The User Experience of GPS

[Stevie]

1. Price position

Fitting a Navigation system in my Ford Escort would be much more expensive and achieves one goal. My Ipaq is my notebook, diary and addressbook as well.



2. The unsightly wiring. 12v cigar lighters always look untidy when used as power connections. Oh for out of sight connectors.



3. Frequent & infrequent travellers.



If you don't travel far & wide very often the GPS is great to help you round unknown towns/streets. If you do travel far & wide frequently you know you need gps. Going round a town looking for a street whilst your passenger tries to work out the map upside down is not a popular pastime but a frequent event for some.

[Dave]

Maceo, you would need a GSM link to send data back. Check out our AVL article which shows towards the end a child tracker built into a training shoe/sneaker.

[Maceo]

Mike,



for kids to be tracked with GPS, there would have to be a wireless link from the kid to the parent, wouldn't there? Is this via mobile phone technology or something else?

[Maceo]

Bonze said that GPS is a "male technology": anyone here to counter this assumption?



Which makes me think... Would you say that there is an age bias among GPS users? For example, do you know teenagers using GPS devices? Or older users?



I would assume that in a few year's time, when GPS is more in the mainstream, as Mike projected, the technology will step back behind the utility side of things, GPS receivers will be embedded in converged smartphone devices (cf the Garmin iQue PDA/GPS http://www.brighthand.com/article/Garmin_iQue_3600_review). Then, a broader scope of people might be attracted to the applications (maybe you won't even refer to it by the technical term anymore like it happened with WAP).

[MikeB]

Quote: Originally posted by Maceo on 27 August 2003

---

Mike,



by "GPS tracking devices for kids", do you mean simple GPS things to be used by kids (so that they do not get lost when on their own) or GPS devices that allow parents to track the whereabouts of their kids?

---

These are gps devices for kids allowing them to be tracked.
_________________
Mike Barrett

[MikeB]

Quote: Originally posted by Maceo on 27 August 2003

---

Thanks Stevie and Mike for your comments!



@ MikeB, you said that you had a high affinity to maps and navigation even before having a GPS. Do you think that is typical among "early adopter" GPS users?

---

Most certainly is. The very early GPS devices only provided a read out of your co-ordinates you then used a paper map to get your position. Today you can have your position, projected route, and actual track plotted accurately on a digital map.


_________________
Mike Barrett

[bonze]

1. Transportable from one car to another. As someone else said just tap in a destination and off you go, "get me home"



2. The software is still not as powerful/useful compared to, for example, Autoroute.



3. Like most technology probably a male thing, eg. my wife thinks it is clever, but doesn't trust it.
_________________
TomTom 920T

[Stevie]

Maceo,

I've always been a bit of a gadget junkie. Started with a Palm 515 but the screen was too small thogh the apps were good. Went to a Ipaq 3870 which was fine though at first the apps were harder to find, and qickly upgraded to the 3970.



I'm now doing some limited programming on NS Basic to add the simple apps I can't find elsewhere.



If you need some equipment reviewed by a gadget junkie let me know.

[Maceo]

Mike,



by "GPS tracking devices for kids", do you mean simple GPS things to be used by kids (so that they do not get lost when on their own) or GPS devices that allow parents to track the whereabouts of their kids?

[Maceo]

Thanks Stevie and Mike for your comments!



@ MikeB, you said that you had a high affinity to maps and navigation even before having a GPS. Do you think that is typical among "early adopter" GPS users?



@ Stevie, you seem to have bought your GPS for a very specific purpose. Did you find out that the technology "grows on you", and you find out more and more applications for it (just nosey, because that was my experience with PDAs... bought a cheap one and knocked on its limits in a matter of weeks)?

[MikeB]

Maceo,



Some strange agression in this thread. We all have to start somewhere. I am glad you English is good, because I cant speak or write in German.



Isnt coming to a forum like this where we share information the right way to start to learn about these technologies? I like you think it is.



Anyway answers:



1) I have always been a navigation junkie, not that I read maps instead of books (well not that often). I just think that the technology takes almost all of the uncertainity out of navigation.



2) Currently the GPS equipment is regarded as a bit techy and is not quite yet at the Mass Market consumer stage of development, but it has come a long way in the last 2 years and will go a lot further in the next year.



3) I am finding that everyone is starting to use GPS in one form or other. From GPS tracking devices for Kids, to Professional surveyers, with a broad consumer section in the middle.



I use a number of PDAs with Mouse and BT GPS receivers for Street Navigation in cars, marine navigation, and for losing myself in the hills.
_________________
Mike Barrett

[Maceo]

Hello, as a user experience consultant new to the world of GPS, I'd like to gather your feedback to help me understand this filed a little better.



1) What is it that you like best about your GPS tools & services?



2) What is it that really gets on your nerves when you think about your GPS tools & services?



3) When you think about your friends, colleagues and family: what kind of people do you think use GPS applications?



Thanks in advance for taking the time to answer!

[__dg]

I have an Ipaq, CF jacket, TT2 and RoyalTek reciever



dg

[Maceo]

Thanks for responding dg!



Are you using a combined device, i.e. a PDA with an attached GPS receiver (jacket, cable, BT) or a standalone device?

[__dg]

1. I like the fact that I can just "navigate to" a place without having to check a map, check the route, work out an arrival time etc etc... just a quick tap with the pan and I'm away.



2. If I am near a cluster of main roads or motorways, the unit tries to send me via them, when often some minor roads are quicker. Changing the settings to eliminate this is a chore.

There is no postcode search.

There is no via or avoid option



3. Anyone that needs to frequently travel to unfamiliar places.

I know a number of people who were not even aware that GPS road mapping was generally avialable, who have bought a unit just after seeing one in action.

I am finding quicker local routes even after living in the city for over 30 years!



dg

We see you’re using an ad-blocker. We’re fine with that and won’t stop you visiting the site.
Have you considered making a donation towards website running costs?.
Or you could disable your ad-blocker for this site. We think you’ll find our adverts are not overbearing!