There are just too many cool toys around now! My wife got me a Magellan Roadmate for the Nomad. What a great idea. It's fairly simple to use (and that's a good thing, very good). I had to put a cigarette lighter on the Vulcan but found room right next to my cupholder, you know next to the ash tray and cell phone cradle. 
Using it is a blast. I don't know what criteria they decide on for the quickest routes calculated but turns are always the choice. I programmed in a very simple task, to go to my inlaw's house. It can be done with 4 turns, 3 90 degree lefts and 1 90 degree right using all major roads. Oh, that isn't imaginative enough. Would you believe 8 90 degree turns, 4 left and 4 right. They did save about a half mile but making all the extra turns burned up any advantage.
On the way back I ignored the suggested route and every time I did it recalculated a new one. Magellan could have really had some fun with a "back seat driver" mode. You know, since it talks to you anyway why not just for laughs have it make diparaging remarks about missing a turn or "not ever listening to me".
Phoenix is too simple a place to drive for one of these because all but one street runs North-South or East-West. She got it for the road trips that we plan to take as far away from an interstate as I can get.
The other cool toy I got (no one gave it to me, I got it) was security cameras. These things have 22 power optical zooms (and 2X digital which I turn off) and night vision without IR. What a hoot! I have a couple of neighborhood delinquents next door who think that smoking dope in the dark and tagging buildings at 3:00 AM is safe. I already have video of them smoking in their little clubhouse. These things light up the street like daylight. It will be great catching them tagging.
Too much fun, too little time!
Using it is a blast. I don't know what criteria they decide on for the quickest routes calculated but turns are always the choice. I programmed in a very simple task, to go to my inlaw's house. It can be done with 4 turns, 3 90 degree lefts and 1 90 degree right using all major roads. Oh, that isn't imaginative enough. Would you believe 8 90 degree turns, 4 left and 4 right. They did save about a half mile but making all the extra turns burned up any advantage.
On the way back I ignored the suggested route and every time I did it recalculated a new one. Magellan could have really had some fun with a "back seat driver" mode. You know, since it talks to you anyway why not just for laughs have it make diparaging remarks about missing a turn or "not ever listening to me".
Phoenix is too simple a place to drive for one of these because all but one street runs North-South or East-West. She got it for the road trips that we plan to take as far away from an interstate as I can get.
The other cool toy I got (no one gave it to me, I got it) was security cameras. These things have 22 power optical zooms (and 2X digital which I turn off) and night vision without IR. What a hoot! I have a couple of neighborhood delinquents next door who think that smoking dope in the dark and tagging buildings at 3:00 AM is safe. I already have video of them smoking in their little clubhouse. These things light up the street like daylight. It will be great catching them tagging.
Too much fun, too little time!
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