>And that but is that if you become dependent on these things, you end up being unable to navigate by yourself.


That is exactly what I was thinking as I used it. With my previous system (printing out maps and directions from the Internet) , I was forced to pay closer attention to my surroundings and look for landmarks to help guide me. With a nav system I just listen to the nice lady telling me where to turn.

I suppose it's just another in a long line of innovations:
- writing meant that we didn't have to memorize long odes or prose.
- speed-dial and 411 meant that we didn't have to know anyone's phone number
- Google meant that we didn't have to know anyone's Web site address.
- Spotlight/Google Search means that we don't have to remember where we put that folder or file.

It's a trade-off and I haven't figured out whether it's a good one or not. I can see having one in my own car, if only to help me navigate downtown Denver which is a maze of one-way streets and roundabouts.

However, my wife and I enjoy cross-country road trips so I wondered if these things work well outside their native area?