I’m not an “early adopter” though I maintain a healthy on-going interest in the world of technology. My reason for not getting out and buying the latest gizmo is because, usually, the latest gizmo is WAY too expensive when it first hits the market. So, I tend to wait until the price comes down to a reasonable level before I dive in.
The other major benefit of this strategy is that, as well as getting the product cheaper, I usually also end up buying a proven product with all the early model “bugs” well and truly worked out of it. Owners of Toyota Prius’s are probably wishing right now that they’d followed my lead. 🙂
But anyway, in preparation for my big trip later in the year, I’ve been looking at a GPS to assist me with route planning and also on-the-road assistance. Boy, is it a minefield!
Before I go any further, I must say again how grateful I am that so many people HAVE gone out and bought GPS devices. I’ll tell you why. A month or so ago at the speedway a friend remarked that he had noticed a dramatic reduction in the amount of traffic using the Seven Mile Beach/Shoalhaven Heads road south of Gerringong during the Christmas holidays. Normally that road is crowded with tourists who are staying around the area or just passing through to Nowra and points south. However, the reduction of traffic was quite dramatic according to him. Now, of course, the GFC has something to do with it, of course, the experts telling us that people simply didn’t travel as much in the last holidays due to financial constraints.
But my friend also attributed this downturn to the use of GPS’s and my recent trip up to the north coast seems to have confirmed that suspicion. It seems that, Mr Average turns on his GPS, it tells him to go down the highway and, like a good little sheep that he is, he obeys. Hence a dramatic reduction in traffic flows on the “B” roads. Now I don’t know if it’s true or not, but is sounds very plausible and I am certain that I encountered less traffic on the “B” roads up north (and it was still school holiday time) than I have on previous tours, so there could well be something in it.
But, to my impending purchase. There are two dedicated motorcycle GPS devices available. One is the Garmin range (550 and 660) and the other is the TomTom Rider. Both excellent at what they do and eminently suited to motorcycle use, as well they should be. However, both of them cost over $700 where comparable car devices are now down around half of that (or less).
So, I have been looking at alternatives and, thanks to the guys on the excellent VFR discussion forum, I have come up with this one.
Now it’s not a dedicated motorcycle unit, but the guys have used it and found it meets all the criteria apart from being waterproof (which can be easily solved with a “baggie” or by putting the device in the top of the tank bag). It has expandable memory (up to 8gb), runs IGO8 which is an excellent navigation system, and also acts as an .mp3 player.
The best part is the price. Under $100 and free delivery. Can’t go wrong, really. So I think I might give it a go.