I
really like the way that the Geode uses the digital compass when in map
mode. When you have a solid fix, you will see an arrow indicating
your position and the direction you are facing.
If you lose the fix, the Geode puts a marker on your last known position
and places a compass indicator at the top right of the screen. By
doing this, you at least know the direction you are going even if you don't
have an exact fix on your location. This is one of my favorite features
of the Geode. It makes the module useful even when you lose your
satellite fix.
Find
a great spot that you want to remember or share with others? Create
a GeoPoint by selecting Action | Create Point. On this screen you
can select the database to store your entries (MyPoints is the default)
and give your point a name and icon. You can also type in notes for
the point.
If
you tap on a blank area on the map you will be given the option to set
that location as a Target, recenter the map around that location, or create
a point where you tapped. I have here a picture of what a Target
looks like and the distance screen. As I said before, I couldn't
figure out how to de-select a Target.
Things stored on the Geode
One of the Geode's best features out of the box is that it stores useful
data on the module, alleviating the need to store it on the Visor's memory
or on an MMC. Quick Tips is the user
documentation, and is actually useful when compared to other help files.
For example, I found these two power tips inside Quick Tips: draw L while
in a map to get Lat/Long, altitude, status, and direction; draw a C to
create a Geode Point based on your current location.
Also stored on the Geode is a High Level World Map. World Cities, Major
US Freeways, and Major US Water. All of these files would have almost
totaled an additional megabyte of storage you would have needed.
Kudos to Geode for including these on the module.
MMC Storage
At the time
that this review was published, GeoDiscovery hasn't finished the GeoData
Manager application that will let you store Geode maps on the two
MMC slots of the Geode. According to GeoDiscovery's website, they
"anticipate availability before the end of February." I will update
this portion of the review after the GeoData Manager's
release.
Usability >>
