Sunday 17 January 2010

Do Not Use GPS For Everyday Life

By Eugene Smith

GPS mapping systems stands for Global Positioning System. They have become extremely popular lately in reducing the need for road maps and faulty direction givers. Car owners are astounded that they ever got by before GPS was invented.

If you like the aesthetics of a built in system, you can either buy a car with GPS already installed in the dashboard or you can have your dealer install it for you. This can be pricey, though. Many electronics stores sell these systems very cheaply. They are just as good as any built in to your system, though they just clip to your dashboard.

What they do is connect you with a satellite, so the satellite can track your movement. By knowing where you are, how fast you are moving, and the addresses of places around you or where you are going, the GPS will prompt you. You will make the turns it suggests and it will help you find places you have never been to before, or it will help you find shortcuts or navigate around traffic jams or construction.

The system is not flawless. Some people dislike the overly-calm voice prompts and prefer to look at the map on the GPS. This is dangerous. Just get a road map if you are this kind of driver and pull over safely to find your way.

People can rely on them way too much. You should know your surroundings reasonably well and follow road signs. That is why they are there and that is how drivers have found their way for decades. GPS is purely a helpful, emergency system that is good for vacations.

These systems are not infallible, either. They can make mistakes or miscalculations. Drive according to your own logic and use them only when you get stuck. Do you really need this shortcut now? Is there a chance it could lead you into a more time-consuming drive?

But if you are going somewhere you have never been before, the system can tell you how much longer you will have to drive. It can point you toward gas stations and restaurants, making your trip shorter because you will not have to hunt for these things. This is the true reason why GPS was invented.

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