GPS: A small correction

Okay. So some GPS's are pretty neat.

I've discussed slip-seating. And how one of the disadvantages is that you're not in any one truck long enough to live in it. Well, one of the minor advantages is that sometimes you find things you can use, left by the last guy. Not food or clothing, of course, but sometimes something useful.

In this case, the last driver left his GPS stuck to the windshield. And it's not like I can leave the load somewhere and search the city for him. So I figured out how to work it. And I pay more attention to locking the door when I get out of the truck.

This one isn't perfect for truckers. For one thing, it wasn't made for semi's. There's been a bit of scandal lately about truck drivers mindlessly following GPS routing's under low bridges and through residential neighborhoods, etc. The units that know better are kind of pricey. This isn't one of them.

Then there's the display. Four inches across, maybe. A bit squintworthy anyway, even in a car. But a semi-tractor's cab is kind of big. Which means a GPS that's suction-cupped to the windshield is pretty far away. Not always fun to read.

But the display, tiny as it is, is still easier to follow at a glance than the one built into the truck's computer. And the controls make more sense. And it actually has controls—the one in the satcom is programmed by the company, and you don't have a say in where it tells you to go.

And the 3-D display actually works. It's amazing what a real refresh rate does for the view. The moving map really moves. You can tell what's coming.

Ah, but it's not mine. Perhaps just as well. It's like a TV in a sports bar, dragging your eyes away from your food or even your girl. Even if you don't care about sports. Maybe not too bad a thing in a bar. But when what you start ignoring is the road and the traffic, the consequences can go well beyond missing out on a second date.

Guess my feelings are still mixed.