Should I get a GPS in Italy?
Aug 28th, 2007, 06:14 AM
#21
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 19,000
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I just typed <i>pienza</i> into Google Mobile Maps on my iPAQ and got a detailed street plan. The disadvantage to this scheme is that it requires a persistent internet connection.
AutoRoute only shows a road junction.
AutoRoute only shows a road junction.
Aug 28th, 2007, 06:35 AM
#22
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,490
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
One thing on the GPS issue that I constantly harp on is that while I wouldn't like to drive in Europe without one, I wouldn't simply abdicate all navigation responsibility and rely solely on the GPS.
Using Microsoft Autoroute, I'm able to plan my route at home before I even leave on the trip and to check the routing proposed by Autoroute with what I think would be a logical route looking at the map, and with a view to hitting all the scenic locations that I want to see. I understand that you can also do this with dedicated GPS units, but have no personal experience with them.
If you don't pre-plan, and simply enter the info into the GPS when you get in the car, you'll find that the routing is not always optimal, for whatever reason. It could be that the fastest route is not the most scenic route, or that the software doesn't like a particular road for some reason, or even that it is confused as to a place (you tend to get a lot of similar, or even identical, place names across regions, so the GPS could take you somewhere well off your intended path if you arent paying close attention).
Using Microsoft Autoroute, I'm able to plan my route at home before I even leave on the trip and to check the routing proposed by Autoroute with what I think would be a logical route looking at the map, and with a view to hitting all the scenic locations that I want to see. I understand that you can also do this with dedicated GPS units, but have no personal experience with them.
If you don't pre-plan, and simply enter the info into the GPS when you get in the car, you'll find that the routing is not always optimal, for whatever reason. It could be that the fastest route is not the most scenic route, or that the software doesn't like a particular road for some reason, or even that it is confused as to a place (you tend to get a lot of similar, or even identical, place names across regions, so the GPS could take you somewhere well off your intended path if you arent paying close attention).
Aug 28th, 2007, 06:55 AM
#23
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 19,000
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I agree completely. We use GPS as sort of an "automated road map" by planning our route in advance (using AutoRoute's suggestion as a first cut and then modifying it manually), and using it enroute just to check our progress as we would with a paper map.
A paper map, that is, that shows where we are, time and distance to our destination, and where our next refueling should take place (Google Mobile is in the process of integrating fuel prices into their "business" database so their software can tell you which station offers the optimum tradeoff of cost and distance from your intended route!)
A paper map, that is, that shows where we are, time and distance to our destination, and where our next refueling should take place (Google Mobile is in the process of integrating fuel prices into their "business" database so their software can tell you which station offers the optimum tradeoff of cost and distance from your intended route!)
