Insanity: Four GPS Navs Shouting From One Dashboard - Gizmodo Comments

Insanity: Four GPS Navs Shouting From One Dashboard

Worf — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 13:03:00 EDT

It goes both ways. The recalculating is telling you that it's busy finding your next turn, and that directions may not be forthcoming until it's done (which can take a bit of time until it's found a route). Also useful for streets where the turning is not so obvious - "Turn left in 50 feet" - except there are *two* left turns possible in 50 feet! Or there are two possible ways to turn left if multiple roads join up.

Remember a goal of the GPS navigation is so that you keep your eyes on the road, you should never need to look at the screen while driving. Including seeing which turn it means. If you missed the turn, it'll tell you that you missed the turn and it'll find a new route. You shouldn't look at the screen to verify that it was talking about the second left when you turned the first, or vice-versa.

Worf

Insanity: Four GPS Navs Shouting From One Dashboard

someToast — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 23:40:20 EDT

I had borrowed a friend's Magellan for a month before buying a TomTom Go. The Magellan would do that audible "recalculating route" thing too, which more often than not resulted in profane shouting at the box.

The TomTom doesn't do that (though you might catch a glimpse of the progress bar on the screen), which I consider to be a feature. I don't give a flying fig that I missed the turn, just tell me when the next one is.

someToast

Insanity: Four GPS Navs Shouting From One Dashboard

Vexorg — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 18:26:32 EDT

"A man with a GPS knows where he's going. A man with two is never sure."

Vexorg

Insanity: Four GPS Navs Shouting From One Dashboard

robotstephe — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 16:47:05 EDT

i just think it would have been cool if at the end, all of them could sing together in harmony, "You have arrived at your destination."

and what? no one could get their VZ Navigator in on the orgy??

robotstephe

Insanity: Four GPS Navs Shouting From One Dashboard

astrograph — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 16:32:53 EDT

LOL

astrograph

Insanity: Four GPS Navs Shouting From One Dashboard

technophobia — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 16:31:18 EDT

LOL, that was funny.

technophobia

Insanity: Four GPS Navs Shouting From One Dashboard

BWGunner — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 16:29:41 EDT

Charlie White may be the harbinger of the Apocalypse. He has, after all, the Dashboard of Babel. Set each one to a different language and you may find out how difficult it is for a pillar of salt to drive a car!

BWGunner

Insanity: Four GPS Navs Shouting From One Dashboard

Thread — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 16:23:53 EDT

Who needs to bring your family along when you have a setup like that!

Thread

Insanity: Four GPS Navs Shouting From One Dashboard

technophobia — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 16:21:16 EDT

A test to see which one tells you to turn the fastest? That makes no since whatsoever.

When it tells you to turn has no indication on which GPS has a better lock or better reception at all. It's programmed in software to give you a certain amount of time to make the turn, but not warn you so far in advance, that you forget to make the turn.

For instance, my Garmin GPS (yeah, no fancy voices, but it works) gives a warning beep about 2 minutes before a turn, then gives a "time to turn" about 20 seconds before the actual turn.

Anyway, funny video though...need to get one with a voice, instead of annoying beeping all the time.

technophobia

Insanity: Four GPS Navs Shouting From One Dashboard

dan — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 16:10:15 EDT

That was...

...recalculating...

...pretty sweet.

dan