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

[hrh_disney_queen]

I love my GPS! I got it free with a Discovery Card signup promo, and I don't use it very much. But when I do, I love it! I even use it to go places (like WDW) that I have been to hundreds of times, just to keep me from getting bored. I have gotten in a few arguments with that woman in the box on my windshield!

Usually it is just a toy, but I have used it many times to get my hopelessly lost self unlost.

 

[npmommie]

We enjoy frequent road trips and the GPS is a Godsend! Jump in the car with nothing but an address and it gets you right there. Search for hotels and restaurants as you drive...it just frees you up so much. Also my speedometer is about 3% off so I get accurate MPH on the unit.

this is us too. we are famous for side trips unplanned, so the GPS is great and also when you need an ATM or a McDonalds, or even a Target while on the road!

 

[NotUrsula]

That's using the assumption people are buying the data plan for the GPS. I pay $99.99 for our cell phone plan that includes data plans for a G1 and a My touch. I pay for the data plan for email and internet the GPS is a bonus. That is what will hurt the stand alone devices. People won’t buy a stand alone because their phone is already fulfilling that need ...

By contrast, I pay $80 a YEAR for my wireless phone service. I'm not the only one, either. Given the economy, a lot of people are dropping their contract phones. Can I access the internet or read email on my phone? Yes, but it would cost me $1/day to do that, so mostly I choose not to do it. You are assuming that people are willing to pay for a data plan at all, and I'm here to tell you that a LOT of people are not willing to, even if they can afford to. (And there are a lot more who cannot afford to do it even though they might want to.)

I bought lifetime North American update access for the Garmin for $95 (one-time payment.) That's less than a month of service on your phone. From my perspective, the cost-savings is a no-brainer.

 

[smkiya]

A map doesn't tell you where the closest bank is when you're out, in an unfamiliar area. My mom and I were out the other day and looking for a certain screw. The store we went to didn't have it, and my mom just moved to that area, GPS found the closest home depot, and told us exactly how to get there. I've used it to avoid traffic, I'll turn down a side street or take a different exit and gps gets me home.

 

[LoraJ]

I wish the woman who was driving in front of me today had a GPS. She was going 15 in a 35 looking for street signs in a single no passing lane.

 

[monkey68]

I love my GPS. Especially helpful when you're stuck in bumper to bumper traffic, and want an alternate route. No way I could look at a map and drive at the same time. When I get hungry along the way, I look for the nearest food stops. It's wonderful. I don't have a fancy one that does all other things, mine just does directions. My dad got a deal on one that has mp3 capability, bluetooth, it stores audio books, has a translator, all this crazy stuff. But he never uses that, only has it because it was a massive sale, and was cheaper than the lower model.

 

[Bluestars]

I love my GPS and don't have any problems using it. I love that I no longer have to print maps from mapquest. I love that the GPS will announce what street I need to turn on. When I am on the freeway and it divides into different directions, the GPS will even tell me if I need to stay right or left. It's great on trips or even around town when I am going to a house I have never been to before.

 

[klacey1]

I love my Garmin! I'm not that great with maps, so this is mega helpful. I haven't used it for any of it's fancy apps yet (traffic, etc), since I haven't had it for long, but I certainly plan to. Only ONCE has it messed me up-- told me a Barnes and Nobles was, where in fact it was a half mile up the road. Not the biggest deal.
I plan to use it for my holiday drive (2 1/2 hours) this year. I've never driven it myself, but I've been in the car when others have, so hopefully it will be my trusty aide!

 

[DebbieB]

I don't have one but there was a night about a year ago that I sure wish I did. I traveled to Richmond on a business trip alone. It was dark when I left the airport, I had a mapquest but it was hard to read in the dark and drive. There was a 2 lane road from the airport to the highway, I wasn't sure if I was lost or not, I finally saw a sign for the highway. I found my way off the highway and was on a local road, the hotel was a left turn down the road. I couldn't see the overhead street signs, I ended up pulling over at a gas station. By then it was about 10:00pm on a Sunday night. The gas station people were strange, they told me they thought the hotel was a couple more miles down the road. I was really scared because it was not well lighted and I wasn't sure if I missed the turnoff for the hotel. Luckily I saw the hotel sign and made the turn and found it. I swore that if I had to go on a trip again where I didn't know where I was going I would get a GPS. I haven't been traveling for business anymore so haven't had the need but I will get one if it do.

 

[Lintasare]

I majored in Geography in college and I still prefer maps to those fancy navigational GPS units. Though my parents have what I call a work horse GPS with no maps, just coordinates. I like that one. I hate things that talk to me out of thin air.

 

[lecach]

My IL's are insisting on getting DH and I a GPS for Christmas. DH travels for work but 99.9% of the time its to places he's been many times before. I can see where it would come in handy maybe a few times a year but thats it. And really, I would pick a million other things that I would rather have for the money. But they really really think DH needs one. I predict that he'll use it at first but after a month or so it'll be sitting in the trunk of his car. It's so frustrating when someone insists on buying you something that you've told them you dont want. I know it's their money. But if someone told me that something I was planning to buy them was at the very bottom of their list I wouldnt want to waste my money. Of course these are the people that got DS bacon for Christmas last year .

 

[Minnie]

Nope, sorry GPS is one of my favorite devics

My first trip ever out of the country I managed to navigate just fine and be on time to every meeting no problem at all

All those road names I couldn't possibly read the GPS simply said take the 3rd right on the roundabout...

 

[lsyorke]

Sorry, man, but the GPS is truly one of those "greatest thing since sliced bread" products.

Absolutely! I never thought I'd need one...until I got one. Can't live without it now!

 

[mom2d&b]

We have had one for a year now. I didn't think we needed it but I love it now. We use it when taking trips to places we don't need directions to as it let's the kids know when we will be there. No more "how much longer"
It does come in very handy to locate the competition sites for DD Irish Dance competition.

 

[drag n' fly]

It is on my Christmas list! I want one not for driving but a handheld for geocaching.

 

[WizardLarz]

I read that a GPS is no longer a good investment. Almost all smart phones will have a GPS App. So the stand alone units will become obsolete, or really, really,rrrrrrrrreally cheap$!

 

[JVL1018]

I agree with you, OP.
I've lived in this area my entire life, I pretty much know how to get anywhere I need to go, and if I don't, I know that before I leave the house and I just hit maps on my iPhone, look at it, and I'm good to go.
If we are someplace unfamiliar, 99.9% of the time, DH is driving, so I just use the phone and tell him where to drive, that's probably happened twice in the last year. A GPS would sit there unused in my car.

 

[PaulaSB12]

Using a map is only helpful if you have a map reader, as I drive mostly alone I can't use maps and a gps is invaluable.

 

[legalsea]

A couple years ago I used my Garmin on a cruise around the United Kingdom. One stop was Glasgow. I had rented a car for the day beforehand. Upon exiting the ship I made the ship my ‘home’ location on the GPS. I entered the places we wanted to see (Stirling Castle and a couple of other places). The GPS then led us flawlessly to our locations, saying things like “Take second exit at next roundabout”. When we were finished for the day I hit the ‘home’ button and drove easily back to the ship.

It was a lot different from the times that my wife would be trying to navigate us by looking at some cumbersome map.

 

[Disney Doll]

I love it. It's been very useful to us in a lot of situations. Ours is a pprtable one (not one built into the car) so we take it with us on vacation so we can get to where we have to go.