On Tue, Apr 27, 2010 at 2:25 PM, Joshua Judson Rosen <roz...@geekspace.com> wrote: > I'm pretty sure that the `$80 for one update' option is just the > `decoy effect' in action: it's there to show people that `$40 per year' > is `cheap' ...
Ah, good point! >> The spot you're looking at will never be obscured by the boundary >> between two map pages. > > Fold-out maps. The spot you're looking at will *still* be right on the edge between two plates. It's a corollary to Finagle's law. And fold-out maps are a serious impediment to operating a motor vehicle. > See, these were the things that made me think `this whole GPS thing > is stupid'--it's so tempting to use features like that, but I've > invariably found that the `seat-of-the-pants technology' results > in `knowing where I'm going without really having any idea where > I *am* at any given point in time', which is just... perturbing. I've actually had fairly good results using GPS units belonging to friends. They were not perfect, but nothing is. I've made mistakes plotting routes manually, too. I do much prefer to plan my route ahead of time, but sometimes life doesn't work that way. I'd rather have the option. To me, it seems stupid to deliberately avoid a capability just because it does not work perfectly. In particular, real-time routefinding with turn-by-turn directions wins big in situations such "the road I was planning on using is closed" or "I just missed my turn". It's not always feasible to stop and consult the map. (In Boston, it can be downright suicidal.) And even in situations where I can plan my route, the ability to listen for real-time updates, rather than peering around at street signs (instead of the street ahead of me) makes for safer driving. > Especially when, say, a frozen body of water next to the road > suddenly causes a multipath effect that makes the unit think that > it's somewhere else until I'm well past a turn that I needed. The software on anything decent made in the past several years is generally smart enough to monitor velocity and ignore data that would yield physically impossible results. > I was delighted when I found applications that focused on just showing > me a map with a `you are here' marker and indicators as to where I was > in relation to where I wanted to be ... What were you using that couldn't do that? I've honestly never seen a GPS that did not have that capability. Indeed, that's all you had at first (beyond a simple lat/long readout). Routefinding and turn-by-turn directions are the newer features. > I use my FreeRunner :) I have a phone provided by work, and it's not that. Plus you can generally get a bigger screen if you're not locked into the phone form factor. Something about 3x5 inches seems optimal for dashboard placement. > If I were buying something right now, the Touch Book looks really neat > for GPS/mapping/navigation: Too big to fit on my dashboard. I already have a laptop I can use for "pull over and consult the map" situations. But ultimately, if you don't want a GPS, by all means, don't buy one. Those of us who do want one would like to know what's good to buy. -- Ben _______________________________________________ gnhlug-discuss mailing list gnhlug-discuss@mail.gnhlug.org http://mail.gnhlug.org/mailman/listinfo/gnhlug-discuss/