Korean Job Discussion Forums

[superdave]

i'm after a gps tracker ... one which can find its long and lat details and store them.

garmin device or similar would be ok.

spending under 200,000 won ... depending on model.

email or pm if you have one you're willing to part with.

cheers

david
www.davidsmeaton.com

[superdave]

bump, giggity!

[nobbyken]

Hi,

Any luck yet?
I have a Garmin e-Trex bought about 15 months ago for $110.
It has seen daylight for 3 days, and been tucked away in a drawer, with manual, since.
If your interested shoot me a PM.

NK

[canoe_jesuit]

hey,

I'm a huge garmin lover. Had 3 of them.

My recommendation to you. Don't buy it. Garmin has crap maps. Only good N.American maps. World maps are extra, and the selection is NA or Europe.

The future, which is 3 months away, is google earth/google maps on a gps because google earth is actual satellite photos, far better than garmin gps maps.

In 3 months, korea is dropping its regulation barring foreign cell phones from entering the korean market. IN short, Iphone will be on sale here in April. Iphone has a google maps application that pinpoints your location on the google maps backdrop - it's a gps with google maps. Unless you plan to go off the grid (central china, mount everest, etc.) this will work the best in korea. I hate iphone but i'm buying one the moment it sells here, merely for the google maps/earth app. But you can expect massive north korean tarrifs on this phone. I say north korea because south korea are nazis with any kind of free market concept.

you owe me $1 for this good advice

cheers
elliot

[smwood]

Hey Dave. I happen to have both a Garmin eTrex GPS and an iPhone - what Elliot (whoops, I meant canoe jesuit) said is not far off. The Garmin is great in Canada, the U.S. and Europe - really great. In SE Asia and Korea, although it will do what you want in terms of waypoints and so on, the maps are all but useless (and outdated).

The problem with the iPhone (why do you hate them, BTW, Elliot? They are pretty feckin' cool) is that the Google app is spotty too. Where I live in rural Chungnam the maps are very fuzzy in certain areas, good in others. Plus they aren't nearly as robust as the Garmin.

If you are planning on heading home anytime soon I would go with the Garmin. Mine has been incredibly good and it's been all over. You can buy them online and have them shipped at www.gpscity.com or www.gpscity.ca according to your preference.

Hope this helps. PM me if you have any other questions.

Cheers,

~ smw

[superdave]

thanks for the posts

i've got a garmin on its way (pick up this weekend) ... and i plan to make use of it for waypoints and such.

actually, i don't like phones. and for traveling, iphone technology is rather inconvenient. so while i'm abroad, i'll use the gps to track my movements around the place. i'm not too concerned about maps ... although i can use them in countries with better maps available.

cheers

david

[nosmallplans]

an up to date road map is available for all garmin models at the garmin store between euljiro 4 and chungmuro stations. the 2009 map just came out... i think a week ago?

they also have a comprehensive topo map but it only works for korean language garmin units.

i think the roadmap set comes in around W200,000.

[canoe_jesuit]

iphone still beats garmin.

"spotty maps"... Garmin's world maps are totally void of any detail whatsoever. It's only good for North America, or USA. The garmin extra maps (only europe) are way to expensive. You could buy a second iphone instead of garmin world maps (which covers europe).

Why do I dislike iphone?
1. No keys as in keyboard, forget touch screen keyboard
2. no .avi. Steve Jobs, who will not be with us for long, decided to prevent the number 1 format for downloadable movies, .avi.
3. "skype?? never heard of it!!" iphone went corporate by locking its service with the giant providers like ATandT (sluggish, old network). The future is using skype on these units.
4. Apple used to be cool. My family owned an Apple II in 1982. We've owned apple's ever since. My dad used to work for apple. Apple used to be cool. Apple notebooks have a serious stain issue where the user's palm rests on the notebook which leaves a terrible sweat stain after weeks of use.. Fix this problem?? No, just release the newer models with the same problem.
Like to play pc games?? Apple gaming grade notebooks are only $3000. The PC equivalent is $900. The desktop are about the same price difference.

But, I'll still buy an iphone in April.

[smwood]

Well, yes and no. Horses for courses, I guess? I like having both the Garmin and the iPhone, consumer electronics *beep* that I am. Each has its strengths and weaknesses.

The touch screen k/b is actually quite good. I typically don't like them ,but it's not bad on the iPhone. Surprisingly good, in fact.

There's an app called Fring for iPhone which pretty much is Skype. I've used it a few times for calling family back home, but if I'm near my computer I'll use that instead. Although it's there if I need it.

Give it a shot when you get your iPhone, Elliot.

~ smw

EDIT: What? I can't say "*beep*?" Well, *beep* that...

[bassexpander]

I have my doubts about the Google Maps application for the I-phone being allowed in Korea. It'll be blocked and bogged-down in some kind of Korean government screwjob until the local GPS manufacturers can catch up. Then it will be allowed with some sort of limited functionality.

Just like the I-phone.

Limited functionality (which, btw, will have no wifi)

[canoe_jesuit]

no it is really coming.. The bottom line is that Korea took a look at China Telecom which is doing just fine selling sell phones (in China) from other countries. Korea, once again, just oversimplified its numbers by thinking they would maximize profit by disallowing any foreign competitors. Or more accurately, samsung's purchasing of korean politicians had blocked iphone.. They saw it as a loss of profit, when in fact, the foreign units like blackberry have the same parts as the korean made ones (plus or minus a few). Same is true with computers.

Obama's mere election win forced korea to drop the stupid rule blocking foreign phones, it was a concession for the auto trade surplus (korean) complaint Obama raised.

Will there be tariffs on it? You bet. The iphone is retailing at Walmart in the US for $199. Expect $100 extra in tariffs.

The google maps app for iphone works to within 1/4 mile. NOt pinpoint but still better than garmin which has maps that are so terrible, they should be ashamed.