HEy, GPS Holdouts...

[Wilson Deaton]

I was a GPS Holdout until a few days ago. I've resisted buying a GPS on the grounds that I haven't really needed one, my exposure to them hasn't been very impressive, and good ones were too pricey.

On my recent trip to New England one of my church men sent his with me for use with the rental car. Yes, I could have managed without it, but it made the trip way easier and more fun. The one he loaned me was waaaay better than the one someone "demonstrated" to me a few years ago.

Based on that experience, I bought myself one.

Example, of improved features/accuracy: I just drove through Chicago and it accurately guided me to the right lanes and included photo-realistic views of the approaching junction showing which lane I should be in...

Example of making it easier and more fun: Sometimes, I like to just "explore" a new area. One frustration has always been getting back to where I need to be when I decided I'm done exploring. With the GPS, I can get off the highway, drive into a city, go where I want, and never worry about keeping track of the way back. When I'm done, I just let the GPS guide me on the best way back to my original route. Without the GPS, I could still manage to find my way back but it took longer and usually included some frustration...


Have you been putting off getting one? A couple of thoughts...

• They are waaaay better than the early models with new and better features and better accuracy.
• Prices have come down.

Wilson

[Jim Chabot]

Another nice feature is the estimated time of arrival. On a long trip, it comes in handy when deciding when to stop and for how long.

You're right, they aren't expensive.

[Dave McClung]

I was a GPS Holdout until a few days ago. I've resisted buying a GPS on the grounds that I haven't really needed one, my exposure to them hasn't been very impressive, and good ones were too pricey.

On my recent trip to New England one of my church men sent his with me for use with the rental car. Yes, I could have managed without it, but it made the trip way easier and more fun. The one he loaned me was waaaay better than the one someone "demonstrated" to me a few years ago.

Based on that experience, I bought myself one.

Example, of improved features/accuracy: I just drove through Chicago and it accurately guided me to the right lanes and included photo-realistic views of the approaching junction showing which lane I should be in...

Example of making it easier and more fun: Sometimes, I like to just "explore" a new area. One frustration has always been getting back to where I need to be when I decided I'm done exploring. With the GPS, I can get off the highway, drive into a city, go where I want, and never worry about keeping track of the way back. When I'm done, I just let the GPS guide me on the best way back to my original route. Without the GPS, I could still manage to find my way back but it took longer and usually included some frustration...


Have you been putting off getting one? A couple of thoughts...

• They are waaaay better than the early models with new and better features and better accuracy.
• Prices have come down.

Wilson

I have been using GPS for years. There are some things to watch:

1. Roads change. If you don't update the software from time to time, you will frequently find that the roads have changed. You will need to keep your eyes open.

2. The maps data base is good, but not error free. Linda and I ended up in a farmer's field one time because the gps showed the highway about 1/4 from where it really was.

Even with those two cautions, I am a big fan of gps. After Linda and I moved to Washington, we decided that we would try to avoid driving the same road twice. In those days we were driving between Washington and Kansas City two or three times a year. There are really only a few ways to drive east to west across Idaho and Montana. We saw some really interesting places. The GPS was a big help in finding alternate routes.

[Jeff Borden]

couldn't justify buying one myself and then... a few years ago my son bought one as a gift for my me and my wife. Best gift ever. One of the few things that ever caused "disagreements" with us was driving directions. No more! I jokingly say the GPS easily added at least ten years to my life through stress removal. I'll never be without one.

[Glenn Messer]

Dave mentioned updating the software. That's important. I have an older model that requires me to buy a software update; a lifetime update costs me about $100. I recently bought my wife one that included lifetime updates; it was about $140. When I decide I need an update, I will buy a new GPS that comes with lifetime updates. If you are buying for the first time, seriously consider one with lifetime update. I would also be sure it included Canada in the package. Mexico? At the moment I have no desire to be shot and decapitated in Mexico.

[Jim Franklin]

As one who has always enjoyed looking at maps and studied Geography I think my GPS is 75 years old between my ears and it hasn't cost me much either.

[Mike Schutz]

Several years ago we purchased our first GPS, a very inexpensive model. The first time my lovely wife used it she was headed to a church on our district for an IMPACT concert. I had arrived several hours earlier. Now I don't know who to blame - either my lovely wife or the GPS - but instead of arriving at the church the GPS took her to a location on the other side of the river which bisects the city - and right in front of an adult bookstore.
It took her several years before she was willing to trust a GPS.

[John Kennedy]

Several years ago we purchased our first GPS, a very inexpensive model. The first time my lovely wife used it she was headed to a church on our district for an IMPACT concert. I had arrived several hours earlier. Now I don't know who to blame - either my lovely wife or the GPS - but instead of arriving at the church the GPS took her to a location on the other side of the river which bisects the city - and right in front of an adult bookstore.
It took her several years before she was willing to trust a GPS.

That takes me back to last fall's trip to New Orleans. We've been downtown (French Quarter, etc) and are heading back to our hotel out in Kenner, near the airport. Because of poor signage, getting on I-10 westbound can be a bit tricky. We're on Canal Street headed toward the freeway when the GPS instructs us to make a u-turn at the next interesection and head back downtown. Grrrrr.
My wife swears by the thing. I express my opinion about it in such poor French that I have to frequently ask for pardon for the quality, if you know what I mean. I have difficulty trusting it (the GPS - not my French).

[Gina Stevenson]

Several years ago we purchased our first GPS, a very inexpensive model. The first time my lovely wife used it she was headed to a church on our district for an IMPACT concert. I had arrived several hours earlier. Now I don't know who to blame - either my lovely wife or the GPS - but instead of arriving at the church the GPS took her to a location on the other side of the river which bisects the city - and right in front of an adult bookstore.
It took her several years before she was willing to trust a GPS.

My first experience w/one was both interesting and frustrating. Not too long ago a cousin took a trip back to the Chicago area where she grew up, so she got herself a GPS. Well, we used it to get somewhere Saturday ~~ small group meeting was a dinner/bonfire sort of thing where someone lives in the "boonies" ~~ and it told us to turn the wrong way, so we had to call the folks and find it told us a wrong turn at a corner! So, it's maybe not so great in some places. She hasn't had it long enough (couple months?) to need updating, either ... unless they're selling some way-old ones that needed it when they sold them??

Goodnight again ... was just a pit stop posting. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[Jon Twitchell]

We just got our second one... the first one was probably 6 years old, and I had never updated the maps. The new one has lifetime maps & traffic updates. With a road-trip to Indy this summer, I wanted a new one. (I remember 8 years ago, I had a GPS receiver that I plugged into the laptop, and we used Microsoft Streets & Trips as our GPS!)

The technology has come a long way since the last one we got. Some models also now come with voice-recognition and bluetooth.

With bluetooth, it could function as a speakerphone... or, the passenger can harness the power of their smartphone by looking up a destination and "sending" the coordinates to the GPS. If the GPS sits a long way away from you on the dash, that feature is really nice.

The voice command works fairly well, although it isn't always able to find a place based on voice recognition... voice command is better suited for addresses... or navigating through the menus. Even so, to be able to change the brightness... or to give it an address... simply by speaking is pretty impressive. It does need the care to be fairly quiet... and if you accidentally say your key phrase ("voice command"), then it goes to the menu screen! In fact, yesterday I was using the Voice Command feature in the car, and the car said "Say a Command," which woke up the voice command feature on the GPS.