Geeking Out
I don’t travel much anymore. Occasionally, we drive home to Toledo to see our families. We might go 50-70 miles in any particular direction on the weekend. I’ve been fortunate in not having to fly for nearly three years now.
So why do I need a GPS unit?
If you have to answer that question, you’re not ‘getting’ what it means to be an Alpha Geek.
Best Buy had this on sale for a lot less than the Amazon list, so I scooped it up. The little receiver plugs into the USB slot on the PC, while the software is an easy install. I had a signal in a matter of minutes, locating me precisely where I was. Not that I need to be told where I am, most of the time, but it was cool. It was even cooler when the device told me I was traveling at 1 MPH after kicking across the floor in my rolling chair.
I couldn’t wait to get this thing out in a car, so it could relieve me of my need to think about where I wanted to go. After all, that 1.5 mile commute to work can be a mind-bender.
In all seriousness, I’ve taken the device on a couple of long, multi-waypoint drives just to get a sense of how it worked. I’m impressed with the accuracy. Not once has it been confused about where I am, even distinguishing between lanes on a multi-lane freeway. It provides accurate direction, velocity, elevation and location.
The map software is generally correct. I’ve seen crossroads be off by as much as a tenth of a mile, but not that often. The landmark and retail database has updating issues that one might expect, and I’m surprised it doesn’t check for updates over the web. This weekend, it mislead me to a Starbucks that had recently moved a few miles down the road, but it did provide the phone number for the establishment, so a quick call fixed that problem.
The interface is decent, but with some annoying quirks. I can’t easily insert a new stop in the middle of the trip without turning off the GPS function, mapping the new route, and then turning the GPS back on. Not a big deal, but rough to do one-handed on the expressway. The screen display is formatted so I can follow it with a quick glance to the passenger seat, and it does provide verbal instructions for each turn.
For under $100, this is a great toy. It certainly has encouraged me to get out and wander more, content in knowing I can’t get lost, and free from worries about memorizing routes. It is plug and play wanderlust.
As an aside, packing this thing into my backpack forced me to evaluate the collection of gadgets that are in my standard bag that travels where ever I go, even to work. Maybe this is why my wife rolls her eyes when I start talking tech.
Standard Kit:
Maybe I am getting out of hand?
Filed under: Reviews (Books and Movies)
Maybe you should consider geocaching now.
I freaked out the other day when I forgot to bring my 256 MB jump drive with me to work.
I felt lost without the data on it, which I use everyday.