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A case in point. Sweetwater, Texas. It is a no-brainer to guess that there are motels in Sweetwater, a half hour further west than Abilene. Sure enough, there are 5 or 6 of them at the interstate exit. All of them are about $60-80 a night. Will your GPS tell you the prices of them? Will it also tell you about the very nice $30 motel, up in town, that has a pool, and is very well run? At the interstate exit there are plenty of chain restaurants, and about a half mile down the road, a couple of the best barbecue places in Texas. Will your GPS tell you how good those are?
Or can you only find out about the nice cheap motel and the great barbecue by guessing that a city of 20,000 with an interstate exit will have plenty of motels and restaurants, and getting off and making local inquiry will yield an overnight stay that will be more pleasant and rewarding by an order of magnitude?
Like, how hard can it be to drive across the country on the interstate highways without GPS?
It's not an omniscient information device, it's just a tool. It might not tell you how good the barbecue place is, but it can tell you it's there and how to get to it. It can apprise you of your options without having to drive all over town to discover them all.
I will never understand some peoples' bizarre, irrational hostility toward GPS.
Negative, I still am qualified and an have been trained to read maps. They do just fine in the right hands! Compasses still are highly effective as well.
Except that for a map, you must pull over in order when you use it to not be a danger to other drivers. GPS you don't even have to look at it to have it direct you to your destination.
It's not an omniscient information device, it's just a tool. It might not tell you how good the barbecue place is, but it can tell you it's there and how to get to it. It can apprise you of your options without having to drive all over town to discover them all.
I will never understand some peoples' bizarre, irrational hostility toward GPS.
And if it tells you a barbecue joint is there, it's a simple matter to look up the place on your data-enabled phone to see reviews, a menu, prices, and hours of operation.
Except that for a map, you must pull over in order when you use it to not be a danger to other drivers. GPS you don't even have to look at it to have it direct you to your destination.
People traveling long distance should pull over every so often to stretch their legs and to help them stay alert. That's a good time to check the map. When I'm already within the city destination, I check the map from within my hotel room and my wife and I work as a team to get to our destination. One looks at the directions while the other watches the road.
It's not an omniscient information device, it's just a tool. It might not tell you how good the barbecue place is, but it can tell you it's there and how to get to it. It can apprise you of your options without having to drive all over town to discover them all.
I will never understand some peoples' bizarre, irrational hostility toward GPS.
My problem isn't so much with the GPS itself,...it's the brain numbing reliance some drivers have to this device, blindly obeying it's every command oblivious to their surroundings and road signs.
My problem isn't so much with the GPS itself,...it's the brain numbing reliance some drivers have to this device, blindly obeying it's every command oblivious to their surroundings and road signs.
If they're clueless enough to "blindly obey its every command oblivious to their surroundings and road signs," imagine how distracted they'd be trying to find their way around without one. For people that clueless, the problem isn't a device, the problem is them.
Do you use GPS? Does it do what you would have expected it to do? How much does it cost and is it worth it?
1) Sometimes....when traveling alone over the road I find it a great help and companion
2) Basically yes (provides directions...pretty accurately) and more such as:
It estimates, pretty accurately, ETA. It updates it as I travel
It shows actual speed vs posted limits both at one glance
It tells distance + direction, (e.g. off unfamiliar Interstate exits) for gas, food, etc; this helps to select which to use.
It helps redirect around traffic jams; Mine also sometimes warns and reroutes before hitting them.
It has a blue tooth connection that helps hands free cell phone use
Allows and handles adding new points dynamically while traveling. Either as interim points or changing/adding to final destination.
Allows me to wander on back roads or such and just say 'home' and it takes me there...sometimes fun
Probably more that I forget or haven't used much.
3) Cost I forget exactly, but with rebate and/or sale it was $125 or less. Absolutely worth it for me. (And I can read maps ... just not while driving alone for a long distance, especially in the dark.)
I don't totally depend on the unit (Garmin 265t) but I find it very useful in certain situations. I also like and use Google maps for travel planning and evaluating alternate routes.
Hahaha.... the old party line. Had one of those too. Sometimes I would listen in! Are you guys about done yet, I'm freaking hungry and want to order a pizza? LMAO
I use Google maps on my Blackberry. I study and memorize the route and then drive it. That's only to places I don't know, which is not often. I like it for travel too because it's free! I also love paper maps. I don't see a need for GPS, but I'm thinking my teen daughter is going to need one when she gets licensed.
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