cheap GPS / buy a Microsoft product!

[D. Hugh Redelmeier]

| From: Zbigniew Koziol <softquake-Re5JQEeQqe8AvxtiuMwx3w at public.gmane.org>

| I wonder how all this works. Is the database with maps stored on the box or do 
| the maps needed have to be downloaded through the internet?
| 
| Detailed maps for North America take around 20 GB disk space.

You could read reviews etc. of Microsoft Streets & Trips.  It comes on
a DVD.  You are allowed to install it all to hard disk or to install
in such a way that you need the DVD loaded while using the software.

I've installed it but barely used it.  When walking, a notebook-based
GPS is pretty awkward.  Even when driving I find that I'd rather have
Kadge (my wife) in the passenger seat than my notebook.  The only time I
actually used it was on a train -- I wasn't concentrating on driving,
but then again the information could not influence our journey (hey,
(a) we were on rails, and (b) I wasn't driving).

| > Linux mapping software could be improved.  So buy one of these and pitch
| > in :-)
| 
| Depends, what you have in mind. It is not so much that there is no Linux 
| software for mapping. They simply did a version for Windows and they 
| obviously did not want to make a Linux version. There is quite some software 
| for mapping working on Linux. Also, there is open source mapping server 
| around (I did not really try myself). MapInfo has some Java based software 
| which works on Linux too. I am developing a very complex web application 
| based on their product, MapXtreme Java. Since it is a web application, it 
| will work on at least Firefox on any platform. hopefully also on other 
| browsers.

I like open source.  The state of open-source maps is, uh, evolving.
  http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/index.php/Main_Page

We can help:
  http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/index.php/Toronto_Mapping_Weekend

The Government of Canada has released mapping with a good license but
not good enough for openstreetmap.
  http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/index.php/WikiProject_Canada

I understand that some Linux GPS software is willing to scrape google
maps screens.  Ugh.

Web applications are currently more-or-less tethered.  (I'm too cheap to 
get a cell phone + data plan.)
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