Comments on: Cost Benefit Analysis of GPS Units

By: Jim

Jim — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 23:03:39 +0000

I have a TomTom that I got for $150. I’m sure its saving me some money by taking more direct routes and keeping me from getting lost. But with my driving habits I don’t typically go new places and don’t get lost much. So overall I doubt I’m saving enough to pay for the unit.

I enjoy the GPS mostly for the convenience and time savings. I don’t have to look up directions online, but can instead just plug the address into the TomTom. We recently took the TomTom on a trip to Hawaii. It definitely helped there since we werent’ familiar with the roads at all. It both helped us find our way and allowed us more confidence to easily go places we probably wouldn’t have otherwise. It actually made our vacation funner.

Most importantly I enjoy having the GPS to help keep me from getting lost. I hate getting lost and no longer fear doing so.

Jim

By: fivecentnickel.com

fivecentnickel.com — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 17:47:00 +0000

I agree that this would be good for realtors. Also, delivery drivers as well as service technicians and installers that have to make house calls in strange areas. The other potential savings here is time, which can be invaluable.

(I’m really just trying to convince myself to buy one.)

By: jim

jim — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 13:43:38 +0000

One good point, in addition to the detour for accidents idea, you brought up, that I missed, was that it’s valuable for finding places around where you are. Rather than roam around for a bite to eat, just enter it into the GPS and get all the restaurants nearby and save yourself some driving time and gas.

By: Patrick

Patrick — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 13:27:40 +0000

I bought the TomTom One about a month ago for $149. I have lived in the city I am in for about a year and 3 months. While I have worked here for 6 years, I knew how to get to my work place and a few well known places. Being able to ask for the closest anything is a beatiful thing. I have no fear of getting lost and I’m willing to go to places I previously wouldn’t try to navigate (and I use to be a nationwide truck driver so I’m already pretty fearless).

I want to expand on a point you kinda touched upon. Without using the traffic addon service, I find that it is handy when I’m on the highway or even in town to be able to reroute myself around a traffic accident. Without the GPS, I would just sit and wait for fear of getting lost by taking an unknown street. With a number of railroads, that can block off streets, and a number of one-way streets, my city can be troublesome to navigate. You think street A will get you out of a predicament and you suddenly find it dies out because of a railroad track and they didn’t use a bridge (sigh).

I will not travel without a GPS now. It’s invaluable to me. My friend likes his even better because he travels out of state a lot and likes the voice talking to him.. LOL.