Nick Higham asks the question.
Much as I like to use satnavs when riding or driving, I still like a paper map when route planning. Also, satnavs have a distinct disadvantage; the screens are fairly small and if you want to take an overview of a route, things start to get a bit awkward. So, yes, I still like my paper maps as well.
Maybe the end is looming, but not just yet, I hope…
I must admit, I DO use Satnav both in car and handheld in the Mountains. BUT only as an additional tool to assist with determining my exact location. I always plan the route with a map, determine the waypoints (not ALWAYS a Pub, that is just a co-incidence…) There have been occasions I have had to man a checkpoint that was marginally more featureless than the middle of the Atlantic and in the dark. In those conditions a Satnav is a really helpful tool but it is exactly that, a tool to assist, not replace your brain.
I got a sat nav for work only this year (mainly for the Live Traffic and re-routing) and it’s pretty nifty , I still however look at the route the night before (on-line I admit) and I still however print out a street map of the surrounding area of my destination as normally there is nowhere to park outside, but there’s still a GB AA map in the car and a London A-Z.
As processors get faster and power usage drops to a point where the battery replacement is at a wristwatch level – a Kindle style low power mapping device is going to be the norm… with a pushbutton to take a GPS fix…
Think of all the trees.
The thing that’ll drive the final demise of paper will be the usual “useful app” – as usual though the marketeers are driving the engineers and loads of daft gadgets are out there which will end up as curiosities in the future 🙂
Troble with screens and apps … NOT BIG ENOUGH.
No “big picture”.
Depends on power supplies and batteries.
Says he, with a complete set of both 1:63 360 & 1:50 000 OS maps …..
I love my sat nav – I’ve owned one for years!
Used sensibly they can be the most excellent tool. Finding the closest petrol station in a strange area, travel abroad, finding your way out of one of those nightmare one-way systems in town, etc.
But then I’m old enough to be able to realise what time of day it is, check the shadows and know which way is south…
The problems arise when mongs that can hardly pass a CBT rely on them 100% for navigation instead of using their own brain…