Auto Navigation Systems

[javyn]

I figured I'd start up a thread to talk about these.

I just purchased a Garmin Nuvi 350, and have to say I am totally floored and amazed by this thing. I almost second guessed my 500 dollar purchase while I was taking it out of the box, but once I saw what all it can actually do, it put me in a state of shock! I just discovered I could even put in the NAME of where I want to go without even having to know the address...and this damn thing knows where it is!



Maybe we can share tips, places to get POIs, etc here. I'm sure others have one, especially after the fact that they had an ad on for them during the Super Bowl, which I didn't watch of course...football.

I do have a few minor gripes about mine, that could easily be fixed with firmware updates. First off, why in the hell is the touch keypad A through Z on it?! It's 2007....more people are more comfortable with QWERTY than not.
Also, I hear the traffic receivers you can add on to it are not very reliable, which is fine b/c I wasn't planning on getting one anyway.

So what all do you think about your Navigators? Do you have a Garmin, or TomTom, and which do you like best and why if you've tried both. I have yet to hear anything positive about the Magellans.

Actually, I think I'm even going to buy stock in Garmin, seriously. I can see this as being the next iPod. Hell, it could be bigger than iPod.

 

[Tokyo Slim]

The ones in Japan are better.

And neccesary.

 

[matadorpoeta]

after-market auto navigation systems are for girls. get a map and learn how to use it.

that japanese one does look cool though. i'll make an exception.

 

[javyn]

What does that Japanese one have other than more buttons?

I still have the Key Map in the car, but something tells me I won't get any action after this. You just don't understand unless you have used one. This is no Onstar or mapquest bullshit here.

 

[Tokyo Slim]

Originally Posted by javyn

What does that have other than more buttons?
Besides an accurate three dimensional rotatable map of the most complex city driving in the world (including realistic buildings!), a dvd player, a minidisk player, voice command, photo/video/audo playback of most popular formats, a remote, a 40GB hard drive, a 7" wide screen, and a higher price tag?!?!?! I guess it has more buttons.

To be honest, you can get Nav here in the states, but it just isnt NECCESARY. In Japan, if you don't have one of these, you are going to be lost a lot. Over half of the people who drive in Japan have car navigation systems. IMO in the US, having nav in your car tends to make you lazy. I've had it before, and realized that it wasn't as smart as me, let a lone a cab driver or deliveryman. You stop figuring out how to get places and trust a computer, you might as well just let it do the driving too... Driving in the US is EASY. Finding places by address is EASY. There is a system. take five minutes to learn it, and save yourself $500. That being said, on the occasional road trip, sometimes I wish for nav while in unfamiliar terrain, inclement weather, and/or while my navigator is sleeping.

 

[javyn]

In other words, something that will get you into a wreck while you're ******* with it heh.

The screen is very nice though, but completely irrelevant to me since I rarely look at it while driving.

 

[matadorpoeta]

do these things take into account the time of day and current traffic conditions when mapping your route. if i want to go from santa monica to burbank at 10am i will take a completely different route than what i would take at 5pm.

if you don't like the route it has chosen, will it give you another?

 

[Tokyo Slim]

Originally Posted by javyn

In other words, something that will get you into a wreck while you're ******* with it heh.

well, you **** with it while you are parked, if you want to add another destination while you are driving, or cancel your current route, you just speak to it.

 

[javyn]

oh voice commands, now that is cool!

do these things take into account the time of day and current traffic conditions when mapping your route. if i want to go from santa monica to burbank at 10am i will take a completely different route than what i would take at 5pm.

No, but you can get a traffic monitor attachment, which I hear kinda suck at this point.

if you don't like the route it has chosen, will it give you another?

There is a detour button on it, so I'd imagine yes, although I haven't used it yet. When you miss a turn, it does recalculate the route automatically to get you back on track. I'm still discovering a lot of the stuff on this, these things are new to me. Tonight when I pulled in the driveway I saved the location as "home". Now, from anywhere, all I have to do is click the "go home" button on the menu to get back. Cool my elevation currently is -39 ft

PS - Tokyo, your avatar disturbs me.

 

[Tokyo Slim]

Originally Posted by javyn

PS - Tokyo, your avatar disturbs me.
As it should. It is Jeff Goldblum portraying evil incarnate. He IS a Mac user, after all... As to the A-Z thing... I think most people who are comfortable with QWERTY are comfortable with it on a keyboard, for touch typing. But in something like a nav system it doesn't make as much sense, because first off, your fingers aren't on the 'home' keys, so the arrangement of them is purely aesthetic. Imagine the confusion if your telephone letters were changed to QWERTY order. There would be chaos in the text messaging world, millions of Japanese schoolgirls would cry. Would you want that?!?!?! Secondly, the people who use Nav systems in the US are women and old people who get lost easily and can't figure out where they are going, they are NOT as familiar with QWERTY as you would like to think. Men know where they are at all times due to the larger deposits of iron in their nose and face, which acts like a natural compass (similar to birds, which are never lost, while simultaneously being amongst God's most marsupialed creatures). Women use "directions", MEN ALWAYS KNOW WHERE THEY ARE. Get it straight pal, all these years of stereotyping the sexes will go to waste!

 

[javyn]

Macintosh infidels

 

[A Y]

Originally Posted by matadorpoeta

do these things take into account the time of day and current traffic conditions when mapping your route. if i want to go from santa monica to burbank at 10am i will take a completely different route than what i would take at 5pm.

if you don't like the route it has chosen, will it give you another?

Some do take into account traffic conditions. Coverage is variable, and some require you to subscribe to XM radio. The major LA freeways are pretty nicely covered. Time of day isn't necessary because it gets its data from highway sensors. Some do use the time of day to switch the color scheme for maximal legibility after the sun sets or rises.

Most have rerouting options. If you don't like the route, you can ask it for the next best route.

If you just want to find out about traffic, there are some cheaper ways. Google Maps for mobile phones can show you traffic on the major LA freeways. You can also get a Traffic Gauge (http://www.trafficgauge.com) which shows you traffic conditions in certain cities, like LA.

--Andre

 

[Tokyo Slim]

Usually your local DOT will have a traffic map on their website too... For example... Seattle on the wsdot.com website.

 

[matadorpoeta]

Originally Posted by Tokyo Slim

Usually your local DOT will have a traffic map on their website too...

For example... Seattle on the wsdot.com website.
it's 8:25 on friday night and your freeways are wide open! i thought seattle was a city!

 

[matadorpoeta]

Originally Posted by Andre Yew

If you just want to find out about traffic, there are some cheaper ways. Google Maps for mobile phones can show you traffic on the major LA freeways.
--Andre
now this does sound useful.