The Best Devices That I Alexander Michael Gittens Have Ever Purchased: Part III

Friday, April 25, 2008

The Best Devices that I Alexander Michael Gittens Have Ever Purchased: Part Three
Over that last two days I have written about two devices that I have purchased that performed much better than I could have anticipated. The exceptional qualities of this trio were measured by the function and convenience of the devices rather than the construction or durability. Each device provided convenience and time-savings above and beyond what I could have conceived before purchasing. If you have missed either of the previous two days the articles are available on my website . Thank you for reading and enjoy the final chapter of this trilogy.

3. Automobile Navigation

Having a navigation screen in your car looks very cool, in fact, it’s about 9 out of 10 on most meters of coolness. What is truly impressive about this device is that it actually performs better than it looks.

At its core a car is about transportation. We have blended social status, personality and persona into the definition of an automobile and it does parlay those characteristics albeit subjectively. What is paramount to the purchase of the vast majority of cars however, is the ability to transport you from one location to another and to do so efficiently and in comfort. (For indeed a bicycle can accomplish the locomotive imperatives of a car, but lacks the ability to transport heavy goods and passengers efficiently and its open-air design is less than ideal for inclement weather.)

Modern automobiles have many features that serve to make the journey more comfortable and efficient such as: cup holders, air-conditioning and heating, reclining seats, audio systems and arm rests. What was missing was so fundamental to the idea of the automobile, a salient mapping system.

Unlike the other two devices I am not going to spend as much time reviewing the functions of the navigation system expect to say this, it completely removes the arguments, lost time, frustration, extra gas expense, apprehension and disillusionment with directions, a new city and knowing where you are going. The experience using of the navigation system is so revolutionary that is does not need further endorsement.

On your way home have you ever made a wrong turn and just need help getting back to the interstate? Press the home button and you are there. Ever want to find a restaurant, gas station or library but didn’t know where it was? A map can’t help you find something that you do not know its location – Navigation systems do.

I saved this device for last because I, with my education and general understanding of technology, could not have anticipated how much this system could benefit my life. After lending my car to my father for one week, he swore that he would never drive another vehicle without navigation. This is my same parent who was hesitant to use ATMs, voicemail and still doesn’t own a cell phone.

Next time you rent a car or test drive a car, try out the navigation equipped model. The prices are dropping and they are even better that before. I guarantee you that you will constantly ask yourself how you lived without it. It is the most unexpectedly brilliant invention since the microwave oven.

Three days, three devices and 1000s of readers; thank you for reading and I hope that this small series has been of assistance to you. Demand more from your purchases, there are some really solid products out there and also some rather weak ones. For balance and prudence perhaps I should write about a collection of consumer duds, on second thought perhaps not, there is nothing novel about a product underachieving!

Alexander Michael Gittens

Home Page
Articles
Academe
Letters
Poetry