[Shop-talk] GPS Systems

[Karl Vacek]

Having had a hand-me-down Garmin 60C for a year and a half, I thought it was 
just my old model GPS causing the same problems others note with their 
far-newer Garmins.  Why are they supposed to be the best ??  A limo service 
owner showed me his cheap MIO a year or two back that was far better than my 
Garmin.  It was impressive, and he said map downloads were free.  All his 
limos use them.

I looked at the Motorola Droid phone when Verizon got it a month or so ago, 
and besieds being an iPhone-killer, it looks like a far better GPS option. 
Downside is that the mandatory data service (which includes full Internet 
and e-mail) does run $30 a month, but iPhone and Blackberry users already 
pay this kind of fee anyway.  Having not only real GPS but also immediate 
access to Google maps, Google Streetview, and Google Earth, is lots more 
useful that just a GPS with maps that were updated some time in the last 
year.

I think it's a matter of time before this type of phone/computer/GPS takes 
over much of the standalone GPS market.  Garmin must see this coming, as 
they've been trying to sell Garmin phones for a while now.

Karl