Reply to: The death of the SatNav?

[SueEllen]

I still just use a map - perhaps there is a point to sat nav if you do a lot of urban journeys in unfamilar locations but personally I prefer to be in control of my destiny - YMMV

I use a sat nav and a map.

Sat nav for urban areas.

Map to know where the hell I'm going.

Sat navs are set to take the quickest route but they don't always take the easiest route when the difference in time is 2 minutes.

[Dark Black]

I still just use a map - perhaps there is a point to sat nav if you do a lot of urban journeys in unfamilar locations but personally I prefer to be in control of my destiny - YMMV

[Contreras]

"Software Handbrake" - How is this progress? (And I'm a Softie). True story about my mate and his 14 plate Vauxhall Insignia lease car and it's software handbrake, he was on a site visit, a few minutes later one of the bosses pats him on the shoulder:

Boss: Is that your Vauxhall Insignia outside?
Mate: Yes, why, is it blocking someone in?
Boss: No, it's rolled down the hill and hit one of our wagons.

Turns out (though Vauxhall denied it) there's a known software fault in that it randomly decides to let the brakes off.

Call me old fashined, but I think I'll stick with a cable and ratchet mechanism.

Yep. Now imagine 'electronic steering lock' and hold that thought for a moment.

[unixman]

I enjoyed reading maps so was a late adopter of satnav. In urban areas, satnav is unbeatable. Still keep a paper atlas though. From best to worst:

1. Built in: Great. Plus: everything. Minus: Hard to update, maps often old.

2. Dedicated device: Very good. Plus: portable, easy to update, convenient. No network dependency.

3. Smartphone: adequate. Plus: portable, easy to update. Minus: Network dependency, privacy issues, not as convenient as dedicated.

[rl4engc]

Nothing at all in the handbrake area that was odd.)
qh

"Software Handbrake" - How is this progress? (And I'm a Softie). True story about my mate and his 14 plate Vauxhall Insignia lease car and it's software handbrake, he was on a site visit, a few minutes later one of the bosses pats him on the shoulder:

Boss: Is that your Vauxhall Insignia outside?
Mate: Yes, why, is it blocking someone in?
Boss: No, it's rolled down the hill and hit one of our wagons.

Turns out (though Vauxhall denied it) there's a known software fault in that it randomly decides to let the brakes off.

Call me old fashined, but I think I'll stick with a cable and ratchet mechanism.

[GlenW]

won't have any money and won't know where you are!

So a permie then?

[tomtomagain]

I'd hate to be relying on my smart phone all the time

To late for that! Smartphones will be replacing your credit/debit cards next.

Which means if you lose your phone. You won't be able to call for help, won't have any money and won't know where you are!

[quackhandle]

I'm old school, before I go anywhere I used my A-Z and my brain, but I can see they are helpful for traffic jams in plotting ways around it. My folks got me one for Christmas, still not taken out of shrinkwrap yet.

I was at a Tesla showroom last weekend and that thing has a bloody huge screen connected to t'interweb, but when you can't connect it also has a backup sat-nag. (Nothing at all in the handbrake area that was odd.)

qh

[xoggoth]

Don't travel enough to new places to need one anymore.

[MicrosoftBob]

I still use my Tom Toms, where I live phone signals are patchy and it's easy to get lost down all the country roads

I'd hate to be relying on my smart phone all the time

[d000hg]

Wonder what smartphone users do when they are negotiating a tricky city and the phone rings at the wrong moment!

Use a decent app that handles this well? I'm sure some on iOS do this?

[Halo Jones]

I have satnav built in the car & a separate TomTom that I use when driving a rental camper van in Europe.

Never really considered using phone & app as my concern would be the data charges / bad signal areas, I have only lost signal on the TT when underground .

[FatLazyContractor]

My earlier post pointed out you can disallow incoming calls when driving.

You can either do all of them or only allow priority calls through.

Yes, got that.

Chances of getting lost in a massive city, using a Satnav at a major junction and getting a priority call at that moment = Priceless!

Either use it as a Satnav with nothing incoming (based on comfort levels with the route) or use a proper Satnav and still have a phone.

HTH

[SueEllen]

Smart phone screen with Satnav




Smart phone screen with an incoming call:



Whose arse would you be driving up now?

My earlier post pointed out you can disallow incoming calls when driving.

You can either do all of them or only allow priority calls through.

[rl4engc]

Good replies cheers,

@VectraMan

I was a bit "Anti-Satnav" to begin with, I think Steve Coogan summed it up best in The Trip Series 1, "It's not about the destination, it's the journey".. which I do agree with, but more for when you're planning a day out. Get the AA road atlas out, and see what looks interesting on the way or in the area, that's one things I found lacking, there's no equivalent of all the yellow "Attractions" boxes on SatNavs, save downloading POI's for each category.

But I was a swift convert to them when I had to negotiate Leicester City Centre to find a Travellodge, after a 3 day music festival (we stayed an extra day). That was no fun at all without one. Just being able to look at a screen and know where you need to be aiming for is priceless in an unfamiliar city (which is most of them to me).

OK I'm gonna check out the Android/try some Apps method, has the TomTom software come on in the last year or so? When I did try it, it had all the feel of a clunky port from the dedicated boxes, it wasn't slick at all. But Google Maps seems to be getting more 'cluttered' I feel?