GPS, anyone?

[Cy Shuster]

Ron,

I did a bunch of research on this on the web, and concluded that the plugin 
units for Pocket PCs weren't very good.  By the time you add an external 
antenna, extra battery pack, and so on, you've taken away the portability of 
your basic device.

I bought a Garmin GPSMAP 60C, and I love it.  I only wish I'd bought it much 
sooner!  It's about $500, with the MapSource data that you'll want with it. 
It's not the best auto unit, but I knew I'd be getting rid of the car soon 
to come to Boston, so I went with it.  In the car, a bigger screen helps, 
and since you always have a power source, you can afford one.

I found plenty of errors in the map data in West Virginia (I'm probably the 
only one reporting them), but you *always* know where you are (unless you're 
in a tunnel).  You can mark your current location (and even track your 
route), and exchange that data both ways with the PC.  The PC software lets 
you place markers on its map, so you can see where all your customers are, 
making scheduling much easier.  Plus, you can have it calculate a route, so 
you'll know much better how long it will take to get from point A to that 
elusive B.

The database is very extensive: it has addresses and phone numbers for 
restaurants, gas stations, all kinds of private and government entities. 
You can ask it to map any street address, and then navigate there from your 
current location.  Or you can find the nearest gas station or other business 
from a given point.  Here's a sample:
http://www.garmin.com/cartography/mapSource/citynav.jsp#screens

The same data is available for use on different hardware platforms.  There's 
a new one coming out called "Tom Tom To Go" or something like that, with a 
lot of buzz around it.

--Cy Shuster--
Boston, MA



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ron Koval" <drwoodwind@hotmail.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Monday, August 29, 2005 2:12 PM
Subject: GPS, anyone?


>I wonder how many of us are using GPS to get from here to there....
>
> I have a Dell Axim x5 pocket pc and wonder just what I would need to add 
> on to be able to get on-the-road directions in and around the Chicago 
> area.  Mapquest has helped a lot, but a guy's gotta have toys, right?  Any 
> reviews would be appreciated!  (or are stand-alone units the way to go?)
>
> Ron Koval