Map Updates

One of the potential drawbacks of a GPS system is that all of the map information and Points of Interest are stored in the memory of your GPS. If you want to update that information, then you have to download it off the Internet or order a CD from the company.

Where I live in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, a new freeway was built near where I live, about a ten minute drive away. Unfortunately, this new road was not part of the maps included in my GPS when I bought it. I don’t drive this road often, but it is a minor annoyance when I drive on it and am shown flying through a field on my GPS. It isn’t that I have trouble with the imagery, but that my GPS is constantly suggesting ‘actual roads’ I might want to be driving on as I pass by them on the invisible road it seems to think I’ve found. Also, the arrival time is always tragically incorrect until I get back on a road it recognizes.

I Just Want One Lousy DVD!

This was a minor inconvenience, but I had a plan. Most GPS manufacturers will give you one free map update. I called up the company and had the misfortunate to speak to a fairly new representative at the company. Because I had purchased a refurbished unit, it was no longer in the current line of products and support for it was a touchy subject. This young fellow was not willing to commit to the obvious course of action without checking the situation out with the higher ups and getting back to me. It wasn’t until I phoned back and got a more seasoned representative who recognized that conducting further business with me depended on a satisfactory resolution of this concern that I finally got a DVD packed with the latest maps shipped free of charge. It still didn’t have the new road, but what can you do?

Selling maps is a very lucrative business for GPS companies. Going on a vaction to Europe? You might have to shell out a few hundred dollars to be able to take along your very own GPS preloaded with all the amazing spots you want to visit. Different GPS units are sold with different maps included. Good luck asking for free updates of maps your unit didn’t come with. The updated versions of the maps your GPS came with are fair game, though. While a company may limit how many times they will provide updated maps, they should at the very least provide you with one free update. It’s worth your time to call the customer service line for the GPS you’re considering purchasing, and ask a few polite questions about what is offered before you take the plunge.

In addition to the maps themselves, the list of Points of Interest in your GPS can be updated. POIs, as they are known, are stores, restaurants and public spaces that are stored in your GPS that can be searched and can include not only the physical location but the phone number so you can call ahead if you need to. Most GPS systems will allow you to add your own Points of Interest or download updates. As businesses move into your area or go to business heaven, it’s nice to update changes on a regular basis.

Mobile Phone GPS

One of the new trends in GPS is mobile phones. In two years time, you won’t be able to buy a phone that isn’t GPS enabled. I remember when colour screens were the rage and I first tried to buy a phone that didn’t have a colour screen out of concern over battery life, only to discover NO one was willing to sell a phone that didn’t have a colour screen. Then it was camera phones, and every phone had to have a camera. GPS is the coming trend, and this one I’m actually enthused about in advance. I couldn’t get excited about colour screens or cameras until I got used to having them, and now I can’t imagine a phone without them.

I was unsure how I would feel about GPS on a cell phone until I got a close-up look at an Apple iPhone. Because the phone downloaded maps as needed, instead of storing the maps for all of North America in the unit, those maps could be updated continuously, removing the need for annual updates. When I entered an address, there were three options. I could get directions for how to walk to a place, or how to take a bus to a place in addition to how to drive to a place. The bus option included not only which bus I should take, but also when that bus should arrive, and when I should start walking to catch that bus and any walking routes between bus connections. Having the bus schedules for all the major cities in North America built into my phone and accessible whenever I want them is a huge advantage. It would encourage people to make better use of public transit which would be huge environmental plus.

I don’t think we’re even imagining the most creative uses for GPS on phones quite yet, but I expect some very interesting applications to crop up. They won’t entirely replace car-based GPS immediately, but I expect it won’t be long until it will be commonplace to get in your car, plop your phone onto a cradle attached to your stereo, and use it to play back songs and guide you to your destination deftly avoiding traffic snarls. Personally, I can’t wait.