Over at SiliconValley.com, Dean Takahashi points out that GPS devices topped electronic sales on Black Friday, the big shopping day after Thanksgiving:

Two years ago, the devices that get their location fixes from global positioning system (GPS) satellites cost $1,000. But the cheapest ones now have broken the $100 barrier and many are now competing on a variety of features. GPS devices were the No. 1 electronic purchase on Black Friday, up sixfold over last year in unit sales. The average price was $189.

Another indicator of how useful people find location info, and another point underscoring Nokia's logic of incorporating GPS into the Nokia N810 Internet Tablet.

Two years ago, the devices that get their location fixes from global positioning system (GPS) satellites cost $1,000.

Originally Posted by gemniii42

This is due to the convergence of low cost chips, relatively simple design, and dropping price of LCD's, RAM, etc. Also the $$ are going to be in subscription services, like razorblades for razors.

Originally Posted by Me

...

Having been a Navicore/Wayfinder user since the begining on the N800 >>http://www.internettablettalk.com/fo...ead.php?t=6380

I have favorably reviewed and used the product since >>http://my.opera.com/yodude/blog/2007...e-screen-shots

So... while waiting for this "Wayfinder" upgrade I was hoping this app would have improved. It has not.

IMHO, a better alternative to purchasing the "Wayfinder" app for either the N800 or the N810 @ $129 for 36 months would be to purchase a stand alone car navigator for the same or less..

>> https://shop.wayfinder.com/productgr...id=81&catid=15

VS.

>> $129.00 or $99.00

You will get the features you want, quicker GPS fix, and although they are smaller screen sizes than the N800/10's, they actually show about the same size map when in the navigation mode.



VS.



No one has been a bigger fan of the Navicore/Wayfinder app than me on this site. However, if the tablets are to be a consumer device then IMHO, consumers should vote with their $$$'s and purchase alternatives until someone produces an app that utilizes the tablets full potential.

Wayfinder could have been so much more than this sophomoric effort that they have presented us.

Originally Posted by YoDude

Previously you could spend upward to $1500 for a device but still have to wait like a schmuck and waive it around for 3 to 5 minutes to get a position. They were also no good in city "canyons" where people needed them most.
Not to mention these older "portable devices" were huge and heavy to accommodate batteries that would give them decent usability.

Originally Posted by sevo

It was not quite as bad - in 96, when I got my first GPS, I spent $300 for a 280g device that went through 4xAA NiCd in four hours, would refuse to work in urban canyons (indeed any street with more than four-floor buildings) or underneath a tree, and had a four line text display and direction indicator with an arrow moving in 15 degree increments. TTFF was painfully slow - 8-15 minutes, but once it got going and had lots of clear sky above it, it was quite as good and reliable as my current SIRFIII mouse.

Originally Posted by YoDude

I also think the US government had some say on what technology would be available to consumers. IDKFS


I didn't mean that $1500 was entry level back then. I meant that no matter how much you spent, you waited...

The technological improvement is what brought the customers back, not so much price. Price is coming down because of demand, competition, and the economy of scales I would think.