Well, I’m getting used to this whole concept of GPS. I ended up paying $26 on eBay for a GPS card for my Pocket PC (Holux GR-271). It’s supposed to be one of the best, but I’ve been kind of underwhelmed by its performance. It takes a long time to find a signal (usually a couple of minutes, even with a clear view of the sky), and doesn’t work well at all if there’s any kind of blockage. In comparison, other GPS units I’ve seen will get a satellite lock even within houses and above-ground parking garages. The reviews of this unit say that it works very well, and locks fast, so maybe mine is defective. However, merchantrun, the eBay vendor I bought it from is not responding to my requests for support (no surprise there). Holux hasn’t answered me either.

But, when it works, it’s great, and has already made my life easier. I was working in Etobicoke until 10:30 last night. It was dark and cold and I was unfamiliar with the area. I had only fumes in my gas tank, so I needed to find a gas station fast. Since it was an industrial park area, it wasn’t obvious where to find one. I just punched a few buttons on the Pocket PC and it brought up a list of gas stations listed by distance. All I had to do was tap on one on the list and it directed me there on the overhead map. Within minutes I was loading up on overpriced gasoline. Then I clicked a few more buttons and it told me how to get home. Nice!