is besides a satellite icon on the screen telling me it's searching for one. The in and out loss of a satellite is a bit annoying, as well as the need for it to initially find one. I know an external antenae is available, I was wondering if that might boost reception to reduce these few annoyances.

For people whoo do lots of driving around from place to place, it is a fantastic tool.

[dampeoples]

I use one for fishing, hiking, and geocaching mainly. Lake maps are a godsend

[ReggieX]

Fad. I can navigate just about anywhere with a decent street map.

Originally Posted by IceEnclosure

sitting on the roadside in a real city while reading a big goofy map is enough to get you stabbed in the neck by a shadowy figure. Oh, and he'll probably take your car and wallet too.

Yes, of course.

[dampeoples]

There isn't a street map for the lake, or the woods for that matter

[waxcrash]

Originally Posted by ReggieX

Fad. I can navigate just about anywhere with a decent street map.

I wouldn't say it is a fad, but more of a luxury item. For example, my dad just bought a new Acura MDX. The GPS in the thing is unbelievable because when you a driving, you push a button and say "Gas" and in a few seconds in tells you how to get to the closest gas stations. On our last road trip it was great because when you are traveling across the country and you are hungry, it will tell you where the closest restaurants are. No map can do that.

For getting from point A to point B, I can see a GPS as overkill, but some of the other features it can do is pretty convenient and nice.

[von Wrangell]

Originally Posted by iLikebeer

That may be true in Iceland where you only have 1 city with 68 people, 3 streets, 1 mall, 1 grocery store, and 1 gas station, but GPS comes in handy in the dozens of major cities in the US. I would much rather have GPS than a paper map when driving around the LA area or any major city I'm not familiar with.

How predictable. Do you seriously believe I base this on how it is on Iceland? I travel a great deal and not once have I needed a GPS to navigate through a city. Maybe it's just US cities that are so badly planned that you need a GPS to get from point A to point B? I have yet to find one European or ME city that I've needed a GPS for that. You people make it sound like before GPS was made public no one could travel unless a "native" held their hand.

I seriously hope you wouldn't use a GPS to drive around in a sandstorm or blizzard. If you get in a sandstorm, pull over and turn your lights off.

heh, actually while you can move your vehicle safely you should. Staying put in a blizzard is much more dangerous. And when you are driving in desert and on glaciers and get into such weather GPS is a life safer. That is one of the few situations that you really need a GPS.

For most other situations (driving in a city or on roadtrips) it's just a fad and more bling bling we are sold as the newest and hottest thing.

[Mediaman_12]

Originally Posted by von Wrangell

For most other situations (driving in a city or on roadtrips) it's just a fad and more bling bling we are sold as the newest and hottest thing.

Ok. So at the moment I am looking for a used car, Previously i would call the person selling the car and get 'directions' and house number, hope they where accurate and correct, then go (probably without a large scale map of the area). With the GPS I can get the postcode (Zip in US) and house number stick it in the GPS then go. As I will have about £5000 on me, I don't really want to get lost.

The actual reason for getting it was for picking up cars in the Recovery truck, spending time looking for (usually badly signed) streets in unfamiliar towns & city's isn't a good use of time.

[typoon]

I used mine this weekend because I was looking for a part for my car. I went to about 3 or 4 hardware stores and none of them had it. I needed to find another so I fired up my GPS and looked for hardware stores and found one that had a bolt I was looking for.

[Goldfinger]

Originally Posted by starman

I was thinking about getting one of these. It's not like I get lost all the time. Anyone have one and really get some good use out of it?

Mike

If you get one then get a decent one with TMC. But, that pretty much rules out all the PDA based ones but they aren't worth much anyway.

[macroy]

I don't think its a fad. I got one when I bought a Acura TL back in 2000. It was so nice I made sure my Honda Pilot had one as well. They come in very handy when needed. I can't speak for the handeld ones like the Garmin (I'm assuming you can get more out of it since its "portable") - but with the Honda systems, you can search by catagories or phone number (business that is). So if you're just driving around and need to know where to grab a bite to eat, you can get listings based on cusines, distance and names. You can also search other things like Parks, Banks, malls, businesses, golf courses, etc.

I think it comes in handy the most when you hit a backup and decide to take an alternate route. You can either just visually find a new route, or tell it to avoid certain routes. I find it to be much safer than a road map as its voice activated and will tell you when you need to turn (i.e. 'in a 1/2 mile take exit xx"). And its VERY accurate. I belive the new ones with the RL even has traffic report capabilities built-in. So I believe it'll TELL you which roads are backed up.

The system is DVD based so it contains the entire US on it (some are CD based and you have to swap out regions). The only thing is that even the latest versions is about 6 months to a year out of date in terms of new roads and new neighborhoods.

[The Windozer]

Originally Posted by von Wrangell

You guys use GPS to navigate in cities? What a waste of money........

Unless you're Greek, don't go driving in Greece without GPS. They don't bother with signs showing what road you're on. In fact, they're not to bothered with road signs on the whole. I almost got trapped in Herakleon on Crete this summer because the signs which are supposed to lead you out of the city pretty much just point in the general direction of "not Herakleon".

[driven]

My wife has one in her Acura MDX. It's a great feature. I purposly got it for her because I got tired of hearing "I can't go because I get lost." Now she goes everywhere. She even drove to Florida without me to see my grandparents for a weekend.

All in all .... I've bought myself some peace. :-)

[OB1]

I want it on my phone.

[Mediaman_12]

Originally Posted by OB1

I want it on my phone.

What sort of Phone do you have
TomTom mobile

[alligator]

I have one for each car, plus a handheld Garmin unit for geocaching. I'm about to get one for exercising (inline skating). I like them, but we can't get too hooked on them or we will be "lost" when the signals go offline someday (due to war, a bug, Windows crashing on the satellite that sends the signal, etc.).

[OldManMac]

As a long-haul trucker, I am going to look into getting GPS. The directions we get are often incomplete, or just plain wrong (very common in the industry), and an accurate system, designed for truck routes, would be a life saver. I've been instructed to go down residential streets (I haven't yet), been instructed to make turns where there aren't any, had incorrect mileage numbers given to me, etc. Those who decry their usefulness probably had great grandparents who thought the automobile was never going to catch on. Times change, and anything that makes my job easier, safer, and more efficient is going to be investigated and used.

[Railroader]

Originally Posted by OB1

I want it on my phone.

Most Nextel phone have the option of GPS built right in. You have to pay a monthly access fee to use it though.