Originally Posted by
phughes
One thing I hate about most online maps, is the orientation of the map. I prefer North to be up, South to be down, West to the left, and East right. It is much easier to visualize where you are going that way.
No, it's not
generally easier to visualize where you are going. It might be easier for you. But not everybody prefers it.
Originally Posted by
phughes
Yes, but default isn't.
Being able to choose "north up" or "track up" is a basic feature of any GPS unit or smartphone (that you'd use on a bike). It's easy enough to switch between the two. This doesn't make sense as a criticism of GPS devices.
With paper maps, the "track up" option is generally impractical.
Originally Posted by
phughes
The paper map is much bigger as well.
That's a downside in some cases too. With a GPS unit, you don't have keep fussing with folding the map.
Originally Posted by
phughes
I can navigate myself across country easily, with maps and simple spatial awareness, whereas my wife struggles with GPS. She is much younger and never had to learn to read maps. My belief is, had she learned to read maps, and to navigate using them, she would have a better sense of direction. I generally have an overview of an area in my head, which helps if I miss a turn. You don;t develop that as well if you have always relied on GPS for turn by turn directions.
A two pronged approach works well, utilizing both. On a trip, I wouldn't want to be without a hard copy of a map. GPS simply augments that for me rather than replacing it.
I think that "competent" users of GPS devices always use a "multiprong" approach.
Relying only on "turn by turn directions" isn't a expert use of the devices and might not be something that one could reasonably call "navigation".
I use maps on a smartphone rather than carrying paper maps.