Comments on: The Mainstream-ification of GPS http://www.markevanstech.com/2008/05/27/the-mainstream-ification-of-gps/ Insight and Analysis from North of the Border Wed, 03 Dec 2008 00:53:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Nav-XXX at :: DMY :: http://www.markevanstech.com/2008/05/27/the-mainstream-ification-of-gps/#comment-65352 Nav-XXX at :: DMY :: Fri, 30 May 2008 14:57:23 +0000 http://www.markevanstech.com/?p=3450#comment-65352 [...] The Mainstream-ification of GPS [via Zemanta] [...] [...] The Mainstream-ification of GPS [via Zemanta] [...]

]]> By: Jim Courtney http://www.markevanstech.com/2008/05/27/the-mainstream-ification-of-gps/#comment-64544 Jim Courtney Tue, 27 May 2008 15:04:10 +0000 http://www.markevanstech.com/?p=3450#comment-64544 I have been using GPS technology off-and-on for the past seven years. But the most interesting experience occurred while attending ceBit in Hanover, Germany last year. At the end of our long days in or visiting booths, we'd all get into our host's SUV, he'd look up restaurants in the GPS system and we had two of the most interesting meal experiences in places we never would have found in the tourist books or by any other means. It's the gradual penetration of GPS into mobile phones that will drive more users to adopting GPS, whether in a vehicle navigation system or on a mobile device, in the long term. I have it on both my Blackberry 8820 and Nokia N95 evaluation units. Just yesterday Google Maps on my Blackberry, combined with the GPS helped me find a route around a traffic jam on the 401 while traveling to Waterloo. I have been using GPS technology off-and-on for the past seven years. But the most interesting experience occurred while attending ceBit in Hanover, Germany last year. At the end of our long days in or visiting booths, we’d all get into our host’s SUV, he’d look up restaurants in the GPS system and we had two of the most interesting meal experiences in places we never would have found in the tourist books or by any other means.

It’s the gradual penetration of GPS into mobile phones that will drive more users to adopting GPS, whether in a vehicle navigation system or on a mobile device, in the long term. I have it on both my Blackberry 8820 and Nokia N95 evaluation units. Just yesterday Google Maps on my Blackberry, combined with the GPS helped me find a route around a traffic jam on the 401 while traveling to Waterloo.

]]> By: Michael Janke http://www.markevanstech.com/2008/05/27/the-mainstream-ification-of-gps/#comment-64525 Michael Janke Tue, 27 May 2008 13:16:24 +0000 http://www.markevanstech.com/?p=3450#comment-64525 The compelling feature (for me) is not the mapping. Paper works just fine for that. It's the POI (Point of Interest) database that comes with the GPS. If I need gasoline, it tells me where the nearby gas stations are, and for an additional fee, it goes on-line and tells me how much the gas costs. That sort of functionality, where location + service is brought together by a GPS with on-line access, if expanded out to food, hotels, movies, clothes, etc., could make the devices extraordinarily useful. GPS + Navigation + Yellow Pages + online price and inventory would let me do 'drive-by-shopping'. Or - 'who in the area has left handed widgets for sale and at what price'. Sort of like combining the old Yellow Pages with a paper map and a lot of phone calls to check what's in stock. They have the potential to be revolutionary devices, for more than just their navigational accuracy. The company that takes the functionality of Google local search & combines it with on line inventory, the POI's and navigational capability will have a nice product. (As some cell providers are attempting to do.) The compelling feature (for me) is not the mapping. Paper works just fine for that. It’s the POI (Point of Interest) database that comes with the GPS. If I need gasoline, it tells me where the nearby gas stations are, and for an additional fee, it goes on-line and tells me how much the gas costs.

That sort of functionality, where location + service is brought together by a GPS with on-line access, if expanded out to food, hotels, movies, clothes, etc., could make the devices extraordinarily useful.

GPS + Navigation + Yellow Pages + online price and inventory would let me do ‘drive-by-shopping’. Or - ‘who in the area has left handed widgets for sale and at what price’. Sort of like combining the old Yellow Pages with a paper map and a lot of phone calls to check what’s in stock.

They have the potential to be revolutionary devices, for more than just their navigational accuracy. The company that takes the functionality of Google local search & combines it with on line inventory, the POI’s and navigational capability will have a nice product. (As some cell providers are attempting to do.)

]]> By: Dan York http://www.markevanstech.com/2008/05/27/the-mainstream-ification-of-gps/#comment-64506 Dan York Tue, 27 May 2008 12:09:41 +0000 http://www.markevanstech.com/?p=3450#comment-64506 Mark, It's indeed a fascinating evolution of usage. Like so much else in our lives, maps/directions are being pushed up into the online cloud... Google Maps, MapQuest and all the other sites have become the tools we now use to get directions. I can't honestly think of the last time I pulled out one of my old AAA maps to use it for directions. I just punch the address into Google Maps and print out the directions. GPS systems now make that even easier. They also address the times when I *have* in the past used my printed maps... when I've been traveling and looking to find some place or route. A GPS unit can just help you and re-route as you are driving. Fascinating time we live in. Thanks for publishing those stats. Dan Mark,

It’s indeed a fascinating evolution of usage. Like so much else in our lives, maps/directions are being pushed up into the online cloud… Google Maps, MapQuest and all the other sites have become the tools we now use to get directions. I can’t honestly think of the last time I pulled out one of my old AAA maps to use it for directions. I just punch the address into Google Maps and print out the directions. GPS systems now make that even easier. They also address the times when I *have* in the past used my printed maps… when I’ve been traveling and looking to find some place or route. A GPS unit can just help you and re-route as you are driving. Fascinating time we live in. Thanks for publishing those stats.

Dan

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