GPS For Dummies (ISBN 0764569333) Book Reviews 1-19 Sorted By Most Recent, at VeryWellSaid.com

Good Helpful Book

This is a very helpful resource for those of us who are new to GPS.

(Review Data Last Updated: 2008-12-27 06:48:55 EST)

03-28-08

(NA)

All the information you would ever want or need.

This is a great font of GPS information. You can get the basics of a GPS and begin to enjoy It. Then as you get more proficient with your GPS, you can return again and again to the book for in-depth information about the many different uses for a GPS and of course, a chapter on geocaching.

(Review Data Last Updated: 2008-12-17 09:22:31 EST)

08-31-07

(NA)

Great Place to Start

I have had a GPS unit for almost a year now with no hope of understanding just what it can do or how to use it due to the arcane nature of the owner's manual.I have no clue as to why the manufacturer's write such poor manuals but they do. In response to my frustrations I decided to try Joel's book as a means of understanding what this small device could do and just how to get it to do what the promotional materials say it does. After reading most of Joel's book I was able to go to work using my GPS unit and understand how to negotiate its features with relative ease. Realistically it isn't perfect but it sure is a great place to start if you are like me, clueless as to how to interpret the gibberish in the owner's manual.

(Review Data Last Updated: 2008-03-29 05:11:56 EST)

04-13-07

(NA)

Learn GPS

Learn to use your GPS with this helpful manual. You'll also learn about cartography, digital mapping, and types of GPS software.

(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-04-26 05:58:19 EST)

02-03-07

6\7

Interesting but...

I bought this book because I had recently purchased a GPS and was frustrated by the techno speak in the manual. I was looking for something to help me through the jargon.

Only about 1/3 of the book is specificallly about your GPS. A small section is about cartography and the rest deals with "digital mapping" (more jargon for computer software dealing with maps). All of the information is at least loosely tied to a GPS. There is no glossary section but the author does embed many clarifications of technical terms that are helpful for dummies like me.

The GPS sections are an improvement over my manual but still only partially sucessful. Priorities in choosing and mastering a GPS are miniscule. The cartography portion has information that is both interesting and helpful and does not bog the reader down with irrelevant information. These two topics are discussed in the first seven chapters.

The book then turned to digital mapping and I almost gave up on the book. I had no interest in mapping and I wasn't totally satisfied with the previous sections. Luckily I continued on. The mapping chapters are almost exclusively about mapping software (and little utility programs that help). The software information includes commercial, shareware and freeware programs. It discusses programs for the beginner on up to some heady stuff. You may want to take up the subject as a hobby even if you never were interested before. If I had the time I would be tempted to just play with this stuff because it is so cool.

If you buy the book, I would first just skim this "software" portion of the book when you go through it the first time. I think there are 14 chapters. It is amazing what is available but also sometimes redundant. I would use it only as a reference and study only the sections you need at that moment. Reading it word by word might be wasteful.

I do wish that the author had separated the utility software into a separate chapter so that those jewels could be returned to easily. I found them very useful.

The book is a mixed bag. The software chapters are the best part. The GPS info is not going to thrill you. The reading is pretty easy for a technical book.

(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-09-01 05:30:22 EST)

02-03-07

(NA)

Interesting but...

I bought this book because I had recently purchased a GPS and was frustrated by the techno speak in the manual. I was looking for something to help me through the jargon.

Only about 1/3 of the book is specicallly about your GPS. A small section is about cartography and the rest deals with "digital mapping" (more jargon for computer software dealing with maps). All of the information is at least loosely tied to a GPS. There is no glossary section but the author does embed many clarifications of technical terms that are helpful for dummies like me.

The GPS sections are an improvement over my manual but still only partially sucessful. Priorities in choosing and mastering a GPS are miniscule. The mapping parts have information that is both interesting and helpful and does not bog the reader down with irrelevant information. These two topics are discussed in the first seven chapters.

The book then turned to digital mapping and I almost gave up on it. I had no interest in mapping and I wasn't totally satisfied with the previous sections. Luckily I continued on. The mapping chapters are almost exclusively about software and utilities to help you get the most out of them. The software information includes commercial, shareware and freeware programs. It discusses programs for the beginner on up to ...

If you buy the book, I would first just skim this "software" portion of the book when you go through it the first time. I think there are 14 chapters. It is amazing what is available but also sometimes redunant. I would use it only as a reference and study only the sections you need at that moment. Reading it word by word might be wasteful.

I do wish that the author had separated the utility software into a separate chapter so that those jewels could be returned to easily. I found them very useful.

You may want to take up the subject as a hobby even if you never were interested before. If I had the time I would be tempted to just play with this stuff because it is so cool.

Unfortunately it isn't going to help those that are only interested in their GPS hardware and its uses. The book is a mixed bag. The software chapters are the best part. The GPS info is not going to thrill you. The reading is pretty easy for a technical book.

(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-02-06 16:03:11 EST)

02-03-07

(NA)

Interesting but...

I bought this book because I had recently purchased a GPS and was dismayed by the manual and was looking for something to help me through the jargon. Only about 1/3 of the book is specicallly about your GPS. A small section is about cartography and the rest deals with "digital mapping" (more jargon for computer software dealing with maps). There is no glossary section but the author does embed many clarifications of technical terms in the text that are very helpful for dummies like me. The GPS sections are a vast improvement over my manual but still only partially sucessful. The mapping parts have information that is both interesting and helpful to the GPS user and does not bog the reader down with information that is irrelevant. These two topics are discussed in the first seven chapters. The book then turned to digital mapping and I almost gave up on the book. I had no interest in mapping and I wasn't totally satisfied with the previous sections. Luckily I continued on. The mapping chapters are almost exclusively about mapping software and utilities to help you get the most out of them. It had programs for the beginner on up to ... If you buy the book I would first just skim this portion the first time through. It is amazing what is available but also sometimes redunant. You may want to take up the subject as a hobby even if you never were interested before. I do wish that he had separated the utility software into a separate chapter so that those jewels could be returned to very easily. I found them very useful. If I had the time I would be tempted to just play with this stuff because it is so cool. Unfortunately is isn't going to help those that are only interested in help for their GPS hardware. Still you can learn a lot of good stuff. A mixed bag I would say is playing off the popularity of GPS's that is only partially successful.

(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-02-03 14:25:44 EST)

01-16-07

1\1

Good for entry into GPS use

Copywrite date was 2004. Seems a little outdated in some places. Other than that, it was very helpful and full of useful Websites.

(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-07-04 05:23:12 EST)

01-15-07

(NA)

Good for entry into GPS use

Copywrite date was 2004. Seems a little outdated in some places. Other than that, it was very helpful and full of useful Websites.

(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-02-03 14:25:44 EST)

03-16-06

5\17

GPS Book

I belive this book is just a little more them a book for dummies. I still don't think I picked the right book for me. I still feel like I am in the dark.

(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-07-12 00:05:12 EST)

03-15-06

3\15

GPS Book

I belive this book is just a little more them a book for dummies. I still don't think I picked the right book for me. I still feel like I am in the dark.

(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-01-15 18:03:31 EST)

03-03-06

1\10

A Pretty Smart Idea

Large ships far out at sea could have their own differential GPS, not just static....

All you would need to do is put one receiver on the bow, one on the stern, and say, one in the middle, on the far port side of the ship!

Then a surveyor would accurately measure the distances and all horizontal and vertical angles between all three dual-frequency units to the required precision...

Similar/Same ionospheric + all other errors cancel,

You have centimeter level accuracy (!!!)

Genius!!!

This could thus also be applied to large aircraft such as the 757 and Airbus, enabling them to take off and land on autopilot, precise emphemeris could still be broadcast to them by radio!

[Note: If broadcast differential is so accurate, then why are surveyors still buying 2 and 3 separate GPS units? And why are we still learning this technique at UNSW?]

(Review Data Last Updated: 2006-07-07 11:38:08 EST)

08-31-05

9\10

Great Book for beginners and advanced users

Tons of good information to get started with using a GPS, goes beyond the basics. Really a very good starter book. Once you get this book, I would also recomend "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Geocaching" and the Owing's "GPS Mapping". With GPS for Dummies and my Garmins 60CS manual, I was able to hit the trail in a few hours. With the other books as complement, I have become very accurate locating waypoints when I do horse riding or 4x4 trips.

(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-07-12 00:05:12 EST)

08-30-05

7\7

Great Book for beginners and advanced users

(Review Data Last Updated: 2006-07-07 11:38:08 EST)

07-30-05

10\28

Not for outdoor beginners

This book sends people out in the field with a GPS but without the knowledge of what to do when the batteries die or the electronics fail (it happens!). If you really are a "dummy," you should also learn the basics of navigation before relying on an electronic device that can leave you stranded. Better choices that are very readable: The Land Navigation Handbook (new edition includes GPS info) and Wilderness Navigation (less detailed).

(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-07-04 05:23:12 EST)

07-29-05

6\17

Not for outdoor beginners

(Review Data Last Updated: 2006-07-07 11:38:08 EST)

07-29-05

2\9

Dangerous in the wrong hands

A book that sends you out in the field with a GPS but without the knowledge of how to use a map and compass too. If you reall are a "dummy," you should start with the basics first before relying on an electronic device that can leave you stranded. Better choices would be the Land Navigation Handbook (new edition) and Wilderness Navigation (less detailed).

(Review Data Last Updated: 2006-01-20 05:07:05 EST)

07-09-05

5\12

Highly recommended.

Excellent book.
Highly recommend it for all beginner geocachers as well as advanced geocachers.
Doc
Beamont, Texas Geocacher

(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-07-12 00:05:12 EST)

08-24-04

44\45

Great for 1st time GPS users, experts can also learn!