Fool Proof?
After much research and trawling the internet I went out and made a capital purchase. And I can now say that the scenic route is now one which will be a choice rather than an inevitability. Simultaneously reading a map while trying to to navigate a roundabout the size of a football field is a thing of the past. Going the wrong way round the ring road a distant memory, and even then we made it to our destination... That's right, I am now the proud owner of one TomTom Sat Nav!!!! Tell it where you want to go and it gives directions, easy as!
I decided I would test it to see if it could get me from Gt Missenden to my French tutorial in High Wycombe, a route I had not previously travelled. It was a little worrying putting my complete trust in a machine to tell me where to go, (though I imagine some of you must have felt the same way when I have been navigating), especially as I was running to a tight schedule.
I decided I would test it to see if it could get me from Gt Missenden to my French tutorial in High Wycombe, a route I had not previously travelled. It was a little worrying putting my complete trust in a machine to tell me where to go, (though I imagine some of you must have felt the same way when I have been navigating), especially as I was running to a tight schedule.
Well I got a little more worried when I ended up on a tiny one lane country road that was practically a dirt track (I had ordered the shortest route) but the machine kept telling me I was getting closer so I followed the directions with blind faith and eventually popped out on the other side of the county onto the main road and pulled up when it told me I was there. Brilliant!
And what was more, if I took a wrong turn (just testing of course), it didn't sigh, it didn't complain, it didn't laugh or scream, it didn't remind me of the time we didn't get to Raglan, it simply recalculated and carried on giving directions as if nothing had happened.
Unfortunately however, there is a major problem with the unit, it hadn't taken me where I wanted to go!!!!!!! Yeah, it turns out it gives directions based on where I tell it to take me, not where I want it to take me. A subtle difference but an important one! A quick adjustment to the route and I was back on track and only 10 mins late, but it was a lovely scenic route and even over here I'm not expected on time :)
And what was more, if I took a wrong turn (just testing of course), it didn't sigh, it didn't complain, it didn't laugh or scream, it didn't remind me of the time we didn't get to Raglan, it simply recalculated and carried on giving directions as if nothing had happened.
Unfortunately however, there is a major problem with the unit, it hadn't taken me where I wanted to go!!!!!!! Yeah, it turns out it gives directions based on where I tell it to take me, not where I want it to take me. A subtle difference but an important one! A quick adjustment to the route and I was back on track and only 10 mins late, but it was a lovely scenic route and even over here I'm not expected on time :)
