[time-nuts] Problems with Garmin - maybe we should cut them alittle slack

[Charles P. Steinmetz]

Dick wrote:

>Most of the destinations I program in, by address, work well.
>Most of the time, I get led right to the door. So why can't
>it figure out where I live ??

As others have pointed out, roads have generally been surveyed pretty 
accurately but houses have not, except in heavily populated 
areas.  Business districts tend to be more densely built up than 
residential areas, so they are more likely to have been surveyed accurately.

I have lived in close-in suburbs of major metro areas ever since GPS 
receivers became everyday consumer items, and addresses near me have 
always been spot on.  But get out into rural areas, and they may or 
may not be.  The amount of work necessary to survey every address on 
every road in a country the size of the US is simply too great to be 
commercially worthwhile -- and that is before you consider the fact 
that the addresses many locals know are not the "official" addresses 
assigned by the county/town/village.  My grandparents lived and died 
never knowing that their house was on "60th St. West" in their small 
town (where the longest street was about 10 blocks).

>Just sloppy work, pure and simple.

Not sloppy, just not completely done because it's not commercially 
worthwhile.  Anyone who disagrees is free to do the survey himself 
and market better, more accurate GPS navigation devices.

Best regards,

Charles