Microsoft GPS

[Colin McGregor]

On 1/9/09, Evan Leibovitch <evan-ieNeDk6JonTYtjvyW6yDsg at public.gmane.org> wrote:
> Merv Curley wrote:
>> Hi all
>>
>> I suppose Google would work but...
>>
>> My Microsoft Trips 2007/GPS has arrived from Factorydirect.  Now that I
>> have
>> spent $30, what do I need?  [ Do I curse Hugh or bless him for the $20
>> coupon?]
>>
> The value of having a computer-attached GPS is in the ability it gives
> you to help participate in the Open Street Map Project:
> http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Main_Page
>
> This is an attempt to duplicate the global mapping used in systems such
> as Google Maps, but without their proprietary mapping data.
>
>> Never having used a GPS, does it only work in the great outdoors?  It
>> comes
>> with a little suction cup, I assume this is stuck to a car windshield?
>>
> Correct. Using the Microsoft software, you could use that unit, plus
> your computer, like a very large portable GPS system.
> With Linux its value is to help CREATE data rather than just use it. See
> http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Beginners'_Guide to find out how.

Much of Perth, ON was mapped using a Microsoft GPS, laptop in the
passenger front seat of a car, GPS sitting on the front dashboard.
Bottom line with GPS units is that you want as clear a view of as much
of the sky as possible all the time or you may run into no readings or
bad readings. You can have issues with GPSs in canyons, be they ones
created by mother nature in the wild, or the concrete canyons of a
major city centre...

When you have what amounts to a geographic wiki interestingly odd
things can happen, like:

www.openstreetmap.org/?lat=40.78377&lon=-119.20424&zoom=16&layers=00B0FTF

The above is a map of part of the Nevada's Black Rock desert and for
50 weeks each year it is just ... desert. For just over one week each
year it is home to the "Burning Man" arts festival (which concludes
with the torching of a multi-story tall mannequin). So, people want to
to note where things will be within this temporary festival site, with
a geographic wiki that isn't an issue... This is the sort of thing
that would not happen with the likes of say Google Maps.

>> What Linux software is needed for the GPS.  I think Colin has said but I
>> can't find the post.
>>
> see
> http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Making_Tracks_with_Homebrew-ware#Linux
>
> The gpsd and associated packages are available as standard Ubuntu
> packages, and I imagine they're available pre-packaged for other systems
> as well.
>
>> if someone can just post where to go to find this kind of info, I would be
>>
>> appreciative.  No need to spend time answering my niggling questions.
>>
> HTH.
>
> - Evan
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