I've got my PDA navigation system set to show the raw position as well as the "road corrected" position, which is where the device more or less puts your vehicle icon on the roadway that it thinks you're on. Usually, it's accurate enough, but the fact is that most maps have some small degree of error. I remember seeing my PDA draw my position on Rt. 50 once as being on the wrong side of the divider. I've also gotten it confused in downtown Baltimore and DC when I mistakenly took a wrong turn (my fault, I jumped the gun) and got ahead of the processor as it was recalculating. It took a stoplight to get caught up...but then it was dead-on again. But the worst part is when your map data is just out of date. I've got a major road by my house that isn't on the map, and it never gets factored into routing.

Hi Rob,
Just picked my Prius after 3 year service and M(inistry) O(f) T(ransport) certification; required annually in UK after 3 years. Delighted with my Prius. Staggered at recall in first year for 'REPROGRAMMING'! Took two & a half hours to complete from Tokio!
Bought cheapest Sat Nav System (NAVMAN) recently after review by Totota owner indicated it was better than Toyota system. Indulgence but works very well for my needs. Have not upgraded to Speed Camera spotter module. Seems very reliable in my neck of the woods but not extensively tested so far.
Wish I had invested in parking system alarm and will on next model if I survive that long. Stiff neck and optical correction with head tilted is recurring nightmare, consequence of skiing tumbles and cotact sports in youth long long ago.
Continue to enjoy your articles- as the Australians say "Good on you".
Sincerely
V R

I go to Target and get this thing from Rand McNally called a map. It never conks out.

Being prepared before you go is infinately safer than trying to navigate on the fly.

Plans are nothing, planning is everything.

And those errors that people are seeing is not in the map, but in your GPS receiver, it's only accurate to within a few meters (hundreds of feet?). It's a rough idea of where you are, not an exact one.

It sounds like you have Mapquest programmed into your Prius GPS. I well remember early use of Mapquest with its roundabout directions to use farm roads (this was in Texas) rather than freeways and four lane highways. Directions to our house in northern NM involved a 15 mile detour through a neighboring town!

We gave up on Mapquest and went back to street maps some time in the late 90's. From your humorous description, it's likely that we will remain GPS-less for a few more years.

-kim

a few meters is only 10 to 20 feet (hundreds of inches).

In the US, I think I'd rather have a decent map than a GPS unless the GPS has real-time traffic information. In Europe it is different. Navigating those cities without a GPS can be daunting.

More to the point, the current common hardware spec (SIRFstar III) is quite accurate (yes, within that few meters, or 15 or so feet) and my system routinely triangulates off 8-9 satellites. On the other hand, I've seen demonstrations of map errors in the Northern Virginia area where roads in Chantilly are quite simply not drawn where they actually are. And book maps are great, but embrace the technology...I doubt you're reading this blog in the print edition.

We just purchased a Garmin Nuvi 360. From the moment mapquest and yahoo maps appeared, I loved plotting out my route and figuring out alternatives. I still do...armed with 3 or 4 pages of maps, I use a highlighter and mark my route. (still keep a new city map in the car at all times)

But, my wife is a little less map-inclined than I am, plus she gets no pleasure out of map preparation. The other day, a friend's directions were terrible and had her miss an event she was looking forward to. So I did some quick research and purchased the Nuvi.

I admit it is freakin' cool. Having all your maps with you at one time, and the fact that it can recalculate on the fly is impressive technology. I would give it a C/C+ for navigating Boston, but there's really not much more challenging than that city. In any less chaotic urban or suburban location, it has been flawless.

This past weekend we had the urge to keep on going, and the navi made it easy to be truely spontaneous (although the first ice cream shop we plotted had closed up!).

My wife made the comment that it really made her feel secure, especially with no matter how lost she gets, she's always 2 buttons away from "take me home."

--
I would suggest that people get a portable unit, rather than over paying for an integrated car unity. You can use it to walk around a city (even international) and load prepared maps. You can also create your own maps if the project inspires you!

23112,

GPS tech is great for navigation. But I'm not going to sink cash into tech because it's neat-o.

GPS is great while flying, boating, or hiking. It's kind of frivolous in a car, learn to navigate by using your head not a box.

"GPS is great while flying, boating, or hiking. It's kind of frivolous in a car"

Sure, no one ever gets lost in a car. Especially not in the District.

We generally use the navigation system in our 2004 Chrysler Pacifica to estimate arrival time and to find places to eat/sleep while on the road. The DVD-based system holds a ton of data and generally works quite well.

I do not like the fact that the updated DVD runs about $250 retail, but can be had for approximately $150 on eBay and we purchase one every 18 months. In addition, the system is almost useless on many of our ski and camping trips where we are greeted with the message "you are now in an area where turn-by-turn directions are not available." I know how to get to the Whitetail ski area without a problem, but find it nearly impossible to get from the mountain to a friend's house in Clear Spring less than 5 miles away. Many of the roads are unmarked and maps are not an answer. The nav system knows my lat/long, but cannot tell me which street to turn on.

Rob,

Exactly right. When we got it in 2003 as part of our Acura TL, we thought it nice but really a toy. No more! It's terrific, especially in the suburbs where we city folks often don't have a clue where we are but with our GPS we are never lost. Has some "quirks", like refusing to recognize the existence of Rock Creek Parkway, likely, as my wife noted, because it becomes one-way at various parts of the day, and that's simply too much for oir GPS.

Not least, it's a terrific safety feature: Instead of trying to read street signs and house numbers, you can keep your eye on the road while a charming voice tells you the turns.

We originally thought we'd only use our Prius GPS on long road trips or in unfamiliar areas, but the thing we didn't expect was how useful the built-in phone book really was: It allows us to find and try new restaurants when out with friends, it allows us to find locations of a store when we discover our local store is out-of-stock, and it integrates the phone numbers with the found destinations and the bluetooth, so we can call before we leave the parking lot.

We have used a Garmin 2640 unit for the past couple of years. It was a Christmas present and we all agree one of the very best presents ever. When we fly we take it with us and use it in rental cars. Because it has an internal disk with all of North America in it there's no need to download maps or place information. Sometimes it chooses routes that no human being would ever select, we find this most often back in the East, and I wish I could teach it perfered routes and block off forever idiot decisions it wants to make.

It doesn't replace a good set of maps because it's hard to get the "big picture" from that little screen. And there's no topographic information. But these are small quibbles compared to the number of times we've gotten accurate, reliable directions in places strange to us. It's not a toy! And being portable we move it from vehicle to vehicle. It's remote control is better, we find, than using the touch-screen.

What features do I want to see?
1. Factory OEM units that display at least the same coverage as third party off the shelf units that cost 75% less. Example: the unit installed in my wife's Acura TL does not have street-level mapping of Eastern North Carolina, where we live; while the inexpensive Garmin I added to my car does.
2. Update pricing that's realistic. Again, Acura wants over $200 for updated maps, while Garmin wants $75 (and features far superior coverage).

I have a Nuvi and it is the best. The integrated factory units look slick, but the portable units are the way to go. Cheaper and you can move them to rental cars when you travel to strange cities.

My favorite feature is the optional female Australian accent. I like it because it's exotic without being intimidating.

Another Nuvi 360 owner. Portable is the answer. In 2000, the government lifted restrictions. The Nuvi can receive as many as 12 satellite signals to make the calculation. I use it to Geocache which is a game where one finds little containers with the use of a GPS. It invariably places me within 10 feet or closer.
Yes, keeping up to date is always necessary with software, but the same holds true with the paper variety. Garmin maps generally are pretty good but I'll be able to tell you better in October. I'll be using it to drive to the west coast from Ohio with stops in WA, OR, CA and NV and obviously other overnights on the way.
I don't often completely go over to the eletronic side, oh well, maybe I do, but this is different. This is the answer for right now and for the future.
Yes, I would like Jill to remember routes I have taken in the past and use that for future trips to the same area but I AM never lost and that means no matter where I am. And, yes Jill recalculates when I miss a turn but miss many turns and she will say, "There IS a better route." [Had to decide whether to use quotes for a computer voice but went for it.]
I've used a Garmin in D.C. and it completely eased all our city driving while we visited and believe me there usually is plenty of angst for us around that place.

I recently moved to a big city and must say that my nuvi 680 from Garmin has completely saved my life. Aside from saving me money on gas by keeping me from getting lost while I try to find my way around, it's also been great for giving me traffic, weather and gas prices (yes, can you believe it?), in this brand new, huge 6-lane highway city I'm now a resident of. (I just moved from a town in the middle of no where, where there can often be more cows than people, so this was quite a change for me!)

Furthermore, my folks have an older model that doesn't have the street name option...meaning that when mine says "Turn left on Main Street in 1.5 miles," their's only says, "Turn left in 1.5 miles." And after helping me move into my new home and after hearing my 680 give me street-by-street directions, they immediately purchased a new unit with this feature. It's amazing how much more at ease we all feel with this feature...and even more so, with Sally-- which is what I named my GPS. Yes, we rely on her so much, it's almost as if she has become apart of the family!

I recently moved to a big city and must say that my nuvi 680 from Garmin has completely saved my life. Aside from saving me money on gas by keeping me from getting lost while I try to find my way around, it's also been great for giving me traffic, weather and gas prices (yes, can you believe it?), in this brand new, huge 6-lane highway city I'm now a resident of. (I just moved from a town in the middle of no where, where there can often be more cows than people, so this was quite a change for me!)

Furthermore, my folks have an older model that doesn't have the street name option...meaning that when mine says "Turn left on Main Street in 1.5 miles," their's only says, "Turn left in 1.5 miles." And after helping me move into my new home and after hearing my 680 give me street-by-street directions, they immediately purchased a new unit with this feature. It's amazing how much more at ease we all feel with this feature...and even more so, with Sally-- which is what I named my GPS. Yes, we rely on her so much, it's almost as if she has become apart of the family!

The only thing I "dislike" about GPS units is there's the tendency to rely on it entirely to get where you're going. By planning with a map or asking for directions, you start to remember the route and can do it repeatedly on your own without needing either one. But with a GPS unit you tend not to remember exactly how to do it yourself, so if the unit gets lost or you're not driving your car you can't find the place again. Of course, if you keep this in mind it's possible to use a GPS and learn the route at the same time.

As for MapQuest and Google maps, they still have issues. For instance, if you go north from the DC area to US 15, Google maps will tell you to take I-270 North to US 40 to US 15--however the signs on I-270 simply tell you which way to go to get to 15, they don't point out that you're taking US 40 for 1/2 mile or so to get there. This has confused a couple of my friends when trying to blindly follow such a route: "where's 40? I only see this exit for 15..." followed by "there's the 40 exit onto W. Patrick St, let's take that!" Also, these sites can get you to your destination but can't help you with the often daunting task of figuring out where you're supposed to park once you get there. Asking someone for directions is still much more reliable.

The flip side of the coin is that those GPS units are coming down in price, roughly the price of two or three ADC county map books right?

Pretty soon we'll have a whole generation which does not know how to read a map or have any sense of direction whatsoever.

Some improvement. :-(

Long time Garmin user; current unit is a 2730. I have navigated by celestial, loran, and paper maps/charts, and I am a GPS believer. Those who think that a paper map is a better solution have never gotten lost in a city where a street-level map is simply not available.

Have I ever been given a route that wasn't perfect? Sure. No reason to throw the unit away.

I used the GPS in my Honda Accord to find my from K St. out to Bethesda. I was almost to Georgetown when it decided that I should go to Dupont Circle, go completely around the circle, and come back to Georgetown. When I got to M and Wisconsin, it tried to send me to Virginia. I was beginning to think the unit had gone into "first-time tourist" mode.

I took a modular approach to deciding on a GPS. I use the OnCourse Navigator 5 software w/ their Bluetooth receiver through my phone (T-mobile MDA). Can upgrade all 3 independent of each other to take advantage of current technology (T-mobile Wing ;-)) as well as share (use with laptop, etc). Replacement of a peripheral is a fraction of the cost of an all in one solution should something break. Seemless map of entire USA consumes 1Gb on mini SD, and includes MANY points of interests, like gas and service stations(what types of cars they specialize in), restaurants, etc. Very robust with no complaints. Oh, and you can take it with you since it's on your phone and the receiver has ~17 hour battery life!

Good tip about looking on eBay for data discs for these systems... I'll have to look into it. (Question: How often do y'all invest in new map data? Every year? Every two years?)

I just remembered an even more interesting lapse in GPS navigation: When we drove out to Canaan Valley in West Virginia to go skiing this winter, our car had almost all of the route picked out right, but towards the end it had us taking a shortcut on a dirt road through the Dolly Sods Wilderness. We might still be digging out the car if we'd taken that advice!

- RP

I gave my husband a TomTom GPS unit for his birthday last year. I was highly skeptical, but I am now a convert. I feel so much better when I travel using a GPS unit rather than a standard printed map or Mapquest/Google Maps directions, and I definitely think it is safer when traveling alone to navigate with a GPS rather than consulting a map or computer printout while driving.
My biggest gripe is that the pre-installed maps were out-of-date when we opened the box, but the same can be said for printed maps and Internet-obtained directions as well.

I recently used a GPS in a Hertz rental car. I had no maps, traveling from Seatac to somewhere 30 miles east of Tacoma.
With its 3D views and voice commands I liked it. It worked. But, my problem was the realization that once I got to my destination I really did not know how I got there or how to get back. I spent all my time listening to the directions and I learned nothing about where I was, relying on the GPS only. Yeah, I would like one in my car, but I think I would probably use a map also...

I have a Garmin 2730, got it last february. The unit is spectacular. Just this last weekend I used it to navigate from the Tarara vineyard to the Breaux vineyard. Didn't have a clue where it was except the address. I still have all the DC area maps in the seat-back pocket, but I haven't pulled them out in months. The traffic feature is also great. Unfortunately, MD has not installed the road traffic sensors, so they have no flow data available. I'm somewhat of a quest to find out who the correct agency to lobby is.

I've also brought the unit with me to LA when I was there last year and Boston when I was there two weeks ago. It's simply invaluable.

Purchased a Garmin c320 more than a year ago and it is on par with TiVo for value per dollar. Highly recommend people look for solid-state GPSes (has memory card versus hard drive). Argument can be made they will last longer.
-Have to agree with Rob on unorthodox, random U turns. A learning GPS is a great idea.
-The GPS has made me immensely more confident with driving in DC, and I have lived in the metro area my whole life. I do remember routes by sight as a result of using the GPS (landmarks and not street signs) - which sounds to be the contrary of some other users' experiences.
-To the points about preplanning - most GPSes can do this because they run on internal battery power. Simply enter your destination indoors and the router will be generated. Mine can even simulate the route!
-About paper maps: Yes, I carry one with me in my work bag and in my car. Especially valuable in DC when walking or when the electromagnetic pulse goes off. GPS is the future and once you get the timing/spacing right on when turns are coming up, you will wonder how you got anywhere without it.

I concur with the Garmin users. I have 2 Garmins and they're both great. I have an older StreetPilot and I just got a Garmin Mobile that works on my Treo. It's a brilliant system that puts Garmin's maps on my Treo. Why didn't people think of this sooner?! I now have everything I could ever need on my phone. I would recommend Garmin to anyone.

I have a portable Garmin 330. I bought it while my husband Randy, was in the hospital in Charlottesville 2 yrs ago. It provided me stress free directions driving from Alexandria to Charlottesville for 3 weeks, when I was really stressed. And I love a "hands free" mapping system! Since then we've used it driving up and down the east coast, out to California and Washington State 3 times.
Randy rarely needs a map, once he's been someplace even 15 yrs ago, he can drive right to it, unless there's been a major change in the roads. Yet the GPS is in his car 75% of the time. It's time for a 2d GPS!
I've switched from the American voice to the British voice for directions, she's less of a nag!

Rob,

Go into options and try turning off the no HOV option. My Garmin 330 used to kick me off I66 inside the beltway no matter what the time was until I unchecked this option. No it doent try to make me exit at every exit. I would never buy a factory installed Nav unit when I can get a decent Garmin for under $300.

I am not big on technology just got a cell phone in Dec. The collies just got their own cell phones in April. And my Linn turntable sounds better than any CD player even my own Wadia which costs over $15k. Trying to read a map if you are alone in the car is dangerous and same holds true with printed Mapquest directions. I have a map as back up.

Hi Rob:

I almost spent money on a GPS system for my HP 2495 PDA, but decided against it due to the cost and having to attach yet another clunky gadget to my PDA when I really want to travel light!

I was (this) close to buying a portable GPS unit but I was really put off by the bloated price of upgrades. Why should I spend $300 on a GPS system and then spend $200 annually for "upgrades?" So I can pay for the device over and over again??

Then I decided to switch my cellphone to Verizon Wireless, which has VZ Navigator. I love it! I have the GPS system I have always wanted as part of my cute (little) cellphone. I get directions for anywhere in the country. It automatiacally recalculates if I miss a direction. I really like that I can set the Navigator by mode of transportation (by foot, car or bicycle) as well as by my prefered routing (shortest, fastest, avoid highways, etc.) Upgrading the system is just part of my wireless service, so I don't spend any additional money on that. Also, while you can use VZ Navigator on an ad hoc basis, you can get unlimited usage for $9.99 per month. I can sync my phone with my laptop and maintain my favorite searches on my laptop as well as my phone -- very useful for trip planning.

I couldn't wait to try out VZ Navigator, first on routes I already knew, then on less familiar routes. It's been flawless in the car, but not so much when I am traveling by foot. One time, I needed to get to a location on foot from a DC Metro stop. The directions I got from the Navigator were very confusing. It was a lot easier to ask for directions. On the other hand, I really love that I can search for restaurants, gas stations, banks, etc. from my location. I found a great restaurant for supper thanks to VZ Navigator. I think GPS locators in cellphones are the next wave and will eventually make all those portable TomToms and Garmins obsolete.