Keith W wrote:
> "Brian K" wrote in message
> news:%w4%e.7117$q1.2913@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net...
>
>>On 09/29/2005 2:57 PM garciyalater@hotmail.com while holding "court",
>>exclaimed:
>>
>>
>>>drving times in the SW are very unpredictable.....unless you are on one
>>>of the few interstates, expect things to take longer than you think
>>>they should.....
>>>
>>>
>>
>>Unless you have Wi Fi, (still costly and spotty) internet mapping
>>solutions aren't practical. You can't take them along with you. I have a
>>copy of Delorme Street Atlas USA 2005 loaded into my lap top. If I
>>accidentally make a wrong turn, I can figure out where I am and get back
>>on track. It's updatable and can be hooked up to GPS tracking. You can
>>customize speed settings for you route to reflect actual speeds on roads
>>and instantly recalculate your travel time. Unlike a static map that you
>>print out from one of these internet mapping solutions, you have an
>>interactive map on your laptop. Say you need to change your route for
>>some reason, no problem. Just put in the modifications and select
>>"Fastest" or "Shortest" route and the new route is there.
>>
>>So, that's my 2 cents.
>>
>
>
> If you want directions on the move buy a dedicated GPS unit that
> lets you load the maps from the PC. They sit right there on the dash
> and give you updated directions as you drive.
>
> Keith
>
>
GPS units can be interesting and sometimes quite frustrating. At one
point this summer the unit took me into a guy's yard. It appears that
years ago there was a dirt road thru there that still appears on the
digital maps. The maps are also pretty much 5-6 years old. It looks as
though it takes quite a while to update the things. Then again my
Garmin had a good bit more detail than the system built into the friends
new Mercedes.
They do well when you don't know what you are doing but can be
frustrating when you do.
The one nice feature is when you have the routing function turned off
and they give you the street numbers and cross streets as you go along.
With the usual rotten signage that helps a lot. Now when they only
get european coverage for trips at a reasonable price I will be happy.
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