The End of the Roadmap?

Australian IT has declared that the advent of the GPS navigator means the end of the road map as we know it. Is it true?

Well, yes and no.

I'm reminded of the e-mail/snail-mail debate. People used to say that the Post Office would go out of business, but it hasn't. E-mail is quicker, cheaper, more versatile, but snail mail is tactile (people like tactile), and capable of sending physical things. Mail is harder to ignore than e-mail, and a lot more useful when you need to be sure that it was actually received.

So what are the pros and cons for GPS navigators versus maps? Well, the GPS is easier to read, can give you turn-by-turn directions, is more likely to be up-to-date, and is... you know... cool. What chance does the map have?

First, it's a lot cheaper. It might not be worth it for someone to pay upwards of $100 to get a GPS tracker when they can bet a map for $7. Second, maps don't break down--so even if you have a Garmin, you might want to also have a map as a back up. Maps can be general, whereas a GPS typically is sending you to a direct place. Granted, GPS can be used to find, say, Rhode Island (as opposed to a pizza parlor in Providence), but maps lend themselves more easily. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, a map is something you can put on your wall and draw/trace/push-pin your routes and destinations. A map can be a commemorative tool, much like you can save an old letter, even frame it, better than you can save an e-mail.

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