One gadget I have absolutely no desire to own...

[3boymthr]

DH has one for work and lives by it because he has to drive through a maze of city streets all day long going from customer to customer. He keeps a map book as back up though as every so often it looses satellite.

So I got him one for his truck.

Now I both love the GPS and hate the GPS. It's great for finding rest areas, restaurants, and getting drive times.

DH is so reliant on the GPS that even when it's wrong he follows it. Like the time we were going to a hotel and I had printed the directions before we left which said take a left off the ramp and the hotel was 1/4 mi down on the right. The @(%(*() GPS was sending us the wrong way (Take a right, take a left drive four miles and go left then right) in the wrong direction. DH and I got into a major fight over it.

Now, maybe it's just our GPS, but it also drives me nuts because when we run into traffic (e.g., a 25 mile back up on the Jersey Turnpike of people trying to get to the shore when we just wanted to get to the Del. Mem Bridge ) and ask it for an alternate route, it still keeps trying to send us back to the congested road. At these times I love my old trusty map, which I used to navigate my way around the lovely traffic snarls and saved several hours of sitting in the car.

 

[NotUrsula]

I'm still a map person; the clerk at my AAA office knows me by name. I can normally find a location on a real map (even after taking the time to pull over) faster than the GPS can. It helps that I'm spacially gifted -- once I look at the map and trace the route with my eyes, my mind pretty much has it locked in. However ...

I bought a GPS for my DH who has directional issues, and I've got to say that I love it for the directory functions, and the live traffic reports. THOSE alone are worth the cost.

As to smartphones with built-in GPS functionality driving these units off the market -- no, not anytime soon. Two reasons: 1) the cost of data plans. Contract phones are now losing market share to prepaids, and it will probably keep going that way, now that so many more people have discovered that it isn't necessary to pay for phone time that you don't intend to use, and 2) the much more practical reason that if you are using the phone to talk, you can't simultaneously have it functioning as a GPS unit. I don't know about you, but if I'm trying to get somewhere and I can't find it, I'm going to be calling the people who are expecting me in order to let them know I'm on my way, and to ask a question about the physical appearance of the building. (Because neither your GPS nor a map can tell you that your kids' dentist's office is a grey brick building with a black awning that is behind the Phillips station that your GPS is actually pointing you to.)

 

[mill4023]

Don't be so quick to write the obit for dedicated GPS units. The problem with phone-based GPS systems is that they require data subscriptions. To add that to our phone plan, that'd be an extra $30/month. I'm not doing it. The GPS units also excel in the area of in-car mounting systems and screen readability. Smart phones may eat away that their sales, but they aren't going to replace them any time soon.

Totally agree. I don't think standalone GPS units are going anywhere.
They still have too many advantages over phones. Larger, more readable screens. The ability to use your GPS, while other people in the car are using the phone to talk or play games, or any of the other things you can do with newer smartphones.

A GPS is one of those things on my list of "How in the world did I ever survive without one". Using a map or printing out Google directions is fine, but with a GPS, you don't have to worry about getting off track, making a wrong turn, etc. Just go where it tells you and you'll get to your destination. Plus, we use ours all the time for finding restaurants, gas, etc. I can't even imagine taking a road trip somewhere without having a GPS. It just makes life SO MUCH EASIER.

 

[momrek06]

I don't need any stinkin' GPS! Anyone else think GPS systems are simply expensive toys for adults? I bet a lot of them will be sold for the holidays this year.

I don't think you are going to find allot of DISer's agreeing with you, JJ!!! I think the GPS is the best invention in a very long time!!!

I did not own one for awhile....one day, I was traveling some back New England roads to get home from a Mall I was shopping at. Well I hit some detours....the road was all torn up and the town was putting in a water line.

At this time, as I approached the detour it was lunch time....no one around but a sign with an arrow pointing for all the traffic to go in a direction I had never been. I started driving and driving and around all these winding roads and getting no where quick.
After 30 minutes and nothing is familiar I decided to call DH at home (thank the Lord for cellphones) and he asked me to pull over and look at the address I was at....I was in some subdivision of homes at this point. DH then went to mapquest on his computer and instructed me how to get home from there.

The NEXT day we bought a GPS for our car. DS explained to us there is a feature on the GPS that says "GET ME HOME FROM HERE"....which I needed so badly THAT day!!! Turns out I was only 5 miles from the Mall and all that needless driving and wasting of gas because of this detour and me not familiar with any of THESE back roads.

So GPS' are AWESOME!!!!

Edited to add....we then moved the CA. And w/o that GPS we would have never been able to navigate around the OC and all of SoCal had we not owned one. A must when relocating to a new area. Maps just don't do it for you like a GPS.

 

[purpletiger]

I love my GPS. Actually when we went to Disney this summer I simply typed in Disney World Florida and it took us straight there. It even avoided the toll roads which was an added bonus.

Anytime I need to go somewhere I don't know I just type it in and up pops the directions. LOVE IT!!!!

 

[surfergirl602]

I don't know what I would do without my gps! I use is practically every day! We live in a pretty large city and I don't know what I would do without it. It has real time traffic and has saved me a bundle of time on more than one occasion. It hasn't failed me yet! We can look up places to eat, find the nearest walmart when we are on road trips. We can find rest stops and bathrooms. It even took us straight to AKL our last trip! lol

 

[ginna74]

hubby bought me a cheap one and OMGGGGGGGG I am sooooo not getting lost like I did!!!! It shows and says outloud what streets I need to turn by the tenth of a mile (when you are close to destination). If I mess up it TELLS ME!!!!! I am soooooo happy he did that. I haven't been LOST LOST sense!

 

[ckay87]

I have borrowed and used a GPS and while they're pretty cool at the time, what I hate is that I never really learn my way around. You just blindly follow the directions and not put any thought into where you are or where you're going.

Used one for a 3-day trip to Sandusky, OH (Cedar Point). Drove to the park 3 times from the hotel, using the GPS and I never really learned how to get to the park, if that makes any sense. I couldn't begin to tell you. In that amount of time, I should have a better understanding of the area.

I do want to get one for my 17 year old new driver. He has NO CLUE how to get around!

But the one gaget that does really not appeal to me is the Kindle. I know that a million of you here think it's the greatest thing, but I just love flipping through my good old paper books. Hope they stay around for a while.

 

[tazdev3225]

I look up where I'm going on the map and then use my GPS as backup. I actually love to argue with mine because for fun I will plug in places I always go to and it takes the longest routes. I hear "recalculating" alot.

 

[wdwfan16]

If you buy the right one for you needs it will work great. I love my GPS and use is most days to drive to work. I get traffic, weather, flood alerts etc on my GPS. It will reroute me to miss a major accident. I will not be without one. I can find food, hospitals, stores and so many other places with it too.

 

[momrek06]

Another huge PLUS about GPS' is when traveling. Since getting our GPS we never rent a car w/o ordering the GPS. It is a MUST I feel. And I am finding lots of times, if you do not order the GPS when reserving your rental....very likely you will be out of luck securing one the day you are picking up your rental.

 

[Praying Colonel]

For me, my GPS is like the first microwave I ever owned--I wonder how I ever lived without it. I basically forced it on DD19 when she went away to college, and she had to admit that she's used it a ton, too.

Now that she has my GPS, I use the iPhone app GPS Drive, which does an excellent job of providing turn-by-turn GPS directions and mapping.

 

[Becky2005]

For me, my GPS is like the first microwave I ever owned--I wonder how I ever lived without it.

Sounds like me & my first cordless phone (OK..I'm old this was BEFORE cell phones were around -- we had a corded DIAL phone no less attached to the kitchen wall when I grew up). When I got married DH had a cordless phone. I was completely sold on it after using it. It was the best invention to me and I have no idea how I survived all those years talking on that corded phone. Although, my mom would laugh & say "how could you not find the phone?" on occassion when she would call & I couldn't find it in time. Then she got one & loved it, totally understood my "I couldn't find the phone" comments when I would call her back after finding it.

My parents got a GPS not too long ago but they won't let me borrow it (unless one of them is in the car! ). We knew where we were going to pick my DD up from camp but wanted to take it out for a test drive, so I dragged my mom along on the 3 hour car ride. It's probably one of the weirdest things that they got a new technology gadget before any of us "kids" have. I still want one but I keep thinking if I wait long enough, the price will drop & I'll get a better one cheaper than what is out there right now. I don't feel I need one until we get ready to go on our next trip, then we will probably splurge & get it.

 

[merryweather20]

Bleh! I agree with the OP. One of my swimmer's parents has a GPS and it made her miss about half the meet.

I had printed off directions to the YWCA, and drew a map. Their parents decided they knew better. The YWCA was not in the system, but it did take them to a YMCA across town on a similarly name street (of course a completely different street number, but what do I know, I had only directed 100's of parents there over the years).

The parent was actually cheesed at me, at least all the other parents stood up for me I had given them good directions what was I supposed to do steal their GPS

Wouldn't people want to look at a map anyway and get a feel for where they were going... You know so you don't end up across town at a completely different building?

 

[kinntj]

I love maps too and don't own a GPS. Well, I know how to get around our town, so there's no need for one on a day to day basis. If I travel, we'll rent one with the car to get around. My DH loved having one when he was traveling around in France and to get back to Paris. He said it was so easy.

If I lived in a busy area or metropolis I'd have one in a heartbeat.

 

[PaulaSB12]

is a GPS. I'm actually surprised that these things have caught on since the majority of the people I know who own one don't seem able to use them correctly. And I have yet to meet someone who used theirs for any application other than road directions.

I like old-fashioned maps. I've always liked maps. When I was a child and took road trips with my family, I would follow our path on a map. When I'm going somewhere now and need directions, I look it up on Google maps and print those out. If I'm taking a bigger road trip, I go to my AAA office and get Trip-Tiks. I don't need any stinkin' GPS!

Anyone else think GPS systems are simply expensive toys for adults? I bet a lot of them will be sold for the holidays this year.

Maps are ok if you have someone to map read, but as I drive alone most of the time and often there isn't anywhere to park to read a map I use a gps system.

 

[Becky2005]

I had printed off directions to the YWCA, and drew a map. Their parents decided they knew better. The YWCA was not in the system, but it did take them to a YMCA across town on a similarly name street (of course a completely different street number, but what do I know, I had only directed 100's of parents there over the years).

Now in that case, I would go with your directions! I guess I do both worlds.

I look at a map before going but I do that with Mapquest, etc... too because sometimes it takes you the funkiest ways.

However, I still think GPS would be great for the times you get lost or don't have a detailed map of where you are supposed to be OR you are driving by yourself and don't have someone else handy to read the map.

 

[luvmy3]

I love having a GPS. We travel alot and having the GPS is great to find alternate routes, especially when there is alot of traffic, or construction.
We also use ours off road to hike through the woods that border our sub-division. They are quite large and there are a couple very large ponds that we take the kids to, without the GPS it would be very easy to get lost

 

[glitterkittyy]

Does everyone name their GPS? lol

Mandy (what we lovingly named our GPS) has saved me a time or 20. Having moved over 1000 miles away from my hometown, I spent the first 6 months trying to find different places around town and getting hopelessly lost at times (google maps isn't always accurate!!) I really needed some help getting around so we bought a GPS. I cannot do without Mandy now.

 

[bookgirl]

I didn't want one and thought they were toys. I always mapped things out, but to tell the truth I have some pretty bad navigators in my circle of travel companions, even with maps and mapquest. Then my mom bought one and I laughed, until we got to Orlando. Now I love them. I still get a map and I still look at Triptiks on AAA. But I am now a firm beliver in GPS. In fact I'm looking at getting my own.