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I borrowed a demo Satellite Navigation unit from work to try out in my car over the weekend, see what they're really like.
These things have got hugely popular over the last year or so, selling tons of them - so just wanted to see what the fuss was all about and if they're as good as the manufacturers claim.
I do love driving, always have done - but it does get so boring just driving miles and miles and miles on motorways and dual carriageways. I needed to go and do some shopping over in Torquay, which is usually a 25 minute drive at most down the A380 Dual Carriageway. So have got this unit, is a nice sunny (albeit bloody cold) day so set it to take me along the costal road instead, with the 'Fastest Route' option chosen.
This thing took me down some of the narrowest, unclassified roads that I've ever seen in my life, it seemed to like avoiding all main roads at any cost! I can only assume that it done this as these roads have 60 limits as they're unclassified, however if I'd done anything near that speed down them I'd be dead by now. Not only that, one of the roads was closed because of roadworks (OK, it wouldn't have known that so fair enough), it also sent me about two miles down this road (when there was a perfectly good main road there) where I went around this corner and a set of bollards appeared in the middle of the road, was only a bloody no thru road! So after slamming on my brakes, followed by a 15'ish point turn in this amazingly narrow lane, set off back to the main road, despite it shouting at me to turn around ASAP.
In the end, it did get me there - it took well over an hour (however this does include a stop in a petrol station for some more screenwash to get the mud from the country lanes off my windscreen and a very soggy, hot, microwaved Ginsters product that at some point in a previous life may have resembled something loosely related to food) - however I must admit it was a hell of alot more fun than sitting on a motorway just going straight all the time!
So in conclusion, if you wan't to get somewhere fast, buy a map. If you want a bit more of a fun journey and have all the time in the world, get into the 21st century and get one of these!
These things have got hugely popular over the last year or so, selling tons of them - so just wanted to see what the fuss was all about and if they're as good as the manufacturers claim.
I do love driving, always have done - but it does get so boring just driving miles and miles and miles on motorways and dual carriageways. I needed to go and do some shopping over in Torquay, which is usually a 25 minute drive at most down the A380 Dual Carriageway. So have got this unit, is a nice sunny (albeit bloody cold) day so set it to take me along the costal road instead, with the 'Fastest Route' option chosen.
This thing took me down some of the narrowest, unclassified roads that I've ever seen in my life, it seemed to like avoiding all main roads at any cost! I can only assume that it done this as these roads have 60 limits as they're unclassified, however if I'd done anything near that speed down them I'd be dead by now. Not only that, one of the roads was closed because of roadworks (OK, it wouldn't have known that so fair enough), it also sent me about two miles down this road (when there was a perfectly good main road there) where I went around this corner and a set of bollards appeared in the middle of the road, was only a bloody no thru road! So after slamming on my brakes, followed by a 15'ish point turn in this amazingly narrow lane, set off back to the main road, despite it shouting at me to turn around ASAP.
In the end, it did get me there - it took well over an hour (however this does include a stop in a petrol station for some more screenwash to get the mud from the country lanes off my windscreen and a very soggy, hot, microwaved Ginsters product that at some point in a previous life may have resembled something loosely related to food) - however I must admit it was a hell of alot more fun than sitting on a motorway just going straight all the time!
So in conclusion, if you wan't to get somewhere fast, buy a map. If you want a bit more of a fun journey and have all the time in the world, get into the 21st century and get one of these!
Although they're goddamn expensive 
Brightened my day.